Childrens Residential Provider Forum 26 th March 2018

1. Childrens Residential Provider Forum 26th March 2018

2. Introduction • Welcome • Introductions • Housekeeping • Remit

3. Agenda

4. Children Looked After Placements Commissioning Sufficiency Strategy 2017-2020

5. Sufficiency Strategy: Vision & Approach Sufficiency Responsibilities:sets out Cumbria’s position Cumbria’s Vision • To provide sufficient high quality placements and support to enable children looked after and care leavers to succeed in attaining the best possible outcomes, the same as other children from Cumbria. • For varied placement options which offer high quality, choice and good value provision that meets wide-ranging needs. • To provide every child with the best possible placement, which meets their needs, considers their wishes and feelings and provides them with the opportunity to thrive and achieve. Approach - over the next 3 years • Strengths and key challenges • Key strategic priorities and direction to enhance provision and ensure children and young people are accessing the best possible placements.

6. Cumbria Children Looked After Profile Number of Children in Care • 661 children looked after on 28th February 2018: • 488 in Foster Care • 105 Residential Care • 23 Placed for Adoption • 45 other (i.e. parents, in the community) • Increase since March 2017 (627) Gender & Age • More male (379) than female (282) children • 10-15 years age group (307) & rising • 16 years+ (92) & rising

7. Profile of Children in Residential Homes Number of Children in Residential Care • Increase in the number of children placed in residential homes due to: • demand • older children in care • complex needs / higher risks • lack of foster placements able to meet complex needs Gender & Age • Higher number of boys (75) than girls (30) • Age 8 upwards, mostly over 12 years Location Of the 105 Cumbria children in residential care homes: • 10 living in local authority homes / 95 in external homes and schools • 58 living inside / 47 outside Cumbria

8. Residential: Strengths & Challenges Residential Strengths • Cumbria’s two local authority residential homes • The quantity & quality of private residential provision available within / close to Cumbria Residential Challenges • To find suitable good value placements for children with complex needs • To place children who require residential care within or near Cumbria • To work more closely with external providers Full Report Link http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/childrensservices/childrenandfamilies/childrenlookedafter.asp

9. Residential Homes in Cumbria Number of residential homes in Cumbria (Jan 2018): • 2 local authority (12 max places) • 30 private homes (118 max places) • 3 voluntary for children with disabilities (14 max places) • 5 residential special schools (132 max places) • There are additional schools, directly linked to some local residential homes • Location: More in South Cumbria and Carlisle areas • 9 homes registered with Ofsted in 2017 • Majority Good or Outstanding Ofsted ratings

10. Working with Local Residential Providers We need: • High quality provision to meet varied placement needs • Provision that meets needs of more complex children • Local provision • Appropriate placement offers • Clear child focussed step-down plans • Clear independence planning • Best value placements • Contact when setting up new local provision • Strong relationships / clear communication

11. Residential NW Flexible Purchasing System and Cumbria Referrals

12. NW Residential Flexible Purchasing System • 20 NW local authorities • 10 years: 2 initially • 8 Lots: Residential, Therapeutic, Complex Health / Medical Care; Short Breaks; Short Breaks to support Transition; At a Distance; Cohort purchases; Innovation & Scope • Costs: Indicative to get on to FPS, actual at point of placement • Openings: opens for new applications quarterly • Cumbria provision: 10 providers have one or more home on this FPS • Applications: via the NW Portal, link https://www.the-chest.org.uk • Further information: contact Placements Northwest

13. Why Cumbria is using the FPS • To make best possible placements for children requiring residential care • Route to market - access to wide range of residential providers in NW • To be open, fair and transparent • To meet legal requirements • Clear contract terms and conditions and specification, consistent with other NW authorities • Share information with other NW LAs • Local & regional monitoring of provider information and costs

14. Cumbria FPS Referrals • Commencement: Cumbria use the FPS from April 2018 • FPS homes: Placement offers considered first • Pre-selection in FPS: Response to providers receiving high volumes of inappropriate referrals • Pre-selection areas include: emergency placements, home size, location, capacity, gender, and educational needs. • Cumbria FPS Referral lists: local homes; other residential provision; specialist lots • Other Residential Placements: considered if appropriate placement cannot be identified using FPS • Consider applying at a future round: Cumbria encourages all local providers to register their residential homes

15. Cumbria Referral and Response Process Referral & Response • Referral Form – emailed • Placement Response Form – emailed for completion. Requires: • Quality – Ofsted, home information • Matching criteria – reflects Referral Form • Cost – requested Assessments • The SW assesses which placement best meets the child’s needs considering, but not limited to: emergency placements, home size, location, capacity, gender, and educational needs • Providers will be contacted if further details are required • Placements are made and documentation put in place (IPA, Care Plan)

16. Emergency Placements • Registration: The home’s Statement of Purpose, capacity and support systems must have the capability to care for children admitted at very short notice while continuing to offer high quality care to children already living in the home. • Information: The Council will supply all relevant information including children looked after documents within 3 working days. • Direct Award: Where a placement needs to be identified at very short notice a direct award can be made to a provider best able to meet identified needs. • Review: The Council may at a later date review the placement and make a referral to other providers, or the placement may remain with the same provider, subject to review.

17. Summary “Cumbria’s vision is to provide sufficient high quality placements and support to enable children looked after and care leavers to achieve their potential, attaining the best possible outcomes, the same as other children living in Cumbria.” Questions?

18. Placements Process

19. External Placements • Revised Process • New Commissioning based team • Nichola Stubbs - 01228 226316 • Louise Bowness - 01228 226318 • Harvey McCaffrey - 01228 226317 • Jolene Duggleby - 01228 221024 external.placements@cumbria.gov.uk • First Point of contact for :- • Placement offers • Referral queries • Vacancy Information – Weekly basis • IPA queries • Updates on changes in key contacts • Any new provision

20. Shared Learning & Collaboration

21. Shared Learning/Collaboration • “We want all our children, through an enriched, challenging and fulfilling learning journey, to emerge emotionally resilient and as confident and competent citizens who are able to realise their full potential and contribute to and access the opportunities available to them within their communities” • We believe this can be achieved by: • Working with professionals to develop a greater understanding of a child’s needs and to agree an outcome focused care plan that is reviewed over time • Listening to and learning from the experiences of children and their families/carers • Ensure children and families are linked into Universal services local to where they live • Ensuring that placements are sustained through commissioning specific interventions and wrap around services which are time limited.

22. PNW Residential FPS Specification States:- • The Service Purchaser has a duty to minimise the number of moves a Child experiences and the disruption this causes. • It is expected that providers identify at the earliest possible stage potential placement breakdown so that Local Authorities can work closely with providers and partner agencies to try to resolve issues and stabilise the placement. • However, if it is clearly evident that the placement is not suitable and could not achieve the intended outcomes for the Child, this must be determined and acted upon.

23. We want your feedback The robust referral process, aims to secure the right placement the first time to avoid further movement and instability for the Child • From the detail in the referral, if you feel you are unable to offer a safe and suitable placement for a child please tell us why ? • We may be able to :- - Offer more detail/clarity which makes matching easier and offers a proportionate response to any identified need/risk - Explore potential additional support which may make it possible

24. Placement Disruptions & Unplanned Endings • Encourage processes/procedures which capture:- - What could have worked better? - What has worked well ? - What could we do differently ? - A rated response upon strengths, difficulties and match. • This feedback will be used to:- - Inform future referrals, - Improve learning - Ensure better outcomes for children and young people.