Agenda item

A report from Councillor Tariq, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services is attached.

Councillor Tariq, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills wished to use this opportunity to make members aware, if they were not already that there has been a change in the leadership of the Department. This has meant there is additional pressures with the current senior leadership team within Children Service’s. He added that Paul Cooke, Sandra Bruce and Isobel Booler have all been acting up in their respective areas and in most cases covering two roles. Councillor Tariq requested that members of the Committee consider this with the workload and pressures of this Department at this stage. It is hoped that this interim arrangement will soon be over, and a briefing can be provided at the next meeting providing information on the senior leadership team. Councillor Tariq thanked the officers for stepping up at such a critical point.

Moving on to the meeting theme; LGA Peer Review Councillor Tariq reported that the review was conducted virtually.

It covered:

·         The effectiveness and recruitment of social workers

·         The impact of quality assurance

·         Quality placements for Looked after Children and care leavers

·         Looking at the effectiveness of Child Protection Plans

·         Capacity for transformation across the department

Isobel Booler, Director for Education and Skills reported that a Delivery Board and Plan has been set up and met in September 2021. However, the last three weeks we have been under inspection by Ofsted and therefore the plan has changed due to this and leadership changes.

A key area we are aware of is the recruitment and retention of social workers and is at the heart of the recruitment plan. As well as responding to the LGA Peer Review we will respond to the Ofsted findings. The findings from Ofsted will be provided on the 17^th December 2021.

Councillor McBriar requested a breakdown of what cases are and aren’t dealt with in one day and if high caseloads result in children remaining in harmful situations for longer what is being done to solve the situation as per page 14 point 2.6 in the agenda pack.

In response Sandra Bruce, Assistant Director for Early Help and School readiness advised that for the cases dealt with in one day the figure is 96%. Whilst there has been a slight drop recently this is due to bringing MASH back together but as a usual figure, we are in the high 90’s. We have measurements on how long it takes to do assessments and whether they are in timeframe, whether visits and planning is also done in set timeframes. We are in line with our statutory neighbours and nationally, therefore despite setbacks the service has had it has not impacted performance. However, Sandra Bruce advised that with maintaining statutory figures you can lose some of the quality, which is demonstrable from the public questions submitted.

Councillor McBriar also requested further information on document pack page 14 point 2.9; he acknowledged that Bury Council carrying out all ‘expected’ activity is positive, however, he questioned what is being done further to this.

In response Isobel Booler, Executive Director of Education and Skills advised a new quality assurance framework is in place and the audits have happened. One area for more work is to look what we can learn from previous cases to drive change going forward.

Councillor McBriar further questioned document pack page 16 point 2.13 and asked what timeline is in place for when the findings are going to be completed.

In response Isobel Booler, Director of Education and Skills advised that because of challenges around recruitment this week a managed service is being brought in bring in experienced social workers to work with children in need to impact and improve casework. This is for a total of six months and therefore next steps are already being considered and therefore a robust recruitment plan will be used to support the service going forward.

Councillor Whitby asked if the change to the Children’s hub’s is now embedded and if it is successful.

Sandra Bruce, Assistant Director (Early Help and School Readiness)  advised 60% of our school’s are working along the task model. It was launched in 2019 but this was right before lockdown, so we have only been able to re-engage in September 2021. We are tracking data but is early days, we are seeing a reduction in referrals in Schools and in turn this is reducing the demand into social care. We ask schools regularly for feedback and this has been predominantly positive.

Councillor Whitby also questioned; due to the pandemic the number of child protection and safeguarding issues throughout the Borough has increased, since services have began to open up again.

Sandra Bruce, Assistant Director (Early Help and School Readiness) of informed the Committee that Bury is usually very low with our figures however what we saw pre-pandemic is our figures increasing. We viewed this positively as we were identifying those children at higher risk. Through the pandemic they remained consistent and are now inline with our statistical neighbours and we are now reaching the children we should.

Councillor J Lancaster asked if the follow up Peer Review has been booked in for the recommended six month period.

In response Isobel Booler, Director of Education and Skills reported that due to the Ofsted review taking place recently it feels timely to use the findings from the review to drive forward improvements as opposed to the findings from the LGA Peer Review. The Lead for the LGA Peer Review is the Chair for the Delivery Board and will see both findings.

Councillor J Lancaster, the review does not mention SEND within its themes.

In response Isobel Booler, Director of Education and Skills advised that a review usually focuses on one area, and this was on the ‘front door’ of services. In the future it would be helpful to have an LGA Peer Review on SEND but once work has taken place.

Sandra Bruce, Assistant Director (Early Help and School Readiness) clarified the SEND framework for inspection is different to the social work frame for inspection. This framework was a social work framework.

Councillor J Lancaster how is the access to safe, good quality housing going to be accommodated considering the housing crisis in Bury.

In response Isobel Booler, Director of Education and Skills advised the Committee that following a survey completed by care leavers on housing findings proved positive in the housing they were in. Sandra Bruce, Assistant Director (Early Help and School Readiness) added that whilst the Peer Review identified that care leavers did not feel safe in their homes it is due to not having choice of area sometimes; the quality of accommodation is rated highly within the review. We are involved in a national project for care leavers which looks at accommodation along with the HEN project which is led by Greater Manchester.

Councillor Lancaster asked a question in relation to the recruitment and retention of staff; how we are compared to other Councils, how are we going to attract staff and how we are managing sick leave.

Councillor Tariq, Deputy Leader, Cabinet Member, Children, Young People and Skills reported our approach has previously been too traditionalist. An attractive offer must be put forward for Social Workers going forward. An officer has been recruited to support the service specifically around communications and engagement going forward. We are looking at the Bury offer and what the message is to prospective employees.

Sandra Bruce, Assistant Director (Early Help and School Readiness) advised that we currently average at the FTE of 9 days per month in sickness levels.

Councillor Lancaster also asked how we are going to make sure children’s voices are to be made a priority in the future.

In response Isobel Booler, Director of Education and Skills advised the Committee that an audio file has been produced by the Children and Young People in Care Council about what it feels like to be taken into care. It was reported that ensuring child experience is put into delivery plans to make sure it drives forward improvement.

Sandra Bruce, Assistant Director (Early Help and School Readiness) we have refreshed the Children’s Strategic Partnership Board and we have created a Children’s Participation and Voice Sub-group of that board.

Councillor Pilkington questioned if the reasons for people leaving and if this information is collated. Sandra Bruce, Assistant Director advised the average time for a member of staff to remain as a front-line social worker is two years so demonstrates this is a national problem. Many workers then move into agency work or other related areas. We have learnt it is key for the scaffolding around social workers to be safe and supported in their roles.

Councillor Wright requested further information on the issues identified with the MASH Team.

Sandra Bruce, Assistant Director (Early Help and School Readiness) advised that the MASH Team was co-located in the Police Station. The MASH Team has been brought back together with the ambition to move back into the Police Station.

Councillor Wright requested we hear back on how recruitment and retention of Social Workers is going at a suitable future meeting.