To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors McCarthy and Susan Smith.

Members are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary, personal or personal and prejudicial interests they may have and the nature of those interests relating to items on this agenda and/or indicate if S106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.   

There were no declarations of interests.

To consider the Minutes of the Meeting of the Health, Schools and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, held on 19^th November 2020.

Resolved:

That the Minutes held 19^th November be approved as a correct record.

To consider social care related complaints received in the first two quarters of 2020/2021 (April – September 2020).

The Directors of Children’s Services and Adult Services presented a report that provided Members with a summary of Adult and Children’s Social Care complaints received during the first and second quarter periods of 2020/2021 (April – September 2020).

Social care complaints were subject to a statutory reporting framework which were scrutinised by the Care Quality Commission. The Council’s Customer Feedback Team had extracted and reported on the information recorded for social care services during the study period, including the number of complaints received at each stage of the process, the numbers of complaints that were investigated and responded to within the permitted timescale and the numbers that were upheld.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

To consider the performance of the Adults, Children’s and Public Health Directorate in the third quarter 2020/2021 (October - December)

The Committee scrutinised a report detailing progress during the third quarter 2020/2021 (1st October – 31^st December) towards the achievement of the targets contained in the Adult Care Directorate Plan 2020/2021, Children’s Services Directorate Plan 2020/2021 and Public Health Directorate Plan 2020/2021. 

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

To consider that the press and public be excluded from the remaining part of the meeting pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that discussions may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the provisions of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

Resolved:

That the Press and Public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business, in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.

Reason for the Decision:

Should the press and public remain during the debate on the following item, there may be a disclosure of information that is deemed to be exempt under

Parts 1 and 4 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

To consider the attached report of the Director of Children’s Services

The Committee scrutinised a report of the Director of Children’s Services which advised that in 2019 Rochdale had been awarded one of the new central government Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools. As part of this process the Department for Education (DfE), required the Children’s Services to abide by cost stipulations with regards to delivery of the new school.

To continue further with delivery of the school the DfE required approval from Rochdale Council for expenditure related to the costs and the approval for provision of an associated ‘Section 151’ letter to formalise the payment agreement. This meant that the only alternative to the new SEN school funded by the DfE, would be a Council funded new school or increased expenditure on ‘out of borough’ provision.

The Committee was informed that this report had been presented to the Cabinet at its meeting hon 26^th January 2021, where the recommendations contained therein, were approved. The recommendations had been presented as to continue further with delivery of the school the DfE required approval the Council for expenditure related to the costs and the approval for provision of an associated ‘Section 151’ letter to formalise the payment agreement.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.