June 2008

1. Update on Norfolk JAR June 2008

2. Key messages from the JAR self-assessment

3. Norfolk JAR areas for investigation • Safeguarding • Looked after children (LAC) • Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) • Teenage conceptions • 14-19s provision • Service management and capacity to improve

4. The JAR self-assessment • Is a position statement covering each of the inspection areas for investigation • Sets our aims, the Norfolk context, partnership arrangements and key outcomes • Is supported by a review of outcomes, activity and progress against ECM outcomes • Both can be found on the JAR pages of http://www.everynorfolkchildmatters.org

5. Service Management • Since the introduction of Every Child Matters in 2005, we have: • Very strong partnership working • Clear commitment to improvingoutcomes • Sharedvision and priorities based on comprehensive analysis of needs with active engagement of children, young people, parents and carers • Successfully managed major change to integrate services • Strengthened performancemanagement resulting in improved outcomes

6. Service Management • We have 19 priorities in the CYPP Plan and Local Area Agreement supported by: • Increasing investment • Providing better value for money (LAC Efficiency Project, changed working practices, making good use of external funding) • Escalating activity on equality – national leaders in key aspects of practice • Completing major reorganisation ofschools and investing over £200M in school buildings

7. Service Management • We have good capacity to improve: • Excellent co-operation between agencies • Strong political and senior leadership • Developed area-based services for children that are integrated with other agencies • Joint commissioning framework • Strong commitment to mixed economy of service provision • Joint workforce planning • Investors in People status

8. Outcomes for children and young people in Norfolk • Health outcomes for most children are good • Most children are safe and there has been a shift to earlier intervention for vulnerable children • Most children enjoy life and most of them achieve well • Most children are able to make a positive contribution and there is high quality support for those who get involved in criminal activity • Most children achieve economic well-being

9. Our focus for improvement • Improve the mental and sexual health of children and young people • Shift to early interventionandprevention for children with additional or special needs • Raise educational attainment • Reduce youth offending • Increase post-16 participation and achievement and reduce number of young people not in education, employment and training

10. Safeguarding and LAC - Context • In 2005 • UEA research by June Thoburn • More focus on intervention than on supporting families • High-profile child death had influenced the culture of how agencies worked • Performance was behind statistical neighbours with poor outcomes for children who became looked after

11. Safeguarding – our response • Greater focus on strengthening families • Common Assessment Framework in place and early intervention centred around the child • Increased investment • Robust Local Safeguarding Children Board • Safeguarding infrastructure in place – procedures, training, named professionals, audits, allocated social workers, regular supervision • Focus on the right children safeguarded and looked after • Safe staffing practices • National leader in approaches to anti-bullying

12. Safeguarding – our impact • Significant improvement in statutory indicators of safeguarding practice - fewer children subject to statutory processes and assessments more timely – and good performance compared to statistical neighbours • Children feel safe and believe staff in schools take bullying seriously • Fewer 17-25 year olds killed or seriously injured on roads • Easier for children and young people to give their views on safeguarding issues

13. LAC – our response • LAC a priority in all agencies • Developed strong corporate parenting with inter-agency governance • LAC strategy and action plan • Increased focus on early intervention • More efficient use of resources with over £4M savings and avoided costs • Introduced Single Area Panels • Strengthened performance management

14. LAC – our impact Outcomes are good and generally better than national and statistical neighbours: • Good levels of participation in reviews • Above average healthassessments • Substance misuse by LAC is below average • Fewer receive final warnings/reprimands or convictions • Educational attainment is improving at most key stages • Attendance rates are better than average • Above average in training and employment • Fostering and adoption services rated as “good” with some outstanding features in recent inspections

15. Children with LDD • Positive joint working and commitment to joint commissioning • Commitment to Every Disabled Child Matters Charter • Ambitious SEN Strategy • Early identification of needs • Regular reviews of progress of individuals with strong focus on listening to their needs • Services being located nearer to users • Education and training in variety of settings • Successful Direct Payments • Short BreaksPathfinder

16. Children with LDD – our impact Outcomes are good: • More in mainstream schools where they progress well • More SENstatements completed within timescale • 9 out of 12 special schools judged outstanding or good • Educational attainment varies but upward trend • More study in their own locality • Greater numbers accessing further education • Residential respite care units judged good

17. Teenage conceptions • Teenage conceptions a key priority with challenging future targets • Work targeted at vulnerable groups and areas of high rates • Improved access to contraceptive and sexual health services • Disseminated new Sex and Relationship Education guidance • Increased participation in sexual health training • More actively-addressed link between raising aspirations and risk factors for teenage conceptions • Continued support for young parents

18. Teenage conceptions – our impact • Under-18 conceptions below the national average • Rate reduced slightly after a year in which it increased • We are successfullytargeting hot spot areas

19. 14-19s provision • Strong partnership leading the 14-19 strategy • Colleges major strength • More choices available - improving access and wider curriculum • Good impartial information, advice and guidance • Good support to traveller community, LAC and LDD • Shared responsibility for NEET • Integrated Youth Support Strategy

20. 14-19s – our impact • Close to national averages for 5+ A*-C GCSE achievement and post-16 participation rates • More LAC sitting exams and gaining GCSEs • Increased proportion of young people achieving Level 2 and Level 3 at 19 • More children with LDD accessing further education and achieving success • Most schools graded good for curriculum and all FE colleges good for equality of opportunity • Reduction in NEET

21. Norfolk’s JAR inspectors • Lead Inspector: Marianne Ellender-Gelé • Deputy Lead Inspector: Geoff Corre • One from Healthcare Commission • Plus six other inspectors • including 2 for LDD, 2 for 14-19s • Joint Corporate Assessment/JAR Inspector: Ellis Layward • Lead YOT inspector: Steve Blackburn

22. Analysis week & Fieldwork

23. JAR timetable of activity • Analysis week 11-13 June: documents review and case files scrutiny • Start to form judgments and give us feedback • Decide what they want to look at more during fieldwork • Confirm interviews, focus groups and visits • Fieldwork 30 June-13 July: • Groups of parents, carers and young people, • Focus groups of frontline staff and professionals working with sample of cases • Interviews with managers and elected members • Visits to duty rooms, schools, pupil referral units and projects • Feedback to us their views of strengths and weaknesses

24. Preparing for fieldwork • Duty rooms audited and prepared • Case files and questionnaires ready • Advice to help prepare staff for JAR • Information pack for anyone who may meet inspectors • Fieldwork timetable being drafted • This will be confirmed by inspectors after 13 June

25. How you can prepare yourself Have a look at • C&YP Plan and your Service Plan to pinpoint where your work contributes • JAR Position Statement and Review to see the big picture • APA judgementcriteria to see how ‘good’ services are judged • Your performance data so you know the latest position on the impact you are having on the lives of children and young people in Norfolk

26. When being interviewed • Give examples from your work which demonstrate outcomes for users • Don’t assume the inspectors will know • Be ready to draw evidence to their attention • Be confident in the good work that you and your service provide • Don’t be too nervous – it’s not an exam! • Please don’t give inspectors information directly • Send JAR team any additional documents requested by inspectors

27. How can you find out more? • Visit the Every Norfolk Child Matters website www.everynorfolkchildmatters.org • Look at your intranet site • Contact JAR Team at County Hall, Room G16 • Olivia Butler, 01603 222006 olivia.butler@norfolk.gov.uk • Claire Lugg, 01603 638077 claire.lugg@norfolk.gov.uk • Karen Ellis, 01603 224294 karen.ellis@norfolk.gov.uk