To receive verbal updates from the Cabinet Members for Education and Health Reform and Community Services; and the Corporate Director for Education and Young People’s Services on the following:
· Schools – Advice on Ebola
· Free School Meals
· Visit to Finland, 5-7 November 2014
· Try Angle Awards, 23 November 2014
Minutes:
1. The Cabinet Members, Mr Gough, Mr Hill and Corporate Director, Mr Leeson gave their verbal updates and highlighted the following:
2. Mr Gough advised that the Elective Home Education – Adoption of Policy report would be submitted to the 13 January 2015 meeting.
3. The Infant Free School Meals Initiative had been allocated £2.8 million to develop the projects. The final project was completed in September and had delivered good results. There had been a number of issues at schools although small.
4. There were 128 schools without cooking facilities. Mr Gough advised that he had written to Mr David Laws, Minister of State for Schools, and had been advised that there was a new pot of money of £20 million for which Kent submitted 16 bids. The outcome of those bids would be advised in January 2015.
5. Mr Hill highlighted that he visited Finland on 5-7 November to sign a new protocol of co-operation for the exchange of young people, youth workers and other parts of the County Council’s work. The extended protocol had no end date. Mr Leeson advised that a Finnish delegation would be coming to Kent in January to produce an action plan.
6. Mr Hill praised the Spirit of Try Angle Awards 2014 held on 23 November, advising that attendees included Paralympian, Charlotte Evans, MBE, and Kent’s Chief Constable, Alan Pughsly.
7. Mr Hill then advised on the Troubled Families Initiative, which was launched in 2012. In the first phase, Kent had 2560 troubled families and had turned around 67% of the troubled families above the national threshold. In the second phase which would be a five year programme the target was to reach over 8000 families. Mr Hill agreed to submit a progress report to the July meeting.
8. Mr Leeson advised that all Kent schools had received the national advice on Ebola which detailed what to do and how to make a referral on a child or family returning from a country with Ebola outbreaks. The schools had welcomed the advice. To date there had been no referrals.
9. Mr Gough, Mr Hill, and Mr Leeson responded to questions by Members as follows:
a) Members sought the precise definition of the term “turn around”. Mr Hill advised that he was not keen on the term but there were strict criteria which had to be satisfied so that a difference was made. He agreed to circulate the definition outside the meeting.
b) It was suggested that each Member should be aware of the issues around troubled families within their electoral divisions.
c) Mr Leeson advised that the Troubled Families Initiative was no longer a project but was embedded in the work of the Early Help and Prevention Unit. He agreed to circulate the names of the Preventative Services officers to Members outside the meeting.
d) Mr Leeson advised that every Trouble Families case would be tracked so officers would be aware of families returning to use the services.
e) A Member suggested that the government should allocate the necessary funding for providing free school meals direct to Local Authorities and not through a bidding process so that they can achieve the government initiative to supply free school meals. Kent still has 128 schools without cooking facilities. The initiative would be impossible to achieve without funding. It was suggested that Kent should send a strong message back to government. Mr Gough concurred advising that where it worked well it was good for the children and the school. The funding was inadequate. He advised that he wrote to Mr D Laws setting out Kent’s concerns. Members noted that Kent’s situation regarding this matter mirrored what was happening in other parts of the Country.
10. RESOLVED that:-
a) the responses to questions by Members and the information in the verbal updates be noted;
b) a progress report on the Troubled Families Initiative be submitted to a future meeting; and
c) a list of the Preventative Services Officers be circulated to Members outside the meeting.