Agenda item

(A presentation will be provided as part of this item on the risks associated with the significant pressures on the children’s social care placement budget which funds the care of vulnerable children and the education budget resulting from the increase in the provision of support to high needs pupils (including SEN placements).  Both risks are included in the Corporate Strategic Risk Register.)

 

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources which provided an overview of key risk areas and the measures being taken to address them. The report also provided an update on related risk management matters such as Business Intelligence, and the proposals for a Combined Authority for Leicester and Leicestershire. A copy of the report marked ‘Agenda Item 8’ is filed with these minutes.

 

The Committee also received a presentation on the risks associated with the significant pressures on the children’s social care placement budget which funds the care of vulnerable children, and the education budget resulting from the increase in the provision of support to high needs pupils (including SEN placements), both of which are included in the Corporate Strategic Risk Register. A copy of the slides forming the presentation is filed with these minutes.

 

Presentation

 

Arising from the presentation the following points were noted:

 

(i)     Residential placements were more expensive than family based placements and evidence indicated that they were less successful. Therefore it was intended to increase the number of foster placements in Leicestershire. Investment would be needed to gain the return in the long term. It was confirmed that the costs referred to in the presentation slides included all management costs. It was believed that as the service grew some management costs would reduce;

 

(ii)    In order to attract more foster carers a package was being put together which included greater support to families, including out of hours support. Ideally there would be a ratio of 15 foster carers per support worker but in Leicestershire the number was higher. Members noted that there was a scheme in place to encourage Council employees to foster and the Director of Children and Families agreed to obtain the details of how successful this scheme had been to date and report back to Members;

 

(iii)    In order to support children in foster placements additional ‘wrap around’ services were required. Discussions were underway with Health providers and in particular Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) regarding implementing these services;

 

(iv)   A Member questioned the rationale for closing a children’s home in Leicestershire, leaving only one remaining open, when there was a need to still place children out of the County. It was noted that the home that had been closed was too large and children with complex needs could not always be placed in the same establishment as other children due to the risk of negatively impacting those children. A more specialist environment was required for the children with complex needs and the costs involved in placing children out of the County were not greatly different from the cost of housing them in Leicestershire. Members noted that there were also instances when children needed to be placed out of County for their own safety;

 

(v)    Due to financial pressures there was a temptation to only provide the statutory services however it was not felt to be a prudent strategy to keep cutting services and therefore other models of care were being considered. Focus would continue to be on taking action early to avoid children coming into the care system in the first place, and once they were in care to manage the residential population much better.

 

Risk Register

 

Arising from discussions the following points were noted:

 

(i)     The holder of the newly titled role of Head of Assurance Services would report to the Section 151 Officer: the Director of Finance, who would be ultimately responsible for insurance matters.

 

(ii)    The Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) contained a review of the early help and intervention programmes.

 

(iii)    Members requested further information regarding risk 1.3 concerning the management of Section 106 agreements and the effect of district Councils not having a Community Infrastructure (CIL) in place. The Director of Corporate Resources undertook to provide further information on this.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(a)    That the current status of the strategic risk, the addition of new risks facing the Council and the updated Corporate Risk Register be approved.

 

(b)    That the following be noted:

 

(i) The emerging risks around the Combined Authority proposals and the anticipated devolution deal;

(ii) the business intelligence and business continuity update;

(iii) the risk maturity assessment update;

(iv) the transfer of responsibility for managing the insurance function.

 

(c)    That a presentation be provided at the next meeting of the Committee on either:

 

(i) the risks associated with the proposals for a Combined Authority for Leicester and Leicestershire (if the timing is appropriate); or

(ii) the risks associated with the Health and Social Care Integration;

 

(d)    That a follow up presentation be provided at the meeting of the Committee in November 2016 on the risks around the significant pressures on the children’s social care placement budget which funds the care of vulnerable children;

 

(e)   That the Directors of Children and Families and Corporate Resources provide further information on:

 

(i) the success of the scheme put in place to encourage Council employees to foster children in the area;

(ii) risk 1.3 concerning the management of Section 106 agreements and the effect of district councils not having a CIL in place.