Agenda and minutes

Councillor Ginny Klein

Bev Beatie

Helen Blackman

Paulette Thompson-Omenka

None

Of the meeting held on 20 January 2014 (for confirmation)

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2014 were confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Report of Acting Director of Safeguarding

Malcolm Wilson, Virtual School Head Teacher, introduced the report which outlined the statistical and quality achievements in completing Personal Education Plans (PEPs) for Children in Care.

The following points were made:

(a)  as detailed in the report, during October and December 2013, the target of 90% or more completed PEPs had slipped to 89%. However, the latest available figures showed that during February 2014 94%  of PEPs had been completed, raising the year average to 92.5%;

(b)  it is not just the number of PEPs which are completed but also the quality of the PEOP and what is being done to address any identified educational need;

(c)  quality does currently vary but this is to be addressed;

(d)  the feasibility of commissioning an e-PEP system was investigated but rejected due to complicated factors including internet access at some sites;

(e)  schools are able to attach additional information such as behaviour and attendance but this needs to include how the child is progressing and what is planned to address any issues.

The Chair extended the Board's congratulations to everyone involved in achieving the high level of completed PEPs.

RESOLVED to note:

(a)  the maintenance of Personal Education Plans (PEPs) completion figures at over 90% and the actions undertaken to address the quality of PEPs;

(b)  developments planned to enhance the quality of the written records of PEP meetings.

Report of Acting Director of Safeguarding

Kay Sutt, Service Manger for Residential and Targeted Support, presented the report which updated the Board on the outcome of  'Regulation 33 visits' which are undertaken monthly by voluntary independent inspectors to examine children's homes, including records, and where children are willing, informally interview the children in care in the home.

The report outlined;

o  what the visits involve;

o  performance issues identified from Reg. 33 visits;

o  the feedback from the children and visitors.

Ms Sutt highlighted the following points:

(a)  the Reg.33 visits are useful as visitors enter with a new perspective than the staff and young people, and see alternative ways to improve things;

(b)  the children and young people generally enjoy the visits and meeting the visitors and have the opportunity to provide information,  give opinions and lodge complaints;

(c)  the recent Ofsted grading for care homes resulted in 1 outstanding, 2 good and 3 adequate. While outstanding is the ideal, the aim is to raise the 'adequate' homes to a 'good' rating;

(d)  while the visitors have to be independent of the Local Authority, Councillors do have the opportunity to shadow Children in Care colleagues who visit the homes.

RESOLVED

(1)  to  continue involvement and recruitment of relevant independent professionals to undertake Regulation 33 visits including making reciprocal arrangements with neighbouring local authority;

(2)   for outcomes of reports to be analysed and monitored by the Residential Service Manager to identify trends and patterns to improve performance as well as to share good practice;

(3)  that in order to increase the understanding of Corporate Parenting Board members into running of internal Residential Homes, arrangements will be made for the following Board members to visit the homes with an Officer in the near future:

Heidi Watson (Business in the Community)

Councillor Wendy Smith

Councillor Carole McCulloch

Councillor Glyn Jenkins

Councillor Eileen Morley

Councillor Emma Dewinton

(4)  for the Corporate Parenting Board to be updated regularly in respect of outcomes of visits.

Report of Director of Quality and Commissioning

Holly Macer, Lead Contact Officer, Katy Ball, Head of Early Intervention and Market Development, and Joy Chambers, Placement Service, all of Quality and Commissioning, jointly presented the report and delivered a presentation which has been added to the online agenda following the meeting.

'The strategy lays out the City's vision and commitments to all children and young people requiring a care placement and explores the minimum standards,  commissioning plans and accelerated strands to signal to the placement market'.

The following points were made and responses given to Councillor's questions :

(a)  there are approximately 600 new and move placements every year with a recent rise of 3.9% children in care;

(b)  all providers are quality assured, including internal providers, and every placement is checked to ensure that the children and local authority are receiving what has agreed and paid for;

(c)  the Quality and Commissioning Team state the standard expected and the payment band available, in line with the East Midlands Regional Provider Framework;

(d)  the types of placements needed is monitored but it is difficult to predict the number of places that will be needed;

(e)  it is proposed that, ideally, 83% of placed children will be resident within 20 miles of Nottingham and that all placements will be judged as 'good' or 'outstanding'. If a provider ranks lower, the Team will liaise with the child and provider;

Councillors and Carer representatives made the following comments:

(f)  the opportunities which providers offer for young people to engage with the local community should be considered;

(g)  it is ludicrous that the child's behaviour can impact on a providers' Ofsted rating and so this deters some external providers from offering placements to children with more complex needs such as high risk behaviour and requiring higher levels of support;

(h)  while internal providers generally offer more stability than external providers and so an increase of internal provision is desired, especially as multi-placements do affect children and young people, it is vital that they are appropriately placed in a timely manner;

(i)  the progress to date is welcomed.

RESOLVED

(1)  to note the comments of the Board;

(2)  to endorse the Children in Care Placements Commissioning and Sufficiency Strategy 2014-2016.

Report of Acting Director of Safeguarding

The report summarises the performance of the local authority during the year from April 2013 to date against internal targets and in line with the DfE scorecard which has been introduced as part of a new approach set out in 'An action plan for adoption: tracking delay'  (March 2012). It also outlines the impact of some of the activities introduced within the context of the Government’s adoption and fostering reform agenda to minimise delay in adoption.

Since 2010, Nottingham City Council has consistently reduced the time scales between a child entering care and moving in with their adoptive family (indicator 1), and the average time between a local authority receiving a court order to place a chills, and the chills being matched to an adoptive family (indicator 2).

The following measures are being taken to improve performance and reduce adoption delays:

(a)  a new Foster Carer and Adopter Marketing and Recruitment Strategy including staff communication plan;

(b)  two Customer Service Officers to support adopters and prospective adopters, also managing the Adopter’s Application Process (AAP) – Adopters Application Journey (AAJ);

(c)  a more co-ordinated and systematic use of the AAJ throughout the service.

(d)  implementation of the 2 Stage Adoption Application Procedure. 

(e)  use of the temporary fast track Social Workers at key stages of the child’s journey through the adoption process.

(f)  from Jan 2014 increase the number of Approval and Matching Panels and the number of cases per panel.

(g)  introduction of robust performance management systems to incorporate key stages of the adoption journey.

(h)  Adoption Activity Flow Chart – Extension of the AAJ and AAP to incorporate better planning and increase staff awareness of the overall process

(i)  review of Post Order Services to increase the confidence and ability of adopters in taking on more challenging children

(j)  a rolling programme of information evenings, matching events and activity days.

During discussion of the item the following points were made:

(k)  44 adoptions will have been completed by this year end;

(l)  the main delay is finding an appropriate place for each child as many have complex needs;

(m)  there are currently 161 children in the adoption process at the moment;

(n)  standard assessments are not impacted by time scale targets and continue to be robust resulting in very few adoption breakdowns;

(o)  where appropriate and following means testing,  an adoption allowance can be paid as the Team do not want people to be deterred by the financial implications.

RESOLVED to note:

(a)  the activities that are being undertaken to tackle delays in adoption;

(b)  the progress being made in improving our performance against the Adoption Scorecard.

Verbal presentation by members of the Children in Care Council

LavelleFlownr, member of the Children in Care Council (CiCC), updated the Board on the Council's activity which included:

(a)  consideration of the 'Have your say' survey;

(b)  regional and national work with other CiCC of other Local Authorities, considering and identifying the strengths and challenges of Nottingham City's CiCC;

(c)  consideration of how to recruit young people to the CiCC;

(d)  planning how to engage with and establish a CiCC section of younger children in care under 12 years of age;

(e)  working with the NSPC;

(f)  responding to consultation of the Children in Care Health Team;

(g)  planning engagement events such as summer picnics and days out, including meals out.

Jon Rea, Engagement and Participation Lead Officer in Early Intervention and Partnerships, informed the Board that the CiCC had helped to improve arrangements  for children in care by assisting with the development of pathway plans of the 'have your say' survey, and contributing the views of young people on consultation regarding mental health and wellbeing.

RESOLVED to note the Board's appreciation :

(a)  to Lovelle for attending and updating the Board;

(b)  to the Children in Care Council for the valuable work they undertake and the contribution to improving services.

Report of Director of Safeguarding 

Kwesi Williams, Project Officer - Children on Care, presented the report which incorporated the Board's amendments and suggestions to the proposed 'corporate parenting objectives’. which were presented for comment at the Board's January 2014 meeting.

In order to fulfil it’s obligation of Ofsted’s ‘Framework and evaluation schedule for the inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers’ (2013), local authorities are required to produce a strategic plan for looked after children that includes corporate parenting objectives.

It is recognised that once young people have left care and are living independently, many do not want to re-engage with the Local Authority on care related matters.

RESOLVED

(1)  to agree the Strategic Priorities and corresponding Strategic Priority Statements (SPS) above, (to include linking 'healthy relationships' to 'reducing young pregnancy') and to accepting the Strategic Priority Statements as ‘corporate parenting objectives’;

(2)  to endorse the 2014 – 2016 Nottingham City Children in Care and Care Leavers Strategy.

For Information  

RESOLVED to note the proposed forward plan of issues to be considered by the Board for 2014-15.

To note the following proposed meeting dates for the next municipal year:19 May 2014, 21 July, 15 September, 17 November, 19 January 2015, 16 March.

RESOLVED to note the following proposed meeting dates of the Board for 2014-15 at 2.30pm in Loxley House as follows:

2014      2015

19 May     19 January

21 July    16 March

15 September

17 November