Table 4 − Other committees and panels appointed to undertake functions which are not the responsibility of The Cabinet or to assist The Cabinet by advising it on issues for which it is responsible

For Joint Committees and Boards with other authorities see Article 11 of the Constitution.

1. Governance Committee

Terms of Reference

1. To make recommendations to the Council on the allocation to political groups of places on those committees, sub-committees, panels and other bodies to which the political balance provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 apply;
2. To make recommendations to the County Council on the members to be appointed to:
   a) the Regulatory Committee
   b) the Planning and Highways Sub-Committee
   c) the Scrutiny Committees
   d) the Governance Committee
   e) the School Organisation Committee
   f) the Pension Fund Investment Panel
   g) the Joint Strategic Planning Advisory Committee
   h) the Standards Committee
   i) outside bodies to which the political balance provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 apply
3. To appoint:
   a) co-opted members to serve on Committees;
   b) members to other outside bodies/nominate members for consideration for appointment;
4. a) To advise the County Council on the scheme of allowances to members and any amendments thereto.
   b) To make appointments to the Independent Remuneration Panel.
5. To consider and advise the Cabinet and the Council on:
   i) constitutional matters, including the membership of committees and proposed changes in their terms of reference and possible changes to the Constitution;
   ii) Standing Orders and Financial Regulations.
6. To keep under review the County Council’s corporate governance arrangements and compliance with them and to make changes to the County Council’s Policy Statement and Operational Framework.
7. To approve Council’s Corporate Assurance Statement and the Statement of Accounts, having considered whether appropriate accounting policies have been followed and any issues raised by the external auditor from the audit of accounts.
8. To determine services to be provided for members of the Council.
9. To advise the County Council on corporate personnel and employment policies.
10. Within these policies to exercise the powers and duties of the Council in relation to the terms and conditions of employment of staff, personnel policy and practice, including the promotion of arrangements for the proper training and development of employees and ensuring that good recruitment and retention practices are adopted.
11. To ensure the introduction of appropriate arrangements for the promotion of effective communication and joint consultation between the Council and its employees.
12. To exercise the powers and duties of the County Council in respect of:
    i) County Council elections and electoral matters;
    ii) the making of payments or the provision of other benefits in cases of maladministration;
    iii) the pensions of all employees of the Council (except teachers), including the approval of pension fund admission agreements.
    iv) management of the investment of the pension fund, receiving advice as appropriate from the Pension Fund Investment Panel.

Membership

Five members appointed in accordance with political balance provisions.

2. County Joint Consultative Committee

Terms of Reference

1. To provide machinery for regular collective consultation and negotiation on industrial relations matters and for consultation on health, safety and welfare matters between the County Council and its employees; always provided that no issues specific to any one department or questions relating to individuals on such issues as discipline and efficiency etc. shall be within the jurisdiction of the Joint Committee.
2. To consider any relevant matter referred to it by the County Council, or by either Side of the Joint Committee.
3. To make recommendations to the Cabinet on matters referred to in paragraphs 1. and 2. above.

Membership

Five members (to be appointed in accordance with political balance) and eight employee representatives (six to be appointed by the East Sussex Branch of UNISON, one by the Transport and General Workers Union and one by the General Municipal and Boilermakers Union).

3. Complaints Panels

Terms of Reference

To hear complaints about County Council services, including its responsibilities under the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 and the Children Act 1989 where the complainant is dissatisfied with the written response following the formal stage of the complaints procedure, and to make recommendations to the Chief Executive or appropriate Director.

Membership

An independent Chairman selected from a "pool" of suitable persons, a member of the relevant Departmental Management Team without line management responsibility (or Chief Executive or other Director if necessary) and a member of the most appropriate scrutiny committee.

(Specific memberships have been agreed for the Complaints Review Panel (NHS and Community Care Act), Complaints Review Panel (Children) and the Complaints Review Panel (Inspection Unit).

4. East Sussex Music Service Management Committee

Terms of Reference

On behalf of the County Council:

1. in consultation with the Director of the East Sussex Music Service, to exercise oversight of the County Music Service including its strategic development, management and finances, and to monitor the level and quality of the service to its clients;
2. subject to the County Council's normal financial procedures and the Children’s Services Department budget, to draw up and recommend to the Cabinet the budget for Music Services including that element drawn from trust funds; and
3. to exercise powers and duties of the County Council in its capacity as trustee of the charity known as the East Sussex Music Centre in compliance with the terms of the Trust Deed and Charities Acts.

Membership

Voting:

• 5 County Councillors

Non-voting:

• 1 secondary school headteacher
• 1 primary school headteacher
• 1 teacher
• 1 member of support staff
• 1 nominee of Sussex Downs College

5. Education Standards Panel

Terms of Reference

1. To maintain a monitoring role in relation to the standards of achievement of pupils in East Sussex schools, this role to be carried out by receiving and considering reports on:
   a) National Curriculum test and public examination results
   b) OFSTED inspection reports on East Sussex schools
   c) OFSTED statistical reports on the quality of education and standards achieved in East Sussex schools
   d) the progress of schools identified by OFSTED and the local education authority as a cause for concern.
2. To oversee the development of the Education Development Plan and monitor its implementation.
3. To maintain an overview of quality and standards including in relation to early years provision in the County.
4. To report as appropriate to the Cabinet and the Education Scrutiny Committee.

Membership

Five members (three drawn from the Education Scrutiny Committee, the Lead Cabinet Member for Education and one other member).

Two denominational representatives – one representing the Church of England and one representing the Roman Catholic Church.

N.B. The local member is to be invited to attend the Panel when a school in their electoral division is being considered.

6. Governors Panel

Terms of reference

1. To appoint governors to those places on the governing bodies of schools allocated to the Local Education Authority.
2. To consider and make decisions relating to the recruitment of governors; the payment of expenses to governors; the training of governors; and any other matters that may be referred to the Panel by the Cabinet or the Governance Committee.

Membership

Seven members

7. Joint Advisory Committee (Schools)

Terms of Reference

To act as a channel of communication between members and teaching and support staff and to enable them to become better informed on matters affecting the Education Service.

Membership

Five members and representatives of the teaching and support staff.

8. County Consultative Committee (Governors)

Terms of Reference

To act as a channel of communication between members and governors and to help them to be better informed on issues affecting the Education Service.

Membership

Five members and representatives of governors.

9. Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education

Terms of Reference

To advise on collective worship and on the provision of religious education in schools in accordance with the syllabus.

Membership

Five members and other representatives in accordance with the statutory requirements.

10. East Sussex Schools Forum

Terms of Reference

To advise the local education authority on matters relating to the schools budget and on changes to the funding formula for schools.

The Forum may also be used as a mechanism for consultation between the local authority and partners with the Education Service on wider issues relating to education funding.

Membership

School Members:

• Ten headteachers (five primary, four secondary, one special)
• Ten governors (five primary, four secondary, one special)

Non School Members (one each):

• Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership
• Professional Associations
• Diocese of Chichester
• Diocese of Arundel and Brighton

Observer status:

• Lead Cabinet Member for Learning and School Effectiveness
• Sussex Learning and Skills Council

11. School Admissions Forum

Terms of Reference

1. To consider the effectiveness of the LEA’s proposed co-ordinated admission arrangements
2. To assess how existing and proposed admission arrangements serve the interests of local parents and children
3. To promote agreement on admissions issues
4. To consider improvements to admissions processes and monitor admissions in relation to admissions numbers
5. To review guidance to parents including publications
6. To promote arrangements dealing with difficult issues such as vulnerable children – looked after children, children with special educational needs (SEN), excluded pupils etc.
7. To monitor the admission of children who arrive in the LEA’s area outside the normal admission round
8. To consider any other admission issues arising

Membership

• Lead Cabinet Member for Learning and School Effectiveness
• Education Spokespersons from the other two parties
• Three headteachers representing community and voluntary controlled schools
• Two headteachers representing aided schools – one from a Church of England school and one from a Roman Catholic school
• Two Diocesan representatives – one from the Church of England and one from the Roman Catholic Church
• Up to three parent governor representatives
• Up to three local community representatives
• One representative each from the Special Educational Needs Forum and the Early Years and Childcare Development Partnership
• One representative from Foundation Schools

12. Pension Fund Investment Panel

Terms of Reference

1. To advise the Governance Committee on:
   a) strategic asset bands, briefs and targets to be achieved by Fund Managers;
   b) policy guidelines for investments.
2. To oversee and advise the Governance Committee on the management of investments of the Pension Fund.
3. To review the investment performance of the Pension Fund and report at least annually thereon to the Governance Committee.
4. To keep under review the policy statement on corporate governance and to advise the Governance Committee on amendments which should be made to it in the light of best practice and in accordance with the interests of the Fund.

Membership

Three members appointed by the County Council in accordance with the political balance provisions, one of whom shall be the Chairman of the Panel, two members nominated by Brighton & Hove City Council and one member nominated by the Borough and District Councils in East Sussex.

13. Corporate Parenting Panel

Terms of Reference

1. To discharge the statutory responsibility of the County Council by receiving copies of reports of monthly visits to East Sussex children's homes by an off-line manager [Regulation 22]
2. To receive inspection reports from the East Sussex Inspection Unit and the Social Services Inspectorate concerning East Sussex homes.
3. To monitor progress in meeting high standards in residential care for children in East Sussex homes.
4. To monitor and participate in programmes seeking the views of looked after children in residential and foster care.
5. To receive the views of young people leaving care.
6. To receive a report summarising complaints made by looked after children on a six monthly basis.
7. To meet annually with representatives of the East Sussex Foster Care Association and other foster parents.
8. To receive reports on how the health needs of looked after children are being met and their educational achievements.
9. To provide an annual report to the Cabinet.

Membership

Seven members.

14. Adoption and Permanence Panel

Terms of Reference

1. East Sussex County Council will fulfil the County Council’s Permanence Policy through the two Adoption & Permanence Panels. There will be one Panel to serve the East of the County and one to serve the West of the County.
2. The aim of the each East Sussex Adoption & Permanence Panel is to ensure the provision of a quality adoption & permanence service for children, birth families and carers.
3. Each Adoption & Permanence Panel has "primary responsibility” to act in the best interest of children.
4. Each Panel will be committed to anti-discriminatory practice and to ensuring that the welfare of the child is paramount.
5. Each Panel will be rigorous in monitoring the quality standards, provide feedback and contribute to the development of good practice.
6. The Panel will be transparent in its decision-making processes.
7. Each Panel will consider the case of every child, prospective adopter prospective permanent carer and proposed placement, referred to it by the Adoption Agency and make recommendations to the Agency decision-maker as to:
   a) whether adoption or permanence through fostering is in the best interest of a child, and if the Panel recommends that adoption is in the best interests of the child, whether an application should be made to free the child for adoption.
   b) whether a prospective applicant is suitable to be an adoptive parent or a permanent carer. c) whether a prospective adopter would be a suitable adoptive parent for a particular child.
   d) whether a prospective permanent foster carer would be a suitable permanent carer for a particular child.
   e) whether a kinship carer would be a suitable permanent carer for a particular child.
   f) whether a prospective adopter is suitable for approval by the Department of Health for an Inter-Country Adoption placement
8. In addition, the Panels will also consider:
   a) disruption reports following breakdown of an adoption or permanency placement.
   b) review all cases of approved adopters after 2 years of approval, if not matched.
   c) review all children approved every 6 months, in the case of a child placed or adoption, until the adoption order is made.
   d) all proposals for a Change of Plan for a child or children referred to a Panel must be considered by the Panel.
9. Each Panel will receive legal and medical advice on each case that is referred to it.
10. Each panel will give reasons for its recommendations.
11. The Panels should assist the Agency in:
    a) drawing up the Agency’s Policies and Procedures.
    b) considering applications for the payment of Adoption Allowances.
    c) considering applications for Legal Fees and Court Fees.
12. Each Panel will work within the Agency’s Equal Opportunities Policy (a copy will be available to each Panel member).
13. Each Panel should meet at sufficiently regular intervals to meet the needs of the service.
14. The functions of the Panels are required to be carried out by the members meeting as a Panel and cannot be undertaken by means of correspondence.
15. The Panels will meet together twice a year for a Business meeting to discuss policy and procedural issues with the Agency’s Head of Service for Looked After Children.

Membership

Each Panel – two councillors and other members in accordance with statutory requirements.

15. Fostering Panel

Terms of Reference

To be inserted.

Membership

Two councillors and other members in accordance with statutory requirements.

16. Recruitment Panels (Chief Executive, Directors and Deputies)

Terms of Reference

To deal with appointments to the posts of Chief Executive, Directors and Deputies and any disciplinary action in relation to holders of any of those posts, subject to the provisions of the Officer Employment Procedure Rules.

Membership

Five members selected as the need for a Panel arises; the panels to be constituted in accordance with the political balance provisions.