Issue - meetings

To provide the Committee with a summary of the number of children under five years of age who came to the notice of the First Response Service during January 2010.

members received details of the number of children aged between 0 – 5 years who had come to the notice of the Children and Young People’s Service during January 2010.

In total there had been 226 contacts relating to 120 children aged 0-2 and 106 children aged 2 – 5, the total number of children was 189. 32 cases were audited in February and again in March. The Committee was pleased to note that there had been a marked improvement from the audit carried out in July 2009, and senior officers had found evidence of families being correctly signposted and evidence of throughput to other Authorities and of multi agency working.

The sources for referral of cases was noted which included the police, emergency duty service and midwives. With regard to outcomes the Committee noted that 63 of the children were already known to the service and further information had been provided, 40 cases had resulted in advice and information being given, but only 3 cases had progressed to an assessment under the Common Assessment Framework. It was considered that more work needed to be done in this area.  All of 59 cases which had progressed to the referral stage had been allocated within timescales. The audits on these cases had shown timely and appropriate work.

It was pleasing to note that the follow up audit in March 2010 had demonstrated that some cases had either been closed or were now allocated within the safeguarding and Support service.

However the Committee was concerned to note the number of cases that involved domestic violence and it was agreed that this was an area that should be examined further. Members noted that the LSCB Domestic Violence Sub – group were looking to produce a cross borough strategy on this issue.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee examine cases involving domestic violence in more detail.