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MEETING ON 15 DECEMBER 2000 AT BLACKPOOL
REPORT OF THE CO-ORDINATOR
ADMINISTRATION OF NORTH WEST REGIONAL TRAINING FORUM
1. Matter for Consideration:
To report a request received from TOPSS England, the national training organisation for social care, that Social Services North West should undertake the administration of its new North West Regional Training Forum, and to confirm the decision of the Chair and Deputy Chair to agree to this for a trial period.
2. Introduction:
Members will be aware that TOPSS England is launching a network of Regional Training Forums, in which employer, educational and service user interests can come together to steer the development of staff training across the region. The forum for the North West was due to be launched in November, and given the impossibility of providing administration for all the forums from a national base, local support arrangements were sought. Each Forum is to be chaired by a member of the Board of TOPSS England. Vic Citarella, formerly Director of Social Services for Liverpool, represents the LGA on the TOPSS England Board, and as Chair-designate of the North West Regional Training Forum, approached Social Services North West with a view to undertaking the administration.
3. Information:
3.1 Discussions have continued with Annette Baines, the Regional Development Officer, emphasising that any support given to this work must not in any way prejudice the prime duty of the staff team towards Social Services North West itself. Furthermore, the actual costs incurred in administering the Forum would need to be met by TOPSS England. Having said that, the aims and objectives of the Forum, to promote high-quality training for all social care staff, were consistent with the key objective of Social Services North West in enhancing high-quality services.
3.2 After consultation with the Chair and Deputy Chair, we made the following proposals to Annette Baines of how the task could be carried out for a trial period from November 2000 to March 2000 in the first instance:
· We would service the quarterly meeting of the TOPSS Regional Forum, comprising some 20-25 members
· Duties would include: gathering, copying and sending out the necessary papers in advance of the meeting; arrangements re venue, refreshments etc; minuting the meeting and submitting draft to yourself and Vic Citarella as Chair; copying and circulating the final version to members
· In relation to sub-groups, we would maintain liaison with Convenors of these in relation to items for the Forum itself, but could not undertake their servicing. This will need to be arranged by the sub-groups themselves.
· If you wish us to undertake the provision of expenses for service users, we will need to arrange this specifically.
· Equally, the extent to which we could take on any other duties would have to be discussed in relation to available time, once priority has been given to the core tasks listed above.
· Meetings timed to avoid conflict (through work overload) with our core business for Social Services North West
3.3 These proposals, together with the financial details also submitted, were acceptable to TOPSS England Chief Executive Andrea Rowe. She said at our conference on 24 November how much she appreciated the willingness of Social Services North West to contribute in this tangible way to the success of the Regional Training Forum.
3.4 At the first meeting of the Forum on 15 November, those present endorsed Vic Citarella as Chair for the first year, and Social Services North West as administrators until March 2001. The next meeting of the Forum is to be held on 24 January. It will therefore be possible for members, at the March 2001meeting, to receive a report on the first two meetings, and a recommendation as to whether the administrative arrangements should continue, and if so on what basis.
3.5 The final matter for consideration is the representation of Social Services North West on the Forum. The Chair of the Forum considers that member-level representation of local authority social services employers in the Region would be of benefit to the Forum as well as to authorities. Accordingly Social Services North West is invited to nominate a member to serve on the Regional Training Forum.
4. Recommendations:
4.1 That the decision of the Chair and Deputy Chair to support the provision of administrative support to the TOPSS England North West Regional Training Forum, for a trial period until 31 March 2001, be endorsed.
4.2 That a further report be brought to the March 2001 meeting of Social Services North West, reporting progress to date and the terms of any proposed extension to the arrangement.
4.3 That Social Services North West nominate one of its members to serve on the TOPSS England North West Regional Training Forum.
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