Agenda item

The Committee considered a  report of the Director for Transformation and Partnerships which presented progress against the council’s corporate performance framework for the Altogether Better for Children and Young People priority theme for the fourth quarter of the 2016/17 financial year (for copy see file of minutes).

The Strategic Manager, Performance and Information Management reported that figures for under 18 conceptions continued to reduce and mothers smoking at the time of delivery had reduced from the previous year however remained a concern.  Durham’s performance for turned around families was above the regional and national average.

With reference to statutory referrals the Committee were informed that the target of 85% was not met but were assured that any immediate safeguarding issues were dealt with within 4 hours.  There had been a significant increase in the number of children with a child protection plan from 350 in 2015/16 to 501 in 2016/17. Children’s services had set an optimum caseload per social worker of 20 and focus groups had been set up to give social workers a more manageable workload. The number of children adopted from care had improved and reviews for looked after children were being closely monitored to ensure the delays were kept to a minimum.

Finally, the Strategic Manager reported that Durham had taken part in a pilot to collect data on social worker changes for the Children’s Commissioner Stability Index.  A similar pattern was found nationally to that of Durham.

Councillor Reed referred to at risk children and asked if work took place to identify a family member to take a child rather than the child being placed in care.  The Head of Early Help, Assessment and Safeguarding explained that in every case family members would be the first option.  There would be an immediate check of all family members to assess suitability and pointed out that it was a preference to place a child with a family member where possible.  Foster care was only used when necessary.  Councillor Reed, as a former foster carer herself, said that somewhere down the line a family member was usually found after the child had been taken into care.  She was informed that some family members were not known at the time of placement and would still need to be assessed once identified.

On answering a question from Councillor Crute the Head of Early Help, Assessment and Safeguarding explained that there was a relationship between case load sizes and quality.  She added that reducing caseloads would not necessarily guarantee quality and that this would have to be monitored.  She referred to the new electronic system that had been procured to replace SSID and explained that it was much easier to use and would save time for the social worker.  Councillor Crute referred to the recruitment and retention of social workers and the fact that a number of staff had gone to work for other local authorities.  He asked if we were doing enough and was advised that there was a regional agreement in relation to social worker recruitment and a social work academy had been set up by Durham County Council to develop our own social workers whereby newly qualified staff would be brought in and developed in house.  The Committee were also advised that a social worker apprenticeship programme would commence next year which would enable family workers to train as social workers

Referring to Looked After Children and children with a child protection plan, Councillor Patterson said that although the numbers had increased in County Durham it was a good thing that we knew about the children and it showed that people were better at spotting the signs and that this would help put interventions in place more quickly.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.