Agenda and minutes

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Member:-

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interests made by Members in relation to the business transacted at this meeting.

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED:  That all items be considered with the press and public present.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 October 2007 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 October 2007 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 16 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 16 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received at this meeting under the provisions of the Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

[Note:  The Panel’s policy (Minute 60:  28.07.03) in principle is not to receive deputations relating to individual grant applications].

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

Information Report of the Corporate Director (Children’s Services).

The Panel received an information report of the Corporate Director, Children’s Services, setting out Harrow’s current position in relation to the Government White Paper “Care Matters: Time for Change”.  An officer reported that, while Harrow was already operating some of the provisions of the White Paper, there were likely to be cost implications, the extent of which would depend on the amount of Government funding attached to the implementation of legislation.  No details were currently known about this or about the timing of any legislation, but officers would keep the Panel informed of developments.  Officers agreed to include a glossary of acronyms and terms in future reports.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

Information Report of the Corporate Director (Children’s Services).

The Panel received an information report of the Corporate Director, Children’s Services, setting out key data relating to Children Looked After (CLA) and Children on the Child Protection Register (CPR), including key performance indicators up to the end of November 2007.  The Panel noted the very good performance in several areas, including in the health of CLA, the stability of placements and the participation of CLA in reviews.  Officers reported that the proportion of adoptions of CLA had increased since the report had been written, and this also demonstrated very good performance.

Officers agreed to provide an annual comparison with the performance of other boroughs and to repeat an analysis of carers’ criteria relating to factors such as culture and religion.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.