Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Laura Beddow, Bridget Bolwell and Robin Legg.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2025.

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2025 were confirmed and signed.

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either 1 question or 1 statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via Microsoft Teams to read out your question and to receive the response.   If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting. The first 8 questions and the first 8 statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below.  For further information read Public Participation - Dorset Council

All submissions must be emailed in full to george.dare@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk by 8.30am on Wednesday, 30 April 2025.

When submitting your question or statement please note that: 

·         You can submit 1 question or 1 statement.

·         a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.

·         It must be a single question and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted.

·         Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to 3 minutes to present your question.

·         when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g., the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder) 

·         Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting. 

·         questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda. 

·         all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.

There was no public participation.

To receive questions submitted by councillors.  

Councillors can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions count towards this total.   Questions and statements received will be published as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The submissions must be emailed in full to george.dare@dorsetcouncil.go.uk by 8.30am on Wednesday, 30 April 2025. 

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13

There were no questions from councillors.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4)b) of the Local Government Act 1972.  The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were no urgent items.

To consider a report by the Head of Service for Birth to Settled Adulthood.

This report was deferred by the committee at its previous meeting on 6 February 2025.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills introduced the report. The Head of Service for Birth to Settled Adulthood (B2SA) updated the committee on B2SA progress since the report was originally published in February 2025.

The Chair of Dorset Parent Carer Council highlighted that families were increasingly aware of the service and there was improved joint working.

The Committee discussed the report and asked questions of officers. During the discussion, the following points were raised:

·         The Outcomes Framework, co-produced with the Dorset Parent Carer Council and young people, had been signed off. There was an easy-read version of the framework, which was requested for circulation.

·         The Dorset Care Record (DCR) enabled professionals to identify whether individuals were supported by health or social care services. Staff training on the system was ongoing.

·         Governance issues with data-sharing through the Mosaic system had been resolved. The system was being tested and rolled out to those in Adult Social Care that needed access to the system.

·         Joint commissioning arrangements with the NHS were in place, though differences remained between children’s and adult services. Work was ongoing to explore a more integrated solution to ensure a smoother transition into adulthood. However, officers recognised that different commissioning arrangements could cause disruption for a small number of people.

·         The importance of smooth transitions into adulthood was emphasised to avoid placing pressure on carers and young people.

·         Adult practitioners had begun engaging earlier with young people who had complex needs, working alongside children’s services to ensure continuity of support during the transition into adulthood.

·         Assistive technology was being used to support independence and reduce pressure on families. This included young people using apps to plan their day, and monitoring equipment for older children, enabling parents to feel more confident in identifying when their child needs help. Members were encouraged to visit the TEC Lounge.

·         In response to a question on tracking how young people’s needs are met as they transition into adulthood, officers advised that there was a review programme which ensured young people were moving in a positive direction. There were also performance indicators, however the way data was captured was still work in progress.

·         A member asked about the financial resilience of Birth to Settled Adulthood and how it could be delivered in the long-term if partners reduced their funding. Officers advised that B2SA helped by increasing direct payments and strategically managing costs by reducing the numbers of children in care, which increases financial resilience.

·         Members asked how flexibility in the system could be used to empower young people to shape their own lives. Officers advised that care packages were delivered to suit the child’s needs and that flexibility between children’s and adult services was where it needed to be. The NHS had a universal commissioning arrangement; however, they would review individual needs and review how services are delivered to individuals.

·         Accessibility could be more challenging in rural areas, so it could be harder to recruit personal assistants in rural areas. This caused a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

To consider a report by the Head of Commissioning, Family Help, and Young and Thriving.

The Head of Service for Family Help and Young and Thriving introduced the report. He outlines the current efforts to prevent young people from becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and to support access to education and employment pathways.

The committee discussed the report and asked questions of the officers. During the discussion, the following points were raised:

·         It was highlighted that the highest number of NEETs were among Year 11 Elective Home Educated (EHE) pupils and students from a specific secondary school.

·         Members discussed the potential to identify early indicators of NEET risk through school non-attendance data and queried the Council’s influence over schools with higher NEET rates.

·         Officers confirmed that an attendance strategy is in place, supported by a half-termly attendance group involving Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), and that the proposed Ofsted framework will bring increased scrutiny of attendance.

·         The Committee discussed the role of alternative provision in supporting engagement. It was noted that the Council’s model includes learning centres with a 12-week turnaround, and that some schools commission additional pastoral support not formally classified as alternative provision.

·         Transport to alternative provision was raised as a concern. Officers advised that arrangements depend on the individual’s support package.

·         Members queried the geographical distribution of NEETs and noted that some areas with good transport links still had high NEET rates. Officers suggested that economic disadvantage and transport timing may be contributing factors.

·         Officers reported that the Dorset Careers Hub has now been brought in-house, enabling better coordination of work experience and careers support, ensuring that young people gain skills for starting work.

·         Concerns were raised about the impact of rising employer costs on placement availability. Officers advised that it was too early to assess the full impact but noted that few young people enter employment at 16 which was the group most likely to be affected.

·         Members asked whether other local authorities had seen similar trends. Officers confirmed that statistical neighbours had seen decreases in NEET rates, and that Dorset’s increase may be due to an increase of approximately 400 people in the Year 12 cohort. Engagement with Wiltshire and Shropshire Councils was planned.

·         Concerns were raised about bullying as a factor in disengagement with education. Officers confirmed that while anxiety-related absence can be recorded, bullying was not currently captured in the data. Further work with schools is needed to understand individual circumstances.

·         Members asked what is being done to reduce bullying in schools. Officers advised that PSHE sessions and resources are provided to schools, but responsibility ultimately lied with headteachers.

A recommendation was made to gather feedback from young people on their experiences and the support they receive. Officers agreed to explore options for collecting and reviewing this feedback alongside future data. The committee would continue to monitor the NEET rate and how young people were being supported into education, employment and training.

To consider the committee’s Work Programme and the Cabinet Forward Plan.

The committee noted its work programme and the Cabinet Forward Plan.

Members suggested that the outcome of the recent Ofsted inspection and the action plan be added to the work programme.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph x of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.  

There are no exempt items scheduled for this meeting.

There was no exempt business.