Agenda item

This report sets performance against the Council’s Key Measures of Success for the second quarter of 2012/13.

 Discussion:

The Assistant Director, Communications, Performance and Partnerships introduced the report on performance against the Council’s key measures of success for the second quarter of 2012/2013 and responded to Members’ questions.

In relation to C1 – children’s participation in child protection conferences she stated that work was ongoing on this target to ensure that the young person’s voice was heard in the most appropriate way.  

In relation to CISRS1 LAC participation in Reviews she also confirmed that there was no particular problem for those young people who were in residential units having their voice heard in reviews any more than for other Looked After Children. 

In relation to the Independent Domestic Violence Advisers, she stated that negotiations to develop a pan Kent framework were ongoing and she hoped officers would report to the Community Safety Partnership and to this Committee at a later stage.

She responded to questions on a number of topics as follows:

• NI 117 16 to 18 year olds who are not in education, employment or training it was stated that this figure was higher than that shown in the report on Youth Offending as it covered all 16 to 18 year olds not just clients of the YOT;
• NI 148 care leavers in education, employment or training – this related to a very small group of young people and Members questioned why targeted work could not be done with them in the same way as YOT clients;
• Regarding the circulation of papers provided for the performance report which included lengthy performance tables on A3 paper, as this was provided for Members on several occasions: with the Cabinet agenda; in full for the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee and then again in a shortened format for each of the other Overview and Scrutiny Committees, it was suggested that a pilot is undertaken where one set of papers is presented at Cabinet and Members keep them for subsequent meetings.   She also stated that, following a suggestion at Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee, she would be producing a business case for e-access to agenda papers;
• LX5 working days lost due to sickness absence – it was stated that the selection of 8 days as a target flowed from the average per annum data and did not mean that the Council was encouraging staff to take sick leave.  In relation to return to work interviews she emphasised that these were challenging but supportive;

The Director of Children and Adults responded to a query with regard to the Medway Domestic Abuse pilot launched in 3 wards (River, Gillingham South and Luton and Wayfield) by stating that it was too early to assess the success.  A review would be undertaken in the New Year and it would need to be clear what outcomes were being achieved for what investment to make an evidence based decision on any future roll out.  Further details could be made available to this Committee by means of a briefing note.

She also referred to NI 60 Percentage of core assessments for children’s social care that were carried out within 35 working days of their commencement by stating that there was a balance to be achieved between efforts on timeliness as opposed to quality of assessments undertaken.  Following the publication of the Munro report it was stated that quality of service was vital.  She did, however, undertake to look into the timescales to see what could be done to improve them.

Following a request from a Member, the Director of Children and Adults stated that for target C1 this was a national target and not one, which the Council could choose to change.  She did, however, refer to the fact that the national  minimum children’s data set would be changing which would allow for some local negotiation.

Decision:

(a)   The report was noted:

(b)   A briefing note was agreed in relation to the domestic abuse pilot in the New Year.