Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Children, Young People & Families

Forward Plan Ref: 2011/102

Contact: Annie Callanan, Performance, Improvement & Decvelopment Manager Tel: (01865) 815697/Sian Rodway, Strategic Lead, Performance Tel: (01865) 815142

Report by Director for Children, Education & Families (CA7 ).

This report summarises the outcome of the Ofsted inspection of Safeguarding and Looked After Children’s Services in Oxfordshire. The inspection was conducted in February / March 2011, the final report was published on 6 May 2011.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)       receive this report and acknowledge the findings of the inspection report (Annex 1).

(b)       note the recommendations in the inspection report, and

(c)       approve the proposed actions and timescales to address the recommendations in the report.

Cabinet considered a report that summarised the outcome of the Ofsted inspection of Safeguarding and Looked After Children’s Services in Oxfordshire.

Councillor Janet Godden, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families paid personal tribute to Councillor Louise Chapman for her personal commitment to the positive engagement of children, the results of which were recognised by the inspection. Councillor Godden highlighted a two areas where it was important to ensure continued effort: the position with regard to the engagement of adult mental health care professionals in case conferences had been improved by work on both sides and she would be sad if this co-operation was drifting apart; the work on educational attainment of children in care was vitally important and the need to encourage all involved to ensure children were entered for exams should continue to be a focus of attention.

Sarah Good a young person who had taken part in the Safeguarding Inspection commented on how important it was to young people to be able to participate and help in the shaping of services they used.

Michael Ray, paid tribute to the support he had received from officers over a number of years that had helped him.

Meera Spillett, the Director for Children Education & Families in introducing the report paid tribute to the Participation Team and their user engagement that was recognised as excellent. Meera Spillett highlighted the positives in the report and paid tribute to the continuing hard work of staff and all the Council’s partners.

The Cabinet Member for Children Education & Families responding to the point made by Councillor Godden agreed that it was right to continue to ensure the engagement of adult mental health workers and suggested that this was an area where scrutiny might wish to monitor the situation. In welcoming the inspection report she highlighted that the  positive result reflected the hard work that was going on and that the work of the people involved changed lives. She paid tribute to the work of Meera Spillett and thanked the frontline social care staff.

RESOLVED:             to

(a)       receive this report and acknowledge the findings of the inspection report (Annex 1).

(b)       note the recommendations in the inspection report, and

(c)        approve the proposed actions and timescales to address the recommendations in the report.