To receive a verbal update from the Cabinet Members for Specialist Children’s Services and Adult Social Care and Public Health, the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing and the Director of Public Health.
Minutes:
1. The Chairman and the Cabinet Committee gave their congratulations to Theresa Grayell on winning the ADSO Democratic Services Officer of the Year award. They also have their thanks for exceptional service to the Council that Theresa has given over the years.
2. Peter Oakford, the Cabinet Member for Specialist Children’s Services, made the following comments and announcements:
a) He confirmed there was 1383 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in KCC’s care. 356 have been placed outside of Kent, of which 151 were in Medway.
b) He confirmed that he had a recent meeting alongside Paul Carter and The Right Honourable James Brokenshire, the Minister of State for Immigration. As a consequence £5 million had been secured from Central Government to help respond to the deficit following the unprecedented increase in UASC in Kent and to meet budget pressures caused by this.
c) On 24 November 2015 Theresa May and two other Secretaries of State sent a letter asking all other Local Authorities in the United Kingdom to assist Kent in finding a good settlement for the large numbers of UASC that are now in KCCs care. The support that was requested is still voluntary. Since this later has been distributed four expressions of interest from other Local Authorities had been received by the time of this meeting. Of these only Wolverhampton had offered KCC help.
d) He expressed a view that if the rise in UASC in KCC’s care follows the same pattern in 2016 then KCC would struggle.
e) Following a second LILAC assessment KCC has passed 6 of the 7 standards. He stated that overall he was impressed by our results. Since this assessment Mr Oakford has attended a Children in Care workshop and had the opportunity to meet with the assessors. He stated that following this he had a better understanding of why KCC didn’t meet all 7 of the assessed standards.
f) He informed the Committee that he had recently visited all of the Gravesend Children’s Centres with Karen Sharp, the Head of Public Health Commissioning.
3. Margaret Crabtree gave her thanks to Mr Oakford and staff for their help with UASC and asked for further information as to how they are faring in KCCs care.
4. The Director of Specialist Children’s Services, Philip Segurola, confirmed that KCC are determined to ensure UASC are appropriately cared for but not to the detriment of the care that is provided to Kent children.
5. Graham Gibbens, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health made the following comments and announcements:
a) He welcomed Samantha Bennett as the new Consultant in Public Health.
b) He gave detail on the Public Health Conference he attended in September 2015 in Warwick. He had been invite to meet with Jane Ellison where they had discussed strategies towards keeping people active and tackling obesity, as it is feared it could become the single biggest killer in the UK by 2050. Mr Gibbens stated that there was an opportunity for Local Authority to make a real difference in tackling obesity and that Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWB) would come up with an obesity plan in every Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG.) He also confirmed that he was very supportive of these efforts.
6. The Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, Andrew Ireland made the following comments and announcements:
a) He confirmed he had attended the national children and adults services conference in Bournemouth in September with Mr Gibbens and Mr Oakford. There was a presentation from Ofsted on the inspection of framework. Kent has not yet received its SIF inspection and it is clear it is due to receive one in 2016. This presentation also explained that Ofsted had reframed the judgement of ‘requires improvement’ to be much more specifically ‘requires improvement to be good’. Ofted were still working through the next inspection framework which favoured multi inspectorate models as opposed to only inspections from the Local Authority.
b) He explained that in the weeks preceding the meeting he had visited all three reception centres and all found them all to be in a state of calm. Mr Ireland gave congratulations were given to the Property Team for getting the facility up and running so quickly. In terms of day to day care and management members were reassured it was being managed effectively.
c) He had also visited the central referral unit in Kroner House. They had a good system in place, a comprehensive multi agency environment and a good quality of very experienced staff.
d) It was confirmed KCC had a finalist for the mental health social worker of the year. We also sponsored an award as an issue of raising our profile in terms of recruitment and being more visible in this field as an authority. Mr Ireland confirmed he will take stock over the coming months of whether that has been a valuable exercise.
7. In regards to the award KCC has sponsored the Chairman stated she has always been happy to sponsor a particular category Triangle Award and that Members could consider such an investment as an option for their Local Members Grants.
8. The Director of Public Health, Andrew Scott-Clark, made the following comments and announcements:
a) He also welcomed Samantha Bennett to the meeting.
b) He confirmed that he had attended the Public Health England conference earlier in the year. New models for the were out to consultation and a good response has been received so far. The closing date for both is 14th December. Mr Scott-Clark asked members to remind constituents they have the opportunity to participate in the consultation.
c) In regards to childhood obesity Mr Scott-Clark informed the Committee that the latest childhood measurement program results have been announced. The results have shown a mixed picture for Kent. Growth in childhood obesity has halted since the early 2000s. This hasn’t yet turned into a downward trend. As Mr Gibbens mentioned earlier the Directorate will work closely with local HWBs in establishing an obesity plan to respond to this.