Agenda item

This report is an update of Children in Care National Indicators and other key performance information at the end of April 2011.

The committee received an update on the Children in care national indicators and other key performance information for the end of April 2011. This was a relatively concise report as the team were compiling the end of year performance report which would be available for the committee to consider at their next meeting in September. It was advised that there had been a spike in the number of children becoming looked after during February, March and April following a police authority exercise but the service had seen a reduction in figures for May.  The committee learned that there had been a concerted effort to review children that were the subject of a Child Protection Plan was to ensure that intervention was making a difference.

 The Committee noted that the service were confident that the number of children now ceasing to become the subject of a child protection plan was appropriate. The services were examining the current movements of children in care and considering: the children which were 18 and about to leave care, those in a pre adoptive procedure, the numbers of children with permanancey plans (which was a good number). The latter analysis had enabled the service to recognise that there was a need to make additional resources available to support this process. The service were  positive about the good number of young people,  that  through rehabilitation, could be deemed able to return to their family home. This would of course be following an assessment and section 20 agreement of the Deputy Director of Children and Families. The committee were interested in the next performance report containing some further information about the benefits of the services continued permanency work with children in care.

The Committee particularly expressed a need to continue with  understanding what the trends were behind the performance data , this would be important in understanding whether the borough was experiencing   different or similar challenges to other comparable boroughs.   For example looking at the young people leaving care at 18 , the number of unaccompanied minors ,considering the age ranges of children coming into care and leaving care, family groupings of children in care and sibling groups. The Chair requested that any further suggestions from committee members on the statistical information to include in the report could be emailed to her.

 Following questions about the rate of children in care in Haringey compared to the national average and other comparable boroughs and whether  there was reason to think that this number as too high, it was noted that Ofsted had reported in their recent inspection that the children placed in care  was correct.  More fuller comparisons with other comparable local authorities would be available in the next performance report to the committee as the full year data would be available.

 In responding to  questions about the work with the rehabilitation of older children in care to their family homes  where assessed as appropriate, it was noted that the service was working with the assistance of Independent Review Officer with children in care in  long term  care on this.  When considering rehabilitation of older children into the family home it was important to keep in mind  that some older children would want to go back to their family home  as there maybe  changed  family situations and different dialogues   developed between the young people and their families from when they were originally placed in care. In some cases the  same issues that may have had led the young person being placed in care as a younger child may not be as significantly relevant to them now with their own  developed independence and they  could already be visiting the family home with or with out  Council permission.  The committee were assured that in situations where the local authority felt that the young person absconding was unsafe they would continue to seek the relevant court orders and legal representation   to keep the  young person away from  the family home and  safe. The Committee were assured that the  service were continually examining and reviewing the situations of children in long term care and any children that were likely to benefit from rehabilitation exercises would be efficiently identified.

In  further looking  at the  number of children in care in comparator boroughs it was remarked that Hackney have a different approach and system for safeguarding and  advice  was sought on whether it be worthwhile for the committee to receive information on their approach and way of working. The chair advised that the Children’s Safeguarding Policy and Practice Advisory  Committee, the sister Cabinet advisory committee,  had previously been recommended to receive a presentation from  Hackney Council on this as they were the appropriate bodie assigned to safeguarding  children before they came into care.

The indicators on the stability of placements reflected  that there were good improvements to the  management of placements  for children in care with 80% of children now in foster care placements.  The service were also  countering   the  need to make  sudden  decisions on placing children in  placements by examining, over a two week period, the children that were likely to come in to care . This preparatory work  of the service helped the child be placed  in a suitable placement sooner.

In relation to paragraph 2.14 reporting on care leavers Not in education, Employment or Training activity , it was clarified that there was  just one care leaver  in this predicament.

The committee noted that the  outcomes of  the Fostering week activities would be   analysed and reported upon in the next  performance report in September.

 RESOLVED

That the report be noted.

That the forthcoming end of year performance report contain information on the  :permanency work with children in care and that there be further interrogation of data trends behind the performance data assisted  by comments supplied by committee members on the statistical information  they want to consider in the report.