Agenda item

Overview and Scrutiny require regular updates on themes regarding improvement. In August 2023 Childrens Services had their fourth Monitoring Visit, the letter published by Ofsted is presented for scrutiny alongside the attached presentation summarising the feedback from the inspectors during the Monitoring Visit.

The Corporate Director of Children’s Services and Director of Corporate Parenting & Permanence presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

BCP Childrens Services was inspected, under the Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services (ILACs) framework in December 2021. The outcome was an overall inadequate judgement.

As a result, the Secretary of State of Education issued a Statutory Direction and appointed a DfE Improvement Adviser to support the Council in their improvement of Children’s Social Care Services.

The Children’s Services Improvement Plan was in place to ensure progress was made at pace in Children’s Social Care in line with the recommendations of the December Inspection and in accordance with the statutory direction notice received by the Council in March 2022.

Overview and Scrutiny required regular updates on themes regarding improvement. In August 2023 Childrens Services had their fourth Monitoring Visit, the letter published by Ofsted was presented for scrutiny alongside the attached presentation summarising the feedback from the inspectors during the Monitoring Visit.

The Committee discussed the report and comments were made, including:

• The Committee acknowledged the large amount of work that had been undertaken in a short space of time.
• In response to a query, the Director of Corporate Parenting & Permanence advised of the Quality Assurance Framework which had been developed ensuring any gaps were identified and closed to ensure the service was being the best corporate parent it could be.  It was highlighted that it was a continuous evolving learning process.
• In response to a query about insufficient provision locally, the Committee was advised of the duty to have a sufficiency strategy which would set out how the needs of children and young people in care would be met.  It was advised that the strategy needed updating and it was noted that there was a national crisis in respect of availability of homes for children who were unable to be looked after in their family network and the impact that had was detailed.
• In response to a query, the Committee was advised of the work done through the continuous self-assessment which identified strengths and weaknesses and that the Ofsted report confirmed the service was on the right track.
• In response to a query regarding the number of social workers a child would have contact with, the Committee was advised that the figure had reduced, was being constantly monitored and the reasons why changes with social workers was sometimes unavoidable.
• In response to a query regarding the children who were placed more than 20 miles away from their homes, the Committee was advised of the reasons for this, for example a child who was placed with family in Scotland or unaccompanied asylum seekers being placed in neighbouring authorities.  The Committee was also advised of some of the reasons why a placement outside BCP could be beneficial and positive.
• In response to a query regarding commissioning with the NHS and other partner agencies, the Committee was advised of the ongoing work regarding connections with education and health and the work of the ICS and the place based needs which were highlighted specifically within BCP.

The Chair concluded the item by advising she had some actions which she wanted to progress and she would circulate them outside of the Committee. ACTION.

RESOLVED that the report be noted for information and any future areas of scrutiny by considered.