Agenda item

·        To present the report of the Head of Children and Families’ Services.

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

•           The report of the Head of Children and Families’ Services setting out the areas which had been the focus of the work within Children and Families’ Services since the previous quarterly progress report was presented for the Committee’s consideration. It was noted that the Service’s improvement work was now being driven by a new 3 year Service Development Plan consisting of 5 themes which had replaced the previous Service Improvement Plan.

The Head of Children and Families’ Services said that this latest report provided graphical evidence of the improved performance against key service performance indicators in Quarter 4 2018/19 when compared with performance against the same indicators in Quarter 4 2017/18. He guided the Committee through each of the Performance Indicators explaining the aspects of service they measured highlighting the significance of the improvement in relation to each one and collectively, as reflecting the positive changes and developments that were happening in the service as a whole. This positivity was further reinforced by the decrease in the number of Stage 1 complaints the Service had received during Quarter 4 as well as the 68 compliments received over the course of the year which showed appreciation of the professionalism of staff, the support received by families and the positive relationships formed with service users including children. In addition to focusing on performance, the Service had spent time developing policies specifically in relation to aftercare and financial matters for looked after children and had implemented the new Fostering Package which was generating renewed interest in fostering.

Referring to future arrangements, the Portfolio Member for Social Services sought the Committee’s approval for the establishment of a Social Services Improvement Panel covering Adults’ Services as well as Children and Families’ Services. This would enable Adults’ Services to have the same level of scrutiny as the Children and Families’ Services have had in recent years and would also enable Elected Members to develop more detailed knowledge of the processes and challenges within Adults’ Services. The proposal had been recommended by the Adults’ Social Care Transformation Board and the Children’s Services Improvement Panel in meetings on the 22 May, 2019 and 23 May, 2019 respectively.

The following matters were discussed during consideration of the report –

•           The Committee was pleased to note the improvement in performance to which the data in the report testified and also welcomed the progress made in improving the robustness of policies, processes and procedures within the Service. The Committee was particularly keen to understand how the significant improvement in performance with regard to the number of children in school that have changed school for non-transitional reasons had been achieved considering that last year nearly a third of school aged children had to change schools for non-transitional reasons with 19 in September alone compared with 6.5% for this year. The Committee was advised that greater stability within the Children’s Social Care Worker team meant that more stable and consistent relationships with individual children could be developed and that this along with the work of the Resilient Families Team and the Service being more ready to challenge when private agencies give notice of the termination of a placement in favour of discussing the issues, have all contributed to bringing performance in this regard to below target level.

•           The Committee was supportive of affording Adults’ Services the same level of scrutiny as Children’s Services but sought more clarity about why combining scrutiny of the two services within one panel was thought to be more effective than having two separate panels. The Portfolio Member for Social Services clarified that it was considered that the expertise and knowledge of Children’s Services which Members had gained through the Children’s Services Improvement Panel needed to be replicated with Adults’ Services and that the best way to achieve this taking into account the limited capacity within the Council’s Elected Membership would be by way of a single panel with an extended remit to include Adults’ as well as Children and Families’ Services. The first 6 months of the newly constituted panel would be spent in immersing/training members in aspects of Adults’ Services (training and awareness raising sessions having been a feature of the current Children’s Services Improvement Panel work programme) with the performance element to be then addressed via a work programme combining elements of the two services, the aim ultimately being to strengthen Members’ understanding of Social Services in their entirety.

The Chief Executive confirmed that the objective was to bring Members’ understanding and appreciation of the needs in Adults’ Services to the same level of maturity as that acquired in relation to Children’s Services so that they are able to scrutinise and challenge Adults’ Services with confidence from a position of knowledge as had become the case with Children’s Services.

Having considered all the information presented as well as the clarifications provided by the Officers/Portfolio Members on the points raised it was RESOLVED that the Corporate Scrutiny Committee  -

•           Confirms that is it satisfied with the pace of progress and improvements made to date in Children and Families’ Services and congratulates the Service thereon.

•           Approves the establishment of a Social Services Improvement Panel to commence work with immediate effect.

NO FURTHER ACTION WAS PROPOSED

•           A report from the Children’s Services Improvement Panel describing the work and output of the Panel during the period from March, 2019 to April, 2019 was presented for the Committee’s consideration.

Councillor Richard Griffiths, the Corporate Scrutiny Committee’s representative on the Panel reported on the Panel’s focus of work during this period which included the new Service Development Plan themes and Laming Visits. The Panel had additionally in April undertaken a self-evaluation of its impact and would report back on the outcome in the next progress report to the Committee scheduled for September, 2019. No specific issues had been escalated for the Committee’s attention in this quarter and the Committee was asked to consider whether it was satisfied with the robustness of the Panel’s monitoring thus far.

Having considered the report and confirmed that it was satisfied with the work and direction of the Panel, the Corporate Scrutiny Committee resolved to note the following –

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

•           That the new Service Improvement Plan has now been adopted, with the previous Service Improvement Plan having been brought to a close.

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

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

NO FURTHER ACTION WAS PROPOSED