Report for the Business Sub Committee 15th January 2015

  1. Aim of the report:

1.1The aim of this briefing report is to share with the Business Sub Committee the work undertaken in relation to child protection Core Groupsand the key findings from observations of Core Group meetings.

1.2The aim was for the two social care Senior Managers and SafeguardingStandardsManager and Principal Social Worker to observe Core Groups across the urban and rural teams in Northumberland. The plan was to observe a number of first Core Groups, following the initial child protection conference, Core Groups where children were subject to child protection plans for 12 months or more and Core Groups prior to the review child protection conference.

1.3The aim was to complete a sample of twelve Core Groups in total and a Core Group observation template was developed. However, due to changes in staffing within the management group and the challenge ofcoordinating diaries with the timing of Core Group meetings, a total of eight Core Groups were observed.

1.4One Wansbeck Core Group was observed by Audrey Johnson, Senior Manager, one Berwick Core Group was observed by Steve Day, Safeguarding Standards Manager and Principal Social Worker and six; oneCramlington, five Wansbeck Core Groups were observed by Patrick Boyle, Senior Manager.

  1. The role and aim of observing Core Groups:

2.1The role of the observer was to be a ‘critical friend’ to the multi-agency group of professionals that form the child protection Core Group. The aim of the observation was to support practice and enhance outcomes for children and young people subject to Child Protection Plans. The observations were alsoto prepare social care and multi-agency professionals for Ofsted observing Core Groups and other areas of local multi-agency practice.

2.2The new Ofsted inspection framework brings together into one inspection: child protection, services for looked after children and care leavers and local authority fostering and adoption services. The new framework has a specific focus on local practice and inspectors will be observing practice such as Core Group meetings. The Ofsted key improvement themes relevant to Core Groups are the following:

  • Planned and purposeful direct work
  • Management oversight, analysis and practice challenge
  • Identification and managementof risk of harm
  • Seeing children and young people, hearing them over the needs of their parents or carers
  1. The responsibilities of the Core Group:

3.1The Core Group is responsible for developing the child protection plan as a detailed working tool and implementing it within the outline plan agreed at the Initial Child Protection Conference. Although the Social Worker has lead responsibility for the formulation and implementation of the child protection plan, all members of the Core Group are jointly responsible for carrying out the tasks, refining the plan and monitoring progress against the planned outcomes set out in the child protection plan.

  1. Key findings from the Observations of the Core Groups:

4.1Positives:

  • All observed Core Groups took place and they were all in timescale.
  • There were some excellent examples of Core Groups. Worthy of note was the Core Group observed in Berwick and three initial Core Groups observed in Wansbeck.
  • There were some excellent examples of contributions and commitment from partner agencies, such as Health Visitors, schools, Probation Officers and Community Police.
  • The standard Core Group template was used in all but two cases. This has been addressed with the social worker and team manager.
  • The Core Groups generally had good multi-agency attendance, apart from one parent failing to attend, despite the Core Group being rearranged to support attendance. This case has subsequently been stepped up and progressed through the use of the Public Law Outline (PLO).
  • The Core Groups minutes were written up and distributed, although they could have been written up and distributed earlier.
  • The Team Manager whoattended the Initial Child ProtectionConferencesalways chaired the first Core Group.
  • The Team Manager who attended the Initial Child Protection Conference and who chaired the first Core Group had an in depth knowledge of the case and the Child Protection Plan.
  • The Team Manager was focused on the Child Protection Plan and the Written Agreement and cross referenced both documents throughout the meeting, amending both accordingly.
  • There were examples of the Team Manager holding the Core Group to account in terms of visiting frequency and tasks linked to the Child Protection Plan.
  • The Team Manager reviewed and reinforced the signs of safety danger statement in the first Core Group meetings.
  • The observations of the first Core Groups reinforced the importance of the Senior Practitioner or Team Managerattending the Initial Child Protection Conference.
  • The opportunity for Senior Managers to meet families, observe front line practice, recognise and praise good practice and challenge where required.
  • The opportunity for Senior Managers to see and experience first-hand the challenges and pressures for front line staff and immediately pick up any issues. .
  • The opportunity to enhance Senior Managers knowledge of cases, policies and procedures and to observe and experience front line practice.

4.2Challenges and areas to improve practice:

  • The venue, particularly in Wansbeck were not entirely appropriate or conducive toengaging with professionals and families. However, work is ongoing to address this issue.
  • There was not always full attendance from multi-agency partners, for example the Health Visitor, Probation Officer and housing did not attend and did not share their apologies.
  • Written reports or updated chronologies (the latter likely to be a requirement following the publication of the SCR) were not always provided for the Core Group.
  • The standardCore Group template was not used in two cases.
  • The Written Agreement was not always referred to or updated by the Core Group.
  • There couldhave be a much strongerfocus on progress against the Child Protection Plan and checking the progress from previous Core Group actions.
  • Signs of Safety could be more evidenced within the Core Groups.
  • Direct work undertaken within the Core Group could be evidenced more.
  • The voice and experience of the child could be much stronger evidenced by the Core Group. However, it should be noted that three of the Core Groups observed were initial Core Group meetings.
  • The challenge of the social worker chairing the Core Group and taking the minutesof the meeting. The minute taking could be shared by the Core Group and typed up by social care.
  • Core Group minutes could be written up and distributed more promptly.
  1. Summary:

5.1The observations of Core Groups by Senior Managers haveevidenced a number of examples of good practice and some areas to improve on for children subject to child protection plans. The observations have highlighted a number of positive aspects in relation to practice and promoting positive outcomes for children.

5.2The observations of the first Core Groups reinforced the importance of the Senior Practitioner or Team Manager attending the Initial Child Protection Conference. This enabled them to carry their knowledge about the case through to the Core Group to confirm the child protection plan, Written Agreement and in subsequent supervisions.

5.3It is important that Senior Managers support front line practitioners and that they have good operational knowledge of cases and the challenges experienced by front line practitioners. In addition to this, it should be noted that the current Serious Case Review (awaiting publication) noted some issues in relation to Core Group attendance and function and Written Agreements. It is therefore imperative that we continue to have some senior management oversight of this important part of the child protection process. I therefore make the following recommendations to the Business Sub Committee.

6.Recommendations:

  1. The above findings to be shared with social care and multi-agency partners.
  1. Senior Managersfrom social care, the Safeguarding Standards Managers and Principal social worker and senior managers from other disciplines to each observe four Core Groups each per year.
  1. The findings from the observations to be evaluated on a quarterly basis and for this to be shared with social care and partner agencies to improve on practice.

Patrick Boyle

Senior Manager, Specialist Services

13th January 2015

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