Agenda item

Report of the Director of Children and Adults Services

The Director of Children and Adults Services submitted a report (previously circulated) to provide Members with an update on performance against key performance indicators.

The submitted report provided Quarter 3 (October to December 2018) 2018/19 performance information in line with an indicator set agreed by the Monitoring and Co-ordination Group and subsequently by each individual Scrutiny Committee.

The submitted report highlighted where Children and Young People were performing well and where there was a need to improve.  It was also highlighted that where indicators are reported annually quarterly updates will not be available.

It was highlighted that 98.1 per cent of contacts had been completed within 24 working hours; 97.3 per cent of Initial Child Protection Conferences (ICPC) had been held within 15 workings days from the Strategy meeting held/Section 47 being initiated; 100 per cent Child Protection reviews had been completed within the required timescales; 100 per cent of children with a Child Protection Plan and 100 per cent of Children Looked After had an allocated social worker; 99.2 per cent of Looked After Reviews had been completed within timescale; 89.6 per cent of statutory visits to Looked After Children had been completed in timescale; 93.8 per cent who had a review health assessment due had received their assessment within the required timescale; and 19.3 per cent of Care Leavers were not in employment, education or training (NEET).

The areas highlighted for improvement in Quarter 3 was the timeliness of assessments which was slightly below the target of 90 per cent; 94.2 per cent statutory child protection visits were completed within 15 working days with 77.8 completed within 10 working days, slightly behind Quarters 1 and 2; missing from home interviews had been offered within 72 hours in 91.3 per cent of the cases; and the rate of Looked After Children was 111.6 per 10,000 population which was above statistical regional and national benchmarks.

Members discussed in particular the increase in Section 47 enquiries and increase in the number of Looked After Children and the Assistant Director of Children’s Services advised Members of the rationale for this increase, inclusive of regional and national changes in legislation and gave assurance of the continual monitoring of the situation.

Members also discussed the numbers of young people coming into care and those leaving care and the processes involved for those young people leaving care.

RESOLVED – That the performance information provided for Quarter 3 2018/19 be noted.