BD-18-10-2012 - Cafcass

BD-18-10-2012Cafcass Board Meeting MinutesThursday, 18 October, 2012The Hyatt Regency Hotel, BirminghamPresentBaroness Tyler........................................................................................................ Cafcass Board ChairMary MacLeod............................................................................................. Cafcass Board Deputy ChairIan Butler ............................................................................................................. Cafcass Board MemberTerence Connor .................................................................................................. Cafcass Board MemberJohn Lakin ...........................................................................................................Cafcass Board MemberStuart Smith ......................................................................................................... Cafcass Board MemberHonor Rhodes .....................................................................................................Cafcass Board MemberFay Selvyn ............................................................................................................Cafcass Board MemberGeoffrey Bush .......................................................................................Cafcass Co-opted Board MemberIn attendanceAnthony Douglas ............................................................................................... Cafcass Chief ExecutiveChristine Banim ...........................................................................................Cafcass Operational DirectorJulie Brown ................................................................................................... Cafcass Director of FinanceJabbar Sardar ...............................................................................Cafcass Director of Human ResourcesAnnabel Burns ................................................................................................................... DfE ObserverAlex Kirwan ........................................................................................................................ DfE ObserverMary Berwick-Sayers ........................................................................... EA to Director of Policy (Minutes)ApologiesFrancis Plowden, Kamaljit Singh, Bruce Clark, Charlotte McCaffertyBUSINESS SESSION1 WELCOME AND APOLOGIESApologies had been received from Francis Plowden, Kamaljit Singh, Bruce Clark and CharlotteMcCaffertyThe Chair formally welcomed Geoffrey Bush and Alex Kirwan to the meeting.2 DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTNo new declarations of interest were announced.3 MINUTES FROM THE BOARD MEETING HELD ON 14 SEPTEMBER, 2012The minutes of the Board meeting held on 14 September, 2012 were agreed as an accurate record.1

BD-18-10-20124 MATTERS ARISING/ACTION LOGThe Matters Arising from the previous meeting and from the Action Log were taken as read as theyrelate to more substantive issues that will be dealt with at the December 2012 Board meeting.5 REPORT FROM CHAIRThe Chair updated the Board on her recent attendance at events since the September Boardmeeting as follows:She and the Chief Executive had a very positive first meeting with the new Minister and he hasbeen invited to meet with the Board and to visit the team in Runcorn if his diary permits. TheChair gave details of a report that will be prepared for the Minister which will be copied to theBoard.She and the Chief Executive had a positive meeting with the Chair of the Family Justice Board.She attended the 30 th Anniversary event of the National Mediation Service in September.She and the Chief Executive will be attending the HMCTS October Board meeting.She and the Chief Executive met Lord McNally, Minister of State for Family Justice.Due to transport issues, her meeting with the Welsh Deputy Minister had to be cancelled. Thiswill be rescheduled and will include a meeting with the Children’s Commissioner for Wales.She and the Chief Executive had a good meeting with the Earl of Listowel and were able toprovide him with a briefing for the forthcoming debate in the Lords on Children in Care.She attended a seminar in the presence of HRH Princess Anne on Forgotten Families.6 REPORT FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVEThe Chief Executive reported as follows:He will be attending the ADCS/ADASS conference later on in October.He met Ursula Brennan, MoJ Permanent Secretary and Pat Lloyd, Head of the MoJ ALB Unit.The importance of the Board and Executive being more externally facing was noted. The ChiefExecutive agreed to circulate the programme of work that Kim Atkins is undertaking and to inviteher to the Board meeting in December.The Board briefly discussed the transfer to the MoJ for which further due diligence work is takingplace in November 2012, with the earliest moving date likely to be April 2014.The Chief Executive summarised the main objectives of the Transformation Programme. Heoutlined plans to improve the quality of our work, or to identify ways of capturing that moreaccurately. He informed the Board about changes to the IT strategy. He stated that our safeminimum budget for 2013/14, taking all our commitments into consideration, is circa £124M. TheBoard raised their real concern that as demand continues to rise, our resources will be outstrippedand highlighted the need for the Department to be alerted well in advance of the situation becomingirreversible. The Chief Executive reassured the Board that staff are working more efficiently andsystems are more robust and at this stage there are still some further efficiencies to be found,however he acknowledged that there are limits to our efficiency savings programme. The Chairstated that the key role of the Board is to understand what is happening in relation to overalldemand versus our available resources and that it would be helpful for the Board to be presentedwith some detailed scenario planning which will assist members in making informed decisions2

BD-18-10-2012SUMMARY OF ACTIONSAction 1: The Chief Executive agreed to circulate the programme of work that Kim Atkins isundertaking and to invite her to the Board meeting in December.Action 2: The Chief Executive agreed to produce scenarios for consideration at the DecemberBoard meeting.Action 3: The December Board Seminar will include a discussion about any pay implications of theworkforce strategy after April 2013.Action 4: It was agreed that a memorial lecture in honour of Baroness Ritchie will be taken forwardif the family support the proposal.4