The Achieving for Children Joint Committee meeting was scheduled to discuss the future growth of the organisation, including potential expansion through new members and trading activities. The committee was also set to review reserved matter decisions made since the previous meeting.

Future Growth of Achieving for Children

A significant portion of the meeting was scheduled to focus on the future growth and diversification of Achieving for Children (AfC). The report pack indicated that the organisation was established with the aim of saving costs through trading services with other authorities. The Business Plan for 2017/18 identified diversification as a key focus.

The report outlined that growth could be achieved through two main avenues: trading services and admitting new members to the company. It was noted that growth through trading is limited by the Teckal exemption, which allows councils to commission services from AfC without competitive tendering, provided certain conditions are met. These conditions include the controlling authorities exercising control over AfC, similar to their own departments, and that more than 80% of AfC's activities are carried out for these controlling authorities. The current threshold for AfC's total trading income to remain within the Teckal exemption was set at £14 million for 2015-16.

The report suggested that significant growth would likely require the admission of new members. This would involve potential new members commissioning children's services from AfC. The report highlighted that several councils had already approached AfC seeking support or enquiring about company membership. To manage this growth effectively, the report recommended that the Joint Committee consider and agree the councils' strategic position on AfC's growth, and that work be undertaken to develop a strategy and plan for this growth. A framework for evaluating proposals for growth, termed the expansion test, was also proposed for consideration at a future meeting.

The report also detailed the legal implications of admitting new members, including ensuring joint control and that the new member's vision and values align with existing members. Financial considerations, such as tax, ICT requirements, and pensions, were also flagged as needing expert advice.

Reserved Matter Decisions

The committee was scheduled to receive a summary of reserved decisions made by the councils as the owners of Achieving for Children since the last meeting on 16 September 2015. These decisions are made by the Chief Executives, in consultation with the Leaders of the Councils and/or Lead Members for Children's Services.

The report indicated that two such decisions had been made concerning the appointment of Non-Executive Independent Directors (NEID) for AfC. Specifically, Jane Spencer was to be re-appointed for a further four-year term until March 2020, and David Archibald was to be appointed for a four-year term to March 2020, following the resignation of Dame Moira Gibb. The report noted that Jane Spencer brings experience in educational leadership and youth justice, while David Archibald has experience in managing Children's Services and Social Services, and building multi-agency partnerships.

Meeting Dates for 2016/17

The committee was also scheduled to confirm the meeting dates for the upcoming year, 2016/17. These dates were to alternate between Kingston and Richmond, with a mix of business meetings and workshops. The proposed schedule included a workshop in Kingston on Wednesday 8 June 2016, a business meeting in Richmond on Wednesday 14 September 2016, a workshop in Richmond on Thursday 8 December 2016, and a business meeting in Kingston on Thursday 16 March 2017. The current start time of 10:30 am was proposed to be retained.