Issue - meetings

Report of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer

Councillor Cheryl Barnard, Portfolio Holder for Children Young People and Education introduced the report on Children in Care Placement Sufficiency. Catherine Underwood, Corporate Director of People Services, Ailsa Barr, Director for Integrated Children’s Services, Karla Banfield, Head of Commissioning, and Roz Howie Interim Director of Adult Social Care and Commissioning attended and gave a presentation highlighting the following points:

a)  Whilst all work possible is done to prevent children coming into care, the Council has a statutory duty to provide sufficient placements for those that do. The Council uses a mix of placement types, from in-house residential provision, all rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, fostering, short term respite care and supported accommodation, as well as external residential placements where necessary.

b)  The Council works with other regional local authorities and with the D2N2 partnership to provide best value placements that focus on the best outcomes for children and young people. The Sufficiency Strategy, originally drafted in 2023 is updated annually to address the changes in demand for placements and works to ensure that placements available for children and young people are right first time.

c)  Issues around placement sufficiency are not unique to Nottingham, it is an issue recognised nationally and the need for reform is highlighted in the findings for the Competition and Markets Authority Children’s Social Care Market Study from 2022. This national completion for placements is exacerbated in Nottingham by the higher levels of deprivation seen in many parts of the city.

d)  The strategy was rewritten in 2023 updating it as the market emerged from the pandemic and the periods of lockdown and is being updated annually, taking into account market changes, partnership working, regional networks and the Voice of the Child. This is the first time that Care Leavers have been specifically included within the strategy. Colleagues within Commissioning are working closely with Children’s Services, creating an action plan and updating the strategy to best fit the current market and demand.

e)  Since the last strategy was published there has been further work around market development in Nottingham, with additional fostering placements and residential placements and specific work with health partners around placement for children with complex needs. Work with the D2N2 partnership has ensured that both Councils are able to maximise benefits of the established commissioning framework.

f)  There are a number of challenges that the strategy aims to mitigate. There are still gaps in provision, particularly for children and young people with complex needs. A number of pilots are being run and the outcomes assessed before bringing them into fulltime use. Commissioning intentions reflected in the strategy will include a drive towards quality and stability in placements to reduce demand, block commissioning through frameworks and maximising use of internal services to drive efficiencies. Commissioning colleagues are in regular dialogue with providers and will continue to do so.

During discussion the following questions were asked, and responses highlighted:

g)  Members asked how the Council would achieve best value whilst still relying on external  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33