northlincs.gov.uk

35 (35) APPOINTMENT OF LOCAL AUTHORITY SCHOOL GOVERNORS – The Director of Learning, Skills and Culture submitted a report considering the appointment of suitable candidates to serve as local authority (LA) governors.

Boards of governors were the key strategic decision-making body for schools. It was the board’s role to set a school’s strategic framework and to ensure that all statutory duties were met.  There were currently 72 boards of governors within North Lincolnshire serving both schools and academies. A number of schools were federated, which meant a governing board oversaw the running of two schools.

In accordance with the School Governance Regulations (2012), maintained schools’ boards were constituted from the following governor categories:

• Parent Governors
• Head Teacher
• Staff Governor
• Local Authority Governor
• Foundation Governor

When a LA governor vacancy occurred, the relevant board identifies the necessary skills, knowledge and experience that would be required of the successful candidates.  The council was then able to match the board of governors’ needs against the perspective candidates’ application.

Resolved – That the named persons as listed in Appendix 1 to the report be appointed as Local Authority Governors on the school listed, subject to the relevant DBS checks.

36 (36) REVISED MULTI-AGENCY CHILDREN IN CARE AND CARE LEAVERS PLAN 2016-2018 – The Director of Children and Community Resilience submitted a report informing the Cabinet Member of the updated Multi-Agency Children in Care and Care Leavers Plan 2016-2018.

The Multi-Agency Children in Care and Care Leavers Plan 2016-18 set out the council’s key priorities for children in care and care leavers and pulled together the council’s promise and commitment to the children and young people. It built on successes and set out a continuing ambitious agenda for further improvement.  It detailed aspirations for all children in care and care leavers who were the responsibility of the council wherever they were living. It also recognised the responsibilities of the council and its partners to children in care from other areas who were living in North Lincolnshire.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Learning and Director of Children and Community Resilience had specific roles and responsibilities for children and young people in care to ensure that success continued to be built upon.  This meant ensuring that children in our care were partners in planning for the things that affected them and holding partners to account for their contribution to this. Success in doing this would continue to be demonstrated through the services delivered, plans made and outcomes for children and young people.

The implementation, progress and delivery of the plan was overseen by the Multi-Agency Looked After Children’s Partnership, which was a multi-agency senior/responsible officer group that planned, reviewed, monitored and developed all aspects of the council’s work in relation to statutory and aspirational work with children in care and care leavers. This then reported directly to the Corporate Parenting Board chaired by the Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Learning and attended by Elected Members, the Senior Leadership Team and senior officers from partner agencies with a strategic lead in ensuring better outcomes for children in care and care leavers.

Resolved – That the updated North Lincolnshire Multi-Agency Children in Care and Care Leavers Plan 2016-18 be noted and supported.

37 (37) REGIONALISATION OF ADOPTION SERVICES – The Director of Children and Community Resilience submitted a report seeking agreement in principal in relation to the forming of a North and Humber Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) with York as the single host authority.

An in principle agreement was sought and secured from the Children, Families and Learning Cabinet Member in April 2016 to progress with the development of a North and Humber Regional Adoption Agency (minute 33 refers). This was in line with the plans to regionalise adoption services across Yorkshire and Humber. At that time the proposal was that within the Yorkshire and Humber region, an ambitious plan would be progressed regionally to continue with a central hub and to develop three regional adoption agencies; North and Humber, South and West. North and Humber included North Yorkshire/York/East Riding/North and North East Lincolnshire and Hull.

The intention was to transfer and establish North Lincolnshire adoption functions within the context of the proposed RAA. It was a council led Regional Adoption Agency on behalf of the six local authorities. It was originally proposed that North Yorkshire and York took the lead.

Development of the three regional RAA’s had continued with a proposal that there be one single host authority for the North and Humber RAA. This proposal followed discussions with the Department of Education and Ofsted where a single host authority was their preferred option. It was proposed therefore that York be that host authority and agreement to that proposal was being sought and secured from York Cabinet Members on the 9 February 2017. Once agreement had been secured a robust implementation plan would be developed and progressed via an implementation board following agreement from the other five partner local authorities.

It was therefore imperative that an in principle agreement to progressing with the development of the North and Humber RAA with York being the single host authority was secured from the five partner North and Humber RAA local authorities.

Resolved – (a) That the forming of a North and Humber Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) with York as the single host authority, be approved in principal, and (b) that a further report be submitted to the Cabinet Member when the resources and financial implications were available for consideration and approval.