Agenda item - Children’s Services Ofsted inspection and review of LSCB 2015

Report of the Executive Director of Children’s Services (copy attached)

RESOLVED - That the Committee agreed:

(1)  That the report be noted

(2)  That the Local Authority post Ofsted Action Plan be agreed

22.1    The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Children’s Services which provided an update of the recent Children’s Services Ofsted inspection. The report was introduced by the Executive Director of Children’s Services.

22.2    The Committee thanked the Executive Director of Children’s Services for the report and congratulated him and the department.

22.3    Councillor Phillips asked if the Committee would receive updates on the implementation of the Action Plan. The Chair confirmed they would.

22.4    Councillor O’Quinn referred to paragraphs 26 and 27 of the Inspection Findings, which commented on the ‘weak quality of management oversight by practice managers’, and noted that the Action Plan 5 stated that service would ‘remove a layer of management’. The Executive Director of Children’s Services said that post of Practice Manager had been deleted and the Team Manager would now make decisions.

22.5    Councillor Barradell referred to the Action Plan 6, and asked what the time scale would be for the return interview and risk assessment.  The Executive Director of Children’s Services said that it would be held within 15 days. However, if there were serious concerns the case would be prioritised.

22.6  Councillor Brown asked why the percentage of initial child protection conferences taking place within 15 working days of a strategy discussion being held, had dropped from 77% in March 2014 to 52% in February 2015. The Executive Director of Children’s Services said that it was due to prioritisation of other work. Ofsted were clear that if there are concerns over a child that that case should be prioritised. However, it was accepted that it was necessary to get a better balance of work, and the matter was being looked at.

22.7    RESOLVED - That the Committee agreed:

(1)  That the report be noted

(2)  That the Local Authority post Ofsted Action Plan be agreed