Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Joseph Smyth

The chair asked members to declare any interests on items present on the agenda.

No declarations were registered.

RESOLVED that:-

The minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd April 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Assistant Director, Commissioning & Partnerships attended the meeting and presented a report to members of the Advisory Panel which sought to update members on the content of the Youth Justice Plan 2023 and also to update members on the .Northamptonshire’s Youth Offending Service priorities for 2023/24 as set out in the plan.

Members heard that under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 there was a statutory requirement to publish an annual Youth Justice Plan which must provide specified information about the local provision of youth justice services. The Youth Justice Board provided guidance about what must be included in the plan and recommended a structure for the plan. The Youth Justice Plan for the Northamptonshire Youth Justice Service 2023 was provided to members.

It was noted that the current plan covered performance for the period 2022/23 and provided service budgets, operational and strategic developments within the service and partnership, service structure and the Service Improvement Plan for 2023 – 2024. The Youth Justice Plan must be submitted to the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) and published in accordance with the directions of the Secretary of State. After submission to the YJB, Youth Justice Plans are sent to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP - lead for Youth Offending Service inspections) and are placed in the House of Commons library.

Members heard that The Northamptonshire Youth Justice Plan has identified the following priorities:

•                  Strategic Priority 1 –Early Help & Prevention

•                  Strategic Priority 2- Recognising and responding to child exploitation and serious youth violence

•                  Strategic Priority 3 – Tackling disproportionality in the criminal justice system

It was noted that the Youth Justice Plan should set out the direction and strategy of youth justice services, describing how quality services will be provided to ensure positive outcomes for children and improvements in performance indicators, in particular:

•                  reducing first time entrants to the youth justice system

•                  reducing the use of custody

•                  reducing reoffending rates

•                  locally agreed performance indicators that evidence positive outcomes for children

Following debate it was

RESOLVED            That the Executive Advisory Panel Noted the content of the Youth Justice Plan 2023 and noted the Northamptonshire’s Youth Offending Service priorities for 2023/24 as set out in Appendix A

Members were provided with an update to the ongoing project work for Family Hubs and Start for Life.

It was noted that Start for Life had been published on 30th March 2023, with asset and posters having been circulated, and hard copies made available on request or from libraries and Children’s Centres. Members also heard that the Family Hubs Brand had been successfully co-designed and made live with The Family Hub & Start for Life Board being successfully set up with terms of reference agreed.

It was also noted that the procurement/tendering exercise complete mobilisation began in June 2023 and all subsequent monitoring forms had been completed and submitted on time. Data Work stream had been set up to look at future collection and development of Family Hub Dashboard.

Stakeholder engagement was under way with baseline information being collected and engagement in Wellingborough by University of Northampton.

Parent Carer Forums had also been set up in Wellingborough and Corby.

Members pf the committee were presented with the co-designed logo and branding for the Family Hub Network. It was noted that first new Family Hub Network prototype would be developed in the Wellingborough locality, with the town selected based on intelligence and data gathered regarding the level of need and lack of historic development in services to support families. Simultaneously, a hub would also be developed in the

Corby locality offering a 5-19 years Family Hub Network. Further hubs in Kettering and the former East Northamptonshire area would be developed in due course.

Members then heard that officers had published the Start for Life offer in March 2023 which provided parents, carers and families with easy to access information on local services. Work was being undertaken to expand the Start for Life offer to include 5-19 (25) services and link this with the new FIS (Family Information Service) and Local Offer Work was also being carried out to make the website more accessible for families, including the procurement and development of micro sites. Officers were actively engaged with service providers to check and validate information and to share new and (or) updated information that will promote their services.

Members received a report which sough to update members on the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) Annual Report 2021-2022.

It was noted by members that Local Authorities had a duty to establish a permanent body known as the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) in accordance with the Education Act 1996. The broad role of the SACRE was to support the effective provision of Religious Education (RE) and collective worship in schools and to enrich the experience of RE and collective worship for all pupils.

It was heard that North and West Northamptonshire Councils established their SACRE in February 2021. The SACRE’s terms of reference required that an annual report on the work of SACRE was produced annually. It was considered best practice for the report to be received by the Executive.

The Annual Report covered the period 2021/2022. During the said period SACRE was still without an Adviser. No RE data was collected or subsequently monitored from schools however, the Committee met three times this year and were available to respond to any requests/complaints (none received).

It was noted that there hac been limited opportunities for training but Councillors had responded when possible. Relationships with community organisations remains a strength.

Following debate it was

RESOLVED            That the Executive Advisory Panel received and noted                              the SACRE annual report for 2021-2022

The following items were agreed for the September meeting:

• Early Years Update
• Education Health Care Plans

RESOLVED that:  the Executive Advisory Panel Future Communities agreed

Future items for its meetings.

There being no further business, the Chair thanked Members and Officers for their attendance and closed the meeting.