Issue - meetings

Councillor Cheryl Barnard, Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People, Helen Watson, Interim Director of Children’s Integrated Services and Evelyn Hailwood, Principal Manager, Independent Reviewing gave a presentation on the Council’s Reviewing Services, comprising Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO) working with Children in Care and Child Protection Co-ordinators (CPC) working with Children with a Child Protection Plan. They highlighted the following points:

a)  All IROs and CPCs are experienced and qualified Social Workers. The Service has a balance of male and female workers and reflects the diversity of the city population. They and their managers are independent of those delivering services.

b)  It is a legal requirement for every child in care to have an IRO appointed to them to monitor the performance of the Local Authority in relation to their case, participate in any reviews of the case, and ensure that that child’s wishes and feelings are properly considered. The service must be delivered within the framework outlined in the national IRO Handbook.

c)  Effort is made to ensure children in care understand the role of the IRO. Each IRO has a personal introduction to every child they’re working with and builds a relationship with them. Information is provided in a pack given to all children when they enter care which also contains practical items such as a toothbrush and toothpaste. Children are also supported to chair their own review meetings as much as possible.

d)  There are currently 689 children in care in Nottingham. Staff are watching our regional and statistical neighbours closely to understand the impact of Covid on the numbers coming into care as numbers have been rising with an increase of 4.2% compared with the previous year.

e)  The IRO handbook stipulates maximum caseloads per IRO of between 50 and 70 cases. Nottingham caseloads are marginally under the maximum recommended with an average of 69 cases each across 9.5 IROs.

f)  Reviews held within timescales are at 95% against a 90% target, and child participation in those reviews is at 92% against a 94% target and a 100% aspiration.

g)  Service developments underway include re-designing the conduct of children in care reviews to make them more child focussed, engaging with the Child in Care Council, introducing the coming into care pack and using case review forms to share learning within the service.

h)  The priorities for the service include building good relationships between IROs and young people to increase their confidence so they can chair and set the agendas for their review meetings, link individual IROs with particular social work teams to advise and support with care plans, visiting every child before their 20 day review to understand their wishes and feelings, and to widen understanding of the service across the wider social care community.

i)  623 children are currently subject to a child protection plan which is a higher number than our statistical neighbours. The core business of the team of CPCs is to chair child protection conferences within 15 days, to conduct reviews within  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41