Standard 1 – National Priorities and Strategic Objectives

The Council is working corporately and with other agencies to ensure the delivery of national priorities for social care, the national personal Social Services objectives, and their own strategic objectives.

RECOMMENDATION/AREA FOR DEVELOPMENT	ACTION TAKEN/PROPOSED	RESPONSIBLE OFFICER (S)	TIME SCALES	
				
Recommendation 2.1  

The relationship between different levels of planning should be clarified and mapped, ensuring that the linkages are understood and that any duplication is eliminated.	1)	The Children’s Strategic Partnership and The Children’s Task Force have now become one joint inter agency planning forum called the Children’s Programme Board.  

2)	Departmentally, the Planning Into Action Initiative has implements the Service Planning process with clear information about the inter relationship between different departmental plans.  

3)	There will be further training on the interface between service plans and team plans. 

4)	Modernisation Workshops will be held to include training for all staff on the inter agency planning fora within Oxfordshire.

5)	A short leaflet briefing note for staff will be prepared to explain changes and set out the shape of the new planning fora. 	Phil Hodgson / Children’s Division Service Managers

Phil Hodgson (Assistant Director)
	1)	Accomplished

2)	Ongoing

3)	Autumn 2002/early 2003

4)	November 2002 

5)	End of October 2002

Recommendation 2.2:  

Time scales and performance indicators should be established in relation to the objective of developing an over arching children’s rights and participation strategy.

Areas for Development:

The barriers to participation by front line staff in planning need to be identified and tackled, and involvement in creating team plans need to be institutionalised.

Strategic relationships with Housing Authorities Need to be Strengthened.

Progress against objectives in service plans need to be systematically tracked, and following a review – any unproductive data collection should be dispensed with.	
1)	A new Service Level Agreement is being negotiated with Save the Children Fund, who employ the Children’s Rights Commissioner.  Children’s rights work is being replanned with clear time scales and built in evaluation.  

2)	A Children’s Participation Strategy will be developed, informed by a Working Group.  

1)	Team members are, and will increasingly be, involved in setting the objectives in team plans.  SSRADU will address this aspect of planning in future training with Unit Managers.

2)	The appraisal system will link with the team planning process to ensure that individual staff members have clear personal targets in relation to team plans.

See Recommendation 2.5 (below)

1)	Data is collected and monitored in relation to Service Plan objectives once a quarter.  Quarterly monitoring includes the capacity to dispense with unproductive data.  

2)	A training session was held by SSRADU with Service Managers in July 2002 to address this issues	
Children’s Rights Work:
Fran Fonseca/Sarah Ainsworth

Participation Strategy: 
Hannah Farncombe (Unit Manager)

Service Managers and Unit Managers

Unit Managers

Service Managers

Service Managers	End 2002 

Implementation by 1/4/03

Ongoing

September 2003 (end of next appraisal cycle)

Ongoing, quarterly

In part, accomplished.  In part, ongoing through 2003.	

Standard 2 – Effectiveness of Service Delivery and Outcomes

Children and their families receive responsive services, which promote children’s life chances.

RECOMMENDATION/AREA FOR DEVELOPMENT	ACTION TAKEN/PROPOSED	RESPONSIBLE OFFICER (S)	TIME SCALES	
				
Recommendation 2.3. 

The frequency of children and young people being transferred between social work teams needs to be monitored and carefully managed.	A system will be put in place to collect the data on case transfers for evaluation after a six month period.	David McAulay (Service Manager)	Evaluation at the end of March 2003	
Recommendation 2.4 

The transport to school policy needs to be communicated more clearly with an emphasis on how individual decisions are made.	The policy on funding transport to school by taxi was communicated to staff in writing, very clearly at the end of February 2002.  Criteria for supporting the cost of transport in certain circumstances, and according to certain criteria was made explicit.  Arrangements for considering cases where there may be exceptional reasons to consider funding have also been made explicit.  Review of the effects of this policy planned for later this year.

	Service Managers/Fran Fonseca (Chair of Agency Panel)	Review to be completed by December 2002.	

Recommendation 2.5

Strategic engagement with Housing Agency should be strengthened so that a consistent approach to the provision of housing to care leavers is planned for.

Areas for Development:

The recording of management decisions in relation to Child Protection decision making needs to be strengthened (ie. at the point of deciding whether or not to instigate Section 47 enquiries).

	1)	Work is being undertaken with Housing on children’s rights through the Service Level Agreement with Save the Children.

2)	The Leaving Care Team was established in order to become operational on 1/4/02.  Housing for young people is integrated through the Supporting People Programme.  Accommodation panels consider allocations to care leavers and young vulnerable homeless people.  A post funded by several agencies oversees the development of housing strategy for young people and develops all necessary links to negotiate accommodation for young people’s needs.

A pro forma will be introduced on which this decision making is recorded and will be kept on file.	

Fran Fonseca
Jan Lewis

Supporting People:
YOT
Connexions

Noreen Collins
Vanessa Burbidge
(Service Managers)	In process

Ongoing

End October 2002 

The recording of discussions and decisions of Strategy Meetings needs to be more consistent.

Case files need to evidence that Child Protection Conference reports were shared with parents in advance of conferences and also that minutes had been circulated.	A pro forma or consistent framework for the recording of minutes of strategy meeting will be introduced.

1)	Child Protection minutes will be amended to include a clear record of whether or not parents had seen the report before the Conference.

2)	Child Protection Case Conference minutes already detail those people to whom minutes are circulated/sent, including parents.	Noreen Collins
Vanessa Burbidge
(Service Managers)

Child Protection Case Conference Chairs and Child Protection Support Workers	End October 2002

End September 2002 

Accomplished	

Standard 3 – Quality of Services for Users and Carers

Social Services provide a fair, consistent, and inclusive service.

RECOMMENDATION/AREA FOR DEVELOPMENT	ACTION TAKEN/PROPOSED	RESPONSIBLE OFFICER (S)	TIME SCALES	
				
Recommendation 2.6 

A public information strategy should be developed and regular audits of effectiveness of public information should be undertaken with the involvement of users. 	1)	A list of currently available public information will be drawn up.

2)	A review of public information will be held to identify gaps and out of date information and where revisions needed.

3)	Revised general leaflet about Children & Families Services will be produced.

4)	Standards will be developed for the publication of public information on the internet, having it available on video or on audio tape, and there will be clear policies for the availability and accessibility of public information.

5)	A comprehensive list of all available
     information updated as appropriate 
     will be produced and made available 
     throughout the Division	Service Managers

Service Managers

David McAulay (Service Manager)

Hannah Farncombe (Unit Manager)

Hannah Farncombe (Unit Manager)	End October 2002 

End 2002

End December 2002  

End March 2003

End of March 2003	

Recommendation 2.7 

There should be an audit to determine the most common reasons for Initial and Core Assessments not being completed on time.

Areas for Development: 

The reception areas at access points need to be improved, ie. made more welcoming, improved ventilation, wheelchair access.

The structure of files need to be reviewed and standardised across the County.

Quality Assurance required development, including the role of Independent Chairs and random case sampling by Senior Managers.	1)	There is ongoing audit to monitor compliance of staff with the requirement to undertake Initial Assessments within seven days.

2)	Each teams’ monthly activity data will be amended to include details of Core Assessments due and achieved, and this will be reported on monthly, including reasons why the time scale was not met. Activity data is regularly reported to the Divisional Management Team.

The Department has been allocated £60k for improvements to offices, some of which will be dedicated to Reception areas.

Staff groups have been consulted and a standard structure for files has been agreed.  Standardisation will apply across service areas, but may be different between service areas in some cases.  New files with associated structures will be implemented once the new files have been received.

Quality Assurance role of Independent Chairs is well established in relation to Conferences and reviews chaired by them.  Monitoring reports are completed after each conference and returned in relation to work done and its quality.  Nature of monitoring and Quality Assurance work is under constant review.  Changes are made in relation to changing expectations, legislation, etc.  

Independent Chairs will conduct inspections of the work of two teams per year.	Noreen Collins/Vanessa Burbidge (Service Managers)

Service Managers

Office Managers;
Senior Administrative Managers;
Senior Management Team lead for Accommodation Strategy

Administrative Officers

Implementation: Unit Managers

Dave Seal (Service Manager)
Independent Chairs

Independent Chairs	Already in progress

Implementation end of September 2002 

Monitoring – ongoing

Notifications of outstanding work still required by the end of December 2002.

March 2003

Autumn 2002 

Ongoing

From January 2003

Standard 4 – Fair Access

Social Services provide a fair, consistent, and inclusive service.

RECOMMENDATION/AREA FOR DEVELOPMENT	ACTION TAKEN/PROPOSED	RESPONSIBLE OFFICER (S)	TIME SCALES	
				
Recommendation 2.8 

The Council should ensure that performance management arrangements identify any unequal and differential application of eligibility criteria and that risk is quantified as a matter of urgency.	1)	Eligibility criteria, including risk assessments, have been revised in respect of Assessment Team Services.

2)	Eligibility criteria of service areas, including risk assessments to be established.

3)	Comparative data between teams to ensure consistency across the county and across service areas is now available through monthly activity data.	Noreen Collins/Vanessa Burbidge (Service Managers)

Service Managers

Monitoring of demands on teams/services – Service Managers/CMT/Assistant Director	Achieved

End December 2002 

Ongoing	
Recommendation 2.9 

Revised eligibility criteria should be widely communicated to the public and other agencies.

Areas for Development:

The apparent over representation of black and ethnic minority children in the LAC system required examination.

Work was required to increase the recruitment of foster carers from black and minority ethnic communities.

Advocacy services, including services responsive to the needs of black and ethnic minority communities required further development.

There is a need to ensure that recommendations arising from complaints are actioned and that complaints positively influence practice.	This links with the public information strategy addressed at recommendation 2.6.  Eligibility criteria for assessment team work will be made available in leaflet form and on the Departmental website.

1)	Analysis of the Department’s services and their appropriateness for children from black and ethnic minority populations is being undertaken.

2)	Specific research/audits are planned to provide information on which the inclusivity of general services can be improved.  

3)	Review of children looked after from ethnic minority backgrounds (large majority mixed race) to be considered in the light of new census data and research/audit data identified above.

There is a clear plan in place to work with the Foster Carer Recruitment Agency to improve the recruitment of black and minority foster carers.

1)	Mentoring services are being developed, including a specific mentoring project for black young people.  

2)	Advocacy services within children’s homes are being developed, provided in part by voluntary agencies.  A lead Service Manager will be identified to promote and develop advocacy across the Division

1)	A new system for monitoring the implementation of recommendations arising from investigation and Review Panel reports is being introduced.  It will alert senior managers to recommendations arising from Complaints reports and ensure a named Officer is responsible for overseeing the action required.

2)	Within the Placements Service, a new quarterly review of all complaints received within the service with relation to children looked after has been introduced.

	Vanessa Burbidge/Noreen Collins (Service Managers)

Noreen Collins (Service Manager)

Noreen Collins (Service Manager)

Service Manager Children Looked After

Service Manager Family Placement

Service Managers

Phil Hodgson (Assistant Director)

Complaints administrator

Service Manager(s)/ Residential Placements and Family Placements

Monitoring:  All Service Managers and Assistant Director	End October 2002 

Underway

Clear plans established by the end of March 2003

Spring 2003

Initial Campaign end of March 2003 and thereafter ongoing.

Underway

End 2002 

First report – March 2003 and thereafter annually.

In process; reporting quarterly	

Standard 5 – Cost and Efficiency

Social Services commissions and delivers services to clear standards, covering both quality and costs, by the most effective economic and efficient means available.

RECOMMENDATION/AREA FOR DEVELOPMENT	ACTION TAKEN/PROPOSED	RESPONSIBLE OFFICER (S)	TIME SCALES	
				
Recommendation 2.10

The principles of Best Value need to become part of the culture of the Department and drive continuous improvement.	1)	Modernisation workshops are planned and will reinforce the value for money ethos which is already established.  

2)	A Best Value review of children’s services is planned.

3)	The principles of Best Value within
      the Department are expected to 
      become more imbedded as the 
      quality and timeliness of financial 
      information to services areas 
      improves.	Phil Hodgson (Assistant Director) and Divisional Management Team

Phil Hodgson (Assistant Director)

Finance Managers	November 2002 

2003

2002/03 and beyond	
Recommendation 2.11 

Budget management to be devolved close to the front line.

Areas for Development: 

Efforts should be made to engage partner organisations and user representatives in early discussions about budget cuts.

The Council should actively consider greater use of Health Act flexibilities.	Currently, the structure of the Division’s budget is such that it is not possible to devolve all budgets to the front line appropriately.  Some budgets need to be managed at a higher level to maximise capacity for savings and effectiveness.  
Delegation of budgets needs to take place in conjunction with the developments in the new MIS system.  Delegation also needs to ensure there is appropriate accountability, training, support, and financial information. 

Divisional staff will use the Children’s Programme Board and other inter agency groups to undertake such consultations wherever possible and whenever time allows.

Options for the use of Health Act flexibilities within the Disability Service are currently being progressed through the current negotiations regarding the reconfiguration of the Children’s Disability Service.  This experience and learning will be used to underpin consideration of further options.  Priorities will be agreed by Senior Managers.	Phil Hodgson (Assistant Director)

Service Managers and Finance Managers to keep under review

Phil Hodgson (Assistant Director) and Service Managers as allocated.

Senior Management Team members and Phil Hodgson (Assistant Director)	To achieve in 2003/04 and beyond

Forthwith and ongoing

2003 and beyond	

Standard 6 – Management and Resources

Social Services has management and accountability structures that commission and provide safe and effective services.

RECOMMENDATION/AREA FOR DEVELOPMENT	ACTION TAKEN/PROPOSED	RESPONSIBLE OFFICER (S)	TIME SCALES	
				
Recommendation 2.12 

The Council should address the management information requirements of Councillors in relation to their scrutiny role, and as corporate parents.	Negotiations and discussions will take place with Members to establish the information that Councillors will receive on a routine basis.  A proposal is being considered to establish a corporate parenting group involving officers and Members.  Clear information about children looked after is being proposed as part of the consideration of the Corporate Parenting Group.	Executive Members

Phil Hodgson (Assistant Director)

Service Managers	Decisions to be reached by December 2002; for implementation thereafter.	
Recommendation 2.13 

A system of team briefings should be considered.

Areas for Development:

The Children’s Rights Commissioner needs explicit channels of communication to Councillors (both the Executive and Scrutiny).

The Department needs to develop a more business like approach to relations with partner agencies, ensuring that contracts and service level agreements are aligned to the Council’s priorities.
	Following consideration and piloting during the first half of 2002, training is underway and a Team Briefing system will be implemented across the Department in Autumn of 2002.

Arrangements to achieve clearer channels of communication to be discussed and agreed with relevant Executive Members.

Service Level Agreements will be reviewed and audited to establish their congruence or otherwise with the Council’s priorities.  Some changes to Service Level Agreements have been made this financial year.  Some other negotiations are underway.  For small organisations, lead in time regarding changes is necessary so as not to compromise their viability.	Head of Personnel & Training

Phil Hodgson (Assistant Director)

Phil Hodgson (Assistant Director)/Service Managers as allocated	About to be achieved

End October 2002 

Review to be completed by the end of March 2003.