Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Maia Whitelegg)

Report of the Corporate Director (Finance and Performance). 

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Maia Whitelegg)

The Corporate Director (Finance and Performance) submitted a report that sought Cabinet’s approval of a Children and Young People Strategy. 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment, were set out in the report as follows: 

1       To approve the Strategic Plan and refer the growth bids to the budget process.

Operational Risk

There is a statutory duty to co-operate with named agencies that are involved with children and young people. 2008 will see the emergence of a local Lancaster District Children’s Trust.

As well as not complying with legislation, not having such an integrated documented strategic approach to these issues puts at risk our ability to ensure the well being of children and young people in our district as well as diluting the Council’s impact and influence on the development of a local children’s trust.

Financial Risk

It should be noted that a number of growth bids have been submitted to assist in delivery of elements of the plan, most notably a bid in support of the recommended re-designation of the Children and Young People Manager post from part time to full time. In addition further smaller bids have been submitted to provide a small operating budget for the CYP team (none exists at present), funding to support development of our responses to the emerging local children’s trust and Year 1 funding to support establishment of the Young Advisors Scheme (referred to in the Plan). Failure to support these bids willhinder delivery of the Plan in terms of what is achievable within reasonable timescales with the resources available.

2.      To recommend amendments to the Strategic Plan prior to its approval recognising the operational and financial risks identified above.

Key documents are currently under revision and this strategy, if adopted, will be revised to take account of the Council’s Corporate Plan for 2008/09 and the new Lancaster District Sustainable Community Strategy, as well as the outcome of the budget process.

The preferred officer option was option 1, that the Strategic Plan be approved as drafted and thereafter widely disseminated across the Council and regularly updated as and when future policy and operating arrangements are developed.

It was moved by Councillor Maia Whitelegg and seconded by Councillor David Kerr: -

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.” 

By way of amendment, which was accepted by the mover and seconder of the original proposition as a friendly amendment, it was moved by Councillor Mace: -

“That Cabinet refers the Strategy to the LSP as the Council’s contribution to the negotiation of the Children and Young People component of the LSP’s Sustainable Community Strategy.” 

Members then voted upon the proposition, as amended. 

Resolved Unanimously:

(1)     That the Children and Young People Strategic Plan be approved and that the growth bids be considered as part of the 2008/09 budget process. 

(2)     That Cabinet refers the Strategy to the LSP as the Council’s contribution to the negotiation of the Children and Young People component of the LSP’s Sustainable Community Strategy.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Corporate Director (Finance and Performance). 

Head of Corporate Strategy. 

Head of Financial Services.   

Reason for making the decision:

The decision to approve the Strategic Plan, as drafted, will enable the Plan to be, thereafter, widely disseminated across the Council and regularly updated as and when future policy and operating arrangements are developed. 

A Children and Young People Strategic Plan has been developed which sets out what the Council is currently doing to ensure the wellbeing of children and young people in the district.  It is one of the means by which we will be complying with the Council’s statutory duties which includes co-operating with those agencies involved with children and young people. 

The decision also enables the document to be referred to the LSP as the Council’s contribution to the negotiation of the Children and Young People component of the LSP’s Sustainable Community Strategy.