Agenda item

This annual report provides an account of the role of the Lead Member for Children’s Services as identified in the Department for Education Statutory Guidance on the Roles and Responsibilities of the Director of Children’s Services (DCS) and the Lead Member for Children’s Services (LMCS) (DfE 2012). This report details the areas covered by the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services – Lead Member and covers the period from May 2019 – March 2020.

Discussion:

Members received a report providing an overview of progress on the areas within the terms of reference of this Committee and covered by the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services (Lead Member), as set out below:

·         Children’s Partnership Commissioning (0-25)

·         Children’s Provider Services (including Adoption, Fostering, Supported Accommodation and Residential Care)

·         Children’s Social Care and Safeguarding Services including Safeguarding Board

·         Early help (including Medway Action for Families, Youth Offending Team (YOT) and Youth Services)

·         Inclusion

·         Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

·         SEND Transport

The Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services (Lead Member) responded to Members’ questions and comments, which included:

·         Early Help – in response to a question the Portfolio Holder confirmed that the diagnostic exercise carried out by Medway’s Partner in Practice, Essex County Council, had recently been reported to the Improvement Board and work would commence on the findings of that exercise.

·         Signs of Safety – in response to a query about the social work practice model, signs of safety, the Portfolio Holder confirmed this was a reflective practice model which focused on the child and the family and was helping to provide job satisfaction for social workers.  She added that its use was also helping with recruitment as many social workers wanted to work for authorities that use this practice model.

·         Recruitment of ten overseas social workers– following a request for an update on this the Director of People – Children and Adults Services confirmed that ten social workers had been recruited from Zimbabwe and South Africa and they would be commencing their employment at Medway in two cohorts, the first of which would start next week.

·         Corporate Parenting Board– in response to a question about what happens to advice and issues raised from the Board, which was set up in Medway as a Cabinet Advisory Group, the Portfolio Holder confirmed that the Board needed to escalate issues through the relevant services, as required.  She also welcomed the suggestion of the Portfolio Holder for Education and Schools being invited to attend in relation to education safeguarding, for which he had responsibility.

·         Learning lessons– the Portfolio Holder reassured the Committee that lessons were being learned during the improvement journey and would continue to be as the action plan was implemented and improvements were embedded into the service.

·         Staff morale– the Portfolio Holder explained that staff morale had greatly improved since the outcome of the Ofsted inspection in the summer of 2019, which had been detrimental to morale amongst staff in the service.  She added that the re-alignment of area teams and the reduced caseloads had also helped improve morale and that she visited Broadside on a weekly basis and to liaise with staff and expressed her appreciation of the children’s services workforce.

·         Waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health services– concern was raised about waiting lists for mental health services, which were provided by NELFT. The Portfolio Holder commented that waiting lists were still an issue. Despite the time being approximately 50% shorter and close to the national standard, this was not the case for neurodevelopment pathway cases and NELFT had been asked to provide an action plan on how this could be addressed.

·         Provision of Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy Services – concern was raised that these services were being withdrawn. The Portfolio Holder and officers undertook to investigate this and inform the Committee via a briefing note.

·         Measuring improvements in engagement – in response to a question about how improvements in engagement with staff, children and their families could be measured, the Portfolio Holder explained that there were a range of ways in which this engagement would take place and outcomes would include improved retention of social work staff and feedback from staff surveys and from children and families. The Director of People – Children and Adults Services added that engagement with partners had been strengthened and gave an example about collaborative working with the Police to manage referrals relating to domestic abuse. He also listed some examples of how engagement took place with children and families, including through forums and groups, the Mind of My Own app and through statutory child protection conferences or looked after children reviews.

·         Adequacy of resource – in response to a concern raised on how the Portfolio Holder would assure herself of the adequacy of resources, which had recently been increased, in meeting not only current but future demands, the Portfolio Holder explained that the Improvement Plan would be implemented and was focused on sustainable improvement. She expressed the view that there needed to be a focussed improvement in Early Help Services, to improve prevention by helping children and their families at an early stage and supporting children to stay with their families where it was safe and appropriate to do so.

·         Recruitment of Social Workers – in response to a question the Portfolio Holder confirmed that foster carer recruitment was a national issue but work continued to attract applicants who could provide good quality foster care.

·         Parklands – in response to a request for an update on Parklands, the Portfolio Holder confirmed that the site was in the final stages of re-registration with Ofsted and it was hoped the facility would open in late March/early April 2020.

·         Educational Health and Care Plans – in response to a question about quality assurance of EHCPs the Portfolio Holder explained that currently 88% of EHCPs were completed within the statutory 20 weeks, however, assured the Committee that the service was working to ensure all plans were of the highest quality.  In response to a question about how plans were prioritised for children with life limiting conditions, the Portfolio Holder undertake to arrange for a briefing note on this to be circulated to the Committee.

·         Medway Youth Justice Partnership Strategic Plan (MYJPS) – the Portfolio Holder confirmed her intention to accept that the MYJSP would not be taken through Cabinet or Council, until the Committee had had an opportunity to scrutinised a revised plan at its next meeting.

Decision:

The Committee thanked the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services for her attendance.