APPENDIX 1

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS COMMITTEE

TERMS OF REFERENCE

PURPOSE

To enable Elected Members to scrutinise the Council’s performance as a Corporate Parent against agreed national objectives (Quality Protects) and local performance targets in relation to Children Looked After and Children in Need.

To undertake policy development reviews and scrutiny of areas of significant joint working between the Education and Social Services Directorates on behalf of the relevant Select Committees.

To report on the performance and progress to the Executive for approval of strategic direction, priority and resourcing of these activities and services.

REMIT

To look in detail at the work of the Authority against the Government and Local Targets for improving the life chances of children, 'Looked After' or 'In Need' using qualitative evidence and quantitative data, together with information from young people themselves with regard to:

●    all Looked After Children, and in particular those for whom being cared for long term or placed for adoption

●    all those children and young people defined under the Children Act (1989) as Children in Need:

     *          children and young people leaving our care

     *          children with disabilities and special needs

     *          child protection and child safety

     *          young offenders

To review the performance of the Council in relation to its policy objectives and performance targets affecting service delivery to children and young people (up to the age of 25)

To maintain a workplan setting out a rolling programme of work that it intends to persue subject to the approval of the relevant Select Committees.

MEMBERSHIP

To be made up of Members from Social Services, Housing and Benefits and Education, Community Development and Life Long Learning Select Committees on the basis of political proportionality together with one co-opted member from the Education, Community Development and Lifelong Learning Select Committee.