Appendix B

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Dear Glen,

ANNUAL REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE

Thank you for arranging our recent annual review meeting. This letter sets out the Inspectorate's view of the performance of social services in your area during the last year and comments on improvements planned for the year ahead.

The recommendations made in this letter and its annexed report are intended to help the council improve outcomes and the quality of service to service users and carers. They are also intended to improve the prospects of improved performance ratings in the future.

In assessing performance, SSI reaches judgements about performance against a set of standards and criteria, as published in February 2002, drawing on evidence from a number of standard sources. These include:

· The published PAF performance indicators and other statistical data up to 2002-03, plus data supporting planned targets for 2003-04;

· monitoring information from the Position Statement completed in June and October 2002, and the Delivery and Improvement Statement completed in May 2003;

· the audit of services to children in need carried out in response to the report of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry; and

Details of the standards and criteria have been published, are available from SSI, or may be seen on the Department of Health's website. A summary of the evidence used has also been sent to you separately.

The Annex to this letter summarises the strengths of performance over the last year and highlights priorities for improvement in the year ahead. The annual review does not attempt to review all aspects of performance. It focuses on the performance issues for which SSI has current information.

This report will form part of the SSI's performance record for the Council and will be published on the Department of Health's website in November. You are asked to present it to an open meeting of the relevant executive committee of the council within two months of the date of this letter, and to advise me of the date on which this will take place. The document must be made available to members of the public at the same time.

Progress will continue to be monitored during 2003-04 through our usual processes, and a further Annual Review meeting will take place during the first quarter of 2004-05.

Performance (Star) ratings will be confirmed in November, based on an assessment of overall performance using all admissible evidence. The evidence summarised in this letter will be used to help arrive at the rating.

Yours sincerely

Lynda Hoare

Director

Cc: Council Chief Executive

PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2003 ISLE OF WIGHT

SERVICES FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES

Assessment has highlighted the following improvements to service since the last Annual Review.

· the SSI evaluation of the council’s Victoria Climbie audit judged the council to be serving most children well. (Standard 1);

· for looked after children, services and outcomes are positive:

· there has been continued progress on the proportion of looked after children (LAC) who have three or more placement moves in a year, and the council is now the second best of its comparator group PAF PI A4). Long-term stability of LAC (PAF PI D35) remains good, and again is the second best of the group.

· The proportion of children under 10 years who are placed in family placements (PAF PI B7) has improved to a very good level, while the overall proportion of all children remains good (PAF PI C22). The proportion of LAC who are adopted from council care has improved to a very good level (PAF PI C23). Further improvement on these indicators is supported by an improvement in foster care services through the allocation of additional funding and the strengthening and reorganisation of services. The position of looked-after children and foster carers is now regarded as a critical aspect of the services provided by the Council. (Standards 1,3);

· a successful education drop-in service for looked-after children has been started, which the Council hopes to expand. (Standard 3); and

· considerable importance is given to improving accessibility to services, under the umbrella the council’s Great Access to Great Services (GAGS) initiative.

Assessment has highlighted the following concerns about performance.

· the life chances of looked after children (LAC), as shown by PAF PIs, are not all improving as expected. The rate of LAC who are absent from school (PAF PI C24) has increased, and the educational qualifications LAC (PAF PI A2) remains unacceptable. The small cohorts involved mean that rates can be volatile, but it will be important to maintain rigorous monitoring of these areas through the relevant Local Public Service Agreement targets (Standard 3);

· there has been some deterioration in PAF PIs concerned with child protection: the rate of re-registrations (PAF PI A3) has increased to a poor level (although the council states that this is due to two large sibling groups); and reviews of cases (PAF PI C20) are not all completed within required timescales. It is noted that the duration on the CPR register (PAF PI C21) has improved to a good level (standard 3);

Capacity for Improvement (Standard 6)

Assessment has highlighted the following improvements to capacity.

· there is evidence of greater interest and involvement by Members in children and family services (Standards 1, 6);

· the future shape of children services is being determined by close joint working between the SSD and its partners, including health and education. Additional services and funding plus an imminent restructuring of the children and family service to match that already undertaken in adult services, will enhance the Council’s position in relation to preparation for the forthcoming green paper (Standards 1, 6);

· the council as a whole has responded positively to the recommendations arising from the Comprehensive Performance Assessment, with improvements to performance management arrangements and monitoring (Standard 6);

· partnership working is continuing to develop, and the Local Strategic Partnership is a major focus for improvement and service development. An Island Strategy Group provides a forum for high-level strategic discussion between the council, the PCT and the local acute NHS Trust. Good use is made of Health Act Flexibilities. Plans to integrate headquarters accommodation for Social Services and the PCT are expected to further enhance working relationships. (Standards 1, 6);

· some progress has been made in the past year in reducing vacancy levels and action is being taken to enhance some rates of pay and establish flexible working policies (Standard 6);

· a new Information System is due to be introduced. This is expected to promote further improvements to service delivery and better monitoring. (Standard 6); and

· the SSI evaluation of the council’s Victoria Climbie audit judged the council to have promising capacity for further improvement. (Standard 1).

Assessment has highlighted the following concerns about capacity.

· staff recruitment is proving difficult to sustain in areas including foster carers and social workers. However corporate initiatives that actively involved Members including the establishment of a Council-wide workforce strategy are among the measures being taken to tackle the problem (Standard 6).

SERVICES FOR ADULTS

Assessment has highlighted the following improvements to services since the last annual review

· a commissioning strategy has been developed for each adult client group (Standard 3);

· a low level of delayed transfers is being achieved and tracking measures are in place to ensure that the performance level will be sustained. A range of intermediate care and homecare services has been developed, with further expansion planned. (Standard 3);

· considerable importance is given to improving accessibility to services, under the umbrella the council’s Great Access to Great Services (GAGS) initiative (Standard 5); and

· the rates of adults under 65 years supported to live at home continue to be very good (PAF PIs C29, C30, C31), and the rate of supported admissions of adults under 65 years to residential/nursing care (PAF PI C27) has improved to a very good level. (Standard 3).

Assessment has highlighted the following concerns about performance.

· there are continuing difficulties with the agreement of contracts and costs with a minority of the independent sector. Although negotiations have been successfully concluded with some three-quarters of the island’s independent sector providers, agreement is as yet outstanding with remainder, and the Council faces some possibility of a legal challenge (Standard 3);

· the balance of services for older people as shown by the following PAF PIs:

· B11 (the ratio of intermediate care to intermediate care and residential care);

· C26 (the rate of supported admissions of older people to residential care);

· C28 (rate of intensive care); and

· C32 (rate of older people supported at home)

is not showing the progress expected. PAF B11 has deteriorated from acceptable performance to a unacceptable standard. This is a target area for the council’s Local Public Service Agreement (Standard 3);

· More work is needed on the provision of statements of need (D39). In relation to D39 further discussion will take place between SSI and the SSD (Standard 4);

· direct payments opportunities are being taken up slowly but not as comprehensively as had been planned. The Council have plans to promote the service with staff (Standard 4); and

· there has been a deterioration in PAF PIs C33 (rate of avoidable harm for older people), D38 (timely provision of equipment) and D42 (carers assessments). Work should be undertaken to understand the reasons for this. (Standards 3 and 4).

Capacity for improvement (Standard 6)

Assessment has highlighted the following improvements to capacity.

· progress has been made in establishing social care and housing within the corporate structure of the Council including a stronger Member interest backed up by additional resources. (Standards 1, 2, 6);

· housing is now regarded by the Council as a core service. It is now a priority area and is a provision being considered in discussions with service partners (Standards 1, 6);

· some progress has been made in the past year in reducing vacancy levels and action is being taken to enhance some rates of pay and establish flexible working policies (Standard 6); and

· a new Information System is due to be introduced. This is expected to promote further improvements to operational service delivery and monitoring. (Standard 6).

Assessment has highlighted the following concerns about capacity.

· there are difficulties in staff recruitment and retention. Although staff turnover is not significantly greater than other local councils in the south east, factors that are particular to the “Island factor” can exacerbate recruitment difficulties and make the use of agency staff more problematic. Problems are particularly apparent in the recruitment of home care staff and social workers); and

· limited progress is being made towards the implementation of Valuing People but there are plans to increase joint working (Standards 1, 3, 6).