The Munro Review of Child Protection

1. The Munro Review ofChild Protection Implications of the Interim Report: “The Child’s Journey” for Data Collection and Reporting Karen Marcroft and Mike Pinnock Local Authority representatives on the Munro Review Performance and Inspection Sub-Group

2. Contents • overview of Interim Report • the cost of measurement • the purposes of recording • the twin-core • who needs what? • some closing thoughts

3. Overview • Focus on “the characteristics of an effective child protection system” • Unintended consequences of previous reforms • Evaluating impact of systems change in five partner local authorities • End announced inspections and broaden unannounced • Changes to SCR process to emphasise learning • Separate out professional advice from statutory guidance • Potential strengthening of role of LCSB • Clear lines of local accountability to DCS • “Twin-set” minimum data set: reduced national set & standard local set • Acknowledges role of early identification and family support

4. Overview continued … • Support to consensual common assessment process • Improving referral-taking by shift to integrated/locality-based working • Prospect of changes to over-prescribed assessment processes • Highlights the effect of bureaucratisation of process– particularly ICS • Emphasises need for critical reflection and evidence-informed practice • Need to improve career pathways for front-line practitioners • Improve public understanding of complexity of child protection work • Need for professional oversight over whole system working • Acknowledges potential impact of financial constraints and need for multi-disciplinary approach to systems change

5. “What gets measured gets done” Peter Drucker …and so what doesn’t get measured doesn’t get done?

6. The cost of measurement • Human cost • Less quality time with children and families • Impact of frustration and distraction on front-line staff • Lack of analysis to support reflection and learning • Loss of “moral authority” for managers • False assurance and loss of public confidence • Financial cost • Developing inadequate IS systems • Data processing task • Efficient ineffectiveness

7. Three purposes of recording individual casework and planning performance management workforce development and service improvement

8. Individual casework and planning • To assess, inform, understand, reflect and plan • Record for the child in the future to what decisions were made and why • Clearly tells the child’s story • Accurate reflection of the child’s experiences, history and observations • Provides an evidence trail should the worker or agency be held to account for their work

9. Performance management • To collect information required for national reporting purposes, with data collection and data entry not over-burdensome for social workers. • Data collection above the minimum requirements should be justified in terms of data being required, and useful to enable understanding and management of performance. CIN Review link.

10. Workforce & service improvement • senior managers and commissioners need accessible information to help services adapt to changing demand • for partnerships to understand impact of their collective efforts • stability of staff group, staff turnover, vacancies (agency staff levels?) • motivation of staff & sickness levels

11. “A reduced and re-focussed data set” • National minimum data set: • Outcome-based accountability (partnership level) • Rate of offences against children • Perception of safety • Performance-based accountability (agency level) • How much? • How well? Including timeliness e.g. CPP duration • What difference are we making? e.g. reunification

12. continued… • Local discretionary set (comparable & published) • Understanding context • Detecting system changes • Monitoring capacity and capability

13. National Returns:Child level or aggregated data? • Who needs capability to map child’s journey through the system? • Child level data returns allow for national research, cross-linkage and longitudinal studies by central government but £50K • Aggregated returns cheaper, put the onus on local authorities to have high quality information and actively interrogate it • Views?

14. Closing thoughts… • Not just what we measure but why and how we measure it: • Shared, understood and acted upon at ALL levels • “Nose to tail” data • Active use of reports at operational • Track record of software houses • Last one out turn the printer off… • Must be clear about “the golden thread” between all this effort and better outcomes