Meeting documents

The performance of Social Services Departments is measured using a variety of methods and tools such as Inspections and Spring and Autumn Delivery and Improvement Statements. Of universal relevance to this process are the 53 Performance Assessment Framework (PAF) indicators some of which are also Best Value indicators.

Third quarter performance for 2003/4 and the previous three years performance against PAF indicators can be found in Appendix A (for copy please refer to hardcopy records). Results are traffic lit in the established way with dark green representing ‘very good’ performance and ranging to red as ‘investigate urgently’.

Children’s Services: 10 out of 18 indicators are being reported on this occasion:

D35 (Percentage of children who have been looked after for at least 4 years who have been in their current placement for at least 2 years) remains in the orange banding. Part of the reason for this has been the move to bring young people who had been in expensive out of County placements back within the County’s own residential sector. An improvement from the current performance of 44.37% to 50% will result in a change of banding.

C23 (Percentage of Children Looked After who are adopted) has moved from the dark green banding in 2002/3 to the yellow banding for the third quarter of 2003/4. The reason for this is a reduction in the number of children looked after placed for adoption so far this year, although the numbers are expected to increase by the year end, resulting in an improved banding. This indicator will be closely monitored throughout the year, not least because should performance drop into the red banding (less than 3% of Children Looked After adopted) it would limit the maximum Star Rating for Children’s Services to “serving some people well”.

C18 (Final warnings and convictions of children looked after as a ratio of all children given a final warning or convicted) has moved from the orange to the yellow banding which is the highest banding for this indicator. This is as a result of a reduction in final warnings and convictions of children looked after alongside an increase in the number of final warnings and convictions in the population of County Durham and Darlington. Strategies to further deal with performance in this indicator include Restorative Justice Approach, re-instating link workers, improving information gathering and monitoring and a Mentoring Scheme.

A2 (Percentage of Children leaving care aged 16 or over with at least 1 GCSE at grade A-G) has moved from the orange to light green banding. Even though this represents very much improved performance, the issues relating to educational attainment of children looked after are being addressed Corporately. This indicator will be closely monitored throughout the year, not least because should performance drop into the red banding (less than 25%) it would limit the maximum Star Rating for Children’s Services to “serving some people well”.

Adult Services: - 15 out of 35 indicators are banded and reported here:

4 very good (dark green)

With no banded indicators in the red or orange categories, the third quarter performance is encouraging. However, this represents less than half the PAF indicators for adults. A full picture will be available in August 2004 when all bandings should be available.

Adult Services performance would seem to be relatively stable in that there has been little movement between bands for indicators this quarter.

A5 (Percentage change from previous year, in emergency admissions to hospital per 1000 population) has moved from the yellow banding to the light green banding as a result of a 2.47% reduction in the rate of emergency admissions.

C27 (Admission of supported residents aged 18-64 to permanent residential care per 10,000 population aged 18-64) has moved from the yellow to light green banding, reporting similar levels of performance as in 2002/3.

C29 (Adults with physical disabilities helped to live at home per 1000 population aged 18-64) has moved from the yellow to light green banding largely as a result of improved data collection.

Adult Services and Children’s Services PAF indicators, as well as results against other performance indicators will be reported to the March round of Social Services Department Performance Days. Attention will be drawn to those indicators where improvements are most urgently needed. Such indicators will be followed up at subsequent Performance Days to ensure that any developments and remedial actions taken are impacting positively on performance.