northlincs.gov.uk

Adult & Children’s Services Cabinet Member – Minutes – 19 April 2012

71        (71) SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECT (SWEEP) – The  Director of Children and Young People’s Services submitted a report proposing the development of a Social Work Education and Employment Project (SWEEP), and seeking approval to create a Social Work Professional Educator post within the project.

The aim of the proposed SWEEP was to increase the number of Social Work practice learning opportunities across the council’s Children and Young People’s Services (CYPS) for those undertaking the BA and MA Social Work routes.

The SWEEP was intended to be a partnership between CYPS and Frederick Gough School, who would host a number (up to 30 each year) of student social workers who were undertaking work placements as part of their training.

There were significant advantages to the council attached to providing student placements.  There was an anticipated reduction in numbers of social work students requiring placement, therefore the council needed to be in a position to attract these.  Those who had a positive experience training within North Lincolnshire were more inclined to apply for vacancies within the authority.

The SWEEP could offer an exciting new relationship between schools and social work services to present a more varied learning experience across the child’s journey and in line with the expectations of the Munro Review of Children Protection and Government response.

Resolved – (a) That the development of the Social Work Education and Employment Project be approved, and (b) that the establishment of a full time Social Work Professional Educator post, to supervise and assess Social Workers in training, be approved.

72        (72) APPOINTMENT OF AUTHORITY SCHOOL GOVERNORS – The  Director of Children and Young People’s Services submitted a report seeking approval of the appointment of Authority School Governors.

Resolved – That the following persons be appointed as Authority School Governors on the schools listed, subject to the relevant CRB checks:

73        (73) POST 16 STUDENT TRANSPORT POLICY 2012/13 – The Service Director Children and Young People submitted a reportseeking approval for the post 16 student transport policies for the academic year 2012/13.

There were two post 16 student transport policies.  One for students who had special or medical needs and needed extra support to access their post 16 provision, and another for students who did not need additional support.

The policies were reviewed and reissued every year. To comply with current legislation, they had to be published no later than 31 May.  The revised policy was appended to the report.

During the academic year 2012/13 transport was provided support for 55 students with special or medical needs and 1232 other students.

The council had a statutory duty to make it possible of people of 6^th form to attend education or training, but students could be expected to pay all or part of the cost of the transport.  During the academic year 2011/12 students made a contribution of £30 to their travel pass with a replacement pass levy of £20.

The proposed policies were appended to the report.

Resolved – That the policies set out in Appendix 1 and 2 to the report, be approved for publication by 31 May 2012.

74        (74) HOME TO SCHOOL TRANSPORT POLICY REVIEW – The Director of Children and Young People’s Service submitted a report seeking approval to consult on proposed changes to the home to school transport policy.

There were currently two home to school transport policies.  One was for pupils who had statements of educational needs and required extra support to get to school.  The other policy was for pupils who did not normally require additional support.

The policy for home to school transport for pupils who did not normally require additional support was reviewed during 2008/09.  An updated policy was published in September 2009 to include the new statutory provision for children from low income groups and the phasing out of transport to voluntary aided schools.

The policy had been reviewed to ensure it was fit for purpose.  The draft revised policy was attached at Appendix 1 to the report.  There had been no legislative changes to be implemented.  The proposed changes reflected application of the policy in practice and also clarified certain aspects of the policy.

Appendix 2 to the report provided information about the changes made to the draft policy and the different options that were available.

Resolved – (a) That the recommended options to be included in the revised policy be confirmed, and (b) that a consultation with parents and schools on the revised policy during the period between April and May 2012, be approved.

75        (75) REALIGNMENT OF FIVE SCHOOLS’ CATCHMENT AREAS CONSULTATION FEEDBACK – The Director of Children and Young People’s Service submitted a report informing the Cabinet Member of the results of the public consultation regarding the realignment of five school catchment areas, and seeking approval to implement the proposal to realign the catchment areas.

Catchment areas were used as a criterion for allocating school places when schools became oversubscribed.  Periodically, it was necessary to review the effectiveness of catchment areas.

It was normal practice for ‘paired’ infant and junior schools to share the same catchment areas; and for primary schools to have their own single catchment area.  However, for historic reasons the following schools had multiple-overlapping catchment areas:

• Willoughby Road Primary School (previously Riddings Infant and Junior Schools)
• Enderby Road Infant School
• Leys Farm Junior School and
• Bottesford Infants School

Following the creation of Willoughby Road Primary School, it became necessary to review its ‘inherited’ infant and junior school catchment areas to assess their suitability for the new primary school arrangement.  However, in order to review Willoughby Road Primary School’s catchment area, it was necessary to consider the catchment areas of nearby schools, namely Enderby Road Infants, Leys Farm Junior and Bottesford Infant Schools.

Resolved – That Option 1 at paragraph 3.1 of the report, to realign the catchment areas to be incorporated into the admission arrangements for September 2013, be approved.

76        (76) SCHOOL ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR 2013/14 COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY CONTROLLED SCHOOLS – The Director of Children and Young People’s Service submitted a report informing the Cabinet Member of the outcome relating to the 2013/14 admission arrangement consultation, and seeking approval to implement the proposed admission arrangement for 2013/14 for community and voluntary controlled schools.

A new admissions code of practice was published by the Department for Education on 1 February 2012, which superseded the previous code of practice published in February 2009.  The new Code took full effect on admissions arrangements in respect of the pupil intake for the 2013/14 academic years and thereafter.

The council was required to determine its admission arrangements and proposed admission numbers for 2013/14 for each community maintained and voluntary controlled school by 15 April 2012.

Admission arrangements described how school places were allocated, especially with reference to oversubscription criteria.  This confirmed how applications were prioritised, when the number of applications exceeded the number of places available.

The admission number referred to the number of school places that the admission authority must offer in the relevant age group of the schools for which it is the admissions authority.

Resolved – That options 1 and 2, at paragraph 3.1 of the report, to implement the revised admission arrangements for 2013/14 academic year, identified in Appendix A and the revised admission numbers as identified in Appendix B, be approved.

The corresponding report of the following item (Minute 77 refers) contains exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

77        (77) YOUNG PEOPLE’S EDUCATION CENTRE: CRECHE REVIEW – The Director of Children and Young People’s Service submitted a report seeking approval to delete posts within the crèche of the Young People’s Education Centre (YPEC).

The YPEC service worked with vulnerable and sometimes under-achieving learners.  Historically, it made provision for pre and post-natal young women and their children, so that support and education provision could be maintained for this vulnerable group.  In more recent times the number of young women using the crèche facility had declined dramatically, whilst the needs of other vulnerable groups had been increased substantially.

The number of children placed in the crèche had declined, whilst the staffing had been maintained at three members of staff.  The crèche had been running at a loss, with projections for the remainder of the year showing no increase in numbers of babies being placed in the facility.  The external funding for the YPEC which was previously obtained from the Learning Schools Council was no longer available.

Full details of proposals, including financial implications, were set out in the report.

Resolved – That the proposals to cease the running of the crèche facility at the Young People’s Education Centre, as set out in the report and accompanying appendix, be approved.

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Where there is no report this is because it is exempt, as it contains information which is considered to be of a confidential nature, as detailed in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act.