LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN
CORPORATE PARENTING STRATEGIC BOARD
Minutes from the Meeting 27thJuly 2010
YMCA Conference Room, Trowse
PRESENT:Alison Thomas, Cabinet Member, Children’s Services –Chair
Tom Savory, Assistant Director, Children’s Services
Stewart Betts, Service Development Manager, Children’s Services
Malcolm Griffiths, Corporate Parenting Operational Delivery Manager
Justin Rolph, Corporate Parenting Strategy & Commissioning Manager
Karen Searle, Project Officer (Corporate Parenting)
Anne-Louise Schofield, Norfolk DAAT
Sue Hobbs, Project Officer (Corporate Parenting)
James Joyce, CountyCouncillor (from 1100)
Sue Piper, PA to Assistant Director –note taker
ALSO IN ATTENDANCE:Wendy Weal, Deputy Delivery Team Manager, Family Delivery Team, Department for Education
ACTION
WELCOME, INTRODUCTIONS, APOLOGIES:Apologies were received from Bert Bremner, Richard Bearman, Sue Massey, Martin Sale, Chris Hobley, Helen Jackson
Alison welcomed and thanked everyone for coming to the meeting, especially Wendy who attended as an observer. Members of the board introduced themselves.
Alison will invite James Carswell, Deputy Cabinet Member for Children’s Services to be a member of this Board. / AT
2. / NOTES AND MATTERS ARISING FROM 14th APRIL 2010
Mentors for Children’s Homes – This is still in hand. Alison will discuss with Malcolm and Tom.
Overview & Scrutiny Panel – Malcolm is working on getting some informative items on the Overview & Scrutiny Panel agenda to help keep Members appraised of current activity.
Corporate Parenting Session for Members– 27th September. A briefing is being written in relation to our aspirations for LAC and will be presented on the day.
Care Matters Agenda – briefing pack for Members – Malcolm has confirmed that there is arolling training programme for members.
District Councillors should be offered a briefing also. The target should be the District Council Members on the Children’s Trust Board or their Young People’s champion. / AT MG TS
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With Terry Cook
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3. / DESIGN OF CORPORATE PARENTING SERVICES – OPERATIONAL AND COMMISSIONING
Operational – Malcolm’s role as Corporate Parenting Operational Delivery Manager will focus on,and be responsible for, running adoption, fostering and residential services and the Corporate Parenting fieldwork teams. The aim being to ensure standard and common practices across the board.
Strategy and Commissioning – Justin, as Corporate Parenting Strategy & Commissioning Manager, will focus onstrategic engagement with other agencies, and ensuring value for money and quality services are provided. His team will work closely with Health colleagues and be responsible for the Placements Team and SEN.
4. / COMMISSIONING STRATEGY FOR CORPORATE PARENTING
Justin identified the 4 key elements of the Commissioning Strategy:
1.Norfolk Support for Norfolk Children – Justin’s wish is for all looked after children to be accommodated in Norfolk. There is a need for more residential placements, foster placements, and supported lodgings.
2.Improve outcomes for Looked After Children / Care Leavers – this meanshigher quality care planning, education plans, health assessments and support packages with mechanisms for identifying that we are making a difference for LAC
3.Achieve better value for money – Norfolk is one of the most expensive counties in the country. Working in partnership with District Councils and Health we would wish to improve efficiency without impacting on quality of care. A thorough needs assessment is essential. We aim to make use of block booking rather than spot purchasing. We will manage the market by going out to tender (adopt the “Devon” modelwhich is a mechanism for managing the market and driving down costs).
Broadly speaking the “Devon” model uses approved suppliers. When a child needs a placement, approved providers look at the profile of the child and his/her need – they then come back with what they can do for the child and how much the cost would be. The model doesn’t work in an emergency but, it is felt that with a bit of redesign, the Devon model can be made to work for Norfolk.
4.Improve support for children on the edge of care – This is about commissioning support for children such as services that undertake mediation work with families and restorative justice.Investment in Family Group Conferences and Family group partnerships. Encouraging foster carers, where appropriate, to take up special guardianship orders.
5. / FEEDBACK FROM CORPORATE PARENTING OPERATIONS GROUP
Tom has taken over as Chair of the Operations Group. The group will continue to meetand will use each meeting to focus on a particular item.
Implications on reduction of Care Matters funding – Unfortunately some of the grant has been hit by other budgetary pressures. However, because of our investment programme services have been maintained but on a reduced scale.
The apprenticeship scheme and increased advocacy duties have been lost. Tom is looking to secure funding for advocacy
Update on Corporate Parenting Multi Agency Action Plan –
Karen gave a brief update. Karen will send a copy of the updated Plan plus notes to Sue to circulate to members of the board.
The plan will be discussed in more detail during the November meeting, with an in depth look at a couple of the key performance indicators. / TS
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SP for agenda
6. / LEGISLATION, REGULATION AND GUIDANCE
This includes:
- Implications under Care Matters Programme.
- Legislation, Regulation and Statutory Guidance following changes under Children & Young People Act 2008
- Care Planning Guidance – published in March
- Independent Reviewing Officer Handbook – giving IROs a wider scrutiny role – to be implemented April 2011
- Sufficiency Guidance – out for consultancy – to be implemented April 2011
- Transition to Adulthood guidance renamed Leaving Care Regulation Guidance – is out for consultation and will be put to ministers end of July. Launched in the Autumn for implementation in April.
Training and information sharing needs to be co-ordinated. CTD to be involved.
7. / In Care Council - update
Irene Kerry, Corporate Parenting User Involvement Worker attended to present this item with Karen.
In June,Roger Morgan, Director of Children’s Rights for Englandheaded up a consultation event at Legoland. 5 young people from Norfolkwith their families took part in the event. All had a really good time.
Two issues were identified, the age of the children answering questions may have been too young and some children with disabilities found it difficult to do their own recording.
An annual care monitor report will be produced by Dr Morgan and will be out in the Autumn.
Young people in Norfolkwill have the opportunity to respond to the consultation.
The In Care Council is trying to negotiate a half day of activities for the younger age group in Norfolk.
German Research Project
Irene circulated a copy and asked the Board to look at the recommendations
Residential Care – It appears that young people sometimes would prefer residential care as their first option rather than foster care.
Independent Living –Germanyfavours a step by step approach– young people feel this a better process.
Increase in residential capacity by 25 beds– it would be good for young people to have a say in how this is established.
Stewart would like to set up a workshop with the young people to think about the principles behind what is happening in Germany. This was agreed by the Board. Stewart will meet with Karen and Irene to co-ordinate a proposal.
Go East, Ofsted and DfE to be invited.
Munro report– Wendy reported that Ministers are talking about identifying families in order to prevent children coming into care. They are talking about the team around the family (not child)
CountyAdolescent Prevention Service – This is a team for teenagers in distress
CAMHS & NDAP– The Involvement Pledge is now complete and operational.
Teenage Pregnancy –An Action Plan is to be put together. This may identify training needs for our foster carers.
Alison thanked Irene coming to the meeting and for the Children in Care Council update. / SB KS IK
8. / ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Apprenticeships – Breaking News– Karen is negotiating with Health colleagues with the hope that Hospital Trusts will be in a position to offer apprenticeships for care leavers. Therehave also been negotiations with The Princes Trust for placements for young people. More news to follow.
Deep Dive Workshop - looking at high contact families –In the Autumn the Children’s Trust will be looking at the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) system which has been developed by Devon- this is a team of people from relevant agencies in one secure room (control centre) who meet to discuss high contact families.
Wendy commented that Westminsteralso have a good model, The Family Recovery Unit.
No other business was discussed. Alison thanked everyone for their contributions today.
9. / FUTURE MEETINGS:
Members of the Board agreed that the LAC CPSB meetings should be re-energised with District Council representation. Tom, Alison, Justin and Malcolm will give this some thought.
Future meetings would be extended to 3 hours with a 15 minute break.
Dates of Next Meetings:(Please note new times)
1330 – 1630, Tuesday 23rd November, Cranworth Room
0930– 1230, Wednesday 23rd March 2011, Colman Room / TS AT JR MG
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