Agenda item

Allocation of Resources to Deliver Ofsted Improvement Programme

Decision:

Cabinet:

 

  • Approved the approach outlined within and agree the financial request for additional resources to be allocated to Children’s Social Care for 19/20. This will provide an opportunity consolidate improvements delivered over the last two years, and achieve greater consistency across all service areas. 

 

Minutes:

Councillor Robert Benham, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, Children and Families was very pleased to present the report to Cabinet setting out an ambitious plan to build on the successes of the Children’s Services Department.

Children’s Services provide essential statutory social work services, to children who are at risk of harm and those children who are in Local Authority care to whom all elected members are Corporate Parents.  The aim is to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable children and families across Havering, and achieve an improved OFSTED rating at the next inspection.

Cllr Benham recommended to Cabinet to approve a proposal to invest £750,000 to resource the improvement programme for Children’s social care services.  The investment will enable the department to respond to the recommendations made in the 2018 OFSTED inspection, when the social care service received and overall rating of ‘Good’.

The goal for this administration, as reflected in the Corporate Plan is for Children’s social care to have at least one area rated as ‘Outstanding’ at the next inspection.

Over the past six months, Children’s Services have embarked on a journey of improvement, focusing on seven key priorities: quality assurance, workforce development, planning, supervision, data quality and case recording, transitions to adulthood and adolescent safeguarding.  The purpose of the investment is to enable the department to consolidate the improvements to practice that have already been made through the Face-to-Face Programme and quicken the pace of improvement in the most critical areas.

The additional resources will enable the strengthening of the quality assurance and case audit function, secure the future of the systemic practice team, provide capacity to further develop the Social Care Academy and fund the project resource necessary to facilitate the improvement programme.

The improvement work will be overseen by the Children’s Services Improvement Board, which in turn will provide regular progress reports to Cabinet.

The additional resource will be drawn on a ‘one-off’ basis from corporate budgets to cover a twelve month period.  There after Children’s Services will develop a strategy to sustain any ongoing resource requirements from within the Children’s Services budget.

Cllr Benham commended the proposals to Cabinet and paid tribute to all the staff involved who work so hard to improve the lives and outcomes for our young people in the Borough.  The Leader of the Council added his own thanks stating that the turnaround in performance has been amazing and indicative of the hard work and dedication of the Director of Children’s Services and his staff.

 

Following discussion,

 

Cabinet:

 

  • Approved the approach outlined within and agree the financial request for additional resources to be allocated to Children’s Social Care for 19/20. This will provide an opportunity consolidate improvements delivered over the last two years, and achieve greater consistency across all service areas. 

 

Supporting documents: