INSPECTION OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES
REPORT BY THE COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL CARE INSPECTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR ADULT AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES
To debate and make
recommendations, on the findings contained within the Commission for Social
Care Inspections Report on Children’s Services.
To debate and make recommendations
1.
The Council is committed to improving children’s services
and to the protection of the most vulnerable in the community. The Local
Preventative Strategy provides a framework for prioritising the development of
an integrated children’s service and for tackling the challenges that we face
in partnership with statutory and community sectors. The recently revised and
approved Corporate Parenting Policy will ensure Member’s increased involvement,
consultation with service users and responsibility for the oversight of
children’s services.
2.
Children’s Services were inspected by
CSCI in January 2004. It was one of 30
inspections over a year, as part of a national programme of local inspections.
It was undertaken by two CSCI Inspectors and a Lay Assessor.
3.
The inspection evaluated the effectiveness of council
services for children in need, including those who were Looked After, those on
the Child Protection Register and those receiving Family Support Services. Its
focus included:
·
The effectiveness of service delivery;
·
The provision of information;
·
Processes for referral, assessment,
care planning and review;
·
Fair access;
·
Costs and efficiency; and
·
The way in which services were
organised and managed.
4.
It also focused on whether services were safe for children
and whether policy expectations of social services were being realised in
practice.
5.
Overall the Inspectors found: “The Isle of Wight was
providing a good standard of service to children and families and in some areas
achieving a very good level of performance. However there were some areas of
significant concern, which were requiring serious attention, namely the
Referral and Assessment Team, services to children with challenging behaviours
and access to CAMHS. The Council was starting from a relatively low base on a
number of areas, such as on corporate parenting, valuing diversity and ensuring
fair access to services. It was assessed that there was a strong commitment at
all levels to deliver improvement in these and other areas, and promising signs
that this was underway. With sustained effort and good leadership the chances
of achieving a reputation for quality in children services was good.”
6.
The Report makes 21 recommendations.
7.
The
Local Education Authority (LEA) post OFSTED Action Plan and the Children and
Family Services CSCI Inspection Action Plan set the agenda for the improvement
of the future Children’s Services Directorate of the Isle of Wight Council and
its Schools. The action plan will inform the strategic planning of Children’s
Services and will also inform and impact on policies within Children’s
Services. This inspection report contributes to the overall assessment of the
Council through the Corporate Performance Assessment. Implementation of the
recommendations will contribute to the achievement of the strategic objectives
of the Corporate Plan.
CONSULTATION
8.
Key stakeholders and service users were consulted as
part of the inspection process. The process and findings are set out within the
report.
FINANCIAL/BUDGET
IMPLICATIONS
9.
Initially the response to the inspection report will be
met from within base budget, including the application of agreed uplift gained
for 2004/05, together with the Government’s Safeguarding Children Grant to
ensure that the Service is “Climbie compliant”.
10.
Consideration may need to be given to financial
implications of the action plan for the forthcoming financial year, in the
light of Children’s Services integration agenda.
LEGAL
IMPLICATIONS
11.
Implementation of the recommendations is set within the
current legal statutory framework and in line with Government guidance. The Council has statutory duties to promote
and safeguard the welfare of children in its area. Courts, in recent years,
have agreed that it is possible for children who allege that those duties have
not been carried out to bring actions for damages against the local authority.
12.
Legal Services work closely with Children’s Services,
particularly in relation to child protection casework and is moving towards a
24hr service in line with the recommendations of the Laming Report.
13.
The Inspection Report provides Members with an
assessment of the strengths and areas identified for development of the
Island’s current Children’s Services. The main risks, requiring serious
attention are identified as:
Ø
The Referral & Assessment Team
Risk management:
There was at the time of the inspection
and continues to be in place a management action plan. To strengthen this team
we have changed the Team management arrangements and have in place an extra four
temporary Social Work Assistant posts. We are using the Council’s funded uplift
2004/05 and the Safeguarding Children Government Grant to create two new
professionally qualified posts and make permanent the assistant posts. Cases
have been reviewed and the remit of the Team has been revised and reduced.
Ø
Services for children with challenging behaviours
Risk management:
Oak House has developed a
system of managing referrals and matching or signposting to services for
children with special needs and disabilities. This has been extended to
encompass children within the Autism Spectrum including those with ADHD. A post
is being set up to facilitate the development of this service for children with
challenging behaviour.
Ø
Access to Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services
Risk management:
The Commissioners have now met to
consider the independent report on CAMHS and are now in a position to revise
the strategy. A commissioning and operational group have been set up to take
the agreed recommendations forward.
14.
The management of continuous improvement and the
effective implementation of the associated action plan will have a benefit to
the Council’s overall Corporate Performance Assessment and the star rating of
Children’s Services.
15.
The Report was presented to the Executive Committee on
the 14th July and was embargoed to the public until the
presentation. For this reason the detail regarding the content of the report
will be presented at the Committee.
16.
Copies
of the report are available from the web address of www.csci.org.uk Access to inspection reports
or from 3rd Floor, Finlaison House, 15 - 17 Furnival Street, London
EC4 1AH for hard copies from the 15th July 2004.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Appendix
1 – The main findings from the Inspection Report.
Inspection
of Children’s Services, Isle of Wight, June 2004
The
Victoria Climbie Inquiry, Laming report, January 2003
Contact
Point : Prue Grimshaw, Acting Head of Children’s Services ( 2227
|
GLEN
GARROD Strategic
Director of Social Services & Housing |
GORDON
KENDALL Portfolio
Holder for Adult & Community Services |