Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director of Children and Young Peoples Services and received a presentation from C Ring, Strategic Manager, Safeguarding and Professional Practice (for copies see file of minutes) which provided an overview of the Children’s Social Care Quality Assurance Framework.

Members were informed that the quality assurance framework was an integrated performance management framework, providing the quantitative information and audit framework providing the qualitative information.

The Committee heard that implementation of Liquidlogic had led to ‘transformational’ changes to the performance management framework and provided real time results to assist with audits. 

Councillor Jewell advised that the QA framework came across as an audit driven model and the Strategic Manager confirmed that there was a whole system approach which included the flexibility to include other areas as well as audits and data.

Councillor Kennedy asked if the new way of recording data made it easier to collate data and carry out audits and the Head of Children’s Social Care confirmed that Liquid Logic improved case management, however the audit was an activity which took place on an individual child’s case file.  It had improved and streamlined the process because prior to the new system, the case notes would have been stored on a Microsoft Word document.  The Strategic Manager added the new system prompted practitioners to ask a series of questions and therefore was linked into Signs of Safety and Quality Assurance.

Councillor Hall referred to proportionate data and whether a higher number of audited cases gave a more accurate breakdown of information and asked if the numbers were given significant weight or whether they were used as an early warning system.  The Head of Children’s Social Care confirmed that 5/6 years prior there was a larger number of cases audited, but the previous system did not provide a breakdown of the quality of practice required.  A balance was needed between the quantity of audits and the quality and learning from them.

Resolved

That the report and presentation be noted.