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About Scrutiny Panel Meetings

 

Scrutiny Panel meetings are usually held in public. They give elected members, not on the Cabinet, an opportunity to examine, discuss and make recommendations about significant issues and decisions.

 

 

1.    Purpose/Objectives of the Review

 

• To ensure Northampton Borough Council (NBC) plays an active role in tackling Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

 

Key Lines of Enquiry

Ø  To gain an understanding of the work currently being undertaken by partnerships, statutory and voluntary organisations, and the Police to address these issues

Ø  To investigate how NBC contributes to the above work

Ø  To raise awareness of CSE, human trafficking and domestic slavery of children in Northampton

Ø  To explore best practice elsewhere in identifying and providing support to victims of CSE

Ø  To understand what NBC is doing outside the Scrutiny process in relation to human trafficking and domestic slavery of children

 

2.   Outcomes Required

• To make evidence based recommendations to improve the role that NBC has in tackling  CSE
• To make recommendations, as appropriate, regarding partnership working in tackling CSE

 

3.   Information Required

 

·           Background data 

·           Background reports

·           Best practice data

·           Desktop research

·           Evidence from expert internal witnesses

·         Evidence from expert external witnesses

·         Site visits (if applicable)

 

4.   Format of Information

 

·                     Background data, including:

 

Ø    Presentation to set the scene:  To identify the prevalence of the problem locally

Ø    Relevant national and local background research papers

Ø    Definitions – CSE, human trafficking and domestic slavery

Ø    Case Studies

 

·                     Best practice external to Northampton

 

·                     Internal expert advisors:

Ø    Leader of the Council, Northampton Borough Council (NBC)

Ø    Cabinet Member for Community Safety, NBC

Ø    Director of Customers and Communities, NBC and the Environmental Health and Licensing Manager, NBC

Ø    Chair of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP)

Ø    Service Manager, Anti-Social Behaviour Unit

 

·                     External expert advisors:

Ø    Head of Protecting Vulnerable Persons, Northamptonshire Police

Ø    Service Manager, RISE Team

Ø    Senior Manager, Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children’s Board

Ø    Director, Education Services, NCC

Ø    Representative, Children’s Rights’ Group, Corporate Parenting Board

Ø    Chief Officer, Northamptonshire Victim Support

Ø    Cabinet Member for Adult Services, NCC

Ø    Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, NCC

Ø    Chair, Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board

Ø    Service Manager, Barnardo’s

Ø    Service Manager, Save the Children

Ø    Chief Officer, Service Six

Ø    Chief Officer, Lowdowne Centre

Ø    Manager, Free to Talk Group

Ø    Chief Officer, Rape and Crisis Centre

Ø    Chief Executive, Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH)

Ø    Chief Officer, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

 

·                     Site visit to the RISE Team, Northampton,  MAASH, and other areas of the country that have been recognised for its good work in CSE

 

5.   Methods Used to Gather Information

 

• Minutes of meetings
• Desktop research
• Site visits
• Officer reports
• Presentations
• Examples of best practice
• Witness Evidence:-

 

Ø  Key witnesses  as detailed in section 4 of this scope

 

6.   Co-Options to the Review

 

·         Chair, Children, Learning & Communities Scrutiny Committee, Northamptonshire County Council, to be approached suggesting that they are co-opted to this Review for its life.

 

7   Community Impact Screening Assessment

 

• A Community Impact Screening Assessment to be undertaken on the scope of the Review

 

8   Evidence gathering Timetable

May 2016 – March 2017

 

·         12 May 2016                       - Scoping meeting

·           7 July                                - Evidence gathering ·           8 September                     - Evidence gathering

·         10 November                      - Evidence gathering

·           5 January 2017                - Evidence gathering ·         16 March                            - Approval final report

Various site visits will be programmed during this period, if required.

 

Meetings to commence at 6.00 pm

9.                                              Responsible Officers

 

Lead Officers            Phil Harris, Head of Housing and Wellbeing

Co-ordinator              Tracy Tiff, Scrutiny Officer

 

10.            Resources and Budgets

 

Phil Harris, Head of Housing and Wellbeing, to provide internal advice.

 

11.       Final report presented by:

 

Completed by March 2017.  Presented by the Chair of the Panel to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and then to Cabinet.

 

12.       Monitoring procedure:

 

Review the impact of the report after six months (approximately November/December 2017)