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 following verbal updates were received from Peter Oakford, Cabinet Member for Specialist Children’s Services;
a) The utilisation of Children’s Centres was being looked into further as a step towards further integration. He reassured Members that the focus on this would be integrating health visitors and be limited to services focused on children’s health and wellbeing.
b) In regards to Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) Members were informed that 40 had arrived in April. It was emphasised that the amount of arrivals had steadied from last year; the vast majority of those arriving were now from Afghanistan. Arrivals from Eritrea and Syria have both decreased significantly.
c) The Cabinet Committee was informed that migrant groups had been moving around the coast and due to this there had been an increase in UASC arriving in Newhaven, East Sussex.
d) It was confirmed that KCC was still awaiting further news on the UASC Dispersal Programme progressing. Mr Oakford also expressed a view that he would like Government to explain the infrastructure established to support UASC and their dispersal. He also reassured Members that other Local Authorities had so far provided assistance for 93 Asylum Seekers.
e) In regards to the additional 3,000 refugee children the UK will be resettling Mr Oakford was of the view that none of these will be settled in Kent.
2) The following verbal updates were received from Andrew Ireland, Corporate Director for Social Care, Health and Wellbeing;
a) In regards to a query over central government giving KCC reimbursement for the cost of UASC care Members were reassured that KCC had received an offer and it was broadly in line with the cost.
b) He shared with Members that he had given evidence at a Select Committee of the House of Lords along with representatives from the LGA and Croydon. He explained most discussion was around process and funding in regards to UASC. There was also further discussion into children’s social care in European countries.
c) In regards to education and support for UASC he confirmed progress on accessing English classes and college courses had been made.
d) Members were informed that an advisor from the Home Office was now permanently with the Directorate.
3) The following verbal updates were received from Graham Gibbens, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health;
a) He explained that the Department of Health had declared last year a reduction of payments to pharmacies. Because of this he was concerned Community Pharmacies in rural areas and town outskirts were at risk. He proposed to the Cabinet Committee to jointly respond with Roger Gough, Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform, to express their concerns over a loss of out of town services.
b) Members were informed that the new regulations on tobacco packaging that would come into effect from Friday 20th May 2016 and that a briefing in regards to this could be found online. He explained that the health warning must now cover 65% of the package and that certain descriptive words, such as organic or light, were ban from the packaging.
c) In response to a query Members were informed the Arts and Recovery Festival had been a one-time event, but similar events would be held in future.
4) The following verbal updates were received from Andrew Scott-Clark, Director of Public Health;
a) In regards to tobacco packaging he explained to Members that there was a range of initiatives to help enforce the new regulations including a licensing initiative from HMRC.
b) Members were reassured that health visiting performance was showing the right direction of travel.
5) Mr Sweetland brought the Cabinet Committee’s attention to a project in which Northfleet School for Girls had introduced School Pastors.