Issue - meetings

1.      The progress made in the Children, Schools and Families Directorate and achievements over the last year be noted.       

2.      The publication of the Children, Schools and Families Directorate annual report on the Surrey County Council website and s-net be approved.

Reason for decisions

The publication of the Children, Schools and Families Directorate annual report will demonstrate how the directorate is providing value for money for Surrey residents. It will show how the directorate has performed over the last year, and what has been achieved.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Children and Education Select Committee]

The Children, Schools and Families Directorate Annual Report summarised the key achievements and progress made over the past financial year. The report was themed under the four areas of priority, which are set out in the directorate’s children and young people’s strategy 2012-17: prevention, protection, participation and potential.

The Cabinet Members for Children and Families and Schools and Learning gave examples of how the directorate was working towards the vision that ‘Every child and young person will be safe, healthy, creative, and have the personal confidence, skills and opportunities to contribute and achieve more than they thought possible’. The Council provided services to each of the 272,800 children and young people aged under 19 in the county. The Children, Schools and Families Directorate did this in a child focus way, striving to give each the very best start in life. The additional investment in school improvement had created increased parental choice in school admissions, with 95% being placed in one of their preferred primary schools and with an overall satisfaction rate of 97%.

The Cabinet Associate for Fire and Police Services highlighted the significant achievements with regard to the restorative justice approach to youth justice. This had led to a 90% reduction in first time entrants to the youth justice system in the last 5 years (the lowest per capita in England), only 15 young people receiving custodial sentences and a 43% reduction in youth crime over the past three years. The Youth Support service and successful apprenticeship scheme meant that young people were well served in the county. This was an achievement for both the young people and those who worked with them.

The Cabinet acknowledged the hard work of all staff and the leadership within the directorate which had contributed to the significant successes over the past year.

RESOLVED that:

1.      The progress made in the Children, Schools and Families Directorate and achievements over the last year be noted.       

2.      The publication of the Children, Schools and Families Directorate annual report on the Surrey County Council website and s-net be approved.

Reason for decisions

The publication of the Children, Schools and Families Directorate annual report will demonstrate how the directorate is providing value for money for Surrey residents. It will show how the directorate has performed over the last year, and what has been achieved.