Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Christie Franklin and from Councillors Burton, Branson, Wade and Bains.

Councillor Groves was in attendance as the Liberal Democrat group deputy.

All Members who believe they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting must declare that interest and, having regard to Part 3 Paragraph 1.5 of the County Council's Members’ Code of Conduct, leave the meeting while the matter is discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with Paragraph 1.6 of the Code. Furthermore all Members with a Personal Interest in a matter being considered at the meeting should consider, having regard to Part 5, Paragraph 4 of the Code, whether such interest should be declared, and having regard to Part 5, Paragraph 5 of the Code, consider whether it is appropriate to leave the meeting while the matter is discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with the Code.

Members were mindful that where they believed they had a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in any matter considered at the meeting they must declare that interest at the time of the relevant debate and, having regard to the circumstances described in Part 3, Paragraph 1.5 of the County Council's Members' Code of Conduct, leave the meeting while the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with Paragraph 1.6 of the Code. Furthermore Members were mindful that where they believed they had a Personal interest in a matter being considered at the meeting they considered whether such interest should be declared, and having regard to Part 5, Paragraph 5 of the Code, considered whether it was appropriate to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with the Code.

Councillors Porter, Hayre, Penman and Groves declared non pecuniary interests as school governors.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting.

The Minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any deputations notified under Standing Order 12.

The Committee did not receive any deputations.

To receive any announcements the Chairman may wish to make.

The Chairman did not make any announcements to the meeting.

To receive an overview of the provision of Free School Meal provision in Hampshire’s schools.

The Committee received a presentation on Free School Meal (FSM) provision. The history and legal background was noted along with the purpose of providing FSM for school children. Members heard about the complexities of the eligibility criteria and the implications for school funding arrangements to support pupils with their wider education. The Committee noted the collaboration with other County Council services in raising awareness and increasing uptake of FSM across Hampshire schools.

In response to Members’ questions, it was noted that:

·         Officers would seek to liaise with other Hampshire local authority welfare and benefits teams and also with registered providers of local housing with view to increase FSM uptake.

·         Queries regarding FSM eligibility should be directed to the Government helpline, given the complexity of certain criteria, but that the link between FSM and Pupil Premium funding was absolute.

·         The year-on-year increase in pupils eligible for FSM, as outlined on slide 8 of the presentation, was likely attributed to families with income on the dividing line who had recently fallen into the ‘eligible’ category.

·         More children with Special Education Needs had recently been identified in the eligible category. There was, however, no obvious link between FSM uptake and disordered eating.

·         Schools do not receive any funding if eligible children choose not to take their FSM.

·         School funding remains unchanged if children who receive a FSM are unexpectedly absent on the day.

Members felt that it would be helpful to link with the Hampshire 2050 Select Committee (the 2050 Committee) in terms of a more holistic, ‘whole Hampshire’ approach to supporting families through the cost of living crisis. The Chairman agreed to speak with the Chairman of the 2050 Committee.

Members agreed that clearer advice and guidance from Government was required to aid families. The FSM Bill was also discussed which was aiming to implement the automatic registration of all children eligible for FSM and to provide for an opt-out where the family wishes.

RESOLVED:

That the Children and Young People Select Committee notes the presentation.

To pre-scrutinise proposals prior to consideration by the Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services.

The Committee pre-scrutinised a report regarding the future options for the Education Catering (EC) service ahead of a decision by the Executive Member for Education.

The report outlined the financial pressures on the EC service which provided school meals and catering equipment maintenance, repair and replacement services to schools. Members noted that the EC meal price was higher than the Government meal funding to schools as a result of inflation in recent years. This had meant a loss of business for the service and it was forecast to be in financial deficit of over £1million a year. The Committee reviewed the options which had been identified for future provision and agreed that the most suitable solution would be a managed outsource as set out within the report.

In response to Members’ questions, it was noted that:

·         Smaller, rural schools would be supported as part of the outsource and that grouping schools together would be more commercially viable.

·         The school food standards legislation would continue to apply to all school meals meaning that quality and nutritional value would be maintained.

·         The private catering sector would likely have international purchasing powers meaning that high quality food could be sourced at a lower cost.

·         Schools were advised to continue to plan for routine maintenance of kitchen equipment and allocate the necessary funds as part of their budgeting processes.

·         Schools were responsible for the provision of school meals and providing lunch for pupils who were eligible for free school meals however there was no requirement for the County Council to provide an in-house school catering service.

·         Regular communication with schools was ongoing regarding the proposed changes and online briefings had been arranged to ensure that all stakeholders were being kept informed. 

·         Private catering providers had the option of investing in school kitchens to provide any additional or upgraded equipment required to fulfil their contract.

·         The benefit of having a consortium of schools and staff was that flexible arrangements could be made to cover any staff shortages (such as a mobile group of staff) or to transport meals between schools as a temporary setup in case of unexpected circumstances.

·         The existing County Council Framework for catering providers would remain which provided assurance and information for schools regarding private providers’ performance and quality.

The Committee noted the value and importance of the EC service and the significance of the work they had provided over many years. Members shared their disappointment given their pride in the service but understood the reasons behind the recommendations. There was also some discussion regarding linking with local colleges who provided catering training.

Members voted on the recommendations. The outcome of the vote was:

For: 14

Against: 0

Abstain: 1

RESOLVED:

That the Children and Young People Select Committee support the recommendations being made to the Executive Member for Education, as set out below:

      i.        That the County Council ceases to provide an in-house EC service and supports schools in providing alternative arrangements to meet schools’ statutory responsibility for school meals through  ...  view the full minutes text for item 179.

To receive an overview of Hampshire’s use of the Household Support Fund and the Holiday Activities and Food Programme.

The Committee received a presentation on the Household Support Fund (HSF) and the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme.

The HAF programme was in place to support with challenges faced by low-income families during school holidays. Members heard that, outside of the structure and consistency of the school environment, holiday periods could be pressure points, leading to issues like poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and social isolation for children. The Committee agreed that the impact of the HAF programme had the ability to shape children’s life trajectory, forming positive habits to take into adulthood.

The HSF was introduced following two prior releases of COVID winter grants, to support households in the most need with food, energy and water bills. The funding had also been used to establish a community pantry network, support employability education and skills, boiler replacements and supplementing fuel payments with fuel poverty advice via Citizen’s Advice.

In response to Members’ questions, it was confirmed that:

·         It would be possible to invite Members to the HAF programmes within their divisions and that a breakdown of uptake across the county would be provided for Committee Members.

·         There was no indication from Government about how many more years the funding would continue for. If the funding were to cease, the County Council would not be able to subsidise unless direct funding was received.

·         There were benefits for the young adults employed to run the schemes giving them training and experience and Members noted that their feedback had been strongly positive.

·         There was no quantitative measure of the programme impact on reducing anti-social behaviour but this was a continual area of focus and evaluation.

Members noted the significant benefits that both schemes had provided for Hampshire residents but agreed that a longer term, more sustainable approach was also needed; not only to support with one-off costs and projects but to implement ongoing initiatives, targeted prevention and sustainable behavioural change within communities which would have a long term effect on future generations.

RESOLVED:

That the Children and Young People Select Committee notes the presentation.

To consider and approve the Children and Young People Select Committee Work Programme.

The Committee reviewed their Work Programme.

RESOLVED:

That the Children and Young People Select Committee discussed and agreed potential items for the work programme that can be prioritised and allocated by the Chairman of the Children and Young People Select Committee in consultation with the Director of Children’s Services.