Agenda item

(a)         That the Forward Work Programme as amended, be approved;

(b)         That the Facilitator, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, be authorised to vary the Forward Work Programme between meetings, as the need arises; and

(c)          That the progress made in completing the outstanding actions be noted.

The Facilitator presented the Forward Work Programme which had been updated following the last meeting and was attached as Appendix 1.  She drew attention to the items to be considered at the next meeting of the Committee to be held on 7 November 2019. 

The Facilitator referred to the actions arising from the previous meeting of the Committee and reported on the outcomes as detailed in appendix 2 of the report.   She advised that a report on the work of the Music Service had been added to the Forward Work Programme as an item to be scheduled later in the year.    

The Facilitator referred to the actions arising from the meeting of the Joint Education & Youth and Social & Health Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 25 July, and explained that a letter had been sent to the Welsh Government Minister for Education outlining the Committee’s concerns, for the Authority and schools in Flintshire, around the resource implications of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018.   She reported that the Minister had responded and she would send a copy of the letter sent by the Chair and the response received to the Committee following the meeting.  The Facilitator also provided an update on the actions arising following the concerns raised by the Joint Committee around the need for adequate resources to meet the challenges of Out of County placements.   She advised that a letter would be sent to the Welsh Government Minister for Health and Social Services setting out the Authority’s business case and asking for funding, and she would send a copy of the letter to the Committee as soon as available.

The Senior Manager Inclusion and Progression provided an update on the introduction of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 and confirmed that following the consultation period, Welsh Government (WG) had delayed the introduction of the Act in order to accommodate necessary adjustments.  Anticipated implementation would now be from 2021 but confirmation on whether additional funding to assist with the implementation would be forthcoming was awaited.

Councillor Dave Mackie asked if an item on the Schools Funding Formula could be scheduled on the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for consideration at a future meeting.  The Schools Finance Manager explained that the Schools Funding Formula was currently being reviewed and was annually reviewed with the Schools Budget Forum.  She agreed to provide a report to the  Committee later in the year.  

In response to the concerns raised by Councillor Geoff Collett around the need for adequate funding for schools the Chief Officer (Education & Youth) explained that a robust campaign had been presented to the Welsh Government by the Chief Executive, Leader of the Council, and other Associations, to ensure that local government received its fair share of any additional funding in order to meet the financial pressures of the teacher’s pay awards and pension contributions and also the need for significant investment in Education.

The Chair referred to the North Wales Growth Deal and expressed concerns around digital connectivity for schools.  The Chief Officer (Education) gave an assurance that schools were a priority in terms of the overall infrastructure and connectivity and significant progress was being made to ensure all schools had the same level of access to digital provision.  She invited the Senior Manager for School Improvement to give a brief update on the progress being made to improve digital connectivity and it was agreed that a report would be provided to a meeting of the Committee early next year on the Digital Projects at Schools. 

RESOLVED:

(a)         That the Forward Work Programme as amended, be approved;

(b)         That the Facilitator, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, be authorised to vary the Forward Work Programme between meetings, as the need arises; and

(c)          That the progress made in completing the outstanding actions be noted.