Agenda and minutes

There are no changes to report.

1.1       It was noted that there were no changes to the membership.

1.2       The Chairman welcomed Councillor David Harvey (Cabinet Member for Sports and Leisure) to the meeting and Councillor Paul Church (Cabinet Member for Children and Young People).

1.3       The Chairman advised that Councillor Danny Chalkley (Cabinet Member for Children and Young People) would not be attending the meeting.  Any questions that Members had regarding his portfolio would be placed on the Committee’s Action Tracker.

To receive declarations of interest by Members and Officers of any personal or prejudicial interests.

2.1       No further declarations of interests in respect of items to be discussed were made, other than those noted in the circulated schedule as set out below in paragraph 2.2.

2.2       Table of Member’s interests tabled at the Committee Meeting was as follows:

To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2016.

3.1       RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2016 be approved for signature by the Chairman as a true and correct record of the proceedings.

a)    To note the progress in implementing the Committee’s Recommendation and Action Trackers.

b)    To provide comment and input into the draft Work Programme for 2016/17.

4.1       ACTION AND RECOMMENDATION TRACKERS

4.1.1   RESOLVED:

1.    That the actions regarding the future funding opportunities for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and the possibility of Members attending a future Corporate Parenting Board) be reported back at the next Committee.

2.    That the Action and Recommendation Trackers be noted.

Councillor David Harvey (Cabinet Member for Sports and Leisure) 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 procurement and re-let of the new sports and leisure facilities contract which included: the re-development of Seymour and Queen Mother Sports Centre, the support given to Champions of the Future, staff retention and the TUPE regulations which would automatically transfer staff to the new contractor in July. 

·           the importance of increasing the number of volunteers and the work of One Westminster in promoting volunteering and the Do-It Westminster website amongst the harder to reach groups.

·           the success of the new ‘Forest School’ outreach programme.

·           the public response to the new Open Forum website.

·           the demographics, benchmarking, purpose and future function of libraries.

·           the participation in and advertising of the Westminster Mile.

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

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

To examine the strategy and activities relating to PE and school sports, including how it impacts on the wider curriculum. 

7.1       The Committee received a report reviewing the work coordinated by the Council’s Sports Unit around PE and school sport (PESS) and detailed future plans to implement innovative programmes to further improve participation in sport and physical activities. 

7.2       The Committee heard from Richard Barker, Director of Community Services and Andrew Durrant, Head of Sports and Wellbeing, how one of the key priorities within the Council’s ActiveWestminster Sport and Physical Activity Strategy was to provide opportunities which led to increased participation in sport and physical activity by children and young people. 

7.3       The Committee noted the wide range of services offered to schools by the Sports Unit through a ‘buy-back’ offer and the annual schools competition programme.  The Committee then discussed how PE and school sport (PESS) fed into sports participation, fitted in with the health and anti-obesity agenda and how PESS added value in helping wider school performance in behaviour and concentration.  The Committee further discussed the opportunities for children to take part in competitive sport in and outside of school. 

7.4       A short film was played to the Committee entitled ‘Vitality Westminster Mile’ https://youtu.be/w47jX75N5fY which showed how Hallfield primary school was incorporating physical activity and the ‘daily mile’ into their school day as well as promoting the Westminster Mile event.

7.5       The Committee heard from Eugene Moriarty, Headteacher at St Augustine’s CE High School, who advised that the Sports Unit was well managed and had provided his school with many sporting opportunities including links to professional sporting clubs, high quality coaches and work experience placements. He further advised of the need for good facilities and safe opportunities for young people to take part in sport in and outside of school and the need for them to be made aware of such opportunities.  Eugene also echoed the need for a balanced curriculum and emphasised that physical activity was important for a young person’s well-being and improved behaviour and concentration in the classroom. 

7.6       Some of the key issues that emerged from the Committee’s discussion were:

• the importance of rolling out the ‘daily mile’ to all Westminster schools.
• the link between increased physical activity and improved behaviour and concentration in children and young people at school.
• the possibility of linking in with the ‘Active School Travel Plan’ Programme.
• the importance of consuming a healthy diet and cutting out sugary foods.
• the importance of encouraging children and young people to take part in physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day (as recommended by the Chief Medical office) to reduce the risk of many chronic medical conditions.
• the accessibility of sports and the impact of inactivity on the health and wellbeing of children and young people living in areas of deprivation.  

7.7       The Chairman thanked everyone who had given up their time to attend the            meeting and contribute to the discussion.

7.8       RESOLVED: The Committee made the following comments which would be forwarded to the Cabinet Member for Sports and Leisure for consideration:

1. The Committee welcomed the overall approach  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To inform the Committee of the outcome of the two Ofsted Inspections.

8.1       The Committee received a report informing them that Westminster had achieved a highly effective rating for its youth offending work and ‘Outstanding’ for its ‘Children’s Services, making Westminster (alongside Kensington and Chelsea) the first Council to achieve this rating under the single inspection framework.

8.2       The Committee congratulated Andrew Christie, Tri-Borough Executive Director of Children Services and Melissa Caslake, Director of Family Services for all the hard work that they and their Leadership Team had put into the two Inspections.

8.3       The Committee also thanked Andrew Christie for his dedicated 40 year service in local government and for his significant contribution to the establishment of a very successful Tri-Borough Children’s Service.  The Committee wished him a very happy retirement.

8.4       The Committee heard that to ensure the continuation of the two high performance services work had already started on the few areas identified as needing improvement through Action Plans, Working Groups or reviewing practices.  The Committee further heard that the training and retention of good staff as well as continuing to undertake rigorous self-assessment leading to continuous improvement without complacency was vital to maintaining high performance services.  The Committee noted that officers considered that being part of Tri-Borough had contributed significantly to the positive outcome of the two inspections.

8.5       The Committee then discussed the possible reducing in the Early Help Service, the Working Group set up to review and enhance the work with Children in Need and care leavers in custody, the concern over the lack of partnership attendance at the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and the possible partnership working between the Voluntary Sector and Youth Offending Service.

8.6       The Chairman thanked everyone who had given up their time to attend the meeting and contribute to the discussion and congratulated and thanked all the officers again for their hard work.

8.7       RESOLVED: The Committee made the following comments which would be forwarded to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People for consideration:

1. The Committee endorsed the work of the Youth Offending Service and Children’s Services through the very positive outcome of the inspections.

2. The Committee highlighted the need to ensure the continuation of the high performance services and that they continue to be open to challenge and to undertake rigorous self-assessment to maintain their commitment to excellence.

3. The Committee highlighted the need for the services to focus on future challenges which would impact on the protection of young people in Westminster.

4. The Council endorsed future partnership working between the Voluntary Sector and Youth Offending Service in order to improve outcomes for young people and reduce re-offending.

Verbal Update (if any)

9.1       RESOLVED: The Committee noted that there were currently no serious case reviews taking place in Westminster.

12 .1    The meeting ended at 8.48pm.

CHAIRMAN _____________________                     DATE ________________