Issue - meetings

This report sets out performance data and trends for an agreed set of measures relating to Looked After Children.

The Committee considered performance information and trends for measures relating to looked after children. The performance  highlights were:

• The number of looked after children continued to decrease
• A higher number of LAC had been placed for adoption.
• Two young people had returned after being termed missing.

In response to a question about the impact of local policing changes in the borough to the investigation of children and young people that are missing from care, there was not anticipated to be any difference. The responsibility for compiling the risk assessment regarding the missing young person still lay with the local authority and if this was returned as high risk, the Police still had a responsibility to find the missing young person.

 Percentage of children becoming looked after previously subject to a child protection plan - The Committee noted that, ideally, there should not be any un-planned child protection plans as the service should know the children that will become subject to plan.  Agreed the Assistant Director check what target the service had in relation to unplanned child protection plans

OP581b – Percentage of children placed outside Haringey-The ongoing issues of local foster care recruitment were recognised. The service was absolutely clear that getting local foster care was vital. There were other positive impacts of having local foster carers such as access to youth participation officers in the borough and less travel time for social workers.

OP418 – Number of adoptions/Special Guardianship orders .The service recognised that, despite significant improvements, there was no room for complacency in relation to improving adoption figures. Adoption needed to be considered as an early option for young children as older children were more difficult to place. 

OP386 – Children in care cases which have been reviewed within required timescales. It was noted that sessional IRO’s had recently been recruited and   this would help with improving this performance figure.

The Assistant Director  further set out what the service were doing in relation to tackling HR issues in the service and spoke about the increased awareness around sickness levels and sharing of good practice to help in areas of difficulty.

The Committee commended the Children’s Service and Performance team on the good progress made with providing good understandable data and analysis about performance in vital areas concerning the Committee’s remit.