Agenda and minutes

To note any changes to the membership.

1.1       There were no changes to the Membership

1.2       The Chairman welcomed Councillor Danny Chalkley (Cabinet Member for   Children and Young People) and Jean Daintith Independent Chair of LSCB

            (Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster) to the meeting.

1.3       The Chairman also welcomed Detective Inspector Neil Matthews, Police lead in the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and Tri-borough Multi-Agency Sexual Exploitation (MASE) Panel Chair, Emily Harcombe, Social Worker, North Westminster Child Protection Team, Clare Manchester, Young People’s Advocate, Jane Coppock Children’s Service Manager, Barnardos who will take part in the discussion on Child Sexual Exploitation.

1.4       The Chairman announced that Annie Ee from Hampden Gurney Primary School had been appointed to the Committee as Parent Representative. 

To receive declarations by Members and Officers of the existence and nature of any personal or prejudicial interests in matters on this agenda.

2.1       No further declarations of interests in respect of items to be discussed were made, other than those noted in the circulated schedule.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2014.

3.1.      Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2014 were approved for signature by the Chairman as a true and correct record of the proceedings.

4.1     The Committee noted that an updated Recommendation Tracker had been circulated at the meeting.

4.2     Resolved: That the Recommendation and Action Trackers be noted.

Councillor Chalkley (Cabinet Member for Children and Young People) to update the Committee on current and forthcoming issues in his Portfolio.

5.1     The Committee received an update from the Cabinet Member who responded to questions relating to:

·     the 2013-14 examination results which showed that 71% of Westminster pupils achieved 5 grades A*- C at GCSE (including English and Maths), a 1% increase on the previous year.

·     the travel training provided to young people with special educational needs to enable them to travel to and from school independently.

·     the focus of the Early Help Strategy and plans for Play, Youth and Children’s Centre Services.

·     the Education, Employment and Training opportunities for 16-18 year olds and care leavers.

·     the promotion of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme in Westminster schools.

·     the opportunities for free day care for 2 year olds across Westminster and the 2 year olds developmental review.

·     the need for additional secondary school pupil places.

·     domestic abuse (male and female).

5.2     ACTION: That the Westminster City Council School Organisation and Investment Strategy 2014-2016 be circulated to the P&S Committee.

Report from Councillor Steve Summers (Cabinet Member for Sports, Leisure and Open Spaces) updating the Committee on current and forthcoming issues in his Portfolio.

6.1     The Committee received an update from the Cabinet Member which covered       current and forthcoming issues in his Portfolio. 

6.2     ACTION: That a briefing note be sent to Members regarding Active People Summary Results showing a breakdown of age groups/communities that were most active/inactive.          

7.1     The Committee received the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) Annual Report 2013-2014 which detailed both the core functions of the LSCB as well as the proprieties that were established in April 2012.

7.2     The Committee heard from Jean Daintith, the Independent Chair of the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) for Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster, who gave a presentation on the four priorities in the safeguarding plan for 2014/15 and explained that each priority had a number of key actions for delivery of better outcomes for children.  She also outlined the work of the Board and responded to questions. 

7.3     The Committee noted the LSCBs were multi-agency partnerships charged with overseeing local arrangements for safeguarding children and the work that had been achieved by the Board on identifying key priorities to be taken forward for the coming year.  The Committee further noted the work being carried out to engage diverse communities on the safeguarding of children and the national concerns being addressed by the LSCBs which included neglect of children and young people, child sexual exploitation and gangs and female genital mutilation (FGM).

7.4     The Committee acknowledged the achievements and progress that had been made by the LSCB and the effectiveness of local arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within the Tri-Borough area. 

7.5     ACTIONS:

1.              That the Tri-Borough Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Annual Report 2013/14 be circulated to Members.

2.              That the “Top Ten Tips” leaflet be circulated to Members.

3.              That a briefing be circulated to Members outlining the Metropolitan Police’s experience on dealing with the Tri-Borough.

The Committee will receive an update on the Council’s work.

8.1     The Committee received a report outlining the priority of protecting children from sexual exploitation for Westminster’s Child Protection Service and for the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB). 

8.2     The Committee welcomed Detective Neil Matthews, lead in the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and Tri-borough Multi-Agency Sexual Exploitation (MASE) Panel Chair who gave a brief summary of Police improvements in Westminster and London in tackling child sexual exploitation, Jane Coppock, Children’s Services Manager from Barnardos who talked about working with and supporting victims of child sexual exploitation and Emily Harcombe, Social Worker, North Westminster Child Protection Team who gave a brief anonymised case study, supported by co-worker Claire Manchester, Young People’s Advocate.

8.3     The Committee also welcomed Councillor Ian Rowley who discussed the work undertaken by the Sex Workers Task Group.  The Committee heard about the risk factors that trap vulnerable adults, both boys and girls, (and especially former Looked After Children (LAC)) into having sex in exchange for money, drugs, food, clothes and mobile phones.

8.4     Issues discussed by the Committee included:

·     how vulnerable young adults were targeted by gangs.

·     the importance of identifying potential victims of child exploitation at an early age.

·     the importance of recognising that child sexual exploitation can affect children from all different backgrounds and communities.

·     the importance of identifying the abuse of boys and referring these cases.

·     the challenges faced by the transient population in Westminster

·     child runaways and missing children.

·     the different interventions available to help victims identify and recognise abuse taking place in their relationships.

·     the importance of sharing information with other local authorities and agencies

·     the joined up workthat the Council, Health Care Workers and the Police were undertaking to reduce the gang’s ability to sexual exploit vulnerable young people.

8.5     The Committee acknowledged the joined up work being carried out by Westminster Council, the LSCB, the Police and other agencies and considered that good progress was being made in safeguarding children at risk of child sexual exploitation across the Tri-borough area.

8.6     The Chairman thanked everyone for contributing to the discussion.

8.7     ACTIONS:

1.              That a briefing note be circulated to Members on the investment being made in tackling gang culture.

2.              That a briefing note be circulated to Members on sex education in schools in particular what advice and support was available within the PSHE curriculum in relation to child sexual exploitation.

3.              That a briefing note be circulated to Members on what the independent schools sector are doing to tackle child sexual exploitation.

4.              That a briefing note to be circulated on the findings of  Hammersmith and Fulham’s critical friend report and the possibility of holding Tri-Borough P&S Committees in the future.

To discuss the Committee’s Work Programme for 2014/15.

9.1     The Committee considered its Work Programme and agreed that the next meeting on 24 November would review Elective Home Education and Promoting an Active Westminster. 

9.2     The Committee further agreed that a Task Group would be set up to review the commissioning of the School Meal Service.  

Verbal Update.

10.       EXEMPT REPORT UNDER LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972

10.1   RESOLVED: That under Section 100 (A) (4) and schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business because it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information on the grounds shown below:

            Item No           Grounds                                                          Para of Part 1 of

                                                                                                            Schedule 12A of the Act

                  9.               Information relating to an individual                      1