Issue - items at meetings - Children's Social Care Update -

Report of Strategic Director, People (copy attached)

That the Committee agree the eight key standards for future governance reports

1.   Have in place a social work accountability framework informed by knowledge of good social work practice and the experience and expertise of service users, carers and practitioners;

2. Use effective workforce planning systems to make sure that the right number of social workers, with the right level of skills and experience, are available to meet current and future service demands;

3. Implement transparent systems to manager workload and case allocation in order to protect service users and practitioners;

4. Make sure that social workers can do their jobs safely and have the practical tools and resources they need to practise effectively. Assess risks and take action to minimise and prevent them;

5. Ensure that social workers have  regular and appropriate social work supervision;

6. Provide opportunities  for  continuing  professional development, as well as access to research and  practical guidance;

7. Ensure social workers can maintain their professional registration; and

8. Establish effective partnerships with higher education institutions and other organisations to support the delivery of social work education and continuing professional development.

In future this social work governance report will report on the above eight key areas.

11.1    The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director, Place summarising the policy context which had led to the setting up of the Social Work Task Force by the Department of Health and the DCSF to undertake a comprehensive review of frontline social work practice to make recommendations for improvement and reform of the whole profession, across adult and children’s services.

11.2    It was noted that the current Task Force arrangements had been set up following the Baby Peter case in recognition that the profession was in crisis of confidence both internally and externally. The social work reform Board had devised eight key standards for Employers of Social Workers in England which it had been recognised made a significant contribution to the delivery of excellent services. The Committee were asked to agree that these standards be adopted for future governance reports.

11.3    Councillor Pissaridou enquired regarding the date at which these new initiatives would come into place. It was confirmed that Brighton & Hove had one of the highest levels of bombardment in the country and that other partners including schools and the NSPCC were fully engaged in this process.

11.4    Mr Bedford. Chair of the local Safeguarding Children Board commended what he considered to be an excellent report requesting that copies of it be made available to other partners.

11.5    RESOLVED – (1) That the Committee agree the eight key standards for future governance reports as follows:

1. Have in place a social work accountability framework informed by knowledge of good social work practice and the experience and expertise of service users, carers and practitioners;

2.Use effective workforce planning systems to make sure that the right number of social workers, with the right level of skills and experience, are available to meet current and future service demands;

3. Implement transparent systems to manager workload and case allocation in order to protect service users and practitioners;

4. Make sure that social workers can do their jobs safely and have the practical tools and resources they need to practise effectively. Assess risks and take action to minimise and prevent them;

5. Ensure that social workers have regular and appropriate social work supervision;

6. Provide opportunities for continuing professional development, as well as access to research and practical guidance;

7. Ensure social workers can maintain their professional registration; and

8. Establish effective partnerships with higher education institutions and other organisations to support the delivery of social work education and continuing professional development; and

(2) In future this social work governance report will report on the above eight key areas.