Agenda item

To present the report of the Children’s Services Improvement Panel.

The report of the Children’s Services Improvement Panel on the work of the Panel to date was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

Councillor Richard Griffiths, the Corporate Scrutiny Committee’s representative on the Children’s Services Improvement Panel in updating the Committee on the work of the Panel during the period from September to November, 2018 highlighted that the Panel had now met on 16 occasions since July, 2017 and that in that time its members have acquired a far better understanding of the issues and complexities involved in delivering Children’s Services. Councillor Griffith referred to the schedule of Laming visits undertaken in the period October 2017 to September 2018 attached at Appendix A to the report which also provided a summary of the purpose and substance of each visit made.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Governance and Business Process Transformation)/ Director of Social Services said that the Panel has been of great help in the improvement process and that it is intended it should continue subject to a review of its arrangements for the longer term. The Officer emphasised however that the improvement journey is not at an end and that the Service is clear that more work needs to be done to complete all elements of the Service Improvement Plan and that this is likely to take a further 9 to 12 months.

The Committee in accepting and noting the update sought clarification of the position with regard to partnership working and also with regard to children who are home schooled specifically the availability of a national protocol.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Governance and Business Process Transformation)/ Director of Social Services confirmed that Children’s Services have been consulting with Adults’ Services on developing the arrangements to provide support to those young people who are making the transition from Children’s Services to Adults’ Services. Joint working and co-operation internally with the Learning Service and schools and externally with the BCUHB and North Wales Police have also improved. The Service now works with Adults’ Services and the Housing Service on a joint planning basis rather than just for information sharing purposes. With regard to children who are home schooled, the Service seeks to ensure that it remains aware of children who are home schooled on Anglesey but that the quality of the education they receive is a matter for the Learning Service.

The Head of Children and Families’ Services said that in light of the increase in the number of children who are home schooled on the Island, the Service has held three meetings to better understand the upward trend and the reasons for it. Consideration is being given to the arrangements internally for sharing information and also for assessing the children if required and for providing appropriate intervention to address any potential issues that might lead to children requiring a child protection plan.

The Head of Learning confirmed that although the Learning Service maintains a register of children who are home-schooled it is difficult for the Service to bring any influence to bear on the quality of the education that children so schooled, receive.

It was resolved to note the following –

•           The progress made to date with the work of the Children’s Services Improvement Panel in terms of achieving its work programme.

•           That all work streams pertaining to the Service Improvement Panel appear to be on target thus far.

•           The areas of work covered during Laming visits as a means of further strengthening accountability and knowledge and understanding of Panel members.

•           The ongoing development programme for Panel members much of which is delivered in-house

•           The Committee noted also that the Panel has escalated for its attention the fact that although good progress has been made on implementing the revised staffing structure, a small number of social worker posts continue to be filled by agency workers. This is being addressed by appointing social workers (experienced and newly qualified) and supporting experienced support workers to qualify. The Committee further notes the actions taken to address this matter.

NO ADDITIONAL ACTION WAS PROPOSED