Agenda item

The Committee considered a report detailing the receipt of a member call-in on Integrated Youth Support Services.

The Committee was advised that a call-in had been received from Councillors Haines and Shine. 

The Call-in read:  “we are not calling in the decision made by Cabinet on 14^th March 2011 but rather the provision of integrated youth support services for greater review and to seek greater clarity. 

We believe that the administration costs associated with youth service provision has increased markedly in the time since responsibility for the funding and organisation of thee services has passed from Berkshire County Council to Slough Borough Council. 

We are also concerned by SBC’s decision to close many Centres down and centralise services in Manor Park. 

SBC says that it wants to employ more “street based teams” in order to meet the needs of people in Slough.  We wish to query whether the Council has employed enough people with relevant qualification and experience (or has provision to do so) to fulfil these roles adequately.  We also wish to enquire into what the budgeted hours will be for these workers in comparison with the hours put in by youth workers at present”.

The Committee noted that the call-in was seeking review and clarity rather than formally calling-in the decision made at the Cabinet meeting.  Councillor O’Connor as Chair of the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel advised that her Panel had already requested a report to its meeting on 9^th June on the Youth Services Strategy.  Councillor O’Connor proposed that all members of the Committee be invited to attend the Scrutiny Panel as this would avoid duplication of work and meetings. 

Councillor Haines argued that the call-in had wider issues that needed to be considered.  The Director of Education and Children’s Services had commented that the call-in would require significant officer time to research and that there had been insufficient time to carry this out between the receipt of the call and this meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  The Director had proposed that if the Committee agreed to the call-in it could be taken to the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel on the 9^th June.  After full discussion it was

Resolved -   That there would be a joint meeting of the Scrutiny Committee and the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel on the 9^th June 2011 to consider the Youth Service Strategy and the issues raised in the call-in.