Issue - meetings

(1)       The Chairman and the Deputy Cabinet Member introduced the item by suggesting issues and discussion of how these issues could be approached then followed.  The issues listed were as follows:-

(a)       A Review of Children’s Partnerships, to gain first hand experience of the issues which the Committee was asked to consider.  This could be achieved by visiting Partnerships;

(b)       Health Visitors. Concerns had been expressed to Members by nursery and playgroup leaders, who did not get visits from Health Visitors.  Health Visitors played a key role in engaging with new parents and, as such, were well placed to see early signs of child protection issues.  Health Visitor visits stopped when a child reached a prescribed age, leaving the onus on parents to visit children’s centres instead.  Some parents were either not motivated to attend, or had practical problems in attending.   Mrs Wainwright and Mr Ridings suggested that PCTs could be asked to present the facts about Health Visiting to the POC, or possibly linking with the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, via the Cabinet Member Mr Marsh, to recommend action to resolve issues identified;

(c)        Reduction in Grants for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children and Young People (UASCYP), and the resulting substantial cost impact for Kent. Mr Anderson pointed out the complexity of funding around the issue of UASCYP in Kent and the conflicting legislation relating to it, but offered an item for the November meeting when new Government policy would be more defined. Members asked if the issue could be linked into the budget setting process.  Mr Anderson invited Members to visit the teams and centres which worked with UASCYP;

(d)       Differing levels of Children’s Social Services activity in East and West Kent; and

(e)       Research on Serious Case Reviews since 2000, undertaken by Dr Witney of Edinburgh University.