Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Children, Young People & Families

Forward Plan Ref: 2011/043

Contact: Sian Rodway, Strategic Lead, Performance Tel: (01865) 815142

Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA11).

To update Cabinet on the outcome of the unannounced inspection by Ofsted of our contact referral and assessment services within children's services which took place in November 2010 and the annual Children's Services Assessment which were published in December 2010.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the positive outcome of the authority’s latest inspection of services to safeguard children and the 2010 Children’s services Assessment.

Cabinet considered a report setting out the positive outcome of the authority’s latest inspection of services to safeguard children and the 2010 Children’s Services Assessment.

Councillor Janet Godden welcomed the pleasing and positive report. There were no surprises and half the battle was to know the development issues and to be working on them. She highlighted concerns over workloads and capacity with which the Council had struggled for a long time. She also stressed the importance of suitable accommodation for people leaving care as it often unlocked access to jobs and training. She welcomed the strong performance of the Children’s Trust. She congratulated officers and Cabinet Members for their efforts.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families responded to the comments made highlighting the positives in the inspection that were set out particularly in paragraph 17 and thanking everyone involved for their efforts. With regard to workloads it was an area that needed to be addressed and there was additional money in the budget to provide support. She was pleased that currently there was only one agency worker. Referral rates had gone up and continued to rise but the Directorate was managing well. On care leavers she commented that they had worked closely with District Council colleagues and it was about partnership working. She agreed that the Trust could point to its achievements including a recent award for an employability scheme. Since the arrival of the Director record keeping had improved with new processes in place. 

RESOLVED:             to note the positive outcome of the authority’s latest inspection of services to safeguard children and the 2010 Children’s services Assessment Cabinet considered a report setting out the positive outcome of the authority’s latest inspection of services to safeguard children and the 2010 Children’s Services Assessment.

Councillor Janet Godden welcomed the pleasing and positive report. There were no surprises and half the battle was to know the development issues and to be working on them. *She highlighted improvements shown in the report in areas with which the Council had struggled for some time, such as caseloads for children's social workers and capacity issues; and finding suitable accommodation for people leaving care as it often unlocked access to jobs and training. She welcomed the strong performance of the Children’s Trust. She congratulated officers and Cabinet Members for their efforts.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families responded to the comments made highlighting the positives in the inspection that were set out particularly in paragraph 17 and thanking everyone involved for their efforts. With regard to workloads it was an area that needed to be addressed and there was additional money in the budget to provide support. She was pleased that currently there was only one agency worker. Referral rates had gone up and continued to rise but the Directorate was managing well. On care leavers she commented that they had worked closely with District Council colleagues and it was about partnership working. She agreed that the Trust could point to its achievements including a recent award for an employability scheme. Since the arrival of the Director record keeping had improved with new processes in place. 

RESOLVED:             to note the positive outcome of the authority’s latest inspection of services to safeguard children and the 2010 Children’s services Assessment

* Sentence corrected at the Cabinet meeting on 19 April 2011.