Issue - meetings

To consider and note the update report on child protection performance.

The Committee received the update report on key performance issues in child protection and noted that 988 case file audits had been conducted, in addition to the usual regular reviews as part of day to day supervision.

The Director of CYPS acknowledged the Committee’s concerns about budget overspend within the service and assured members that there had been a substantial increase in the volume and quality of the work of the service in the past 18 months; agency foster-carers which cost twice as much per placement as in-house foster-carers was a contributing factor. The Committee requested detail of the cost of in-house Vs agency foster-care placement and spend on each, which the Director of CYPS agreed to provide (action no. 26.1).

It was noted that as well as the usual recruitment campaigns for foster-carers the Council advertised via Haringey People, community groups, schools, churches and posters on buses and boards across the borough.  The Council was considering joint advertising campaigns for foster-carers with other North London boroughs.

Committee would receive samples of advertisements and literature and links to web-pages used to encourage people to become foster carers (action no. 26.2).

Committee members asked how manypeople attended the foster care open evening at Raglan Hall on Tuesday 20^th July and how the event was publicised (action no. 26.3), this information would be provided.

Committee members questioned NI 67 (paragraph 19 on Page 55 of the agenda pack) where 2 children’s cases had not been reviewed within timescales.  It was noted that these on these two occasions one social worker had been called to attend court to give evidence and the other had been off work due to illness and field social workers had not been available at the time.

The Director of Children’s Services agreed to include data on how Haringey compared to other boroughs with similar demographics in relation to children in care in future performance reports (action no. 26.4).

RESOLVED that the update report on key performance issues in child protection be noted.