Agenda item

Interview of Cabinet Member for Children - Councillor Jasmine Ali

Minutes:

5.1  Councillor Jasmine Ali attended the committee for her annual scrutiny interview, her portfolio is Cabinet member for Children, Schools and Adults. The chair invited her to give the committee an overview of her role and to answer members questions.

 

5.2  Councillor Ali told the committee that there had been lots of external scrutiny this year, and highlighted the following areas ofsted focus visit on children in care, SEND review, ADASS peer review and all went well and undertook to will circulate feedback. Children’s services there was strong and positive feedback on social workers way of working.  Children safeguarding were working closely with partners and across the council.  Launching keeping families strong initiative at the levels in Peckham and treating parents as experts.  Parents said they want to form their own association.  We were first local authority to pledge CAMHS support to all children with diagnosable mental health conditions.Scholarship programme. DSG deficit. Adult services have gone with the hub model.  Older people’s hub and disability hob, have organised training for councillors. Positive peer review. Gateway 1 on nursing homes.  Growing mass of critical friends. 

 

5.3   The committee asked questions about the review of SEND - how was the council mitigating the risks, what were the areas for improvement in adult services and what are the budget issues, corporate parenting, what improvements have there been. 

  

5.4  The Committee asked questions relating to Housing needs for vulnerable adults - as things change in people’s lives, how can the council help, what is the strategy on pensioner poverty, are the young people and CAMHS pledge achievable, ofsted reported quite a few areas for improvement, How can more members be involved in corporate parenting.

 

5.5  Cross party politics agreement required. Gender equality and sexuality teaching in schools.  What are you doing with Southwark schools, services for people with HIV. 

 

5.6  Members asked questions about London councils did not agree to full funding of access to Pret, what can we do for people with dementia who need to move house before their illness increases, school exclusions - Southwark has 4th highest rate in inner London, how are we working with academies, can we have some stats on exclusion, young people involved in drug dealing and police don’t have resources to focus on it.  

 

5.7  Members had visited children’s centres and had lots of good to say about them.  But cuts are showing - free fruit cut and children can no longer come with child minders/nannies.  What can we do to maintain, any way to draw on the resources of the independent schools, Given they are charities and get business rate reductions,  CAMHS target - how are we guarding against risk of unintended side effects, special guardianship - how do we ensure parity of esteem with adopters/foster parents, what is the council doing for the parent who doesn’t deem themselves expert,  Vulnerable parents who don’t feel skilled, how will you judge success, DSG - confident schools working together on the solutions,

 

 

 

 

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