Social Care Improvement Programme 6 July 2007 Di Smith Sue Gregory

1. Social Care Improvement Programme 6 July 2007 Di Smith Sue Gregory Director Director Children & Families Commissioning Specialist Services

2. Social Care Improvement Programme CONTEXT BRM issues April 2006 - robustness of Council’s safeguarding procedures - commissioning arrangements for Looked After Children - issues arising from Serious Case Reviews - Corporate Parenting Strategy - National Minimum Standards and residential provision - Regulation 33 visits - de-registrations and re-referrals - progress with implementing Integrated Children’s System

3. Social Care Improvement Programme APA issues - Staying Safe rated ‘inadequate’ - progress since April 2006 recognised but insufficient progress in 2005/2006 leading to ‘inadequate’ judgement - the process and rate of referral and assessment of children in need - reducing the time taken to complete initial assessments of children - reducing re-registrations and de-registration of children on the child protection register - the provision of services to Looked After Children and Young People and keeping them safe - improve the effectiveness of services to Looked After Children and Young People

4. Social Care Improvement Programme Engaging an external partner -to secure Interim Service Director for Social Care - to fully scope the range of issues to be addressed - to add extra capacity to address fostering and residential issues - to facilitate the development of a programme management approach

5. SOCIAL CARE IMPROVEMENT PLAN INTERNAL PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE Social Care Improvement Accountability Board Social Care Improvement Focus Group

6. Social Care Improvement Programme Progress – quick wins • Using the crisis to tackle thorny issues - closure of two residential homes - staffing/performance issues - political/corporate support • Increased capacity - Interim Service Director - Mouchel Parkman/Outcomes UK

7. Social Care Improvement Programme Progress – longer term • increased capacity – fostering recruitment/retention • placement strategy/placement service • everyone owns/understands social care issues Workstream 7 - Assessment and Referral • improved multi-agency understanding of assessment and referral • thresholds for social care • understanding role of professional/qualified social worker • delivery of locally based/integrated services

8. Social Care Improvement Programme Good News - JAR judgement ‘adequate’ with all issues from previous APA addressed - JAR identified ‘good’ - strategy in place for further improvement - 8/10 PIs in top quartile Ongoing Work - focus on quality/quality assurance - following up on JAR recommendations - ‘culture’ change - perception of Social Workers - integrate/locality based services - education of Children in Care - financial pressures/Children’s placements - Early intervention/prevention

9. Social Care Improvement Programme Lessons learnt • Recognition of volatile/fragility of social care • Need for leadership and ownership from DCS and leadership team • Need to be robust ‘client’ when working with external partner • Corporate understanding and political support is key • Effective programme manager is essential • Benefit ofprogramme management approach • Development of Serving Children and Young People Better programme • Need to manage the fall-out from an ‘inadequate’ judgement