Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Children, Education & Families

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/117

Contact: Matthew Edwards, Corporate Parenting Manager Tel: (01865) 323098

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CA8).

This report reviews the performance and outcomes of Looked After Children and Care Leavers  since April 2014 and identifies key challenges moving forward particularly around understanding the causes for and then addressing the growth in the looked after population.

It focuses on the significant rise in Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking children (UASCs) and makes recommendations for meeting the growing challenges in this area which are affecting all local authorities.

This report provides early evidence that the Placement Strategy is already having an impact on front line practice and recommends the Placement Strategy Board is tasked with measuring the effectiveness of Cabinet's significant investment in making sure children are safe and securely attached, improving outcomes and reducing external placements.

This paper RECOMMENDS that further analysis of the child in need and child protection populations are undertaken to isolate more specific risk factors for care and what constitutes an effective intervention. This work should draw on the learning and recommendations of the Neglect pilot and OSCB’s reviews of adolescents who have died and suffered or caused serious harm.

This paper RECOMMENDS that a multi-agency group is established to devise a county-wide strategy to respond to the growing challenges nationally of Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers and Refugee families.

Oxfordshire has taken a radical and proactive approach to the spiralling costs of external placements and has significantly invested to create in-county edge of care, fostering and residential capacity.  The effectiveness of this investment in safeguarding, improving outcomes and reducing external placement costs will require close scrutiny over the coming year.   This paper RECOMMENDS that the Placement Strategy Board is tasked with measuring the impact and cost savings of the Placement Strategy reporting up to Cabinet.

Approved

Approved

Approved

The Cabinet considered (CA8) a report which reviewed the performance and outcomes of Looked After Children and Care Leavers  since April 2014 and identified key challenges moving forward, particularly around understanding the causes for and then addressing the growth in the looked after population.

Welcoming the report Councillor Gill Sanders referred to the impact of unaccompanied asylum seeking children and the pressure on services. She asked how the Multi Agency Group referred to in paragraph 82 would be constituted and whether we would be working with partners in its establishment.

Responding Matthew Edwards advised that district involvement and joint working on support networks would be key. Work would continue to scope out need.

Also on paragraph 82 Councillor Stratford expressed some concern that independent district action with regard to refugee families could impact on the county council’s budget.

Responding to a question from Councillor Carter regarding the Mockingbird Family Model (paragraph 50) officers explained that the project was aimed at providing more support for foster families who looked after more challenging children. It was a community based model and was being piloted in the city and north of the county.

Councillor Tilley commended the report and moved the recommendations.

RESOLVED: (unanimously):

(a)          that further analysis of the child in need and child protection populations be undertaken to isolate more specific risk factors for care and what constituted an effective intervention. That work should draw on the learning and recommendations of the Neglect pilot and OSCB’s reviews of adolescents who had died and suffered or caused serious harm;

(b)          that a multi-agency group be established to devise a county-wide strategy to respond to the growing challenges nationally of Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers and Refugee families;

(c)          the Placement Strategy Board be tasked with measuring the impact and cost savings of the Placement Strategy for reporting up to Cabinet.