Agenda item

Consideration was given to the report presented by the Performance and Quality Manager and the Performance Analyst (Performance and Quality, Neighbourhood and Adult Services Directorate) that outlined the 2013/2014 outturn performance of Children and Young People’s Services Directorate. 

The Performance and Quality Manager reported that some of the indicators relating to Social Care were awaiting validation.  Their 2013/2014 outturn would be confirmed in October or November, 2014. 

The performance report outlined which of the Children and Young People’s Services Directorate’s performance measures related to the Council’s Corporate Plan Priorities. 

An exception report was provided for each of the red RAG rated performance measures that were showing performance below the local target and statistical neighbours or national average. 

The Performance and Quality Manager outlined the Red rated performance measures at the end of Quarter Four, 2013/2014, and provided information about what was being done to address the performance issues. 

Red rated performance measures relating to Corporate Priority One: - Stimulating the local economy and helping local people to work: -

·         NI78 – Reduction in number of schools where fewer than 40% of pupils achieved five or more A* - C grades at GCSE, or their equivalent, including GCSEs in English and Maths and below the median progress measures in both English and Mathematics.

Rotherham had one secondary school that had not met the Key Stage Four standard in 2012/2013 or 2013/2014.  This School served a deprived community and had relatively high numbers of pupils who were entitled to the Pupil Premium and who spoke English as an additional language.  These factors were significantly greater than their corresponding National Averages.

Additional work was taking place with the school, including: -

·         There was a system of Executive Headteacher leadership arrangements in place to address the School’s Category and its attainment, which was below the Department for Education’s Floor Standards;

·         Specialist Leaders of Education had been assigned to the School by the Teaching School Alliance (TSA) because of their expertise in specific areas;

·         National Leaders of Education (NLE) and Local Leaders of Education (LLE) were working alongside Headteachers to drive forward improvements and build capacity to ensure that improvements could be sustained.  NLEs and LLEs were working within or beyond their own Learning Community as appropriate. 

Discussion ensued on the role of learning communities in school improvement.  The Director for Schools and Lifelong Learning explained that each learning community had access to a Consultant Headteacher and also ensured that data was shared between learning community schools to identify areas of strength and where improvement was needed. 

·         NI89 – Reduction in the number of schools judged as requiring special measures and improvement in time taken to come out of the Category. 

Rotherham had seven schools in the Category of Special Measures, against a target of two.  Rotherham’s network of support to help to improve school attainment included the School Effectiveness Service, Learners First Ltd and the Learning Community Strategic Performance Groups. 

·         NI10 – Looked After Children reaching level 4+ in Writing at Key Stage Two.

Reference was made to the sustained work of Rotherham’s Virtual Headteacher for Looked After Children with all partners and schools to improve the target setting and progress monitoring for looked after children.  As a group, Looked After Children were achieving outcomes in reading and mathematics above the national average, however, writing was 12% below the national average. 

·         NI17 – Level 4+ in in reading, writing and mathematics;

·         NI18 – Progression by two levels in reading between Key Stage One and Key Stage Two;

·         NI19 – Progression by two levels in writing between Key Stage One and Key Stage Two.

The gap to the National Averages for each of the three performance measures was very small.  The direction of travel was up in relation to NIs 17 and 19, whereas the direction of travel was down in relation to NI18. 

Red rated performance measures relating to Corporate Priority Two: - Protecting our most vulnerable people and families, enabling them to maximise their independence: -

·         NI59 – Percentage of initial assessments for childrens’ social care carried out within ten working-days.

During 2013/2014, 1,560 initial assessments were carried out; 56.1% were completed within the ten day timescale.  The target was 75.1%.

·         NI60 – Percentage of core assessments for childrens’ social care that were carried out within thirty-five working-days of their commencement.

During 2013/2014, 2,405 core assessments were completed, 61% were completed within the thirty-five day timescale.  The target was 74.0%. 

It was noted that NIs 59 and 60 would be deleted for 2014/2015 as the Service was due to develop a new local assessment framework that would constitute a single type of assessment and increase the flexibility in completion timescales.

The Cabinet Member was disappointed that performance remained so low.  Ongoing questions had been asked about whether performance was related to leadership and management or staff capability given the required workload.  Although he was disappointed, the Cabinet Member welcomed the report that the audit of assessments was demonstrating quality improvements in relation to content. 

·         NI61 – Timeliness of placements of looked after children for adoption following an agency decision that the child should be placed for adoption.

During 2013/2014, 34 children were adopted.  23 of these were within timescale, resulting in a performance of 67.6%.  This was below benchmarking data but in-line with the previous year’s outcome. 

The Department for Education had introduced a new framework for adoption from 1^st April, 2014, which significantly reduced the number of days that a child should be waiting to be placed with their adoptive family. 

While past performance had been lower than the national benchmark this measure had significantly improved in 2013/2014 and in a recent meeting with the Department for Education they had made it clear that they were satisfied with Rotherham’s progress and that more recent data was showing an improvement since the introduction of the new ‘childrens’ assessment’ under the revised framework.  

·         NI64 – Child protection plans lasting two years or more.

351 Child Protection Plans ended in 2013/2014, 24 (6.8%) had lasted two or more years.  Performance work was underway for children who had been on a Plan for 18-23 months.  Any decision regarding the continuing of a Child Protection Plan would be made in the best interests of the child regardless of performance targets. 

A study based on audit findings demonstrated that purposeful and effective plans were in place for those children. 

·         NI102 – Achievement gap between pupils eligible for Free School Meals and their peers achieving the expected level at Key Stages Two and Four.

During 2013/2014, the gap between Free School Meals (FSM) and non-FSM children at Key Stage Two was reduced by 3.0% to 22.0%.  That national average gap remained at 19%.  In Key Stage Four the gap between FSM and non-FSM increased by 2.8% to 34.4%.  This was 7.8% above the national gap. 

Resolved: - (1)  That the Children and Young People’s Services Directorate 2013/2014 performance indicator outturn report be noted. 

(2)  That the report be submitted to the Children, Young People and Families’ Partnership for information.