Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Children and Family Services, the purpose of which was to present the performance of the First Response Central Duty Team and the Children’s Social Care Team over the first two quarters of the 2013/14 business year (1 April to 30 September 2013).  A copy of the report is filed with these minutes.

 Arising from discussion, the following points were noted:

i.              Reassurance was sought that the number of cases being audited were adequate and proportionate to the number of calls being received through the service.  It was noted that the auditing of eight case files formed only part of the performance audits being undertaken and therefore the information detailed in the report highlighted only a small sample of those cases assessed;

ii.            The Signs of Safety toolkit had been produced with considerable input from practitioners, making use of their knowledge and expertise of dealing with difficult cases.  It had been academically verified and was being increasingly used by partners.  Staff had been trained to ensure they were competent and confident in using this toolkit and feedback had been very positive.  Training was also available to partners through the Leicestershire Safeguarding Children Board;

iii.           Concern was raised about the difficulties experienced in obtaining GP support for Adoption Panel meetings and the delay and distress this caused to families.  It was noted that the Department had sought the requisite paediatric help, but that, locally, GPs had limited time available to support the Panel on a regular basis.  Action had been taken to try to commission this support from elsewhere but, at present, this had been unsuccessful.  The matter would be taken to the Health and Wellbeing Board for further consideration with partners;

iv.           Leicester City Council, following a review and re-modelling of its own working arrangements, had given notice that it would no longer be able to provide the Emergency Duty Team service for the County Council’s  children and young people’s and adult social care services.  Arrangements had therefore been made to provide the service in house. However, the number of calls being received had been higher than expected and therefore, to ensure the service was resilient for the future, growth funding of £200,000 had been proposed in the current budget;

v.            The children and young people and adult social care emergency duty teams were kept separate due to the differing nature and volume of calls received.  The majority of adult social care cases related to either care packages or mental health matters.  For children and young people, this focused on protection matters and the need for early help.  The expertise required to manage these calls varied significantly;

vi.           Members applauded the work of the Children’s Voice project and the film created by the children in care following a visit to Auschwitz – Birkenau.  Members strongly supported use of the film on a wider basis and the Chairman requested that members who might have a suggestion for the constructive use of the film to notify officers;

vii.          The Strengthening Families Team worked solely with children who were subject to a child protection plan.  There was overlap in this Teams approach to families and that adopted by Family Support Workers under the Supporting Leicestershire Families (SLF) programme.  The SLF team had recently been transferred to the Children and Young People’s Service and a review of current structures would be undertaken which might see these teams working more closely in future.  For now, strong links between the two teams had been established and information was being shared on an ongoing basis.

RESOLVED:

(a)    That the performance of the First Response Central Duty Team and the Children’s Social Care Team during the period 1^st April to 30 September 2013 be noted;

(b)    That the work of the Unheard Voices project be applauded and that the short film created following a visit by the children in care to Auschwitz-Birkenau be utilised as widely as possible;

(c)     That a copy of the practice methodology into children’s social care enitled ‘Signs of Safety’, be circulated to members for information;

(d)    That a copy of the improvement plan for the County Adoption Service be circulated to members for information;

(e)    That it be noted that issues relating to the availability of GPs to support the County Council’s Adoption Panel would be considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board.