North and West Belfast Health And Social Services Trust

The Context

Urban Area – Inner City Issues for N&W Belfast

• High Levels of deprivation• Post Conflict• Weak Infrastructure• Large Travelling Community• High suicide rates• Substance misuse – Drugs, alcohol

• Regeneration to address

• Political vacuum• Devolved Government• Unemployment• Inequality• Sectarianism• Policing• Cultural Issues• Financial Investment levels

Structures

At present in NI Children services are delivered within a Social Health Model, with Social Services and Health Professionals managed under 4 area health Boards incorporating 19 Trusts.

The structure in England is different with local Councils managing Social Services and education provision and health managed separately.

Population

Total population of children aged under 18 in North and West Belfast HSS Trust is

41945

Source ‘Key Indicators of Personal Social Services for NI 2003’

Children Services

Include:

• Child Protection• Care of Looked After Children• Family Support• Adoption• Children in Need (including disabled children• Day Care facilities• Children’s homes

Children in Receipt of Services

• Details from North and West Belfast HSS Trust Corporate Parenting Report

• 1.10.05 – 31.3.06

1659

19541777

20902129

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

CHILDREN IN NEED

CIN 1659 1954 1777 2090 2129

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5

1/ 10/ 03 -

31/ 3/ 04

1/ 4/ 04 -

30/ 9/ 04

1/ 10/ 04 -

31/ 3/ 05

1/ 4/ 05 -

30/ 9/ 05

1/ 10/ 05 -

31/ 3/ 06

CHILDREN IN NEED

Children with a Disability

CN4 How many of these children in need have a disability? 

PROG OF CARE NUMBER

LEARNING DISABILITY 222

PHYSICAL DISABILITY 24

VISUALLY IMPAIRED 55

HEARING IMPAIRED 11

MENTAL HEALTH 3

TOTAL 315

Source: Management Information Department

Child Protection

• A parent, a sibling or other relative or carer, an acquaintance or a stranger may abuse children. The abuse may be as a result of a direct act or of a failure on the part of a parent or carer to act to provide proper care or both. The abuse may take a number of forms including:

• Neglect • Sexual abuse • Physical abuse • Emotional abuse

How many children’s names are there on CP Register

274

250

255 257

278

235

240

245

250

255

260

265

270

275

280

NUMBER ON CHILD PROTECTION REGISTER

CP 274 250 255 257 278

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5

1/10/03 - 31/3/04

1/4/04 - 30/9/04

1/10/04 - 31/3/05

1/4/05 - 30/9/05

1/10/04 - 31/3/06

There appear to be no discernible trends informing the fluctuations in the levels of registered children across the period since 31/03/04.The figure does, however, reflect the significant volumes and throughput of Child Protection registration work.

Children Looked After

342

331

328

334

348

315

320

325

330

335

340

345

350

CHILDREN LOOKED AFTER

LAC 342 331 328 334 348

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5

1/10/03 - 31/3/04 1/4/04 - 30/9/04 1/10/04 - 31/3/05 1/4/05 - 30/9/05 1/10/05 - 31/3/06

Children’s Placements

• The Trust directly manages 5 Residential units providing 35 placements

• The Trust accesses a further 26 residential placements in the voluntary sector

• The Trust is responsible for 143 approved foster placements

• Central to Looked After Children’s well being is the

promotion of their positive emotional and mental health.

• Current guidance to Social Work staff and carers emphasises the importance of the monitoring of Looked After Children’s health needs, emphasising a strong preventive as opposed to reactive approach and identifying issues such as sexual health education, dental care, personal esteem and emotional well-being.

How we manage Child Protection in

N&W Trust• Six fieldwork prevention teams in 3 sub-offices:

Antrim Road

Falls Road

Shankill Road

• And a specialist CP Team comprising:

1 APSW/Manager

6 Senior Practitioners

1 Community CP Worker

1 Secretary

1 Team Clerk

Remit of CP Team

• Investigate all allegations of Physical and sexual abuse

• Joint protocol working with Police

• Risk manage all alleged SIO

• Risk manage all convicted SIO

Outcomes

• Short term intervention to include initial and comprehensive assessment

• Outcomes: No further action

Family support

Initial CP Case Conference

Care Placements

• Cases then transfer to Prevention Team