Agenda item

Report of the Group Director of People

The Assistant Director Children’s Services provided members with performance information for quarter 4 2024-25 in line with an indicator set agreed by Monitoring and Coordination Group on 2 July 2018, and subsequently by Scrutiny Committee Chairs.

Points of note were provided to members which included the overall reduction in admissions of children to Children’s Social Care alongside a reduction in Child Protection Plan numbers and fewer children overall requiring statutory social care aid.

The numbers of children reported missing has also shown noticeable reductions and has been a subject of targeted work previously.

Areas for development were also highlighted which included Child Protection Investigation timeframes and continued work on improving placement stability.

Questions were raised which included the definition of “external agencies”, being full trained members of partner agencies such as those working in education settings.

It was also asked whether the timeframes for Child Protection Investigations can be adjusted with officers confirming that timeframes are not set on a local level.

A member also asked for information on current staff retention with the response that recruitment and retention is currently at its most positive level for a number of years with the numbers of agency staff reducing as a result.

RESOLVED – That the performance information provided be noted and members agreed to raise any queries with the relevant Assistant Directors.