Issue - meetings
Future use of Roundwood Centre for alternative education/ youth provision
Meeting: 09/05/2019 - Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee (Item 5)
A decision made by the Cabinet on 15 April 2019 in respect of the “Approval to Establish an Alternative Provision Free School with Integrated Youth Offer from the Roundwood Youth Centre” report from the Council’s Strategic Director Children and Young People, has been called-in for consideration by the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee, in accordance with Standing Order 14.
Additional documents:
- Appendix A - Call-In Form, item 5 PDF 121 KB
- Appendix B - Cabinet Report - 15/04/2019 - Future use of Roundwood Centre, item 5 PDF 134 KB
- Appendix B i) - Appendix to Cabinet Report - 15/04/2019, item 5 PDF 59 KB
- Appendix B ii) - Appendix to Cabinet Report - 15/04/2019, item 5 PDF 153 KB
- Appendix C - Call-In Protocol, item 5 PDF 78 KB
Minutes:
Having received the report from the Director of Performance, Policy & Partnerships detailing the background to the call-in referred to the Scrutiny Committee for consideration, the Chair began by inviting Councillor Chan to outline the reasons for the call-in and alternative action being sought as a result.
Councillor Chan advised that the call-in detailed a number of concerns regarding the Cabinet decision to establish an alternative provision free school with integrated youth offer from the Roundwood Youth Centre. Councillor Chan asserted that the decision lacked policy imagination and failed to fully address alternative options to establishing a free school. The Cabinet had not provided sufficient evidence that local authority schools in the area had been approached to discuss delivering the alternative provision under their management.
Addressing aspects of the Cabinet decision in further detail, Councillor Chan advised that the call-in also highlighted concerns regarding a potential lack of accountability and strategic oversight in the intended arrangements. With reference to paragraph 6.2 of the Cabinet report (attached as Appendix B to the papers before the committee), Councillor Chan noted the financial implications of commissioning places at the proposed new alternative provision free school and highlighted that no detail had been provided of how this financial relationship would be overseen. Members’ attention was further drawn to resolution iii) of the Cabinet decision which delegated authority to the Strategic Director of Children and Young People, in consultation with the Lead Member for Children’s Safeguarding, Early Help and Social Care, to identify the Council’s preferred provider of the Alternative Provision Free School with integrated youth provision. Councillor Chan asserted that this decision should sit with the appropriate Lead Member(s) to ensure accountability. It was further noted that there was an expectation that the governance arrangements include a senior council officer acting as a trustee of the new alternative provision. Councillor Chan emphasised that with this amounting to just less than 20 per cent of the trustees, there lacked assurance that there would be sufficient strategic oversight of the new arrangements. In concluding his introduction to the call-in, Councillor Chan expressed agreement with the intention to provide more youth services at Roundwood Youth Centre but stated that he was wary about how the council had characterised the lack of provision at the venue.
The Committee then moved on to consider representations from members of the public and other stakeholders who had requested to speak in relation to the call-in. Comments made were as follows:
GherieWeldeyesus (Brent National Education Union) expressed his concern that, under the new arrangements the youth club at Roundwood Youth Centre would be discontinued, despite reassurances to the contrary. He stated that the council should fully fund the youth centre to ensure that children and young people had somewhere to go after school and in the holidays.
Mary Adossides (Chair, Brent Trades Councils and former Head Teacher of Manor School) emphasised that there was a crisis in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision due to cuts in government funding. Therefore, the ... view the full minutes text for item 5
Meeting: 15/04/2019 - Cabinet (Item 9)
The purpose of this report is to seek Cabinet approval to follow the Free School Presumption process to establish an Alternative Provision Free School with an integrated youth offer on the site of Roundwood Youth Centre.
Additional documents:
- 09a. Appendix 1 - Future use of Roundwood Centre Summary Specification and Assessment Criteria, item 9 PDF 59 KB
- 09b. Appendix 2 - Future use of Roundwood Centre Equality Impact Assessment, item 9 PDF 153 KB
Decision:
RESOLVED:
i. Cabinet approved the establishment of an Alternative Provision Free School with integrated youth provision on the site of Roundwood Youth Centre as set out in the report.
ii. Cabinet approved the use of the Free School Presumption process to establish the school, as set out in the report, noting that the final decision on the selected provider would be taken by the Secretary of State for Education.
iii. Cabinet delegated authority to the Strategic Director of Children and Young People, in consultation with the Lead Member for Children’s Safeguarding, Early Help and Social Care, to identify the Council’s preferred provider of the Alternative Provision Free School with integrated youth provision.
Minutes:
RESOLVED:
i. Cabinet approved the establishment of an Alternative Provision Free School with integrated youth provision on the site of Roundwood Youth Centre as set out in the report.
ii. Cabinet approved the use of the Free School Presumption process to establish the school, as set out in the report, noting that the final decision on the selected provider would be taken by the Secretary of State for Education.
iii. Cabinet delegated authority to the Strategic Director of Children and Young People, in consultation with the Lead Member for Children’s Safeguarding, Early Help and Social Care, to identify the Council’s preferred provider of the Alternative Provision Free School with integrated youth provision.