Agenda item

RECEIVED the report on Performance for the Year to the end of May 2017. Report included in the agenda pack (pages 11 to 20). 

NOTED in response to discussion:

• 434 children were in careat the end of the second week in June 2017 or 71 per 10,000 population including 38 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 but the rate had been fairly steady at around 70 in the last few months.

• Provisional data for indicators around stability of placements for looked after children remained broadly in line with statistical neighbours and targets albeit with a slightly increasing proportion with 3 or more placement moves. In the year to March 2017, 10% of children had three or more placement moves, just above the statistical neighbour average (7%) but in line with the latest published national position (10%). 77.5% 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, higher than the national average (68%).

• At the end of May, data showed 94% of children in care for over a month had an up to date health assessment, close to the target and continuing the positive trend.

• The number of care applications increased by 20% in 2016/17 which reversed the downward trend maintained since 2010/2011. The expected impact of the improvements from the use of the PLO process and introduction of the Signs of Safety model of social worker practice in January 2016 to maintain the decrease, had not occurred.

• In the 2017/18 financial year, there were 7 adoptions and 4 special guardianship orders to date. This was a big improvement compared with 2016/17 were there were only 11 adoptions for the whole year. A trend towards placement with families, kinship or connected persons as opposed to adoption or SGOs was evident.

·         Timeliness of children placed for adoption in 2016/17 at an average 560 days remained higher than the national threshold (426-day average for 2013-16). In the financial year to June 2017, children waited an average of 402 days from becoming looked after to being placed for adoption. However, the statistical significance of these figures was based on only 7 adoption cases.

·         86 or 22.5% of Looked After Children at the end of March 2017 were placed 20 miles or more from Haringey compared to a 16% target and 19% at the end of March 2016. However fewer children were being placed over 20 miles away, with good reasons for those placements outside the borough many linked to complex care requirements or long term foster care arrangements.

·         72% of the current LAC cohort (age 2 and over and in care for over one month) had an up to date dental visit as at May 2017.  There were 118 children without a recorded up to date dental check, 70% of those with outstanding visits were between the ages of 13 and 17 years old.

• Performance on Personal Education Plans (PEPs) declined in recent months with current data showing that 72% of PEPs for statutory school age children had an up to date PEP within the last term.

• In 2016/17, provisional data as at 31 March showed that 69% of care leavers were in suitable accommodation down from 74% (for 19-21 year olds) and 71% (of 17-18 year olds) in 2015/16. 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 (2015/16).

• In response to a clarification around the reasons behind a fall in PEP performance, officers advised that there had been a move to fill these in on a more regular basis and that this may have undermined the ability of respondents to meet the deadline.

• In response to a question, officers advised that payments for SGOs were means tested.

• Officers were asked to feedback to the Committee on what the exact definition was of a young person being ‘in touch’ with the Council. (Action: Sarah Alexander).

• In response to a question around local authority ran children’s care homes, the Committee was advised that the divestment of children’s homes was very much the national picture and that those that still existed tended to be ran by the third sector.

AGREED to note the report.