Decisions made by a select few in the Isle of Wight Council’s previous executive have left the incoming cabinet member for Children’s Education, Services and Skills in a position where more information is needed, she says.
“I need to know what the situation really is.”
Following the shake-up of the authority as a result of the recent elections where the Conservatives failed to retain power, new faces fill the council’s cabinet.
Andre: Do to ensure parents and students get the choices they deserve
Taking over the role from Cllr Paul Brading, fellow Bay area Cllr Debbie Andre said she is very happy to have been given the position and she will do everything she can to ensure parents and students get the choices they deserve.
A meeting will take place between Cllr Andre and the director of services Steve Crocker, to find out what position the departments are in.
‘So many’ decisions made through cabinet or delegated decision
Before any kind of policy direction can be formed, however, Cllr Andre said she needs to make sure she has all the facts, as ‘so many’ decisions have been made through the cabinet or delegated decision.
However, Cllr Andre has said she has hit the ground running with three urgent issues in her portfolio — the proposed closure of Chillerton and Rookley Primary School; the published admission numbers across the Island, especially at Cowes Enterprise College; and the proposed schedule for the term dates for 2022/23.
Andre: Need to delve deeper
Although, she said,
“Until I have delved much deeper, I am not going to know what the current situation is.
“I appreciate this is a very difficult time, situations have been compounded by Covid but we cannot continue to blame everything on the pandemic.
“We have to deal with the situation as we have it, mindful of the effects of the pandemic and what is to come; especially education and the number of children that have continued to come into care, so we have to factor that into our plans.”
Support families from an early stage
The key to that, said Cllr Andre is early intervention, “the earlier we can recognise the issues, then we can put strategies in to mitigate them,” she said.
If families could be supported from an early stage, Cllr Andre said, children would be less likely to come into care.
She said,
“That is always going to be our aim; keep the children safely and healthily with their families.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
