Agenda item

The Board will consider a report giving key highlights from the latest Performance Monitoring Data for the Children’s Service.

Contacts:

Ophelia Rix, Head of Corproate Parenting  

Janet Tolley, Virtual School Headteacher

The Board considered the latest reports giving key highlights on Performance Monitoring data for Children’s Services up to the end of August 2021. 

Ophelia Rix, Head of Service for Children in Care, Care Leavers and Looked After Children presented the data relating to ‘children entering care, children in care and placement stability’. Itwas noted that:

·       There was a decreasing trend in the number and rate of children in care from 68.7 (688 children) in November 2020 to 62.6 (627 children) in October 2021.

·       The decrease was attributed to successes in ensuring that children remained at home with parents or with connected carers.

·       6 Care Orders (enabling children to stay with parents/families) had been successfully discharged.

·       Social workers continued to see children in a timely manner and build positive relationships with them.

·       There had been an increase in the number of Pathway Plans (which support young people with educational needs, independent living, and suitable accommodation).

The Board commented that it was positive that the average number in changes of social workers had reduced but wanted to know under what circumstances it was deemed important or beneficial to change the social worker.

In response, Ophelia Rix advised that once children become Looked After that there was a natural transition as the child moved from one service to another. Maternity leave could also lead to changes in social workers. To manage transitions, joint work was undertaken between service and old and new social workers to ensure that positive relationships were built with new social workers prior to the change.

The Board noted that transitions where appropriate were being carefully managed. In response, Ophelia Rix further suggested that a report was provided to a future meeting of the Board in respect of the reduction in the number of Care Leavers been seen within an 8-week period and this was agreed by the Board.

Gill Addy, Designated Nurse for Looked After Children gave an overview of the data relating to Children Looked After Health for October.  It was noted that:

·       Initial health assessments (IHA’s): In October 86% of Children who came into care were seen by the paediatrician within the statutory 20 working day timescale.

·       Review health assessments (RHA): In October 95% of  RHA’s for under 5-year-olds, and 86% of RHA’s for over 5 years old, were completed in statutory timescales.

·       Dental Checks:  Kirklees rolling 12-month data showed that 58% of children when asked at their health assessment had attended the dentist. This figure seemed low but consideration should be made to the period of time when dental surgeries were shut during the national Covid-19 lockdown.

·       Dental Checks showed an improving picture. During October, 100% of 18 months to 5-year-olds, and 97% of 5- to 18-year-olds were registered at a dentist and had attended a dental at the point of their RHA.

·       Substance misuse: A gap had been identified in collecting this data, as it was captured at the RHA. The team were now following up any declined assessments.

·       Young people who refused support, were discussed with the local Substance Misuse Service, to offer an alternative response e.g.- group work or access through other agencies.

The Board welcomed the positive work undertaken in relation to dental checks and the Flexible Commissioning project but queried the issue of Care leavers in relation to registrations. In response, Gill Addy explained that Care leavers did face some challenges in this area, such as commonly being required to re-register at a Dentist after a change of address. There were also concerns that care leavers were not covered under the support to access to Dentists through the Flexible Commissioning Project.

In response, Ophelia Rix suggested that the support of Personal Advisors (PA’s) would help improve access to Dentists for Care leavers and it was agreed that a meeting would be held to discuss the approach.

RESOLVED: The Board noted the Children’s Performance Highlights Report and it was agreed that:

1.    A report be provided to a future meeting of the Board in respect of the reduction in the number of Care Leavers within an 8-week period.

2.    It was agreed that a meeting would be held to discuss the approach to improving Care leavers access to Dentists with the support of PA’s.