Issue - meetings

(a)       That the proposals for the expansion of the Flying Start Programme in Flintshire be recommended to Cabinet for adoption; and

(b)       That a letter be sent from the Committee to Welsh Government to express their concerns about how the areas for expansion had been determined. 

The Children’s Partnership Co-ordinator introduced a report to provide Members with details of the proposed expansion of the Flying Start Programme in Flintshire. 

                        The Co-ordinator provided a detailed background for Members of the Flying Start Programme and explained that it was a prescriptive programme which was targeted at 0-3 year olds in the most disadvantaged communities in Wales.  The programme had four key elements which were detailed, and was previously based on free school meals targets.  It had now been proposed by Welsh Government (WG) that the programme should be expanded into new areas which had the highest concentration of 0-3 year olds living in income benefit households.  Information had been provided by WG as the basis for selecting the new areas for expansion but further work was required to define the exact number of 0-3 year olds living in the identified areas.  The proposed expansion areas were detailed in the report for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.  The Co-ordinator explained that a detailed plan was attached to the report and that there was an expectation that it would continue to evolve. 

                        Councillor M. Bateman raised concern about areas within the Broncoed Ward that were not included in the areas for expansion and Councillor S. Jones commented on deprived areas within her ward which had also been omitted.  The Head of Social Services for Children concurred with the comments and said that the work which had recently been undertaken by Cordis Bright could also be considered as part of the further work to be carried out on the calculation of numbers affected.  The Chair suggested that a letter be sent from the Committee to WG to express the concerns about how the areas for expansion had been determined.    

                        In response to a question from Councillor H.G. Roberts on the criteria used to identify the areas, the Director of Community Services said that the criteria had been determined by WG and that WG had provided the maps to use; this meant that local circumstances were not always reflected.  The Head of Social Services for Children said that it appeared that deprivation areas which butted the county boundary may not have been considered as a possible collaborative project. 

            RESOLVED:

(a)       That the proposals for the expansion of the Flying Start Programme in Flintshire be recommended to Cabinet for adoption; and

(b)       That a letter be sent from the Committee to Welsh Government to express their concerns about how the areas for expansion had been determined.