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States Greffe
Connétable Richard Vibert Minister for Children and Families
BY EMAIL
15th March 2024 Dear Minister
Follow-up matters from the Public Hearing on 7th March 2024
Thank you for attending the public review hearing last week, together with the Assistant Minister and your Officers, your time is much appreciated. During the hearing you committed to follow up with:
• Confirmation of Ministerial responsibility for online safety; and
• Data in relation to school absences.
As we came to the end of the time allocated for the hearing you agreed to respond to the Panel's additional queries in writing, and I set these out below, for your attention:
Youth Centre
- The Panel heard during its hearing in December that there was a possibility for CAMHS, the YES service, and the Jersey Music Service to be provided with a combined location. Please can you advise the Panel if this is still under consideration?
- The Panel would be interested to know what funding has been, or will be, allocated for acquiring additional youth-service facilities in St. Helier, or enhancing existing facilities?
Safeguarding / vetting
- In August last year the Panel wrote to the former Minister about the Government's Safe Recruitment Policy for individuals who work with children, and we learnt that the policy was scheduled to be updated in 2024, although the last substantive review had not taken place since 2017. Please can you advise whether that policy review has started and whether it is likely to include any significant updates or changes?
Additionally, as a result of the information provided in the hearing, the Panel would be grateful if you could also address the following follow up queries:
- You confirmed that the Government would publish a list of updated ministerial responsibilities. Please could you confirm when that report will be published? [For clarity, this refers to the list of Ministerial Responsibilities published under Article 30A of the States of Jersey Law 2005, the previous version was published as R.10/2023].
- In relation to the UK's Online Safety Act, it was mentioned that "There was a decision not to be included under the U.K. legislation back in 2022". Please could you provide some more information about how that decision was made and where the decision was recorded?
- During the hearing it was confirmed that the retention payments provided to substantive social workers was helping the stability of that workforce. Please could you provide the Panel with some more information around the retention payments made to Children's Social Workers.
Thank you in advance for your assistance. The Panel looks forward to your formal response and would request that this is received by Friday 22nd March 2024.
Yours sincerely,
Deputy Catherine Curtis
Chair, Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel