Children and young people encouraged to attend council scrutiny committee

Shropshire’s children and young people are being invited to attend meetings of a committee which looks closely at the services the council provides for them.

Shropshire Council’s young people’s scrutiny committee is made up of councillors from all parties, and meets every six weeks or so. At the committee’s meetings, councillors receive reports, presentations and information about services, and have the chance to ask questions.

The meetings are open to the public, and the committee chairman is inviting children and young people to get involved by coming along to a future meeting, or by suggesting a topic that they would like to be discussed.

And to make it easier for children to attend, the committee is also hoping to hold a future meeting at one of the county’s schools.

Over the past year, the committee has considered a wide range of subjects, from child sexual exploitation to the provision of youth services and provision of post-16 education.

Other issues discussed include social care support for children with disabilities, safeguarding arrangements in independent schools, the oversight of children who are educated at home, and the provision of childcare and early years education in Shropshire.

And the committee has received presentations from two schoolpupils – in June 2015 Shereece Matthews talked to councilors about her experience of bullying, and in September 2015 Tom Doolan spoke about life at the new Kettlemere Centre in Ellesmere.

Councillor Joyce Barrow, chairman of the committee, said:

“Our committee is all about the county’s children and young people and about what the council does to help and support them. So, it would be brilliant to see more youngsters at our meetings, or to find out what they would like us to hear and talk about.

“We’re hoping to hold a future meeting at a school, so that children can come and see us and see the work of the committee for themselves.

“We’re currently developing the list of subjects that we plan to consider at our meetings in the coming year, and I ask people of all ages to get in contact if they have anything that they would like us to look at or discuss.”

If you would like to know more about the young people’s scrutiny committee, or have any suggestions for subjects you think could be discussed, please email Councillor Joyce Barrow on joyce.barrow@shropshire.gov.uk.

The next meeting of the young people’s scrutiny committee is on Wednesday 25 May at Shirehall in Shrewsbury, starting at 10am.

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