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Agenda item

Children's Improvement Plan 2019/29

To receive the third iteration of the improvement plan, initially developed in September 2017 in response to the inspection judgements and reviewed in October 2018.

Minutes:

An update was provided on the improvement journey alongside a presentation on future governance and oversight arrangements which included the following:

·         It was recognised that there had been sustained progress in all areas of the service in the last three monitoring visits.

·         The quality of work in the assessment areas had improved but there was still a long way to go as there remain inconsistencies in practice.

·         There has been a noted cultural change with improved staff morale.

·         The final Ofsted inspection took place on 16 and 17 October, the letter has been received and will be published after the December 12 General Elections.

·         A full inspection is anticipated anytime in the next six months

·         Proposals are being put together on transitioning from the Improvement Board

·         It is important to start considering what Scrutiny of the service would look like going forward

·         Four possible options provided for consideration on ensuring political oversight of the service.

 

The Executive Director of Children Families and Education informed the Sub-Committee that the aspiration was to have the best possible children’s service. They were consistently working on the development of quality social work practice through a strong performance culture with robust training, supervision and leadership support. The priority was to develop a sustainable workforce which was challenging as they had 40% vacancy rate.

 

It was asked what was being done to entice good quality social workers to Croydon and retain staff. Members were informed that there were many routes that were being explored, a Social work academy had been created and a welcome package to rival other LA’s had been introduced. They were also working with Brick by Brick on projects to incentivise through Housing. Exit interviews were been conducted to gather intelligence on why staff took the decision to leave and the information gathered included financial issues, challenges with travelling across the vast borough of Croydon. Some social workers left due to the complexity and challenges of cases.

 

A Member questioned the level of caseloads and manageability. Officers responded that caseloads had decreased significantly, in assessments the average caseload was 15 and in social with families it was 14. It was also evident that whilst caseload had reduced, the complexity of cases remained a challenge which resulted in complications in providing quality intervention.

 

A Member suggested that consideration be given to Child, Adolescent Mental Health Services be based at schools due to the crucial role they play as a service. Officers responded that a team around a school scheme was being developed and trailblazer pilots were being conducted. A number of schools had been identified and signed up to the pilot where professionals such as psychologists will be based at the schools.

The Chair suggested to the sub-committee that discussions and thought be given to how Scrutiny of the service would look like following the final Ofsted Inspection and how the committee could constructively engage with the work of the partnership.

 

On discussions of the four options suggested, the following was noted:

·         A blended view of the options should be considered as all options were relevant.

·         Consideration could be given to following a model that may have been successful at another LA

·         A monitoring and evaluation role should be taken as well as exploring how the committee fits in with work that was being completed by others such as corporate parenting.

 

Members extended their thanks to all staff in Children’s Services for their hard work, dedication, continued efforts and going the extra mile for the families they support.

 

The Chair thanked officers for their attendance and responses to questions.

 

In Reaching its recommendations Sub-Committee came to the following Conclusions:

  1. The Sub-Committee will need to take a blended view of future monitoring including a basket of Key Performance Indicators and some thematic reviews
  2. The Sub-Committee need to rank subjects for thematic review by distance from the core roles and the seriousness of the impact on those affected
    1. The next meeting of the Scrutiny Network will provide useful information on how others do this.
  3. There will be no no-go areas
  4. The visit programme is important and should continue
  5. The Sub-Committee would welcome the opportunity to be able to influence and add value to the work of the Children’s Improvement Board

 

The Sub-Committee resolved to Recommend:

  • That the Executive Director for Children Families and Education and Chair of the Children’s Improvement Board work with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Sub-Committee on the future work programme for Scrutiny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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