children’s services in hertfordshire: reflections on the journey

Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org

Children’s Services in Hertfordshire:Reflections on the Journey

John Harris – Director of Children’s ServicesPARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE

June 16th 2011

Launching the new Children’s Services in Hertfordshire


Reflections on the Journey

A Policy Narrative for the Future

Question Zero

Concluding Thoughts

Outcomes for Children and Young People

Beyond CSF, Every Child Matters and HCTP


• Children’s Services ‘performing well’

• Safeguarding adequate andimproving, with good leadership andmanagement

• Unannounced inspection ‘highly effective’

• Improvement evident across mostareas of children’s services

• Schools and all partners make a majorcontribution

• Keep focus on ‘narrowing the gap’

Outcomes for Children and Young People


Performance Profile

C4EO three – year trend analysis shows improvement in virtually all key PIs against statistical neighbours and nationally


• CSF ahead of its time in 2001 and experienced usual challenges of trailblazers

• Every Child Matters an important landmark• Strong buy –in from partner organisations and majority

of professionals• Children’s Trusts provided a strong framework for

determining shared outcomes, directing resources, and holding to account locally

• Innovative service design and delivery based on multi-agency working

Beyond CSF, ECM and HCTP


• Schools and NHS not always appropriately linked and engaged

• Distinctive role and contribution of social care not taken into account fully

• Insufficient focus on workforce development and leadership for cultural change

• Too many priorities and scope too broad• Too much emphasis on ‘top down’ performance targets• Legacy based on partnerships, shared agenda to ‘narrow

the gap’, and track record of integrated working.

Beyond CSF, ECM and HCTP


Question Zero – Public Value

Public Value Proposition(e.g. To halve child poverty by 2020)

Elected MembersHealth and Well –Being BoardPartners and Stakeholders

Service structuresCommon ProcessesWorkforce Development


Quantitative

Related to Quality or Risk Management

Qualitative

Evidence Tested

Predictive

Transformational/Financial

Quantitative

Process Outputs

Proxy for Quality

Qualitative

Attitudinal

Case Study Approach

Hard Measures, Soft Outputs?

Outcomes

Measures

Percentage of CLA Reviews Held in Time

No. Children on CP Plan for 2 years +

Students report that they are more in control of feelings at home and in school

Longitudinal study and controlled conditions


Question Zero - Better Outcomes and Lower Cost

Invest in universal and targeted services to improve life chances of the poorest and reduce ‘downstream’ costs to society


Early Intervention

• Policies and programmes to give children and young people aged 0-18 the social and emotional bedrock to achieve their full potential

• Evidence-based programmes for 0-5, 5-11, and 11-18

• ‘Early Intervention’ places• Local funding strategy• Children’s Centres and Schools at the

centre• To tackle poverty invest more in Foundation

Years and have a clearer set of ‘life chance measures’


The ‘Big Society’ and Localism


1. High aspirations on behalf of every child

2. A moral purpose to improve the life chances and outcomes of every child, particularly the poorest

3. An ethos that promotes prevention, early intervention, and personalised services

4. A culture of co-production with children and families

5. An investment in the social capital of our community, working in partnership locally

6. A commitment to continuous improvement, working as part of a self-improving system of Children’s Services locally and nationally

Key Principles for Children’s Services in a Big Society

children’s services in hertfordshire: reflections on the journey

Documents

gap outcomes

child poverty

shared outcomes

child matters

new childrens services

better outcomes

life chances

targeted services