Issue - meetings

Background:

This report provided the Cabinet with a progress update on improvement activity since Medway’s Ofsted Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services, which took place in July 2019 and the outcome was an overall judgement of inadequate.

The report detailed a number of improvement activity examples, including:

·         The establishment of an Improvement Board, set up in October 2019 to oversee progress of the Improvement Plan;

·         Substantial additional resource has been put in to the service to add to the workforce and to enable realignment of the service model;

·         An updated Quality Assurance Framework;

·         Training and development for elected Members;

·         Ongoing work with Partners in Practice and the Leadership Improvement Partner to identify and instil best practice arrangements;

·         The recruitment of a permanent Assistant Director, Children’s Services, who began in post on 11 May 2020.

The report also detailed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and work being done to mitigate its impact on improvement and to keep children and staff as safe as possible.

Reasons:

To formally notify the Cabinet of the progress made in relation to improving Children’s Social Care services.

To ensure Cabinet are aware of the feedback from and the ongoing involvement of the Children’s Services Commissioner and the Statutory Direction from the Secretary of State.