Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

Further to minute 12/18 the Scrutiny Board considered a briefing note of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) which provided a progress report on the Children’s Services Improvement Plan and succession planning in preparation for the cessation of the Improvement Board.  The information had been reported to Children Services Improvement Board on 3^rd October, 2018 and their next meeting would be held on 24^th January, 2019 to sign off the full Children’s Services Improvement Plan.

The Department for Education (DfE) removed Children’s Services from intervention on 13 June, 2017, the service was no longer subject to an improvement notice.  Supervision and support had been provided by the DfE over the last 12 months, which included two reviews held in January 2018 and June 2018 and this had now ended.  A further Ofsted focused inspection or Joint Targeted Area Inspection could occur at any time and a full standard inspection was anticipated in the future.

To oversee the improvement journey and as a response to the inadequate rating a Children’s Service Improvement Board was established and was chaired by an experienced improvement consultant and retired Her Majesty Inspector (HMI).  The Board included elected Members and representatives and from the Council, partner agencies and the Department for Education. Progress was reported to the Improvement Board every twelve weeks.

The briefing note recognised that recruiting and retaining experienced social workers was a challenge across children and families social work, and particularly in area based teams.  This was a national and regional issue.  To increase the number of experienced social workers, Children’s Services held an Open evening on 2 October 2018, offering experienced social workers an opportunity to apply for vacancies and be interviewed on the same day.  The evening was actively promoted through Facebook/LinkedIn/Guardian/radio and the job shop.  The event successfully resulted in seven offers of appointment and a further event was being planned in January 2019.

Through the continued work on the Social Work Academy model, it was an aspiration to be a leading regional employer of choice for social workers.  As a member of the West Midlands Teaching Partnership, Coventry offered a number of opportunities and benefits to social workers which included, a Step Up to Social Work Graduate Pathway; a Frontline Programme and an Aspirant Social Work Programme Pre-Qualifying Pathway.

The briefing note also highlighted the progression scheme, exit interviews and the seven Practice Standards.

The report detailed progress regarding:

·  improving Looked After Children school attendance

·  police guidance on Child Sexual Exploitation and the dedicated gang team

·  new early help assessment

·  signs of safety training

·  the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Looked After Children Service (LAC) launched in April 2018

The report also provided an update on performance:

·  Increasing Looked After Children numbers

·  Contact timeliness

·  Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) timeliness

·  Re-referrals

·  Recording issues

·  Assessments

The Board questioned the Cabinet Member and officers on the following:

·  Workforce recruiting

·  Continual recruitment required due to the low average career timespan for social workers

·  Retention initiatives

·  Staff morale with an inspection due

·  Homelessness and children presenting as homeless

·  Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service

·  What an Ofsted ‘good’ would look like with statistics

·  Diversity of the workforce

·  Child Sexual Exploitation

·  Gangs

·  The Executive Group replacing the Improvement Board

The officer’s present provided detail regarding the current number of employees and agency workers and vacancies.  It was reported that Ofsted visits were approached as ‘business as usual’ and the aim was to do our best for the Children of Coventry. 

RESOLVED that

1)  The Scrutiny Board agree the recommendations and welcome the   consideration of the full report of the Improvement Board in   February, 2019.

2)  The Scrutiny Board request a briefing to update the Board on the   Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Looked After   Child (LAC) service which was reporting to the Improvement Board   in January, 2019.