Agenda item

Report from the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People attached.

Councillor Smith began the meeting by introducing the report, emphasizing the importance of evaluating children's experiences and sharing the annual self-evaluation. This evaluation is presented to corporate parents and involves children and young people. The focus of this update was on children in care and care leavers, specifically addressing aspects highlighted by Ofsted.

A member raised a question regarding children in pre-proceedings, noting that only 24% of cases conclude within the 16-week timescale. In response, it was clarified that the 16-week timescale is a guideline to support families and make necessary changes. Sometimes, cases extend beyond this period for valid reasons, such as awaiting independent assessments or improving the quality of assessments. The focus is on giving families the best opportunity to avoid court applications. Performance improvement is a priority, and the Pre-Proceedings Impact Board, chaired by Linda Evans, will oversee this.

Following this, a member of the committee enquired about communication with young people. The response highlighted efforts to improve communication, ensuring young people are kept informed about their cases. This includes capturing their voices in social work practices and keeping them in the loop.

Another councillor raised a concern about access to apprenticeships for young people in care, expressing worry about the difficulty in accessing apprenticeships due to the lack of functional skills tutors, particularly in English. The response acknowledged the issue and assured that efforts would be made to prioritize functional skills training for young people in care.

Councillor Bernstein then asked about the stability of homes for children in care, noting that the stability is better than the national average. The response attributed this to strong matching of children with homes, support for carers, and initiatives like the Mockingbird Constellation. The focus is on providing therapeutic support to carers and children, which will also help recruit more foster carers.

A councillor raised a concern about the increasing reliance on private providers and the associated costs. The response explained that the goal is to reduce reliance on private providers by increasing the internal sufficiency of homes. This includes recruiting more foster carers and establishing local children's homes. The high costs of private placements are a budget pressure, and efforts are being made to address this.

Another councillor asked about financial planning in the face of high costs. The response acknowledged the challenge of budgeting for the high costs of private placements. The focus is on reducing the number of children in care and addressing the root causes of the increase. The government is also addressing excessive profits in the private sector.

The committee was informed that six monitoring visits had been completed. The next step is an engagement meeting with Ofsted on April 28th, followed by a potential full inspection.

In conclusion, the chair thanked the committee members for their contributions and emphasized the importance of continuing to make progress on the improvement plan. The next meeting will provide updates on workforce strategy and data management.

It was agreed

·         To bring a workforce update to the next meeting