Children and Young People’s Officers Group

1. Children and Young People’s Officers Group March 2011 Welcome!

2. Item 6: Safeguarding training, policy and Incident Report Form update • 160 Silver, 32 Gold staff trained • Approx. 214 Bronze, 100 Silver, 10 Gold staff to train • Bespoke sessions for casual /temporary staff • Current Silver/ Gold workforce trained by 31st March 2010 • 58 Incident Report Forms received since March 2010 • 32 CBC, 26 CNH • 40 0-18 year olds, 18 18+ year olds • 48 cases referred to Social Care (or consulted for advice) • 21 cases referred to Police • Referrals received from 10 different CBC departments plus CNH

3. Item 7: DIG and Children’s Services Inspection Preparation Group update DIG workplan highlights: • Youth voice audit – Youth Council Compact • Separation of CYP and adults with safeguarding needs policies • Accreditation for safeguarding training • Safeguarding training for elected members • Response to emerging changes

4. Item 7: DIG and Children’s Services Inspection Preparation Group update • Children’s Services Inspection Preparation Group • Action mock OFSTED safeguarding inspection findings • 10 days notice of inspection • 25 cases open to Children’s Social Care randomly sampled • Search of safeguarding, ASB and housing records • Agencies self evaluate against OFSTED grade descriptors • Interviews

5. Item 8: Emerging national policy

6. Item 8: Emerging national policy • Early Intervention Grant represents 11% funding cut. Grant will be worth £2,212m in 2011/12 and £2,297m in 2012/13. It will include money for payment-by-results • Funding for Youth Offending Teams, the Government’s Work Programme and the Early Intervention Grant to be channelled into ‘community budget’ pilots from 1 April • Domestic abuse orders to be piloted- ‘go-orders’ to prevent alleged domestic abusers returning to the family home to be trialled in England

7. Item 8: Emerging national policy • Youth justice system - plans to reduce numbers of children remanded in custody • Mental health strategy £400m to extend talking therapies across England and help prevent young people developing lifetime illnesses • Freedoms Bill - in 18 months more than half of the 9m people who have criminal record checks to work with children and vulnerable adults will no longer be required to undertake them • Youth unemployment – figures hit 5 year high (young people not in education, employment or training (NEET)

8. Item 8: Emerging national policy - education • School Improvement Partners – the abolition of the requirement for all schools to have LA School Improvement Partners • Pupil Premiums – schools to be given £430 pupil premium for all children entitled to free school meals or living in care • School Sport Partnerships – time-limited funding available (£47m- end summer, £65m- 2011/12 & 2012/13) • Government to cut LA funding by +£400m over 2 years to finance academies inc. health and education welfare provision • Education Bill focuses on Ofsted and Ofqual to raise standards introducing smarter school inspections. Ofsted to focus on 4 core elements of schools- pupil achievement, teaching, leadership and behaviour and safety.

9. Item 8: Emerging national policy - safeguarding Interim report of Munro Review of Safeguarding The areas for reform in the interim report include: • The importance of a management and inspection process that monitors whether children are getting the help they need rather than being a tick-box exercise; • Developing social work expertise by keeping experienced, more senior social workers on the front line so they can develop their skills and better supervise more junior social workers; • Giving other professionals- health, police and family support services- easier access to social work advice when they have concerns about abuse and neglect; • Revising and reducing the statutory guidance, working together to safeguard children- which is now 55 longer than it was in 1974- so that core rules are separated from professional advice; • Considering having a national system of trained reviewers of serious case reviews (SCRs), who can share findings so that lessons can be learnt nationally.

10. Item 8: Emerging local changes • Youth service restructure – approx 50% staff reduction plus locality changes • Connexions – staff reduction plus managers move localities • Extended Schools Co-ordinators posts end April - August

11. Item 8: Emerging national policy – teenage pregnancy strategy results National TP stats: • 38.3 pregnancies per thousand 15-17yr olds = 5.9% fall from 2008 and is lowest since 1980s Leicestershire TP stats: Leicestershire has achieved highest reduction in TP in East Midlands • 33.1 per 1000 girls in 2008 to 27.6 per 1000 in 2009 • 27.4% decline since 1998 baseline • Significantly lower than national average, 38.3 per 1000 girls in England • Strong partnerships, good practice and targeted approach taken by Leicestershire County Teenage Pregnancy Partnership

12. Item 9: Children’s Centre Programme update • An alternative strategy to develop children’s capabilities in the early years • Recommendations: • Establish a set of life chance indicators • Foundation years, pregnancy to 5 years • Funding for early years and weighted to most disadvantaged • No automatic increase of benefits for children • Fund support for parents during pregnancy and early years better parenting support for good home learning environment, high quality childcare

13. Item 9: Children’s Centre Programme update • Frank Field Review; the Foundations Years: preventing poor children and becoming poor adults • First five years of life • Things that matter • Healthy pregnancy • Good maternal mental health • Secure bonding • Parents love and responsiveness clear boundaries • Opportunities for child’s cognitive language social and emotional development good services (health, children’s centres, childcare) • More than money

14. Item 9: Children’s Centre Programme update • Surestart to provide targeted help to most disadvantaged • Signposting maintain some universal services • Parents rep on governance • Graduate led pre school provision • Track children most in need • Services with strong evidence base

15. Item 12: IYSS and 5-19 delivery plan update IYSS highlights November - February: • Integrating services for 0-19’s in Shepshed, commitment to 10-19’s Shepshed Youth Development Group • Co-ordination of teenage pregnancy/ parent services and recommendations for CCP funding • Co-ordination of NEET and Foundation Learning Agenda has led to extra provision for Charnwood • PAYP funding for emotional health and wellbeing

16. Item 12: IYSS and 5-19 delivery plan update Charnwood’s 5-19 delivery plan: • Additional work to individual agency plans • 10 key actions/ improvements • 12 named lead organisations • CBC leading on 4 actions, IYSS on 7 • Plan due for refresh April 2011