MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES, HOUSING AND BENEFITS SELECT COMMITTEE HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON THURSDAY 20 DECEMBER 2001 COMMENCING AT 9.30 AM

Present :

Mr R G Mazillius (Chairman), Mr A C Bartlett, Mr C R Hancock, Mr G S Kendall, Mr A J Mundy, Mr R C Richards, Mr I R Stephens, Mrs J L Wareham, Mr D G Williams

Apologies :

Mrs T Butchers, Mrs E Oulton

Portfolio Holders :

Mr J A Bowker, Mr P G Harris

Also Present (by invitation) :

Mrs B D Clough

37. MINUTES

RESOLVED :
THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 5 December 2001 be confirmed.

38. CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES AND SIGNIFICANT HEALTH NEEDS

The Select Committee received the joint report of the Strategic Directors of Education and Community Development and Social Services and Housing on the draft of the Best Value Review on Children with Special Educational Needs, Children with Disabilities and Significant Health Needs.
The Committee were asked to suggest any amendments or further work that they would like to be included in the final report and to identify the range of options that should be included in the final report.
With regard to the final options it was felt that the long term aim should be the full integration of services - including Health services provided to children. However, it was accepted that this would require considerable political and cultural change over several years. Given that the overriding feedback from the consultation with the users was for the need for greater integration, it was felt that the option to leave the services as they were should not be included in the final recommendations.
It was noted that reference was made in the body of the report to the various ICT issues that hindered integration. It was felt that whilst ICT was an enabler, how to deal with this issue needed to be included in the action plan.
The Directors explained that this had proved to be a difficult area to carry out any benchmarking or competitive testing. However, as more and more authorities were undertaking such reviews the likelihood of being able to carry out meaningful benchmarking, in the not too distant future, was noted.
Following questions from members it was explained that this Review had been brought forward as a result of consultation with schools about SEN generally. However the scope for the Review did not include looking at how children requiring special needs were identified. It was noted that the comments from the recent SEN consultation with the schools would be included within the final report and that at some point in the future there could be a review of the process of identifying those needing special needs.
RESOLVED :
(i) THAT the draft Best Value Review be welcomed and that all officers concerned with its preparation be thanked for their hard work.
(ii) THAT the final Review be prepared taking into account the following suggestions:
(1) That the recommendation 8.1 to 8.9 be supported and compiled into a timed action plan;
(2) That option 10.1 in the report be discounted;
(3) That whilst the long term aim might be option 10.5, realistically the options should be 10.2, 10.3 and 10.4; and
(4) That all the options include more detail.

39. REPORTS OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOUSING

(a) Recruitment and Retention of Foster Carers
(At 11.25 the Chairman explained that Mr C Richards had a pecuniary interest in the next item of business and that he had therefore left the meeting for this item)
The Strategic Director presented his report on his proposals to enhance the remuneration and support for foster carers. These proposals had been prepared following a recent reduction in the number of carers that the authority was able to call on by a third over the last year. This shortage occasionally created problems with finding appropriate foster homes for children in need and in some circumstances led to children being placed on the mainland. The proposals had been drawn up following detailed consultation with the carers.
The Select Committee accepted that the proposals were necessary to ensure that the Council was able to maintain a pool of suitable carers. The hard work, dedication and wider contribution that these carers made to the community was fully acknowledged by the Select Committee, as was the fact that the actual allowances being paid were not the reason why carers undertook this role. It was noted that the suggested increased allowances were still significantly below the levels paid by private foster agencies.
RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
(i) THAT the Select Committee endorses the proposal to adopt the National Foster Care Association rates as set out in the Strategic Director's report.
(ii) THAT the other proposals as set out in paragraph 3.7 of the report be taken forward by officers for implementation.
(iii) THAT the additional annual financial commitment of �361,000 be reflected in the Social Services base budget.
(b) Recruitment and Retention of Child Care Social Workers
The Strategic Director presented his report on a series of proposals in relation to the recruitment and retention of Child Care social workers. The report suggested the establishment of a task group to fully investigate the range of proposals, and to consider any others, and that the task group report back to the Select Committee with its recommendations.
RESOLVED :
THAT a task group comprising of the following members be established to consider the proposals set out in the Strategic Directors' report for the recruitment and retention of child care social workers and that the task group report back to the Select Committee with its recommendations:
Mr Mazillius, Mr Mundy, Mr Stephens and Mr Hancock.

40. MEMBERS' QUESTION TIME

A question was put to the Chairman by :
Cllr Bartlett in relation to the closure of St Lawrence Nursing Home. (MQ25/01)
A copy of the question and reply is contained in the Members' Question Register.

CHAIRMAN