Agenda and draft minutes

AGREED – That the minutes of the last meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group – CSE meeting were confirmed as a correct record.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

No declarations of interest were received on any of the agenda items.

To consider a report from the Director of Policy and Governance (enclosed).  Head of Legal, Democratic and HR Services, and the Senior HR&OD Consultant will be attending the meeting for this item.

In response to a request made by the Task Group at its last meeting, the Director of Partnership and Governance submitted a report which set out the legal requirements to enable disclosure applications to be made through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for elected members.  In conclusion the report found that applications made on behalf of elected members would not be lawful as their councillor duties/role did not fit the eligibility criteria.  Although an alternative provision did exist through Disclosure Scotland, it would not provide as much information or level check and was unlikely to be recognised as being comparable to a DBS Disclosure certificate.

The Task Group welcomed the Head of Legal, Democratic and HR Services, and the Senior HR and OD to the meeting who attended to respond to any questions raised my members through debate.

The Senior HR and OD Consultant added that by the end of November 2016, the Council was likely to have its registered body status for applying for disclosures from DBS cancelled due to insufficient number of disclosures being requested within any 12 month period.  Therefore the Council would have to use an external organisation to undertake DBS disclosures in the future, which would interrogate submitted application to ensure the criteria was strictly adhered too.

The Chair thanked the Head of Legal and Democratic and HR Services and the Senior HR and OD for attending the meeting and their contribution.

AGREED –

1.    That applications’ for disclosures are not to be submitted to the DBS in respect of elected members as it would likely be outside the legislative framework relating to DBS disclosures, as detailed in the report.

2.    That basic disclosure applications’ through Disclosure Scotland are not to be submitted as the disclosures would only provide details of any unspent convictions, and elected members were currently legally required to disclose all unspent convictions.  There would also be no mechanism to enforce elected members to complete applications.

The Task Group will welcome Natalie Fairhurst, Safeguarding and Intervention Manager from Parklands High School who will be in attendance at the meeting to speak on the work the school does to tackle CSE.

Members of the Task Group will be able to ask relevant questions in regards to issues around CSE.

Suggested questions

The Chair welcomed Natalie Fairhurst, the Safeguarding and Intervention Manager for Parklands Academy to the meeting to provide members of the Task Group with an insight in to the work done in regards to raising awareness of CSE and the help and support offered to those who had suffered CSE.

Parklands Academy had a comprehensive approach to tackle CSE, which included –

·         A term dedicated to CSE during PSHE lessons, including the dangers of sexting

·         Targeted sessions with vulnerable groups

·         Feeling safe sessions

·         Workshops for both pupils and parents (Chelsea’s Choice)

·         Safer internet sessions

·         Work in partnership with the Deter team, Children’s Society and other relevant partners

·         Work with partners to deliver training to staff

·         Regular meetings with other schools

·         Liaise with other schools

·         Ensure all schools policies were reviewed annually

·         To act as a supportive body, and work with pupils to reassure them that they had not done anything wrong.

For those families who were hard to reach, staff would use a variety of methods to get in contact with parents or guardians, which included house visits.  Community drop-ins were also taking place at a supermarket for those parents/guardians who wanted to meet on neutral ground.  It was important for the Academy to make their pupils aware that they were cared for and protected, and that they could confide in any member of staff without fear of ridicule or not being believed.

Members of the Task Group were also informed that every high school had a legal requirement to have a safeguarding designated person and a back-up designated person, although their general day to day role could be different in each high school.

The Task Group discussed various aspects of the presentation, and commended Parklands Academy for the work they were doing to support their pupils.

The Chair thanked the Safeguarding and Intervention Manager for Parklands Academy for her valuable contribution and attending the meeting.

Members of the Task Group will receive a verbal update on the Council’s rules and responsibilities in tackling CSE from the Head of Early Intervention and Support and the Intervention and Prevention Officer.

The Chair welcomed the Intervention and Prevention Officer to the meeting to detail the council’s roles and responsibilities in regards to the prevention of CSE.

The main responsibilities for the council included –

·         Raising awareness of CSE with elected members and officers

·         Raising awareness about CSE in the community (targeted delivery)

·         Working with other partners and sharing information

·         Supporting national and local initiatives

·         Ensuring that relevant officers of the council undertake regularly training on CSE prevention

·         Ensuring that the reporting pathway for suspected CSE cases were know

In addition, the council had introduced a requirement that those people applying for/or renewing a taxi drivers license had to undergo regular CSE training as part of the application/renewal process. 

Officers from the Early Intervention and Support team had also undergone train the trainer courses which would allow them to train other members of staff on a regular basis.

The Task Group were informed that as a representative of the Chorley and South Ribble Community Safety Partnership Task and Finish Group on CSE, the Early Intervention and Prevention Officer also played an important role liaising with other partners trying to raise awareness with parents and guardians as well as the children and young people.

The Chair thanked the Intervention and Prevention Officer for attending the meeting.

Discussion item.

The Chair invited members of the Task Group to put forward potential recommendations for the final report.

Members of the Task Group considered the information that had be presented to them over the course of the review and put forward a number of potential questions that they wished to propose for the final report for further consideration at the next meeting.

The next meeting will take place on the close of the CSE Member Learning Session on Monday, 14 November at approximately 7pm.

The final meeting of the Task Group will take place on Wednesday, 16 November at 3pm.