Calderdale MBCSafeguarding children peer challenge

Peer challenge presentation

Friday 30 September 2011 www.local.gov.uk/children-s-services-peer-challenge

Timetable for the day

• Peer Review Presentation• Short break• Action Planning Conference• Close (1pm)

Safeguarding peer review

• The peer team• The process• Early thoughts

– Strengths– Areas for further consideration

The peer challenge team• Eleanor Schooling - Director of Children's Services, Islington • Judith Wyllie - Head of Service, Policy, Planning

Performance, Blackburn with Darwen • Andy Gill – Director of Better Outcomes Practice, Coactiva• Jacqui Dawson – Health peer • Richard Brett - former Liberal Democrat councillor and

portfolio holder for Children's Services at Leeds City Council• Councillor Paul Lakin (Labour) – portfolio holder for

Safeguarding, Rotherham MBC• Andrew Winfield - Peer Challenge Manager, Local

Government Group

Peer review

• Peer review is based on the established signposts • Not an inspection – invited in as “critical friends” • Information is confidential and non attributable• People have been open and honest• Thanks to Bev Guffick, Anne Craven and John

Holden for their unflagging assistance• Our recommendations are based upon what we’ve

read, heard and seen

The Peer review process• Self-evaluation questionnaire based on NSPCC/LGG

Signposts• Case file mapping group• Document and data review• Early thoughts workshop• Interviews and visits• Feedback and prioritisation conference• Summary letter

Key strengths

• Children are safer • Improving staff morale• Beginning to keep promises to staff and build

trust• Getting better at the basics• New ICS• Scale of Calderdale aids partnership working

Key areas for consideration

• Develop the Calderdale brand• Pick up pace of change• Channel energy into achieving milestones• Focus on child’s journey • Sell success to staff, Members and wider

world e.g. safeguarding awards• Ensure basics in place across the piece• Keep eye on LAC

Outcomes

Strengths• Progress on the Improvement Plan• Improved engagement/participation by young

people• Children’s centres doing effective work to

prevent harm to children• Working with partners is impacting positively

on children

Outcomes

Areas for further consideration• Looked After Children are not getting a good

enough deal• Assessment timescales have improved but is

this impacting on quality outcomes for children?

• Not everyone is thinking about outcomes• Lack of continuity of social workers has

impacted on children

Vision, strategy and leadership

Strengths• Council and partners’ commitment to

improving safeguarding• Joint Strategic Needs Assessment provides

comprehensive understanding of need • Active Improvement Board is driving progress

Vision, strategy and leadershipAreas for further consideration• Corporate parenting understanding is weak• Scrutiny should have a sharper focus and concentrate on the

child’s journey• All councillors should be committed to children’s safeguarding

and contribute appropriately• Need to develop the vision and drive from top to bottom and

across partners• ‘Lieutenants and enforcers’ to lead change• Lack of key personnel and capacity is weakening leadership

and pace of improvement• Key leaders and managers operating below their level• Above means improvement is still fragile

Working together and CSCB

Strengths• CSCB seen as a strength, is supported by

partners and core business is good• Partners want to be part of the solution and

can offer capacity• Health is strong partner and police working

effectively in safeguarding• Third sector is making an important

contribution and has the capacity to do more

Working together and LSCBAreas for further consideration• More work on early intervention and prevention

needed• Some partners are unhappy about quality and

engagement• Poor information sharing slows down the pace of

improvement• New strategic planning arrangements do not

currently provide clarity for partners• Is the resourcing of the CSCB sufficient to do a good

job?

Service delivery and effective practiceStrengths• From low base to green shoots • Significant increase in Initial and Core Assessments –

numbers and timeliness• Safer processes and practice guidelines in safeguarding –

especially at front end• Common language through Continuum of Need model has

provided greater consistency on thresholds• Quality Assurance framework established, in use and

impacting on practice – service standards • Supervision arrangements in place• Strong foundations for CAF development

Service delivery and effective practiceAreas for further consideration• Service stamina to follow through• Need managers to deliver this agenda• Churn adversely affects continuity and service to children • Quality assurance and audit work need to be used more to inform

service impact• Build on IRO and other work to consider systematically the voice

of the child and family • Timescale and target chasing at expense of quality and outcomes• Better informed management of caseloads but more to do• Limited evidence of business plans linking to strategic plans• Sticking point at times of cases being moved from First Response

to Locality teams• CAFs - get away from it being another job to do

Managing resourcesStrengths• CASS working well in First Response – roll out beyond by end

Oct.• Good learning and development programme and support for

Newly Qualified Social Workers• Significant improvements of performance management

systems and data quality. To be extended to partners.• HR management information greatly improved• FIT/FIP thought ahead to embed working in core business

when funding ended• Data tracking in children’s centres greatly improved• Legal team in Children’s Service supports more effective

working

Managing resources

Areas for further consideration• Have you invested enough money to achieve and

sustain improvement?• Other services e.g. FIT need to connect into CASS• More to do on management information because can

then get heads above the parapet• Single and joint commissioning is underdeveloped

and causes anxiety for existing providers• Schools have the resources and ability to help• Reduction in admin. support is impacting on front-

line services.

Additional areas• Visible leadership and capacity to sustain improvement essential

- gaps still exist- churn destabilises service

• What else could the Improvement Board do?– Improve quality of relationship with schools– Focus on outcomes not just outputs– Help everyone to get their heads above parapet to plan ahead– Continue to learn from others and seek out best practice

• Changes in health not having a detrimental effect• Big drive on communication • Define the vision for the child’s journey and resource accordingly to deliver well

and efficiently• ‘Lieutenants and enforcers’ to lead change• Quality of practice needs to be raised for fostering, care planning and LAC• Establish a team to prepare for Ofsted• Third sector partner engagement is essential to understand what everyone has to

offer and that they are part of the solution• Go out and sell your strengths, celebrate success

Your reflections and questions?

Contact detailsAndrew WinfieldPeer Challenge ManagerLocal Government Group

Email: andrew.winfield@local.gov.uk

www.local.gov.uk/improvement