To receive (if any)

Apologies were received from Councillors Christine Smith, Jason Frost and Julie Wilkes. +Councillor Philippa Crowder attended subbing for Councillor Christine Smith.

Members are invited to disclose any interests in any of the items on the agenda at this point of the meeting.  Members may still declare an interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

There were no interest declared.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 21^st January 2025 and authorise the Chairman to sign them

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2025 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

At the Council meeting on 15 January 2025, the Member Champion for Young People presented the annual report for noting.  As the report had a number of recommendations including other recommendations brought up during the Council meeting, it was suggested that the report be brought to the sub-committee for consideration and to formalise any recommendations to be sent to Cabinet.

Following a full debate of the Member Champion report and its recommendations, the Sub-Committee agreed to put the following recommendations to Cabinet at its next meeting:

1.    A bi-annual full council meeting with a segment dedicated for Children and Young People to ask questions of Cabinet Members on areas of interest.

This will provide the Children and Young People opportunity because I believe that there may be specific issues that young people may want to bring up.

2.    A commitment to retaining the Children and Young People’s budget consultation process.

The Sub-Committee agreed this was definitely a step in the right direction of getting Young People involved in the policy discussions and the decision making processes. The Member Champion stated that this opportunity should continue process.

3.    To include Children in Care as a Protected Characteristic.

The Sub-Committee understands that as Corporate Parents. Members have a responsibility for every Havering Children in Care. The Member Champion wanted to express the importance of this very aspect.

4.    An opportunity for Children and Young People to meet with the People Overview & Scrutiny Sub-Committee and ask questions on reports considered.

The Sub-Committee agreed that it would be beneficial to also have similar sessions in the overview and scrutiny sub-committees, providing Havering Young People the chance to provide feedback to the committees on various reports. In response, the Member Champion supported the proposal, provided appropriate safeguarding procedures were in place. It was the opinion that any such meeting should be of value and that the progress of any recommendations made by Young People should be followed.

The Sub-Committee unanimously agreed that the list recommendation be put before Cabinet to consider.