Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Jane Cox, Councillor Tina Reid, and Councillor Sue Wilkinson and from John Hoare, a Co-optee of the Panel.

None.

There were no declarations of interest made

The minutes of the meeting held on the 5th December 2019 were agreed as a correct record.

(A period not exceeding 20 minutes for statements from up to 5 members of the public on matters within the Panel’s remit, proposing action(s) which may be considered or contribute towards the future development of the Panel’s work programme).

There were no public statements made.

The Panel received a report that provided them the opportunity to consider information presented by members of the Doncaster Youth Council. The presentation provided at the meeting gave an update on the work of the Youth Council and the current Knife Crime campaign, as well as progress and contributions to the Children and Young People’s Plan Impact report made by children and young people.

The presentation covered the following themes;

·         Be Safe

·         Be Happy and Healthy

·         To Achieve

·         Equality

·         Child Friendly Ambition

Reference was made to some of the outcomes achieved as a result of the campaigns that included;

·         With Me In Mind – a Doncaster Mental Health Film made by Young People Film (located at The McAuley Catholic High School).

·         Creation of a With Me in Mind “Super Sam Book” that had received positive feedback.

·         Interest by other local authorities in the Youth Council’s work.

·         A high number of students (in the region of 1,000) attended the launch event at The McAuley Catholic High School.

·         Key Stage 4 – data had indicated that the gap with national average had been halved in the last 3 years (source DfE).

Members commented on the good work that had been undertaken and showed a high level of creativity and engagement.

It was explained that although the annual Youth Consultation, ‘Make Your Mark’ had experienced a national decline in voting levels, that Doncaster itself had seen an increase.

Members were informed that in terms of engagement, these campaigns had received positive feedback from peers.

Members were advised that the video ‘With Me In Mind’ would be taken to all schools by the end of the month. Members of the Youth Council present stated that they would be happy to provide feedback to the Panel.

In terms of support to those students viewing the film (who may be vulnerable themselves), it was explained that the availability of Mental Health Counsellors and Pastors were highlighted should they need to be accessed.

Knife Crime - it was explained by members of the Youth Council that although this was presented as a major issue across the UK, information demonstrated that it was a relatively low issue in Doncaster.  Members were told that the video as part of the “Put An End To Knife Crime” campaign, helped provide assurances to the young people of Doncaster.

In terms of reaching those young people outside of the education system, it was explained that the Youth Council had recognised how popular social media was amongst young people.  It was therefore determined that online campaign work was key in engaging with those who were not in school nor school education.

Future Campaigns - Members were informed that future campaigns included ‘Protecting the Environment’.  It was outlined that events would be held to engage with wider communities within South Yorkshire as part of that campaign.

The second campaign would focus on ‘Hate Crime’ and it was explained that further discussions would take place as it progressed during the year.

Role of Overview and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

The Panel received an update on the final set of priorities and aims, of the Education and Skills 2030 Strategy as it progresses with its final development phase.

Members were reminded that the results of an independent review and extensive consultation of education and skills in Doncaster had previously been presented to the Panel in August 2019.  It had also been recommended that an update be provided in respect of the strategy development.

The presentation to the Panel focused on:

·       ‘You said, we did’ – how the Panel’s feedback from the previous meeting had influenced the strategy.

·       The steps taken since the last meeting.

·       The Strategic Statement of Intent.

·       Developing the Statement of Intent into a full Strategy.

·       Timeline for ongoing development and next steps.

Members were reminded that an independent review of the education system had taken place and would provide a focus on what was needed going forward 10 years.  It was acknowledged that all age learning would look very different in time and the intention was to strengthen Doncaster’s vocational based learning offer (i.e. in addition to traditional academic routes).

Partnership Working – It was explained that partners included the Doncaster College, National College for High Speed Rail, Sheffield Hallam University and University of Sheffield as well as Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.  Members were informed that efforts were being made to establish a unique offer in Doncaster that would enable individuals to access and undertake training.  It was explained that steps were also being taken to develop the creative and digital growth areas with Doncaster already benefiting from a number of courses and resources available in the Borough in addition to those at the University of Sheffield.

Green Technology – It was recognised that there was a desire for the growth of this area with little in place at present, possibly through some form of campus potentially around the waterfront.

Relocation of Doncaster Royal Infirmary – There was a brief discussion regarding the potential relocation of the Doncaster Royal Infirmary.  It was recognised that a training and research facility would be key and that there would be benefits to relocating to certain locations.

Pathways into Employment – Members were advised that there were   four Centres of Excellence that included engineering, health and medical care, creative and digital industries and finally, green technology.  It was explained that there was a need to have the industry in place in order to accommodate more vocational learning.  Members were assured that work had taken place alongside the Inclusive Growth Strategy to change Doncaster’s industry mix to complement one another.  Reference was also made to the social mobility scheme and inclusion programme going forward in the Borough.

It was explained that it was about enabling people to have the right skills and knowledge of career and employment options although presently, that line of sight was not in place.

Timeline - A Member raised concern that 10 years was a considerable amount of time to wait for things to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

The Senior Governance Officer presented the 2019/20 Scrutiny Work Plan for consideration and reminded Members of the current Forward Plan of key decisions.

There was a brief discussion around future items for the Overview and Scrutiny future workplan following the meeting’s discussions.

RESOLVED the Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan 2019/20 and Forward Plan of key decisions be noted.