Arrangements for the Placement of Children Looked After
Children, Adults and Family Service
Safeguarding, LAC and Additional Needs
August 2010
CONTENTS
1.Introduction
2.Key Issues Facing Blackpool
3.Looked After Children Analysis
4.Residential Services
5.Assessing Demand
6.Fostering Service
7.Adoption
8.Leaving Care
9.Commissioning
Appendix 1 – Action Plans
Appendix 2 – Data Tables and Charts
“P”/ChildcareManagers/MartinBirch/Reports/HistoricView
Page 1 of 66
1.Introduction
Most children live successful and happy lives within their families and have little need for support, other than universal support, for example the range of health services. Some children do need targeted and specialist support to help address particular problems and maintain the family unit. Such support will inevitably vary, but, whatever form it takes, services will always be based on a full assessment of need, will be planned and co-ordinated, and delivered to agreed outcomes.
For a small number of children such interventions are insufficient to ensure the child’s needs are met and either at the request of the parents or via care proceedings, the authority needs to undertake parental responsibility for the child.
In order to fulfil this role Blackpool’s Arrangements for the Placement of Children Looked After, 2010-2013 summarises the means by which the Children, Adults and Families Service will seek to provide the range and quality of placements needed to meet both the current and anticipated needs of children and young people looked after over the next three years.
The Arrangements for the Placement of Children Looked After outlines the intended activities to develop and strengthen placement services so that appropriate provision is available at the right time, in the right place, in sufficient quantities and at the right price, so that there is increased choice to achieve best outcomes for our children in care.
This report includes extensive trend data on Children Looked After in Blackpool, alongside, where appropriate, the national context. Analysis of both the historic and current data provides the best indicator of the likely nature, direction and extent of need in the short to medium term.
2.Key Issues Facing Blackpool
This section of the report focuses on the issues that make Blackpool ‘different’ to other authorities and gives an insight as to the certain factors that contribute to Blackpool having a particularly high rate of Looked After Children.
Blackpool is synonymous with fun and enjoyment. It is England’s largest and most popular seaside resort with approximately 10 million visitors annually.
It is also the main retail, public administration, cultural and service centre for the wider Fylde coast (population estimated to be 328,800). Located in the North West of England, Blackpool covers 35 km2 of land, with 11.2 km (seven miles) of sea front.
After a period of economic decline, Blackpool is a town in transition becoming renowned for its radical development and innovation. However, the town still faces significant challenges in the form of social and economic problems that impact on the lives of children, young people and their families.
Very urban and compact in form, Blackpool is characterised at its heart by the Resort Core, some 5km2 containing the iconic Blackpool Tower, the three piers, the Winter Gardens, the town centre, the Golden Mile hosting an array of amusements and arcades, the ever popular Blackpool Pleasure Beach and the famous Illuminations, offering a rich and diverse cultural offer in its music, performing arts, entertainment, heritage and other varied leisure attractions.
Blackpool supports a resident population of around 140,600, which is the most densely populated borough in the North West. 2008 Revised Mid-Year estimates show that 33,200 children and young people (0-19 year-olds) reside within the authority. The 0-19 population accounts for one quarter (24%) of the resident population, a proportion in line with both regional and national averages.
For the whole population, birth rates are below the regional and national rates, and are outnumbered by the death rate. However the population is projected to increase in the future. There is a relatively low proportion of minority ethnic groups (1.6%) but above regional average of over 65 year-olds (19.1%).
Many families who reside in Blackpool are from socially and economically deprived backgrounds and often have an array of complex needs that require additional support from a range of service providers. It is recognised there are strong links between outcomes for children and young people and social and economic prosperity. There is, therefore, a need to have due cognisance to this fact when planning for children and young people in Blackpool.
Levels of social and economic deprivation within Blackpool are very high. The 2007 Indices of Deprivation (IMD) highlights Blackpool as the 12th most deprived authority in England, putting the authority within the top 4 percent. Within the 2004 Index, Blackpool was ranked as the 23rd most deprived authority.
The IMD has within in it a number of sub-indexes, one of which is based around Income Deprivation Affecting Children, which shows that nearly 9,000 0-19 year-olds in Blackpool (or a quarter of all children and young people) live within the 20% most deprived areas in England. Geographically, this equates to almost 40% of Blackpool’s area.
In terms of overall employment and income deprivation Blackpool is ranked within the 75 most deprived authorities in England (or most 20% deprived authorities). Again, within these scales deprivation levels have become significantly worse since 2004.
Crime
Data from the Association of Public Health Observatories show that during 2008/09, Blackpool had 32 violent crimes (violence against the person offences) per 1,000 population. This was twice the England average (16.4) and significantly higher than the North West average (15.9) and statistical neighbours (19.3). The highest rate in the country was 36.6 meaning that Blackpool had one of the highest rates in the country.
Figure 1 – Violent crime
Child Poverty
Figure 2 - Child poverty
Just over 30% of under 16’s in Blackpool were living in low income households in 2007. This was significantly above the England average (22%). Despite this, the authority with the worst result had 66% of it’s under 16’s living in child poverty.
Teenage Pregnancy
Figure 3 – Teenage pregnancy conception rate
Although not having the highest rate (74.8) in England, Blackpool’s score of 62 conceptions per 1,000 female 15-17 year olds is near the top. The rate was clearly higher than the other three comparator groups.
Alcohol
Figure 4 – Alcohol related mortality
Blackpool’s figures were clearly significantly higher than any comparator group as the authority was twice the figure of the North West average. Both the male and female rates were the worst of all 326 authorities measured.
From other alcohol related data released by LAPE (Local Alcohol Profiles for England) it was also evident that alcohol and crime together also affected the town with there being 13 alcohol related crimes per 1,000 population. This was well above the England average (8) and ranked Blackpool as 304 out of 326 authorities.
These issues and others will be looked at in more detail at ward level (where available) in section 3 and in appendix 2.
3.Looked After Children Analysis
The following report is an historic overview of the changing figures of children coming into care in Blackpool between January 2008 and February 2010. This calculation of change in volume in activity across this wide timescale limits any effect of seasonal variance when looking at different periods of the year.
This section pays particular attention to the month of November 2008, as this was the date of the court case relating to Baby Peter, and when this case was made public. This period of time culminated in a national increase of Children Looked After and the following report is designed to understand the trends surrounding this in Blackpool.
The national context shows there were 60,900 children in the care of Local Authorities in England as at 31 March 2009. 57% (34,600 were boys) and 43% (26,300) were girls. There has been a rising population of looked after children in England, with an average increase of 8.1% from December 2007 to December 2009. Whilst it could be argued that several other developments have contributed to this upward trend including the economic downturn, an increased focus on prevention, the rollout of the public law outline and the introduction of the integrated children’s system, it is clear that in Blackpool, the main increase in care figures corresponds with the Baby Peter case being made public.
Figure 1 – Children Looked After between Jan 2008 and Feb 2010
Number of Children Looked After / IncreaseAge Group / Decrease
Month/Year / 1. Under 1 / 2. 1 - 4 Years / 3. 5 - 9 Years / 4. 10 - 15 Years / 5. 16 and Over / Total / % difference (month on month) / % difference (compared to Nov 08)
31/01/2008 / 18 / 51 / 48 / 110 / 33 / 260 / 3.1
29/02/2008 / 23 / 51 / 54 / 112 / 36 / 276 / 5.8
31/03/2008 / 22 / 49 / 54 / 112 / 40 / 277 / 0.4
30/04/2008 / 24 / 51 / 54 / 108 / 39 / 276 / -0.4
31/05/2008 / 23 / 51 / 55 / 113 / 40 / 282 / 2.1
30/06/2008 / 24 / 52 / 53 / 114 / 38 / 281 / -0.4
31/07/2008 / 23 / 61 / 58 / 115 / 33 / 290 / 3.1
31/08/2008 / 22 / 56 / 58 / 118 / 33 / 287 / -1.0
30/09/2008 / 21 / 47 / 55 / 121 / 34 / 278 / -3.2
31/10/2008 / 18 / 46 / 56 / 121 / 33 / 274 / -1.5
30/11/2008 / 19 / 51 / 56 / 123 / 36 / 285 / 3.9
31/12/2008 / 17 / 54 / 59 / 122 / 38 / 290 / 1.7 / 1.8
31/01/2009 / 17 / 61 / 61 / 124 / 37 / 300 / 3.3 / 5.3
28/02/2009 / 20 / 64 / 61 / 126 / 40 / 311 / 3.5 / 9.1
31/03/2009 / 21 / 67 / 67 / 126 / 42 / 323 / 3.7 / 13.3
30/04/2009 / 20 / 66 / 68 / 128 / 40 / 322 / -0.3 / 13.0
31/05/2009 / 19 / 66 / 65 / 127 / 39 / 316 / -1.9 / 10.9
30/06/2009 / 23 / 67 / 68 / 128 / 41 / 327 / 3.4 / 14.7
31/07/2009 / 26 / 74 / 68 / 129 / 37 / 334 / 2.1 / 17.2
31/08/2009 / 26 / 71 / 68 / 130 / 36 / 331 / -0.9 / 16.1
30/09/2009 / 29 / 78 / 73 / 131 / 36 / 347 / 4.6 / 21.8
31/10/2009 / 31 / 75 / 72 / 126 / 39 / 343 / -1.2 / 20.4
30/11/2009 / 35 / 74 / 73 / 129 / 41 / 352 / 2.6 / 23.5
31/12/2009 / 37 / 72 / 73 / 123 / 45 / 350 / -0.6 / 22.8
31/01/2010 / 39 / 74 / 73 / 124 / 43 / 353 / 0.8 / 23.9
28/02/2010 / 36 / 79 / 74 / 129 / 43 / 361 / 2.2 / 26.7
% difference since Nov 2008 / 89.5 / 54.9 / 32.1 / 4.9 / 19.4 / 26.7
On the 31 January 2008 there were a total of 260 Children Looked After (see figure 1) and by 30 November 2008 this figure had risen to 285, which is an 11% increase, and by 28 February 2010, this increase had risen further by 26.7%. The overall increase between 31 January 2008 and 28 February 2010 was 38.8%. Clearly the largest share of this increase (26.7%) has occurred post Baby Peter.
The largest share of this increase from November 2008 of 89.5% (17 children) is in children aged less than 1, followed by those children aged between 1 and 4, with an increase of 54.9% (28 children). The next largest increase in age band was again at the lower end 5-9 years, increasing by 32.1% or 18 children. Interestingly, the area where our increase is least, the 10-15 year band, only increased by 4.9%, or 6 children, despite this being the largest cohort of children in the group, standing at 129 children at the end of February 2010. This strengthens the view that Children’s Resources at the lower end of the age spectrum is where we need to concentrate our efforts in terms of recruiting Foster Carers looking at the range of permanent placements available to us and family friend placements. This would coincide with the age range of Baby Peter and may be a factor in this increase.
Figure 2 – Looked After Children historic overview
Both figure 2 and figure 3 (on the following page)indicate an upward trend in terms of our children looked after figures, which has continued, with some monthly variations post baby Peter. Figure 3 below, also indicates a wide variation on our own figures in comparison to North West, Statistical Neighbour and England rates of Looked After Children.
Figure 3 - Looked After Children Population per 10,000 Children and Young People
Figure 3 shows Blackpool’s LAC population per 10,000 has historically been greater than the regional, statistical neighbour and national averages. Since 2007 Blackpool’s rate of Children Looked After per 10,000 children and young people has increased at a faster rate than the NW. In the 18 months since March 2008. Blackpool’s total LAC population has increased from 280 Young People to 349 (as reported in the last Placement North West report and is not the most up to date figure). This figure continues to grow as does the request for additional placements.
At the end of May 2010 there were 378 children in care and it is estimated that we will need a further:
80 Internal Fostering placements
12 Residential placements (we will have an additional 12 within our contract with Advanced Care, which will come on line this year).
6 Placements with parents (based on the % as indicated in figure 4) if we are to accommodate children and young people at the same level as 18 months ago and reduce our dependence on exempted placements.
Figure 4 - Placements Types
Compared to SSDA 903 2008 data, the number of Children and Young People placed with parents has increased by 2%. The proportion of Fostering and Residential Placements have fallen by 1% each.
In 2009, our foster placement use is just 1% less than the English Average and 3% better than the North West average, indicating that Blackpool is broadly in line with other Local Authorities in its use of family placements for children looked after. Our residential usage is higher than the other comparator groups, but we are not the highest user of such provision (we are in fact the joint 5th largest user in the North West, with Salford being the largest user at 17%, see figure 11).
The number of children placed for adoption exceeds both the North West and English average, though this is largely due to Blackpool having a larger percentage of babies and smaller children than average, and therefore placements are easier to make as this is the age range adopters are most interested in.
The relatively stable mix of fostering and residential provision should be seen in the context of increasing use of external providers to deliver these services and the use of exempted placements in order to keep our children close to their families and communities.
The Gender Gap between Children Looked After in Blackpool has also changed. There were 2.19% more boys in care than girls in January 2008, by November 2008 this margin had changed to 27%. However, by February 2010 the margin had reduced to 17.6%, indicating more girls coming into the Looked After system between November 2008 and February 2010 (this in real terms is expressed by a 26.4% increase in the number of girls for this period as apposed to only a 16.7% increase in boys).
The ethnicity of the cohort of children coming into the Looked After system between November 2008 and February 2010 is largely ‘’British’’ at 87.1% (the breakdown in gender here is more or less the same, female at 87.2% and male at 87.1%). The next target ethnic background is “mixed”, standing at 4.4%, with a gender breakdown of 5.5% female and 3.4% male (though given the small numbers involved in this, 6 and 4 respectively, nothing should be read into this figure). “Any other white background” and “white and black Caribbean” both share a total of 2.2% breakdown, though interestingly with a reversed figure for gender “any other white background” 4 female and 1 male, “white and black Caribbean” 1 female and 4 male.
Clearly children coming into care from an ethnic background are in the minority in Blackpool, though they still account for around 13% of children in total.
The wards with the highest percentage of young people in care are spread across three frontline teams; Bloomfield is covered by Central South, Claremont is covered by Central North and Park by the North Team. This would indicate that children coming into the care system are not coming in from one particular area or team, but are spread across a number of teams and areas, therefore not draining the resources of any one team.
The following set of tables and charts relate specifically to those children who started to be looked after between November 2008 and February 2010 and therefore do not take into account those children who were already Looked After prior to this date. This cohort of 234 includes a number of young people (46), who within the previous five years had moved into Blackpool and where therefore not Blackpool residents at birth. This equates to roughly 20% of this cohort.
Figure 5 - Breakdown by Gender and ward of home address prior to placement
The largest group of young people coming into care from a particular ward is Bloomfield with a total of 35 children and young people, 24 of which were male and 11 of which were female comprising 15% of the total figure. The next largest figure is Park with a total of 32 children and young people or 13.7% of the total contact, 20 female and 12 male. From a demographic perspective, it is interesting when looking at some of the issues facing these wards in comparison to other wards.
Bloomfield
Had the 3rd highest rate of violent crime and drug related crime in the town.[1]
Had the highest levels of domestic violence victims in Blackpool in both 2008/09 and 2009/10.[2]
2% of all households in the ward contained 6 or more people which was the 2nd highest rate in Blackpool.[3]
Consistently had the highest percentage of Job Seeker’s Allowance claimants since 2006.[4]
Over 40% of households in the area are rented privately though a landlord or a letting agency.
Had one of the higher rates of teenage (15-17) conception rates in the town with 87 per 1,000.
Park
Within Blackpool, Park ward had the 4th highest rate of violent crime with 6%. The ward was accountable for just over 3% of all drug related crime in Blackpool (during 2008/09).
In 2008/09, Park was 2nd only to Bloomfield in terms of the highest rate of domestic violence victims.
Had the highest percentage (2.3%) of households occupying 6 more people.
In terms of Job Seekers Allowance claimants, between 2006 and 2009, Park was accountable for 6% of the Blackpool population claiming this. This was above the Blackpool average of 4.8%
Had 34% of households that were rented from the Local Authority which was the highest rate in the town.
Was 3rd in terms of teenage conception rates (15-17 year olds) during 2009.
Claremont
Talbot aside, Claremont had the highest percentage of violent crime in the town accounting for 15% of crime of this type in the town between 2008/09. Drug related crime followed a similar pattern, with the ward being accountable for 20% of all drug related crime in the town.