Agenda and decisions

To receive any apologies for absence.

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chair for

consideration.

The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of this

committee held on 13/02/25 be signed as a true record.

To provide guidance on the direction of the Youth Service in the future to discuss whether or not it still meets the needs of Gwynedd's young people and delivers its objectives following the restructure in 2018.

DECISION

1.     To accept the report and note the observations.

2.     To recommend to the Cabinet Member / Education Department:

-        Consistency in the provision needs to be ensured across the County.

-        To identify ways of engaging more broadly with young people and in particular specific groups of young people.

-        Consultation should take place with Town and Community Councils with a view to increasing the number of community clubs.

-        Work should continue with partners to ensure the best provision, for example the Urdd, Young Farmers.

3.     To ask the Youth Service Manager to share data on the number of individuals participating in the provision, and good practice in relation to community clubs, with committee members.

To scrutinise the Additional Learning Needs education

provision and to secure the input and understanding of the

Scrutiny Committee of the progress made to ensure that

Gwynedd is ready for the new ALN and Inclusion Act.

DECISION

1.    To accept the report and note the observations.

2.    Ask the Cabinet Member for Education

·       To consider examining whether the membership of the guidance group for admissions to special schools should be amended.

·       To look at ways to identify, improve provision and facilitate arrangements for the specific cohort of children who are in the mainstream, who have profound needs but  do not meet the threshold for receiving support

·       To look at ways to continue to protect the budget for special schools and monitor that money is being spent appropriately and in line with the guidelines.

·       to encourage practitioners to take advantage of training, and to ascertain whether it is possible to ensure funding received for training is spent solely on training

·       To investigate the possibility of providing satellite provision in some schools.

·       To correspond with Welsh Government to express concern about the lack of funding and resources available for additional learning needs and the challenges facing schools

To present a draft of the amended policy.

DECISION

1.    To note the draft policy and note the observations.

2.    To welcome the fact that the draft policy was proceeding to consultation.

3.    That the Committee makes a request to the Scrutiny Forum to prioritise resources for the formation of a task and finish group, with the brief to examine the wording of the Draft Education Language Policy to consider whether suggestions need to be made to the Cabinet Member / Education Department, and report back to the committee at the 19 June 2025 meeting.

4.    Should the application to the Scrutiny Forum be successful, the Scrutiny Adviser to send an email to Committee members giving them the opportunity to put their names forward to be members of the Task and Finish Group.