Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

(a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 9 March, 2016

(b)   Matters Arising

The Minutes of the meeting held on 9 March, 2016 were agreed and signed as a true record.

Report of the Executive Director of People

Further to Minute 73/15 of the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board, the Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director of People which outline recommendations from the Scrutiny Task and Finish Group on Supervision of Social Work Staff.

The Ofsted inspection of Children’s Services undertaken in February-March 2014 had identified serious weakness in the supervision of staff. Established by the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board in June, 2015, the Task and Finish Group had met four times to look in detail at the work that had already been done to improve supervision of staff, talked to existing managers, analysed information from a staff supervision survey undertaken in 2014 and 2015 and had identified other areas of improvement. The report and attached appendices detailed the work carried out by the Task and Finish Group.

As a result of the work undertaken, the Task and Finish Group had made a number of Recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, which had been endorsed by the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board.

The Cabinet Member, Councillor Ruane, thanked Councillor M Mutton, Chair of the Task and Finish Group and who was present at the meeting, for all of the work carried out in this regard.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People instructs officers:-

  1)  To update the Supervision Policy to take into account the

 following:-

a)  That regular sample adults of supervision be undertaken to monitor both quality and quantity of supervision

b)  The quality control section of the Supervision Policy reflects Members’ oversight

c)  That supervision training is part of the induction for new managers

d)  That reflective supervision is used as a standard part of regular supervision session

2)  To ensure the updated supervision policy is implemented and

 complied with across the whole service

3)  That all managers with casework responsibility to have received recent supervision training within 6 months, then all managers across the service within 12 months. 

4)  That a statement of intent regarding levels of caseloads is developed

5)  That good practice is identified and shared across the service, not just teams

6)  That within 3 months all staff to have a supervision agreement

7)  That Research in Practice be promoted to all staff at make use of current research and evidence to inform their practice 

8)  That annual appraisals, using the Council’s behaviours framework are undertaken alongside monthly supervision sessions

9)  That a staff survey is undertaken on an annual basis to enable oversight of the impact and implementation of the policies and practice across Children’s Services

There are no outstanding issues

There were no outstanding issues.

There were no items of urgent public business