Agenda item

Councillor Barnard, Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People, Catherine Underwood, Corporate Director for People, and Tajinder Madahar, Head of Service for Children’s Social Work presented a report about the impact of the current coronavirus outbreak on the delivery of Children’s Services and the impact that this has had on children and their families in the City.  They highlighted the following information:

(a)  The coronavirus outbreak has reduced the ability to support children and families in the usual ways and it has been challenging to maintain services and protect children and young people.

(b)  The importance of protecting the welfare of children and young people has been the key priority in decision making and immediate action was taken to carry out risk assessments for all children in care to look at their individual circumstances and what support they needed during this period.

(c)  Staffing has been a challenge due to staff sickness and shielding, although this has not been as high as initially anticipated, and at times it was necessary to redeploy staff from across the service. 

(d)  Colleagues were supported by the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and guidance on ways of working.

(e)  Initially there was a significant decrease in enquiries to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub and resulting social work assessments by the Duty Service.  One of the reasons for this was the level of contact by schools and health services.  Referrals have now largely returned to pre-Covid levels and it is anticipated that there may be an increase in referrals once all pupils return to school in September and teams are working closely with education colleagues to manage this.

(f)  While the number of referrals reduced overall, there was no major reduction in the number of children with Child Protection Plans.

(g)  Requirements for people to stay at home can be problematic for people at risk of harm from others in the home setting and there are concerns about risks of domestic abuse and violence which is one of the main drivers for social care referrals.  Referrals relating to domestic violence and abuse have returned to pre-Covid levels but there could be hidden cases that are not yet known.  Teams are working with partners to identify this and provide support.

(h)  Independent Reviewing Services have had to take place virtually, either by telephone or video link. 

(i)  Early Help and Child Mental Health Services have provided online resources for use by children and families, and prioritised contacting families identified as most in need of intervention. 

(j)  It has been challenging to deliver youth and play services, and the focus has been on those at risk of exploitation and anti-social behaviour.  278 young people were identified as most vulnerable and colleagues have been in regular contact with them. 

(k)  It has been necessary to make substantial adjustments to respite services, with no residential breaks.  The Short Breaks Service and Crocus Fields Services have worked together to provide some sitting services, shopping collection etc for those most in need.

(l)  Some children and carers in the fostering service have found this to be a positive time allowing strong attachments to be formed, but others have found it very challenging particularly where there are health concerns and there has been an increase in placement breakdown. 

(m)The main impact on adoption services has been delays at some stages of the court process.

(n)  Residential care homes have continued to operate but there have been staffing challenges due to staff sickness and shielding so it has been necessary to redeploy colleagues from other services. 

(o)  Some services are closed to maintain health and safety and meet Government guidance.  These include aspects of services at Crocus Fields, Children’s Centres, Contact and Play and Youth Services. 

(p)  Colleagues have worked closely with education services to support vulnerable children in relation to education.  This has focused on both academic issues and also the protective benefits and wellbeing aspects of being in school.  Cases where vulnerable children were not in school are most often related to family circumstances.  There will be a ‘summer offer’ targeted at the most vulnerable children and a focus on mental health support.  Teams are working with schools to maximise the number of children returning to school in September.

(q)  The Council has not enacted all of the available temporary regulatory flexibilities introduced by the Department for Education.  Decisions about this have involved the Portfolio Holder and senior managers. 

(r)  There are a number of risk areas including the high number of children with Child Protection Plans and the anticipated increase in referrals in autumn as children become more visible again; differences in how social work teams have operated which has reduced the ease of peer support and advice and reflective practice; increased activity online has increased the risk of data breaches; and the impact on improvement work required by Ofsted.

(s)  Partnership working has been vital during this period.

(t)  The staff response to challenges has been excellent and overall the transition to more online working has gone well.

(u)  The full impact of the coronavirus outbreak has yet to emerge, with anticipated hidden harm and the financial impact on families and communities.

During discussion the following points were made:

(v)  Some of the Pupil Premium funding has been used to purchase laptops for those without access to online learning. 

(w)  It is important to be prepared for a potential ‘second wave’ of coronavirus cases. 

(x)  The Council is working with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to ensure that the right support is in place and child-focused. 

(y)  The Summer Hubs will involve mental health support, and Youth and Play Services are focusing on those that find school difficult and will find it most challenging to return.

(z)  Now that restrictions have been eased, it would be beneficial for Youth and Play Services to encourage young people to get outside into a different environment rather than just staying indoors.

(aa)  Some young people have said that they prefer virtual rather than face-to-face contact because it fits better with their lives and is the way that they communicate with other people. 

(bb)  Funding is a challenge and while there has been some funding for particular services, overall funding for local authorities has been insufficient.  The cost of Children’s Social Care Services is putting significant pressure on the Council’s budget.  There are risks that the Council will have to only provide the statutory minimum services and additional preventative work will be lost.

(cc)  The numbers of children currently with Child Protection Plans is reasonable given the context of the City, and an early intervention approach is likely to result in more children in care. Ofsted did comment on the high numbers of children in care.  The most important thing is to ensure that services are working with the right young people and that those young people are getting support from the relevant partners, recognising that everything doesn’t have to be provided by Children’s Social Care Services.

(dd)  Children eligible for free school meals have received food vouchers and some schools have engaged with social eating projects.

(ee)  In terms of feedback from staff, initially there was concern about being supported with guidance and PPE, which has been resolved.  Working at home has worked well for some staff but there is an evidence base of the benefits of co-located working and a desire for more time in the office to enable staff to get together for peer advice and support due to the nature of the work.  This is being considered as part of the recovery plan.  Many colleagues have worked very hard with little break, which is not sustainable.  The Director of Children’s Integrated Services is meeting with the workforce to take on board their feedback.

Resolved to recommend to the Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People that children, young people and families are asked about their experiences and perspectives of services during this period to inform decision making on current service provision, restoration of services and planning for any future lockdown/ new restrictions situations.