The Committee received and noted a report that followed the outcome of the Ofsted Single Inspection of children in need of help and protection; children looked after and care leavers and the Local Safeguarding Children Board. The inspection took place between 23 January and 16 February 2017 and the overall judgement being that Children’s Services in Tower Hamlets are inadequate. The report provided the Overview & Scrutiny Committee with a summary of that inspection, the findings, the high-level response to date and an outline of the process to agree an improvement plan. 

This was followed by questions and comments from Members which is summarised as follows:

The Committee:

·         Noted that there were many lessons to be learned and the Ofsted inspection had looked at the experiences of some of the most vulnerable children and young people in Tower Hamlets. The inspection found that those children and young people are not always receiving the services they deserve. Therefore, the Council’s response to the inspection findings needs to ensure that vulnerable children and families receive the best service possible;

·         Noted that Ofsted’s  “Framework and evaluation schedule for the inspections of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers and Reviews of Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards” (‘the SIF’) sets out a single assessment framework for assessing local authorities;

·         Noted that a Children’s Services Improvement Board (CSIB) has been established to take forward the improvement work. This will meet every six weeks and for the first time on 24th April 2017. It will be independently chaired by Alan Wood, a former DCLG appointed Commissioner and former Director of Children’s Services. The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services along with the scrutiny lead will also be on the CSIB. The Independent Chair will produce a report to the DfE three months from the date of the Direction and every quarter thereafter. In addition, it was noted that the DfE had appointed an Intervention Adviser, reporting and accountable to the Secretary of State, will be providing reports every six months following reviews to determine progress made improving its children’s social care services; 

·         Noted that the merger of Adults and Children’s Services Directorates  into the Education Social Care and Wellbeing (ESCW) Directorate had, had an  impact upon the ability of ESCW to ensure that purposeful work takes place to protect children in need of help and protection;

·         Noted that social workers and managers must receive relevant training to counter child sexual exploitation, and that children identified as at risk of sexual exploitation are subject to risk assessment and should be offered responsive and appropriate help;

·         Noted that management oversight and supervision must be strengthened and that all work is recorded appropriately to an acceptable standard;

·         Noted that the Council needs the CSIB needs to exercise strong governance over the financial resources within the Children’s Services Directorate. Whilst these finances will continue to be subject to the Council’s normal budget management processes including reporting on a quarterly basis to the Cabinet and affording the Scrutiny Committee the opportunity to challenge and review (e.g. to ensure that the management and delivery of service has an appropriate “child” focus);

·         Noted that at the time of the inspection 18 children had been reported to be living in private fostering arrangements. The inspectors had apparently found a lack of understanding of what constituted a private fostering arrangement. Assessments had it was noted apparently failed to consider whether children had been trafficked or abandoned by their parents. Basic safeguarding checks had not been conducted in most cases. Whilst the Private Fostering Panel, designed to review all private fostering arrangements, had not met for 12 months. As a result, the risks to children were unknown, leaving children in potentially harmful situations. However, the Directorate had taken immediate action to review each case when the inspectors had brought this to its attention;

·         Noted that the Inspectors had commented that Tower Hamlets had good systems for identifying and recording those children who go missing from education. Also Headteachers in Tower Hamlets fully understand the processes for monitoring and reporting absenteeism from schools. Managers had good partnerships with other boroughs to share information about children coming to Tower Hamlets and children who were the authority’s responsibility but had been placed out of the Borough;

·         Noted that the Inspectors had stated that the Council had effective systems to oversee the missing child register. There are 133 children currently on the register, three of whom are “looked after”.

·         Noted that the local authority has a good partnership with local schools, which effectively implement the protocols and processes for referral when a child is missing. In addition, the local authority has well-established safeguarding arrangements for children who are found to be in unregistered schools;

·         Noted that the Council collectively has a role in addressing those issues identified by the Inspectors (e.g. Need to know that reviews are being undertaken in a assiduous manner and to look at the quality of level of decision making);

·         Noted that the Directorate would wish to work together with Scrutiny to ensure that the Service is being provided in a culturally sensitive manner to meet the needs communities who the Council seeks to serve (e.g. a greater customer focus and seeking families views on potential solutions); 

·         Agreed that it would wish to undertake a regular overview of the delivery of the children’s social care services;

·         Noted that the new Independent Chair of the Local Children’s Safe Guarding Board expected to be invited to provide regular updates to Scrutiny so that there can be robust challenge of senior stakeholders on the effectiveness of services for the most vulnerable children in Tower Hamlets. Also the Committee needed to be confident that other partners are fully engaged the solutions to the challenges identified cannot be addressed by the Council on its own (e.g. the National Health Service and Metropolitan Police Service);

·         Commented that it would expect going forward to have an overview of a wide range of issues, including the Children and Families Plan; and 

·         Commented that it would expect that the Performance Indicators in the Plan are accurate and pertinent.