The Achieving for Children Joint Committee met on Wednesday 14 March 2018 to approve the Treasury Plan and discuss the AfC Business Plan. The committee also agreed to delegate the appointment of auditors to the Chief Executives of the three owning councils.

AFC Treasury Plan - Reserved Matter

The Joint Committee approved the Treasury Plan, which is a crucial element of Achieving for Children's (AfC) financial governance. This plan allows the owning councils to maintain control over AfC's financial arrangements. The Revolving Credit Facility (RCF), which provides AfC's primary funding, was also considered as part of the plan. The key features of the Treasury Plan remain consistent with the previous approval in September 2017, with no significant changes to the share allocation for each council.

AFC Business Plan Presentation

Ian Dodds presented the AfC Business Plan, outlining key areas such as service quality, regulatory compliance, service developments, financial sustainability, business opportunities, and operational effectiveness. The plan details contract budgets for the upcoming year for Kingston (£46,283,000), Richmond (£51,964,000), and Windsor and Maidenhead (£33,779,000), incorporating planned efficiency savings and demand pressures.

Strategic beliefs underpinning the plan include building resilience in families and communities to reduce reliance on statutory interventions, developing inclusive services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), complex needs, and challenging behaviours, and fostering independence. For AfC itself, the focus is on developing the necessary skills and resources to deliver efficient, cost-effective, and financially sustainable children's services.

The presentation detailed how each project within the plan would be assessed based on its benefits, key success measures, financial investment, identified savings, service lead, and timelines. To build resilience, the plan incorporates the Signs of Safety practice model, family-based solutions, and systemic family therapy, alongside efforts to ensure consistency in social work practice and address emerging mental health needs. The work will be informed by the government's Green Paper on CAMHS, and initiatives like 'Thrive London' will be considered. The overarching aim is to prevent children and young people from requiring statutory intervention, such as becoming looked-after children, with progress monitored through target setting. Improving staff recruitment and retention within AfC is also a key objective.

The programme for inclusion aims to provide specialist SEND resource bases, respite care facilities, early intervention for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), reduce educational achievement gaps using the pupil premium, offer alternative education provision with improved consistency across boroughs, and enhance engagement with parents and schools.

The capacity programme focuses on sustainable school place planning, increasing the capacity of Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs) and foster care to reduce the need for residential provision, placement commissioning, residential children's homes, supported accommodation for care leavers, and integrated health and social care.

The programme for independence covers SEN transport criteria, vocational opportunities and pathways, and support and skill development for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). This will require systemic leadership and collaboration with other services, such as housing.

The resources programme aims to build a permanent and resilient workforce by optimising HR and ICT services, supporting UASC, improving organisational culture, and driving company growth and diversification. Organisational culture improvements will involve developing new ways of working, empowering staff at all levels, enhancing career pathways, removing a blame culture, and building resilience.

Councillor Kevin Davis, Chairman of the committee, noted the importance of coordinating work with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Nick Whitfield highlighted the need for training for new councillors on school admissions, particularly concerning parents who place local grammar schools on applications and then send children who do not gain entry to private schools. He also pointed out that pre-school provision outside the AfC area could not be measured for its effect on data, suggesting a need for a clearer narrative around school places. Rob Henderson added that staff development in promoting independence is crucial, focusing on enabling children to stay with or return to their families, and encouraging parental responsibility. Nick Whitfield also stressed the importance of improving the interface between the councils and AfC, ensuring councils are aware of AfC's capabilities. Charlie Adan commented that organisational culture is learned behaviour and can be influenced by external factors like negative press, leading to risk aversion. She also noted the growth agenda in Kingston, which is expected to benefit the most vulnerable children.

Reserved Matter - Appointment of Auditors

The Joint Committee agreed to delegate the decision to appoint an auditor for AfC to the Chief Executives of the three owning councils. This delegation is necessary due to the timing of the audit process and the statutory notice periods required. The current auditor, Grant Thornton UK LLP (GT), was appointed in 2014. AfC is initiating a procurement process for new auditors, who will be in place for a 3-year contract, with an option to extend for a further two years. While GT may be re-appointed through the ESPS framework, a handover process will be managed if a new auditor is appointed. Lucy Kourpas informed the committee that reappointing auditors every three years is mandatory, and Mark Maidment added that certain internal controls are required, with auditors needing to change every 10 years.

Any Other Business and Date of Next Meeting

Members requested that key performance data from all three councils be brought to future Joint Committee meetings to facilitate the sharing of best practice, as this is the only forum where members from all three boroughs are present together. It was suggested that a workshop session on performance data could be held after the next Joint Committee meeting. Additionally, a request was made for information regarding budget setting to be presented at the next meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for 11th July 2018 at 11 am in Windsor and Maidenhead, with the clerkship rotating to Windsor and Maidenhead for that meeting.

RESOLVED: A workshop session on performance data will be held after the next Joint Committee meeting. Budget setting information will be brought to the next Joint Committee meeting.