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Review Panel – Care of Children in Jersey
Record of Meeting
Date: 22nd November 2017
Present | Deputy S.Y. Mézec , Chairman Deputy T.A. Vallois, Vice-Chairman Senator S.C Ferguson Deputy J.A. Hilton |
Apologies |
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Absent |
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In attendance | Mr M. Capern, Principal Youth Officer Mr A. Harris , Scrutiny Officer |
Ref Back | Agenda matter | Action |
| 1. Record of Meetings The Review Panel noted and approved the record of the meeting held on Wednesday 22nd November 2017. The Chairman signed them accordingly. |
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Item 2 06/11/17 | 2. Conflict of Interest No conflicts of interest were declared by Panel Members. |
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| 3. Meeting with Principal Youth Officer The Review Panel received Mr M. Capern, Principal Youth Officer for a meeting to discuss the actions being undertaken by the Jersey Youth Service (JYS) in respect of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry (IJCI). Mr M. Capern explained that the JYS had been tasked with taking a lead on certain pieces of work in respect of recommendation two of the IJCI, giving children and young people a voice. It was noted that the JYS had been involved in developing the voice strategy for the previous Children and Young Persons Plan (CYP) in 2012, although nothing had been taken forward from this. The JYS was due to take a lead on establishing a youth parliament, and previous research had been undertaken to identify models in the United Kingdom. Mr M. Capern noted that young people's voice was represented at different levels including individual young people in care, parish and community and a wider voice involved with Island politics. It was noted that the Chief Minister's Department had commissioned an external company to assist the JYS in identifying and creating a youth parliament. It was explained that different groupings of young people would need to be represented in any parliament, and discussions would be undertaken as to how this would work in practice. It was anticipated that a youth parliament would meet monthly and have the opportunity to quiz Ministers and Senior Officers in order to bring forward ideas and outcomes for young people. The JYS would facilitate training for young people and this was likely to be undertaken during the February half-term |
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| week at the Queens Silver Jubilee Activity Base (Crabbe). It was noted that this would be a more efficient use of the consultant's time. The JYS had been represented on the IJCI working group and was involved in discussions to bring forward actions on the recommendations made in the IJCI. A group of eight young people had been involved in interviewing the potential candidates for the role of Children's Commissioner, and these had been carried out on Thursday 16th November, with four candidates attending for interview. The young people had provided feedback to the main interview panel, consisting of the Chief Minister, Chief Officer, Community and Constitutional Affairs and a member of the Appointments Commission. It was noted that the young people involved were highly motivated to continue working. Mr M. Capern explained that the JYS was not a statutory service within the Education Department, however this presented opportunities to the service. It was noted that all youth projects had charitable status and most were partly funded through external partnerships with charities and the Parishes. £700,000 of the JYS funding was through external partnerships, with £380,000 being provided by the Parishes. It was noted that additional funding had been granted to develop the following pieces of work:
Mr. M. Capern explained that further work was being identified in relation to child sexual exploitation (CSE) and offering training to taxi drivers, bouncers, hotel staff and bus drivers. It was hoped that further work would be undertaken in relation to the nighttime economy and raising awareness of the issue of CSE. The Review Panel thanked Mr M. Capern for attending and agreed that it would look to meet with a group of young people, in order to help inform questions for hearings with the Chief Minister. | AH |
Item 4 08/11/17 | 4. Recommendation One: A Children's Commissioner The Review Panel noted that interviews for the post of Children's Commissioner had been carried out with a group of young people in partnership with the Youth Service on Thursday 16th November. The Review Panel requested that questions relating to the recruitment of the Children's Commissioner were added to the question plan for its upcoming hearing with the Chief Minister. | AH |
Item 5 08/11/17 | 5. Recommendation 2: Giving Children and Young People a Voice The Review Panel noted that a draft job description for the Children's Rights Officer had been circulated, along with a copy of the proposed Jersey Practice Model. The Review Panel discussed arranging visits to charities working with young people and agreed that a letter would be sent to all charities working with children, requesting views on the recommendations in the IJCI and the response from the Council of Ministers. | AH |
Item 6 08/11/17 | 6. Recommendation 3: Inspection of Services The Review Panel recalled that it had met with the Care Commissioner and his team on Tuesday 21st November. It was agreed that the meeting was positive and allayed concerns over the inspection process. It was agreed that further questions would be asked of the Chief Minister at the upcoming public hearing. | AH |
Item 7 08/11/17 | 7. Recommendation 4: Building a Sustainable Workforce The Review Panel noted that a letter had been sent to the Deputy Chief Minister detailing concerns about the lack of a review into the wider States of Jersey Human Resource function. It was also noted that the Review Panel had requested a meeting with the incoming Chief Executive of the States of Jersey. A response was due on Wednesday 29th November. It was agreed that this would be followed up accordingly. | AH |
Item 8 08/11/17 | 8. Recommendation 5: Legislation The Review Panel noted that a letter had been sent to the Probation and After-Care Service to ascertain the scope of the independent review of youth justice. It was noted that further information regarding the statutory status of the Safeguarding Partnership Board was due to be requested. | AH |
Item 9 08/11/17 | 9. Recommendation 6: Corporate Parent The Review Panel noted that a letter had been sent to the Chairman of the Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC) requesting an update on any work it was undertaking in respect of the IJCI. The Review Panel recalled that Deputy S.M. Mézec was a member of PPC and was party to any discussions relating to the IJCI recommendations. It was noted that should the Review Panel undertake any questioning on this work, then Deputy S.Y. Mézec would not partake. |
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Item 10 08/11/17 | 10. Recommendation 7: The Jersey Way The Review Panel noted that questions agreed at its last meeting had been added to the question plan for the upcoming hearing with the Chief Minister. | AH |
Item 11 08/11/17 | 11. Recommendation 8: Legacy Issues The Review Panel noted that information had been provided regarding the archiving of the IJCI report. The Officer advised that the press release would be circulated for Members' information. Information relating to the 24 hour telephone counselling service that had been set up after the publication of the Care Inquiry had been requested from the Health and | AH |
| Social Services Department but had yet to be received. It was agreed that this would be chased up as a matter of urgency. |
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| 12. P.108/2017 Independent Jersey Care Inquiry Report: implementation of recommendations The Review Panel noted that P.108/2017 Independent Jersey Care Inquiry Report: implementation of recommendations' was due to be debated on 12th December 2017. Concerns were raised as to the wording of the proposition in that it asked States Members to endorse the Council of Minister's proposals without further detail being provided. It was agreed that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman would take up these concerns with the Chief Minister. | SM/TV |
| 13. Public Hearing with the Chief Minister The Panel agreed that it would hold a public hearing with the Chief Minister on Friday 8th December between 1:30pm and 3:00pm. The Officer advised that details would be confirmed with his Department and that a meeting request would be sent imminently. The Review Panel noted and discussed a draft question plan and agreed further questions that would be asked at the hearing. The Officer advised that an updated question plan would be circulated prior to the question areas being confirmed with the Department. | AH AH |
| 14. Meeting Dates 2018 The Review Panel noted and agreed a draft meeting schedule for 2018. The Officer advised that the meeting requests would be sent out shortly. | AH |
| 15. Appointment of Review Panel Member The Chairman explained that Deputy M.R. Higgins had expressed an interest in joining the Review Panel. It was agreed that subsequent to approval from the Chairmen's Committee, Deputy M.R. Higgins would join the Review Panel. |
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| 16. Future Meetings The Review Panel noted that its next scheduled meeting was due to take place at 9:30am on Wednesday 6th December 2017 in the Le Capelain Room, States Building. |
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