Agenda item

To consider a report by the Principal Manager: Modernising Education / Lead Officer: Facilities, Assets & Housing (copy attached) for Communities Scrutiny Committee to examine the revised School Meal Debt Policy.

10.05 a.m. – 10.45 a.m.

 

The Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets introduced the joint report by the Principal Manager Modernising Education and the Lead Officer:  Facilities, Assets and Housing (previously circulated) which presented the Committee with the revised School Meal Debt Policy for examination. 

 

In light of recent high profile and national press coverage in relation to school meal debts, and with a view to ensuring that the policy included tighter safeguarding measures, a decision had been taken to redraft the policy.  Whilst re-drafting the policy, officers had taken the opportunity to tighten the procedures regarding the non-payment of school meal debts and to highlight the support available from the Council in relation to school meals debts to parents. 

 

During his introduction the Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets emphasised the importance of safeguarding pupils and how the provision of school meals and the application of the school meal debt policy supported the safeguarding agenda, through early intervention and signposting parents to appropriate assistance and support that was available to them.  He emphasised that the issuing of a school meal debt letter was the very last resort, after all other ‘softer’ measures, including the offer of advice, help and support had failed.  He confirmed that the level of school meal debt in the county had reduced significantly since the end of the 2018 calendar year, from circa £48K to approximately £20K.  Letters were used as a last resort, when all else had failed, and issued to those families whom the authority was aware were in a position to pay the outstanding debt.

 

The Lead Member for Education, Children and Young People advised members that the Council had learnt lessons following the letters issued in relation to school meal debt at the end of 2018.  The County had a clear policy which it now applied consistently across all schools which was to feed every child to ensure that they flourished in all aspects of their education. 

 

Estyn, when inspecting the Council’s Education Service, had rated the Service as having excellent leadership and concluded that children in the county were well supported.  As both Education Services and Children’s Services were managed by the same Head of Service they were able to share information freely with each other which led to the services having a detailed understanding of every school pupil’s education and welfare needs.  The Head of Education emphasised that whilst poverty could be a cause for the accrual of a school meal debt, that aspect could be counteracted and supported through supporting parents to apply for free school meals (FSMs) and signposting them to other support.  Safeguarding concerns were different as they could occur anywhere, regardless of affluence or poverty. 

 

She advised that the county’s Headteachers and staff within both Education and Children’s Services had been consulted on the revised policy.

 

Responding to members’ questions both Lead Members, the Head of Education and Children’s Services and the Lead Officer:  Facilities, Assets and Housing:

·       confirmed that the wording of the letter in Annex A to the draft policy could be amended to be more sympathetic and supportive, rather than demanding.  Less use of bold lettering would also lessen the hostile ‘tone’;

·       advised that school meal debts were only recharged to school budgets in the event of the school refusing to engage with the debtor.  Where schools had engaged with the debt recovery process any outstanding debts would be reassigned to Catering Services;

·       confirmed that parents/guardians used the ParentPay app to pay for school meals for their children.  This system was an effective system as it gave a breakdown of exactly what food and beverages pupils had purchased;

·       drew attention to Annex B to the draft policy which contained a flow chart to be followed by all schools once the ‘trigger point’ for school meal debt, arrears of £11 or more, had been reached;

·       advised that schools and headteachers were best placed to commence and undertake the process detailed in the flowchart, as they knew their pupils and families better than anyone else.  They would be aware of any issues or contributory factors which could well be behind the reason for the debt;

·       confirmed that a Well-being Impact Assessment (WBIA) had not yet been completed for the redrafted policy as it was still in draft format.  Once approved, a WBIA would be undertaken;

·       clarified the point in the Chief Finance Officer’s statement regarding any school meal debt being a pressure on the Catering Service’s Budget.  Any debt not recovered, despite the school pursing it, would eventually have to be met from within the Catering Service’s budget, hence why it would be a direct pressure on that service.  If it became apparent during the school’s efforts to recover the debt that a family qualified for FSMs that would have a positive impact on the Council’s Revenue Support Grant (RSG) entitlement and pupil based grants;

·       confirmed that there was no correlation between school meal debt levels and geographical areas of the county or areas where FSM take-up was above average;

·       advised that the trigger for the commencement of the school meal arrears process was £11, the weekly cost of school meals per child;

·       advised that the average debt per school per week was £7, the reason for a debt in a large number of cases was due to parents/guardians busy lifestyles, forgetting to ‘top-up’ their ParentPay accounts.  Once it was brought to their attention the majority settled their outstanding debts very quickly;

·       advised that it would be difficult for school cluster Finance and Business Managers to be responsible for school meal debt recovery work as each individual school operated their own systems in relation to school meal payments;

·       informed the Committee that both headteachers and parents were supportive of the ParentPay system, as parents could monitor their children’s eating habits.  Officers undertook to  enquire whether ParentPay could be adapted to include a family as well as an individual pupil pay facility;

·       ‘snack policies’, including the management of any debt related to them, was a matter for each individual school to administer and monitor.  Officers undertook to contact schools to ensure that their snack policies were in line with the county’s school meal policy ;

·       agreed to explore whether the school meal arrears letter could be issued to arrive on a working/school day, rather than on a Saturday, to enable parents to contact the school immediately to address any issues or problems;

·       advised that the aim of informing parents/guardians of the debt immediately the £11 threshold had been triggered was to ensure that the debt did not accrue to an unmanageable level;

·       confirmed that if a pupil was deemed vulnerable and his/her parents/guardians had been sent the school meal arrears letter, the child would still be provided with a hot meal.  A pupil who was not deemed vulnerable would be provided with a packed lunch.  Every effort would be made to ensure that that the child’s circumstances were not obvious to his/her peers;

·       confirmed that special dietary requirements were taken into account in all schools, including special schools, and would be taken into account if a pupil was to be supplied with a packed lunch under the School Meal Debt Policy; and

·       advised that the policy was clear that the welfare of individual children was paramount when applying the school meal debt policy

 

The Committee was keen that initially a reminder letter was issued to parents/guardians drawing their attention to the debt and the help and support available if they were struggling financially, prior to the more formal school  meals arrears letter being sent.

 

Both Lead Members and the officers drew particular attention to the quality of Council’s School Catering Service, who was ranked in the top three school catering services in Wales and in the top ten in the UK.  Recently, Jane Jones, a cook at Ysgol Twm o’r Nant, Denbigh had been awarded the accolade of the Best School Cook in Wales and would shortly be representing Wales in the UK finals at Stratford-upon-Avon.  The Committee requested that their congratulations be conveyed to Ms Jones.  

 

At the conclusion of the discussion the Committee:

 

RESOLVED: having examined the draft revised School Meal Debt Policy, subject to the above observations;  

 

(i)              that the draft policy be amended to include the sending of a reminder letter initially;

(ii)             followed, if necessary, by an amended version of the letter included at Annex A, which should be worded in a more sympathetic and supportive manner and be issued on a day of the week that ensured it was received on a working/school day;

(iii)           that enquiries were made to establish whether ParentPay could be adapted to include a family as well as an individual pupil pay facility; and

(iv)           once amended as per the Committee’s recommendations that the Policy be approved via a joint Delegated Decision by both Lead Members and circulated to all councillors for information