Agenda item

This report provides the Committee with a progress update on the Aut Even Improvement Action Plan. This action plan was drawn up following an unannounced Ofsted inspection on 25 and 26 July 2017.

A report providing an overview of the inspection findings and action plan was shared with the Committee on 31 August 2017, where it was agreed an update report would be bought to this Committee on 5 October 2017.

Discussion:

The Director, Children and Adult Services, introduced the report which provided Members with a reminder of the inspection findings from the unannounced inspection of Aut Even – Short Breaks Service which was carried out on 25 and 26 July 2017, set out in Appendix A to the report and updated Members on the progress of actions within the action plan initially presented to the Committee on 31 August 2017.

The Director noted that Ofsted had given the service a rating of ‘inadequate’ and that the Council had been given until 25 September 2017 to fulfil the Compliance Notice. As set out in Appendix B to the report, the Director explained that the actions were largely completed or ongoing.

He explained that a further unannounced inspection of Aut Even – Short Breaks Service was carried out on 26 and 27 September 2017 by Ofsted. The informal feedback was positive and the directorate had received notification that the Compliance Notice had been lifted. The Director advised that a new inspection findings report would be issued by Ofsted.

Members raised a number of questions and comments which included:

·         Previous Ofsted judgements – In response to a question as to how it was the case that Aut Even had received a rating of ‘good’ only a few months previously, but had now received a rating of ‘inadequate’, the Director, Children and Adult Services reiterated that the recent rating was adversely affected by the failure to address a concern regarding the reporting of a particular safeguarding incident which had only arisen in the last few months.

·         Future of the service – Asked whether services would be transferred to Parklands, the Director, Children and Adult Services noted that a consultation to relocate the service to Parklands was being undertaken. This was because the Parklands facility had been designed as a children’s home, whereas in spite of some investment, the fabric of the Aut Even building was poor. The Director noted that it was not intended that the service would be reduced or that there would be staff losses.

In response to a query over what would happen to Aut Even, the Director, Children and Adults Services said it was too early to make a decision.

·         Remote supervision – In response to a question from a Member whether supervision was robust enough to prevent reoccurrence, the Director, Children and Adults Services explained, there was a regular supervisory arrangement between the registered manager and senior officer of the Council, in addition monthly Regulation 44 inspection visits undertaken by independent visitors did not identify concerns similar to that of Ofsted. He confirmed that responsibility for Aut Even would be moving from Adult Service to Children Services, and would be overseen by the Head of Provider Services.

·         Medway Safeguarding Children Board (MSCB) – At the request of a Member as to whether a meeting had been arranged between the MSCB and Aut Even, the Director, Children and Adult Services undertook to look into this.

Decision:

The Committee noted the work to date on the service improvements and noted that an update report would be provided to the Committee in December 2017.