Agenda item

Presentations:-

 

Aim 1  All Children get the best start in life

            Richard Cullen, CCG

 

Aim 2    Children and young people achieve their potential and have a healthy adolescence and early adulthood

              Ian Thomas, RMBC

The Chairman reported that the presentation on Aim 1 – All children get the best start in life – was to be deferred to a future meeting.

 

Ian Thomas, Strategic Director, Children and Young People’s Service, and Shafiq Hussain, VAR, gave the following powerpoint presentation on Aim 2: Children and young people achieve their potential and have a healthy adolescence and early adulthood:-

 

Board Sponsor:  Ian Thomas RMBC       

Supported by:  Shafiq Hussain, VAR, and Tracy Guest, YWCA

 

-          Reduce the number of young people at risk of child sexual exploitation

-          Reduce the number of young people experiencing neglect

-          Reduce the risk of self-harm and suicide among young people

-          Increase the number of young people in education, employment or training

-          Reduce the number of young people who are overweight and obese

-          Reduce risky healthy behaviours in young people

 

The story in Rotherham

Reduce the number of young people at risk of child sexual exploitation

-          The Jay Report (2014) Independent Rotherham CSE Inquiry (1997-2013)

-          Responding to historical shortcomings

-          Some indications that ‘on line’ and street grooming increasing

-          Number of children and young people presenting at risk of CSE: 352 (2015/16)

-          Governance: Improvement Board/Plan, Safeguarding Children’s Board, CSE sub-group

-          Services: MASH, Evolve, VCS commissioned services, Barnardos ‘Reach Out’

 

Reduce the number of young people experiencing neglect

-          Approximately 10% of new referrals to Social Care have primary reason neglect (455 in 2015/16)

-          Reality much higher.  Other factors for neglect: domestic violence, parental substance misuse and mental health issues

-          Neglect: ‘rungs of ladder/ continuum of need

-          2,231 open children’s social care cases at the end of 2015/16 (1,430 Children in Need, 369 Child Protection Plans, 432 Looked After Children)

-          Child Protection Plans (CPPs) started in the year where neglect is main category or a feature, 304 (2015/16) 51.9% of all new CPPs

-          Services not specifically designed for ‘neglect’

 

Reduce the risk of self-harm and suicide among young people

-          Mortality from Suicide and Injury Undetermined 2010-2014 in 0-19 years: 5 males 0 females

-          Self-harm is recognised in Rotherham as an area of concern particularly among healthy professionals and young people

-          However, nationally data collected suggests we do well compared to England averages for self-harm although suicide is slightly above average

 

Increase the number of young people in education, employment or training

2015/16                                              2016/17 (June, 2016)

Rotherham 5.26%                            5.6%

Statistical neighbours 5.16%         5.6%

Regional 4.76%                               4.9%

National 4.2%                                   4.5%

 

Rotherham NEET Cohort as at 1^st August, 2016

525:    273 (52%) male

            252 (48%) female

 

Reduce the number of young people who are overweight and obese

-          In Rotherham 9.9% of 4-5 year olds were identified as obese (2014/15) higher than the England average of 9.1%

-          This figure more than doubles at Year 6 as 21.6% of 10-11 year old pupils in Rotherham were identified as obese, worse than the England average of 19.1%

-          Rotherham ranks similarly among Children’s Services statistical neighbours (6^th of 11 including Rotherham at Reception, 2^nd highest at Year 6)

 

Reduce risky health behaviours in young people

Some of the contributory factors:

-          Sexual Health – Chlamydia 1,738 per 100K (national average 1,887, target 2,300) aged 15-24 in 2015

-          Teenage pregnancy – 28.9 per 1,000 (national average 26.4) aged 15-17 in 2014

-          Alcohol and Drugs – 3 year average 21.4 hospital admissions for alcohol per 100K (national average 36.6) aged 0-17, 2012/15

-          Smoking – 7.2% regular smokers (national average 5.5%) aged 15, 2014/15

-          Self-esteem

-          Self-harm – 312 hospital admissions per 100K (national average 399) aged 10-24 in 2014/15

-          School absence – 5.3% (national average 4.6%) aged 5-15 in 2014/15

-          Domestic abuse (general) – 30 per 1,000 population (national average 20.4) aged 16+ 2014/15

 

Aim 2: Workshop 5^th August, 2016

-          Over 40 attendees from across partnership including representatives from RMBC, Police, Healthwatch, Public Health, voluntary and community sector and training providers

-          Six focus group workshops considered each objective:

       What’s the situation in Rotherham

       What currently works well

       Are there any gaps

Priority area

-          Participants came up with key actions for each objective:-

 

Reduce the number of children and young people experiencing neglect

·           Develop a consistent understanding of identifying neglect

·           Develop assessment tool/shared responsibility

·           Think Family Model

Reduce the risk of self-harm and suicide amongst young people

·           Targeting young people at key transition points in their lives by linking through peer support

Increase the number of young people in education, employment or training

·           NEETs case conference approach supported by Early Help

·           All providers ‘around the table’ focusing on NEETs

·           Pre-16 alternative provision – partners around the table working collaboratively to provide a suitable offer

Reduce the number of children and young people who are overweight and obese

·           School Pilot: a different approach than the existing weight screening programme using a ‘whole school approach’

Reduce risky health behaviours in young people

·           Campaign that addresses ‘respect’ both for self and others: e.g. personal space, community

·           Resilience: encourage all adults in child’s life to address resilience with young people

·           Organise a similar event as today’s workshop with schools: open dialogue and encourage conversation

 

Discussion

-          Do these actions feel correct?

-          Is there one or two areas that the Board think should be prioritised?

-          What can partners offer to support the priorities?

 

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/highlighted:-

 

-          Testing for Chlamydia was still carried out but there were fewer numbers of young people who had contracted it which was why the target had not been reached

 

-          Schools should be encouraged to be more proactive with regard to PHSE; the Council had been lobbying the Government to make age appropriate PHSE compulsory rather than mandatory.  This also contributed to raising self-esteem in young people

 

-          Concern regarding the hidden levels of self-harm which did not present itself in the statistics of hospital admissions

 

-          The national obesity rate which doubled between the ages of 5-10 years.  Increased work was required at a much earlier stage including the ante-natal pathway

 

-          Emerging theme of raising aspirations and self-esteem that the Board may wish to look at in more detail with links into children’s mental health

 

Resolved:-  (1)  That the plan for Aim 2 be noted.

 

(2)  That the Board sponsor and lead officers develop the plan in relation to Aim 2 including actions for improving self-esteem and report this to the Children and Young People’s Partnership Board.

ACTION:  Ian Thomas