reading.gov.uk

A)        Education

(1)        To develop, promote, and implement policies, strategies, and procedural arrangements for the provision of the Council's educational institutions, including the Council’s scheme for the financing of schools.

(2)        To be accountable for the delivery of the Education functions of the authority alongside the Executive Director for Children’s Services.

(3)        To provide quality assurance, strategic planning for education-related services and monitor and challenge performance against the key measures for success set out in the Council Plan.

(4)        To oversee the development and implementation of policies, strategies and procedural arrangements for the provision of education functions, in accordance with the aims of the Council Plan priorities.

(5)        To work in partnership with neighbouring local education authorities, maintained schools, Academies, Free schools, the Regional Schools Commissioner and other educational providers to promote high educational standards and opportunities within Reading and for Reading children, and to ensure that the Council as local education authority is able to meet its statutory duties to ensure the effective education of all local children.

(6)        To co-ordinate and monitor the nomination and/or the appointment of Borough representatives on School Governing and other Educational Bodies.

(7)        To be consulted on, and oversee and monitor, the responses to inspections and consultation undertaken by external bodies (eg DfE, Ofsted, and the LGA) on education provision by schools in Reading, and provision outside Reading affecting residents in Reading.

(8)        To promote good community relations and consultation, with particular reference to partnerships and key stakeholders in the Education Service, parents, governors, teachers and the voluntary sector:

(9)       To monitor, support and challenge the performance of schools.

(10)      To be responsible for the following environmental health and public protection legislation and services within the Borough:

·         Environmental education and health promotion

·         School Transport Drivers’ Licences

·         Health and Safety

B)       Public Health

(1)        To oversee the development and implementation of policies, strategies and procedural arrangements for the provision of the Council’s public health functions under the terms of the Health & Social Care act 2012, the National Health Service Act 2006 and the Health and Care Act 2022.

(2)        To seek to secure the best possible health care system for the people of Reading and to reduce health inequalities in the Borough, by working in partnership with the Integrated Care Board, the local Healthwatch, the Thames Valley Area team of the NHS Commissioning Board, and other interested stakeholders, health bodies and interested community and voluntary groups.

(3)        To work with health partners, the Director of Public Health for Reading & West Berkshire, the Executive Director of Children and the Lead Councillors for Adult Social Care, and Children, to improve the health of all people in the Borough’s area, in association where appropriate with other services provided by the Borough Council across all portfolio areas.

(4)        To lead for the Council on the Reading Health & Wellbeing Board, and to work in conjunction with Board members to:

·         Oversee the preparation of Joint Strategic Needs Assessments with the Integrated Care Boards

·         Approve a strategy for meeting the local health needs identified by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, including through the exercise of the Council’s functions

·         Develop, agree and implement a shared agenda for commissioning health provision in Reading

·         Monitor the award and delivery of contracts for health provision in Reading, including contracts under the joint arrangement for public health in Berkshire

·         Work with the NHS and other local authorities as part of the Integrated Care System for West of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire to plan and deliver joined up health and care services, and to improve the lives of people who live and work in the area.

(5)       To provide quality assurance, strategic planning for health-related services and monitor and challenge performance against the key measures for success set out in the Council Plan.

(6)       To oversee the implementation of the health transition programme in Berkshire, including the operation of the joint arrangement for public health and the Public Health Joint Advisory Board for Berkshire.

(7)        To oversee the development and implementation of relevant plans and strategies in relation to health and public protection legislation and services within the Borough.