Issue - meetings

To submit a report by the Director of Social Services.

It was resolved to accept the report and to take assurance that the continued progress made by Social Services is reasonable and timely

The report of the Director of Social Services setting out recent progress in Social Services was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The report highlighted improvements both in Children and Families’ Services and in Adults’ Services.

The Chair and Portfolio Member for Social Services reported that the Social Services Improvement Panel has continued to meet and recently received a presentation by the Director of Social Services showing the distance travelled since 2017. The presentation demonstrated not only an improvement in the performance indicators but also a continued pattern of improvement. Given that the Service did not have a culture of using data effectively back in 2017, the data to date shows a different picture which give assurance to the most vulnerable children, their families and senior leaders and elected members of the Council that their needs continue to be met. Additionally, the number of children looked after by the Authority has now reduced from a peak of 160 in the last 6 months to 144 currently which can be attributed to a number of factors. Reducing the number of looked after children has meant a considerable amount of work for the Service’s’ social workers, and the work they have produced in order to achieve a robust plan is to be thanked. In Adults’ Services there have been effective partnerships with Housing and the third sector which it is hoped to extend while also developing new resources such as the Additional Care Homes. During this period, the virtual access to day opportunities and access to technology have been strengthened to reduce isolation and produce a positive effect on individuals.

The Chair highlighted some of the specific developments and initiatives in Children and Families Service and Adults’ Services as documented in the report.

The Head of Adults’ Services confirmed that all statutory duties continue to be fulfilled and despite the challenges of the pandemic, progress had been made with the transformation programme. While some areas are the focus of service improvement, overall the progress made since 2017 has been considerable and dependency on temporary staff has also reduced in the period.

The Executive acknowledged the progress made since 2017 which has placed Social Services on a sound footing enabling the Service to face future challenges from a position of strength. The Executive thanked the Service’s staff whose contribution had been integral to progress.

It was resolved to accept the report and to take assurance that the continued progress made by Social Services is reasonable and timely.