Agenda item

To submit the report of the Head of Children and Families’ Services.

The report of the Head of Children and Families’ Services on the progress and improvements made to date within the Service was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

The Chair and Portfolio Member for Social Services reported on developments in the period since the previous quarterly update with specific reference to the following –

•           Areas that have progressed under the new 3-year Service Development Plan (which has replaced the previous Service Improvement Plan).

•           The work and impact of the Resilient Families Team which intervenes with families who present a high level of need to provide intensive intervention and support to support family breakdowns, prevent children from becoming looked after and reunify children with families from care.

•           Voices from Care Cymru Project which seeks to facilitate better engagement with local children in care and young people who have left care by listening to their experiences and improving services on their behalf through the development of a Participation Group for children who are, or have been looked after. The group will help co-produce a strategy for children in care and care leavers on Anglesey along with a Corporate Parenting Charter.

•           Fostering and Foster Care Recruitment. The Fostering Fortnight which is an annual event to raise the profile of foster carers and to aid recruitment was held in June. The recruitment of potential foster carers has been boosted by the new foster care package introduced in April, 2019 and the recruitment campaign has resulted in the potential availability of 24 new foster care beds on Anglesey by October, 2019.

The Head of Children and Families’ Services advised that as the first year of the Service Development Plan comes to a close, the Service will undertake a review of the position in the next six months through the Social Services Improvement Panel.

Councillor Aled Morris Jones, Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee reported that the Committee had been similarly updated at its 11 September meeting and as well as confirming that it was satisfied with the improvements being made within Children and Families’ Services and the pace of progress, the Committee had also reiterated its support for the Leader of the Council in not setting a target for reducing the number of children looked after by the Authority. Additionally, the Committee received its first report by the newly constituted Social Services Improvement Panel (which has replaced the Children’s Services Improvement Panel).

The Executive in considering the report raised the following issues –

•           That the quarterly progress reports presented over time indicate that as the Service continues on its improvement journey, the improvements it has made to date are being consolidated and are leading to positive change.  The Executive queried whether in view of this, the frequency of progress reports should be reduced to a 6 monthly basis and whether they should in future cover Social Services in their entirety in alignment with the new Social Services Improvement Panel. After consulting with the Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee, it was agreed that the matter be put to the Social Services Improvement Panel.

•           Whether in light of comments made by the Chief Social Worker for England (Children and Families) about early intervention and prevention not necessarily providing a solution to reducing the number of children who come into care because the families who access early help are traditionally not the families who come into care, the Authority needs to reflect on its emphasis on investing in early intervention and preventative services.

The Head of Children and Families’ Services said that he had had a general conversation with the Chief Social Worker for England (Children and Families) at a recent conference which included discussing the different types of families that the Authority works with. He was aware that Heads of Service in Wales are interested in having a more in-depth talk with the Chief Social Worker for England on this matter and perhaps a starting point would be to invite her to engage at a regional level.

It was resolved –

•           To confirm that the Executive is satisfied with the pace of progress and with the improvements made to date within Children and Families Services.

•           To ask the Social Services Improvement Panel to review the frequency of progress reports and whether in future, those reports should cover Social Services as a whole.