- Presentation by Sue Wilson, Performance and Quality Manager
Minutes:
Sue Wilson, Performance and Quality Manager gave the following powerpoint presentation:-
Inspection of Services for Children in need of Help and Protection, Children Looked After and Leaving Care
A Single Inspection Framework encompassing
- Early Help
- Child Protection
- Looked After Children (previously in SLAC)
- Fostering
- Adoption
- Care Leavers
- LSCB
It would be announced and include 4 judgements
- Overall effectiveness
- The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection
- The experiences and progress of children looked after and achieving permanence (including Adoption and Care Leavers)
- Leadership, management and governance
- There would also be a review and grading of the effectiveness of the LSCB
Methodology
- 4 week inspection, 7 Inspectors
- Week 1 (onsite 3 days)
· Set up
· Key documents and full case list supplied within 24 hours
· Evaluation of ‘Front door’
- Week 2 (Inspectors off site)
· Select 30 cases for the Authority to audit to be presented at start of week 3
- Weeks 3 and 4 (Inspectors onsite)
· Main inspection activity (interviews, visits, attendance at groups and meetings etc.)
· Follow up on key themes from audited cases
· Look at approximately 200 further files
· Children’s experiences were key, would include visits to children in and out of Authority placements
· Would look at the child’s journey as a whole from help given at identification (Early help) through to Leaving Care
Areas covered during the inspection would include
- 1. The experiences and progress of children who needed help and protection
Were children listened to and practice influenced by their wishes and feelings
Did feedback from children and families inform the shape of Service delivery
Was help offered timely
Quality of referrals from partners
Information sharing with partners
Were thresholds understood by partners
Was decision making clearly recorded
Quality of plans (CIN, CPP)
Focus on Children Missing, CSE, Private Fostering, LADO investigations
Advocates for Children, Young People and Families were available
Practice was informed by feedback from Children, Young People and Families
- 2. The experiences and progress of children looked after and achieving permanence
Decision making was timely
Effective use of Public Law Outline, permanent plans were made
Evidence that families would change and it was safe to return
Children and young people were seen alone, knew how to complain and were safe from bullying
Children were in good health, had a range of activities, attended school and made progress, lived in stable, safe and appropriate homes
Care plans addressed the needs of children and were challenged by IROs where necessary
Appropriate supported contact with parents was in place
Family finding strategies informed by assessed need
Well trained Social Workers engaged with partners
- 2a. The quality of an Adoption Services
Adoption was considered for all children who were unable to return home
Recruitment, assessment and training of adopters enabled needs of children to be met
The Panel and agency decision maker ensured effective matching
Adoption support was available for those children, their birth and adoption families
- 2b. The experiences and progress of Care Leavers
Care leavers were safe and felt safe
Pathway plans addreseds all needs
Health needs were assessed and met with a full history provided to them
Relationships were maintained with carers and staff from the Local Authority
Skills, confidence, employment and life chances were developed
- 3. Leadership and Management
Clear linkages across all strategic bodies
The Local Authority knew itself well, was a learning organisation and fedback and complaints inform practice
Corporate Parenting was strong and champions progress in education and learning
Relationships with key parents were strong
The workforce was sufficient, stable and suitably qualified
Performance Management was rigorous
Annex A
- Normally requested with 24 hours from being onsite:-
To enable cases to be identified
Detailed case level data sets around the areas in scope (contacts, referrals, early help, CAF, CIN, CPP, LAC, Adoptions, Placement details and Care Leavers)
- Also document evidence around
Structures and workforce profiles
Performance, Outcomes and Impact analysis
Local Protocol for Assessment
Voice of the Child and customer feedback
Quality assurance and related actions
Complaints
RSCB minutes
Details of planned meetings during fieldwork
Key strategies
Thresholds
Judgement Grades
- Outstanding
- Good (the new minimum standard)
- Requires improvement
- Inadequate
Recommendations will focus on
- Immediate priorities
- Areas for development
- Strengths
The planning for the inspection will be in 3 tiers
- Annex A
Co-ordination – Performance and Quality
Quality Assurance – Team Managers and Social Workers
- Social Care practice – Safeguarding, Children and Families SMT
- Partnership approach – CYPS Improvement Panel
- CYPS Improvement panel would also have an overview around the preparedness for the inspection
Sue was thanked for the presentation.