Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

Further to minute 25/19 the Scrutiny Board considered a briefing note of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) which provided an update on progress with Children’s Services improvement reported to the Continuous Improvement Executive Group on 19^th December, 2019.  The next Continuous Improvement Executive Group would be held on 25^th February, 2019. 

The Continuous Improvement Executive Group would ensure tighter focus on continuous improvement and Ofsted preparation.  The impact of performance would be managed and monitored by the group.  This was an interim measure before returning to business as usual in accordance with the revised arrangements for Children’s Safeguarding, and subject to satisfactory inspection by September 2020.  At this time the Executive Group would cease and oversight transferred to Coventry Safeguarding Children’s Partnership and monitored as business as usual. 

The Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive continued to give public commitment that Children’s Services remained a key priority for the Council. This included prioritising funding for Children’s Services to maintain its capacity to improve.  The Council, alongside partner organisations continued a relentless focus on securing improvements in services for children, young people and families to ensure they were safeguarded and achieved positive outcomes.

The next standard Inspection of Children’s Services was anticipated to be between September 2019 and September 2020.

The Continuous Improvement plan was reviewed by Executive Group board members on 19 December 2019, overall good progress was being made against actions in the plan.

The report noted progress with the following:

·  Performance Board review of critical performance indicators.  Executive Group members were reassured that work was being undertaken to address performance issues and critical performance indicators were highlighting improvement.

·  A workforce update including a data summary with the following information:

There had been an increase in Social Workers and there had been a decrease in agency staff, a decrease in vacancies and a decrease in average caseloads, however sickness absence had increased.

·  The Childrens Services Conference had included news, updates, reflection, learning from a Serious Case Review, the launch of the Strategic plan and updated vision, Ofsted planning and celebration of successes

·  Ofsted preparations including the completion of the self-assessment mid January, 2020.

The Board commented on the positive reduction in reliance on agency staff and thanked the Cabinet Member and Director of Children’s Services for the useful visit they had arranged for Board Members to meet Social Workers.

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

·  Increase in sickness absence and concern about staff having increased pressures

·  Benchmarking sickness

·  Critical performance indicators

·  Self-assessment preparation for Ofsted

Officers responded that they were proud of the work of the Academy and were monitoring the sickness absence.  Benchmarking was undertaken comparing other service areas and data was reported to the Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1).  Officers were also looking at ways to support staff through career pathways.  The Self- Assessment was an important preparation that officers were in the process of completing and this would be reported to Members.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Board acknowledged the progress in the improvement report and thanked officers for the visit that had been arranged to Broadgate House to talk to social workers