Social Work And Health Committee - 16/10/2000

At a MEETING of the SOCIAL WORK COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 16th October 2000.

 

Present:-

 

COUNCILLORS

 

Lord Provost Helen WRIGHT

Willie W SAWERS

Dave BEATTIE

George de GERNIER

Joe FITZPATRICK

C D P FARQUHAR

John R LETFORD

Allan PETRIE

Iain M LUKE

Betty WARD

George REGAN

Jim BARRIE

Jill SHIMI

Bruce D MACKIE

Julia M STURROCK

Neil I C POWRIE

Roderick A J WALLACE

Neil GLEN

Ian BORTHWICK

Kenneth J N GUILD

Elizabeth F FORDYCE

Robin PRESSWOOD

Derek J SCOTT

David BOWES

Richard BEATTIE

John CORRIGAN

Mervyn J ROLFE

Andrew DAWSON

 

 

 

Councillor Betty WARD, Convener, in the Chair.

 

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 18th September 2000 was held as read.

 

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

 

I PROTECTING CHILDREN - SECURING THEIR SAFETY

 

There was submitted Report No 658-2000 by the Director of Social Work advising members of the Scottish Executive's intention to establish an Index of Adults Unsuitable to Work with Children, summarising details of the proposed initiative which is aimed at helping to safeguard children from abuse and harm and detailing the draft response prepared on behalf of the Council in respect of the consultation document.

 

The Committee agreed to:-

 

(i) note the contents of the report;

 

(ii) approve the contents of the draft response; and

 

(iii) instruct the Director of Social Work to forward the proposed response on behalf of the Council to the Scottish Executive by 27th October 2000.

 

II WORKING TOGETHER FOR DUNDEE'S CHILDREN IN NEED - ADOPTION AND FOSTERING PANELS

 

There was submitted Report No 659-2000 by the Director of Social Work advising members of the Authority's statutory requirements in relation to its role as an Adoption Agency, detailing the work carried out by the Adoption and Fostering Panels when undertaking the duties placed upon the local authority in respect of children in need.

 

The Committee agreed to:-

 

(i) note and approve the contents of the report;

 

(ii) acknowledge the work and commitment of Fostering and Adoption Panel members; and

 

(iii) instruct the Director of Social Work, in future, to provide separate annual progress reports on the Fostering Service and Adoption Service in the City: these reports would include details of the work of the Adoption and Fostering Panels and will be provided as part of the "Working Together for Dundee's Children in Need" framework.

 

III SOCIAL WORK COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

 

There was submitted Report No 660-2000 by the Director of Social Work advising members about the operation and effectiveness of the statutory Social Work Department Complaints Procedure from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000.

 

The Committee agreed to:-

 

(i) note and approve the contents of the report;

 

(ii) instruct the Director of Social Work to inform the Scottish Executive Social Work Services Group of the contents of the report; and

 

(iii) instruct the Director of Social Work to make the contents of the report publicly available.

 

IV PROPOSALS FOR SURE START STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION

 

On a reference to Article IX of the minute of meeting of the Education Committee of 16th October 2000 there was submitted Joint Report No 645-2000 by the Directors of Education and Social Work seeking approval for proposals for taking forward Sure Start Dundee to enhance and extend support and provision for children aged 0-3 and their families.

 

The Committee, insofar as its interests were concerned, agreed to:-

 

(i) approve the strategy outlined in relation to Sure Start in Dundee;

 

(ii) approve the proposals for expenditure of Sure Start Funding in the current financial year and that proposed for the year 20001-2002; and

 

(iii) remit the Directors of Education and Social Work to submit information about the strategy for Sure Start Dundee to the Scottish Executive Education Department.

 

V DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED EARLY YEARS PROVISION AT CHARLESTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

 

There was submitted Joint Report No 644-2000 by the Directors of Education and Social Work seeking approval to establish a pilot initiative (until March 2002) to provide expanded early years provision at Charleston Primary School.

 

The Committee, insofar as its interests were concerned, agreed:-

 

(i) to develop a pilot initiative to extend and enhance early years services at Charleston Primary School to be operational in April 2001;

 

(ii) to remit the City Architectural Services Officer to enter into a Partnership Agreement with Dundee Contract Services to undertake the necessary building works during the period January 2001 to March 2001;

 

(iii) to remit the Directors of Education and Social Work to undertake consultation with parents and service users and providers in the local area to discuss the proposals contained within this report; and

 

(iv) to remit the Directors of Education and Social Work to liaise with the Director of Personnel and Management Services in order to establish additional temporary staffing requirements for the new provision of three Children's Workers and one Nursery Nurse (from April 2001 to March 2002).

 

VI COMMUNITY ALARM CHARGES

 

There was submitted a report by the Director of Social Work proposing a change to the current charging system for community alarms to remove inequities in the current system and allow essential reinvestment in the community alarm equipment.

 

Following discussion, the Committee agreed to defer consideration of this report to the next meeting of this Committee, for further information.

 

VII CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND ANNUAL CONFERENCE - "SPEND, SPEND, SPEND? - CHILDREN, YOUNGPEOPLE AND MONEY"

 

It was reported that the above mentioned conference would take place on 2nd/3rd November in the Hilton Dunblane Hydro, at a costs of 110, excluding travel and subsistence.

 

The Committee authorised the attendance of one member of the Majority Group, one member of the Major Opposition Group and one member of the Minority Opposition Group.

 

 

 

BETTY WARD, Convener