Agenda item

RECEIVED the report on Performance for the Year to the end of November 2016. Report included in the agenda pack (pages 15 to 20). 

NOTED in response to discussion:

• An overall improving trajectory in relation to the majority of performance indicators.

• 438 children were in careon the last day of November 2016 or 74 per 10,000 population including 39 unaccompanied asylum seeker children. There had been a gradual increase in the level of children in care in comparison to the position at the end of March 2016 - 31 more children in care. However a reduction in Haringey’s rate of looked after children in 2015/16 placed Haringey within the inter-quartile range of our statistical neighbours (a rate of 69 per 10,000 population), although the current rate remained above the London (51) and national average (60) rates.

• At the end of November, 91% of looked after children had an up to date Care Plan. Performance in this area had consistently remained above target since February 2016 as a result of activity tracking in weekly meetings held by the Head of Service for Children in Care.

• At the end of November, 84% of looked after children aged 16-17 had up to date Pathway Plans. Performance in this area improved slightly since the reported position in August 2016 (82%) and was closing the gap with the 90% target.

• A similar improvement trend on Personal Education Plans was reported although current performance had declined since the August school holidays.  81% of school age looked after children had an up to date PEP as at the end of November. This area continued to be a priority for performance tracking.

• At the end of March 2016, there were 35 pupils in Year 11 who were looked after continuously for 12 months or more. Of these, 13 (37%) attained 5 GCSEs A*-C incl. English & Maths – a significant increase compared to 28% in 2015.

• Indicators around stability of placements for looked after children remain in line with statistical neighbours and targets. In the year to November 2016, 9% of children had three or more placement moves , below the statistical neighbour average (10%). 75% of children under 16 who had been in care for at least 2.5 years had been in the same placement for at least 2 years, slightly above our statistical neighbour average (67%).

• At the end of November, 95% of children in care for over a month had an up to date health assessment, above target and continuing the positive trend.

• Data for the period July to September 2016 confirmed that the average duration of care proceedings for concluded cases was 32.5 weeks, an improvement from the 37 weeks in Q1 and better than the 2015/16 average (34 weeks). Q2 data for 2016-17 showed 44% were concluded under the 26 week statutory timescale.

• The outcomes for 36% of care proceeding cases issued between July and September 2016 was for children to remain with or reunify with their parents compared to 54% of children in 2015/16. In a further 27% of cases issued, children remained in their family of origin under SGOs and in 36% of cases children were placed on care/placement orders, an increasing trend compared to 2015/16.

• In the year to December 2016, only 20 permanency orders had been achieved (11 adoptions and 9 special guardianship orders (SGOs) – 11 fewer than the same period last year and the lowest recorded for many years. There seemed to be a trend towards placement with families- kinship or connected persons as opposed to adoption or SGOs. National quarterly data suggested that this was a trend being observed elsewhere.

• Of the children that have ceased to be looked after this year 9.3% have been adopted which compares with 15% nationally and 8% in London but this is lower than the 11% achieved in 2015/16. Special guardianship referrals continue to be low and it is likely that no more than 12 will be achieved by the end of the financial year. If SGOs were included, almost 16% of those who ceased to be looked after achieved legal permanency this year.

• Haringey’s latest 3 year rolling average position as published in the Adoption Scorecard in March 2016 was 691 days for the period 2012-15, higher than the national threshold and England position of 593 days but close to statistical neighbour average of 696 days.

• The 2015/16 trend towards the reduction in the number of care proceeding applications has shifted towards an increasing trend in Q1 2016/17. This trend had continued in Q2 and reveals a significant increase in applications in respect of children under 1.   

• Performance on care leavers in suitable accommodation and in education, employment and training (EET) for 2016-17 is comparatively poor and below average levels reported for England and London. Approximately 30% of all former relevant care leavers aged 17-21 are recorded as in EET down from 47% of 19-21 year olds and 57% of 17-18 year olds in 2015/16. This was lower than the national and London average comparator data (49% & 54% for 19-21 yr olds and 61% and 62% for 17-18 year olds). Haringey also reported a higher proportion where the local authority did not have information about the care leavers activity (19% compared to 12% average for London and 11% nationally) in 2015/16.

• In 2016/17 around 50% of care leavers were in suitable accommodation down from 74% (for 19-21 year olds) and 71% (of 17-18 year olds) last year. Again this performance was comparatively low as nationally 83% of care leavers aged 19-21 were in suitable accommodation and 88% of 17-18 year olds.

AGREED to note the report.

The Committee requested that a report outlining the reasons for the decline in the number of permanency orders being secured be brought to the next meeting. Action: Sarah Alexander.

The Committee also requested that a short report be drafted for the next meeting, which set out comparative performance levels of LAC and educational achievement levels, in particular a breakdown of how well black/African Caribbean children were performing in relation to the rest of their peer group. Action: Fiona Smith