Minutes:
Andy Bates, Principal Adviser, introduced the item. The report was confidential should specifics on the financial negotiations with the Department of Education (DfE) be discussed. He updated members on ongoing negotiations with DfE, as the funding for the Children’s Improvement Board had now come to an end. DfE were currently considering this. He discussed ways to identify councils that were struggling, emphasising children’s leadership capacity and supporting effective scrutiny.
In the discussion which followed, members made the following points:
· There was a discussion around the long-term implications of the loss of funding.
· Members briefly discussed how to identify those that needed help.
Decision
1. The Improvement and Innovation Board noted the discussions between DfE and the LGA on the development of an early years peer review programme and wider children’s sector-led improvement system.
Action
1. Members agreed that officers should seek to conclude the negotiations with DfE for funding both programmes, in consultation with Board Office Holders as necessary.