Recruitment and retention
Margaret Dennison started work with SBC as Interim Assistant Director in May 2011. Recruitment for a permanent Assistant Director will start over coming months. Jill Forrest started work with SBC in June 2011 as Interim Corporate Parenting Manager, and is reviewing and changing some of our services to looked after children. SBC has made appointments to Team Manager, Assistant Team Manager and social worker posts since May 2011 and is continuing to recruit permanent staff to key positions.
Social work health check
The national social work health check is being carried out. This will be used in commissioning training and development work for staff in social care, in recruitment and retention work, and will feed into the Improvement Plan.
Quality assurance and performance management
A review of quality assurance and performance management work is taking place through SBC, the LSCB, and with the help of Sector Support colleagues working with us. Over coming weeks we will be discussing that more fully with all partners and making sure that all staff involved in safeguarding understand the quality assurance and performance management systems.
Section 11 and case file audits
Ofsted’s criticisms of casework, management oversight and quality control were based on their audit of specific cases. Ofsted, DfE and the Improvement Board have made a specific request that we continue to audit cases and monitor the outcomes for children, both to ensure that children are safe and feel safe, and to track progress against the Improvement Plan. So far we have:
- Reviewed and renewed the Children’s Social Care internal audit system and will carry out themed audits covering all children under 5 on child protection plans to check for potential legal proceedings (now completed), management supervision (now completed), Domestic abuse (under way), Long-term neglect and Substance abuse
- Independent audit of Children’s Social Care cases including review of case file audits carried out by Ofsted to assess change in practice and management oversight, detailed audit sample of children under 5 on child protection plans, audit sample of child protection cases not yet audited internally, potential sample of children in need cases, dependent on time and the audits carried out by the external auditors to focus on practice, risk assessment, supervision and management oversight and decision making. They are ‘deep dive’ audits.
- LSCB Audits - details are being sent out to LSCB members by the end of August about the S11 Audits to assess procedures in place in a range of organisations across the Borough. The multi-agency audits to assess practice in selection of child protection cases across organisations working with specific named children will start after the Section 11 Audits.
- Performance Improvement and Quality Control work has been started to develop an agreed set of approaches and frameworks in contacts, referrals and assessment, child protection and Looked after Children processes and procedures.
Training
Short training sessions have already started with staff in Children’s Social Care, based on identified need. A more detailed training programme is being commissioned, and will take into account the development needs of managers and practitioners resulting from the audits that have been carried out and the social work health check.
Sector support work
From April 2011, a new system has been set up to support local authorities and their partner agencies following Ofsted inspections with an ‘inadequate’ judgement. The help is from the sector, for the sector, and will involve experienced practitioners, and managers offering review, input and support to Slough in identified areas. Those that will involve SBC staff and partners are:
a. A review of early intervention and prevention work
b. A review of the LSCB and partnership working arrangements
c. A review of quality assurance and performance management arrangements
The sector support work will help us reshape our services to reflect the Munro Review of Child Protection and the Allen reports on Early Intervention.
The Local Safeguarding Children Board
The Ofsted recommendations included a review of the Local Safeguarding Children Board, and the need to undertake a Section 11 audit and multi-agency audits. This work is under way, and the LSCB will also be reviewed as part of the Sector Support Work. The LSCB work plan and the quality assurance scheme have been reviewed to reflect the Ofsted findings, and are ready for adoption. The LSCB Conference on 1 November 2011 will be focussing on the implementation of the Munro Review.
Elaine Coleridge-Smith has ended her role as Chair of the LSCB and we are recruiting a new Chair. The role has been advertised and the closing date for applications was 8th September.
Meanwhile, the work of the LSCB is continuing, and the sub-groups are meeting to carry on with the business of implementing the LSCB work plan.
