Issue - meetings

Councillor Cheryl Barnard, Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People, Catherine Underwood, Corporate Director for People, and Helen Blackman, Director for Children’s Integrated Services gave an update on work to manage the impact of Covid-19 on Children’s Services.  They highlighted the following information:

a)  In response to feedback from parents about concerns of isolation, financial worries and lack of play and social opportunities for children, the Early Help Service has worked to enhance the virtual and telephone offer for families, expand communications to ensure that families are kept informed about the support that is available and provided resource packs for those unable to access things online.

b)  Some parents have also raised concerns about managing child behaviour at this time and issues relating to mental health and domestic abuse.  In response to those concerns parenting programmes have been adapted for delivery online, with 1:1 support as required.  Within four weeks delivery of group parenting programmes moved online but group size is restricted to 6 parents to allow all participants to engage fully.  This has reduced the number of parents who can access a session but it has been possible to hold more sessions due to reduced travel time.  Services have been in weekly contact with 129 women who have been referred to access the Freedom Programme.

c)  The Family Intervention Project has continued to provide a service in people’s homes supported by the use of personal protective equipment.  However, it has been challenging to provide services outside of the home due to lack of access to physical buildings.

d)  It has been a challenging time for care leavers particularly those who were reaching the end of their period in care and needing to move to new accommodation.  Some care leavers asked if their placements could continue until things become more settled and this has been facilitated.

e)  The Youth Justice Service has continued to provide socially distanced face to face visits for the high risk cohort, with virtual contact for medium and low risk cases.  Major projects such as implementation of the SkillMill and embedding trauma-informed practice has continued. 

f)  Capacity to deliver online health and dental assessments for children in care has been a challenge.

g)  There have been delays in the court process for securing permanence for some children with a plan for adoption, particularly in situations when all parties aren’t in agreement and courts want to make sure that all parties have a fair opportunity to engage.  While courts are now operating again there are significant backlogs.  Despite this, plans have continued to be progressed and children placed with adoptive families. 

h)  Feedback has been sought from children and families on their experiences.  This has found that some parents and children have really liked the virtual services as it doesn’t require travel and childcare to be arranged and enables young people to connect with others in a way that they feel comfortable, but it has been challenging to deliver some services online, particularly where there are confidentiality  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10