DECISION

1.            To endorse the progress made in delivering the Children’s Services improvement programme.

2.            To agree the next steps in the improvement journey which will be updated on in the next report. 

Action by:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR, CHILDREN AND CULTURE (D. JONES)

(Divisional Director, Children’s Social Care (R. Baldwin)

(Strategy and Policy Manager (J. Solomons)

The Mayor introduced the report and provided a summary of the process to date. He noted that the final OFSTED report was due in July but that this update did provide good evidence of the progress that had been made.

He welcomed the report and agreed the recommendations.

RESOLVED

1.            To endorse the progress made in delivering the Children’s Services improvement programme.

2.            To agree the next steps in the improvement journey which will be updated on in the next report.

Councillor Hassell, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Young People introduced the report which informed the Board of progress in delivering the Children’s Services improvement programme in response to the report published by Ofsted in April 2017.  He highlighted the following achievements:

• Recruitment of newly qualified social workers was on target.
• Staff sickness rates between April and December 2018 had fallen.
• Restorative practice work continued to be embedded by supporting staff to use restorative techniques on a day-to-day basis.
• Priority areas of social worker training were management of cases where neglect was a key concern and understanding child poverty.
• The Authority had worked closely with Partners to improve health monitoring of looked after children.  In April 2019 all children coming into care had received initial health assessments.
• Audits to inform improvement continued to take place.
• A learning and improvement review had been undertaken with other local authorities and recommendations from this were being considered.
• There was work to do around the corporate parenting.
• The Ofsted re-inspection was due to take place during the week.  Areas of focus ahead of the re-inspection were to ensure that all case papers were up-to-date and accessible

The Board noted the progress reported and asked that the Service consider what experiences may be translated as good practice to other areas of the Council.

RESOLVED

1.    That the progress made in delivering the children services improvement programme be endorsed.

2.    That the next steps in the improvement journey which will be updated in the next report be agreed.