Agenda and minutes

To note any changes to the membership.

1.1           Councillor Lindsey Hall was unable to attend and sent apologies.

1.2           Mark Hewitt (Co-opted Representative) was unable to attend and sent apologies. Wasim Butt (Co-opted Representative) was unable to attend and sent apologies. Maka Baramidze (Vice Principal, Westminster Academy) replaced Wasim Butt.

To receive declarations by Members and Officers of the existence and nature of any pecuniary interests or any other significant interest in matters on this agenda.

2.1       The Chairman sought any personal or prejudicial interests in respect of the items to be discussed from members and officers, in addition to the standing declarations previously made.

2.2       In the interests of transparency, Councillor Christabel Flight declared that she was a trustee of the Sir Simon Milton Foundation and Councillor Mark Shearer declared that he was the deputy to Councillor James Spencer for that portfolio, leading on Sport and Leisure (including the dog park).

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 19^th July 2021.

3.1       The Committee was informed by Artemis Kassi (Lead Scrutiny Advisor) that the draft minutes of the meeting held on 19th July 2021 were being edited. These would be re-circulated to Committee members for approval and, if no comments were received, would be prepared for signature.

3.2       ACTION: The minutes of 19 July to be edited and re-circulated prior to approval and signature.

Update to the Committee on current and forthcoming issues in this portfolio.

5.1       The Committee received a written and short verbal update from the Cabinet Member for Young People and Learning on current and forthcoming matters in the portfolio.

5.2       The Committee discussed the following topics in detail:

•           the awareness and communication of the Holidays Activities Fund (HAF);

•           the Marble Arch Mound extended opening hours and staffing costs;

•           the consultation process of the SEND Strategy;

•           the Sir Simon Milton Westminster University Technical College (UTC) and the future use of the building;

•           the Afghan resettlement programme;

•           anti-social behaviour amongst young people in the lead up to Halloween and fireworks night;

•           the allocation of student catch up funding; and

•           the growing mental health needs of children and young people and the waiting times for CAMHS. It was noted that the Council were trying to focus their resources on early intervention and therefore minimise the pressure on crisis services.

5.3       Concerning the Holidays Activities Fund, the Committee queried whether the holiday activity and food fund schemes were HAF was operating over the upcoming half-term and where information could be found on the activities on offer. The Cabinet Member advised that the information should be available on the Council or Young Westminster Foundation websites.

5.4       The Committee discussed the SEND Strategy in more detail. The Committee was informed by Ian Heggs that consultation had been carried out by talking to young people, schools and parents and that the consultation process had put children’s voice at its heart, with a focus on how to support young people with the complex transition into adulthood. The Strategy had been published three years ago but the Service was trying to build on feedback already received.

5.5       The Committee discussed the closure of the Sir Simon Milton UTC, its future and possible reasons why the UTC had failed. The Committee was informed by the Cabinet Member that the UTC would not be recruiting more pupils and that the building would become empty this year, with no immediate timetable for the site’s future uses, though a continued educational use seemed likely. Members felt the school had failed predominantly because of the point of entry into the UTC, where the age demographic was the 14 -18 years age range. Members also observed that UTCs elsewhere had largely also not been successful. The Committee heard from Ian Heggs that there was ongoing work with the Department for Education, which coordinated via fortnightly meetings with the UTC.

5.6       The Committee further discussed the Afghan Resettlement Scheme, and the educational offer to child refugees and asylum seekers, depending on the Council’s statutory obligations to the different age groups, capacity within Westminster’s primary and secondary schools, and the immediacy of the needs. The Committee noted the work of Hallfield Primary School (referred to as the Hallfield model) and other schools, which had stepped up to support these children. The Committee heard from Aaron Sumner that Hallfield had welcomed over 50 children to a taster session, the majority of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Update the Committee on current and forthcoming issues in this portfolio.

4.1       The Committee received a written and short verbal update from the Cabinet Member for Business, Licensing and Planning on current and forthcoming matters in the portfolio.

4.2       The Committee discussed the following topics in detail:

•           the Council and Mayoral activity to attract investment into the West End. It was noted that the Council was working with diplomats through the Chamber of Commerce;

•           the Committee’s concerns over the multi-faceted nature of the Cabinet Member’s portfolio. The Cabinet Member informed the Committee that footfall was still less than 50% as expected in some areas of the West End and Council teams were working hard to boost the local Westminster economy;

•           the closure of a dog park in Paddington Recreation Ground;

•           the height of planned building developments;

•           the cost and project management of the Strand/Aldwych development programme;

•           the retention of the successful pop-ups in Somerset House and whether these could be made permanent;

•           the artist residency on the roof at Temple Station and how the space could be utilised more effectively for community engagement and activity; and

•           the continuation of the al-fresco dining scheme into the winter.

4.3       Concerning the dog park in Paddington Recreation Ground, members raised concerns on behalf of residents about the closure of the dog park. After further discussion between members, it was noted that the dog parks in Paddington Recreation Ground were open.

4.4       Concerning building heights in Westminster, the Committee was advised that the new City Plan specified that buildings could not be taller than prevailing buildings subject to exceptions in the Paddington and Victoria Opportunity Areas.

4.5       The Committee discussed the Strand/Aldwych in detail, querying whether nearby businesses and universities were financially contributing to the development and what the benefits to residents would be. It was noted that this was a highly polluted area, with the Strand Aldwych being described as one of the most polluted stretches of highway in the country but that residents would feel the health and economic impacts of the project. The Committee observed that the investment in the Strand Aldwych was “immense” compared with the investment costs for Harrow Road (£900,000), noting that both were highly polluted areas of the City. The Committee requested the Cabinet Member to ensure levelling up across all areas of Westminster.

4.6       The Committee noted that 350 pavement licenses had been granted for this winter and that this was expected to rise to 400. The Committee also queried how the “winterisation” of the scheme could comply with the City Council’s Climate Action agenda. The Cabinet Member noted that the Council would be encouraging businesses to use electric heaters and blankets to be as eco-friendly as possible, and that the scheme would only continue where there was resident support.

4.7       The Committee also raised the issue of the Business Rates Relief scheme and whether there was a backlog. The Committee heard from the Cabinet Member that the reliefs available were applied automatically. Cllr Aicha Less raised that this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To receive a report from Education team on health and safety in schools. This matter was referred to this Committee by the Audit and Performance Committee.

6.1       The Committee received a written report on the Council’s internal audit of health and safety in schools across the City. This report followed a referral of this matter by the Audit and Performance Committee to this scrutiny committee.

6.2       The Committee received a presentation from Alan Wharton (Strategic Asset Manager), Weronika Schultz (Health and Safety Advisor) and Moira Mackie (Head of Internal Audit) on the report’s findings. The Committee was informed by Moira Mackie that audit cycles ran every five years but that the Internal Audit team carried out thematic work in between the cycles, with the aim of achieving comfort in areas which were high risk. This thematic work had been achieved using a high-level questionnaire, where responses were voluntary. The questionnaire had been circulated at a pressured time, in the Covid-19 context, but nevertheless the response rate had been disappointing.

6.3       The Committee was advised by Weronika Schulz about the differences between community, maintained, academy and faith schools and the obligations on the City Council under the Health and Safety at Work Act legislation. The Committee was reminded that the City Council was legally responsible for 13 schools in the City, not for faith or academy schools which set their own policies. Weronika Schulz provided additional detail on the thematic audit, noting that this year the audit would be focused on the theme of asbestos in schools, including structural material and the fabric of the building. 

6.4       The Committee discussed the report, including whether the local authority needed strategic oversight across all schools in the City of health and safety procedures and policies. The Committee was informed that the Council had provided enhanced advice to all schools during the pandemic in addition to health and safety guidance to all schools on the re-opening of school premises after the Covid-19 lockdowns.

6.5       The Committee was further advised that the City Council had “rekindled” the E-volve system for all schools to use. This risk assessments system enabled schools to upload risk assessments. Officers were in the process of deciding whether to issue revised health and safety advice and templates for all schools to use in order to share best practice. Alan Wharton (Strategic Asset Manager) referred to the responsibility of community schools for maintaining their own buildings. Maka Baramidze (Westminster Academy) also referred to the maintenance of school buildings and raised the examples of a leaking flyover, roads or other serious health and safety issues, faced particularly by inner city schools in a city such as Westminster.

6.6       The Committee discussed the role of school governors in ensuring that schools were health and safety compliant and the complexity of this area of health and safety. The Committee also discussed the additional context that voluntary-aided schools may not have responded because support from local authorities in this area of health and safety had ceased some years ago and, whilst historically that support had been valued missed, answering an extensive questionnaire about current practice may not have appeared to serve  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To receive a report from Family services on the School Inclusion Pilot.

7.1       The Committee received a written report on the Council’s School Inclusion Pilot. The Committee heard from Steve Bywater (Supporting Families Strategic Manager), who introduced the report, presented on its findings and provided additional context, including unplanned factors such as the global pandemic and arrival of refugees from Afghanistan.

7.2       The Committee also heard from two expert witnesses, Aaron Sumner (Headteacher, Hallfield Primary) and Rachel Kelly (Deputy Head, St Augustine’s High School) who gave their views on the pilot’s success within their schools.

7.3       The Committee discussed the report in detail and heard how the pilot encouraged schools to adopt a trauma-informed approach when setting policies and practices, to consider why children might be behaving badly and how to address the underlying causes of the behaviour. The Committee was advised that the pilot’s approach was to work not just with children, but also with the whole family, and that this holistic approach was welcomed by the expert witnesses who ordinarily found it hard to engage some families.

7.4       The Committee was informed that this pilot would now become permanent and would be central to Westminster’s Exclusion Strategy which was currently being drafted. The Cabinet Member for Young People and Learning reflected that the Council had a strategic priority to intervene earlier, and this pilot was an excellent example of implementation of this strategic priority. The expert witnesses reflected on the importance of learning about trauma and how this helped to work effectively with children throughout the pandemic. The Committee heard, for example, how St Augustine’s School had since redeveloped its attendance and behaviour policies to be trauma-informed, and the expert witnesses also reflected that this pilot should be used as a model for school support elsewhere. The Committee was offered a site visit to St Augustine’s School so that members could see the School Inclusion Pilot in operation.

7.5       The Committee reflected on the challenges faced in particular wards, such as Church Street, where experienced trauma and limited life chances might combine with regular school exclusions. The Committee also discussed exceptional work, including by the Council’s Early Help team and other activities, such as the boxing offered by Steven Addison.

7.6       ACTIONS: The Committee requested that:

•           school exclusions and the Exclusion Strategy be added to the Committee’s work programme for February alongside school performance;

•           the offer of a two-hour online session be noted; and

•           the offer to visit St Augustine’s School and view the operation of the School Inclusion Pilot be noted.

7.7       RESOLVED: that the roll out of the School Inclusion Pilot be recommended and that the Committee note the report

To consider a draft report on the Committee’s work programme for the remainder of the municipal year 2021 – 2022.

8.1       The Committee received a report on its work programme from Artemis Kassi. The Committee discussed its work programme for the remainder of the municipal year and agreed that the main agenda item for the next meeting would be an update report on the Oxford Regeneration Project and an update on the work of the task group investigating the emotional well-being and mental health of children and young people in the City.

8.2       The Committee discussed the timing of scrutiny of school exclusions and the Exclusion Strategy and agreed that this should be added to the agenda for the Committee’s February meeting.

8.3       RESOLVED: that the Committee note the report.