LACYP& Clsimprovement Group

LACYP& CLsImprovement Group

Terms of Reference

1.Purpose

The LACYP&CLs Improvement Group is responsible for co-ordinating and driving forward the actions noted in the LACYP&CLs Improvement Plan which will improve outcomes for children and young people.The Improvement Plan takes into account the priorities identified in the LAC commissioning strategy and the criteria for outstanding LACYP&CLspractice including our role as corporate parents. The improvement plan sets out the actions required to ensure services for looked after children and care leavers are of outstanding standard. The LAC Improvement Group will also be the “clearing route” for any changes to procedures and organisational structures which impact on LAC.

The LACYP&CLsImprovement Group is the key group for the delivery of the commissioning strategy and for ensuring that outcomes for LAC children and young people are good or outstanding.

2.Responsibilities of the LACYP&CLsImprovement Group

To ensure robust plans are in place which address all LAC improvement items.
To ensure looked after children and young people, care leavers, managers and staff are involved in improvement planning and that the improvement plan is understood and owned.
To identify and prioritise areas for improvement.
To oversee and drive improvement.
To monitor overall implementation and to problem solve and find solutions if there are blocks to progress.
To put in place a robust data set with baseline data (as at 1 April 2014), to ensure incremental improvement is evidenced.
To assess the impact of actions taken by triangulating evidence from audits, feedback from children, young people and families, feedback from staff and using the LAC data set.
To report progress to the Director of Children’s Services and the Lead Member and share any feedback with the group
To keep up to date with good practice, research, exemplars of practice from outstanding authorities and keep up to date with legislation and guidance.
To ensure the resources required to meet the needs of looked after children, young people and care leavers on the journey to outstanding practice are highlighted to the appropriate decision-makers in Wiltshire Council

The LACYP&CLsImprovement Group meetings willmeet to review and discuss work carried out. The expectation is that actions are undertaken outside of the meetings.

NB. This group focuses on children and young people from the point of looked after status.

3.Reporting and key links with other groups

This is a Children and Young People’s Trust sub-group engaging partner agencies to ensure good links and best practice. The group is accountable to the Children’sTrust Commissioning Executive.
Highlight reports including progress and risks on items and issues where the Council has lead responsibility will be produced for the Children’s Services Leadership Teamand for the Lead Member.
Regular reports will be produced for the Children’s Trust Commissioning Executive.
There will be close links with the Safeguarding and Child Protection Improvement Group, the Wiltshire Safeguarding Children Board Early Intervention Sub-Group and with the Corporate Parenting Group to ensure there is no overlap and duplication.
There is a LAC Health Multi-Agency Partnership (LAC H-MAP). This group’skey task is to address LAC Health issues raised by Ofsted and/or CQC. The LACYP&CLsImprovement Group will receive regular reports from this group.

4.Chairing

The Associate Director for Operational Children’s Services and the Associate Director for Commissioning, Performance and School Effectiveness are joint chairs of the LAC Improvement Group.

5.Administration

The agenda and papers will be sent out at least 3 working days in advance of the meeting.
Papers will not be tabled, except in exceptional circumstances agreed with the Chair in advance.

6.Length and Frequency of meetings

The LAC Improvement Group will meet once every quarter.
Meeting will last for a maximum of 2 hours.

7.Membership

Service / LAC Improvement group - representatives
Chair / Julia Cramp, Associate Director
CAMHS / Sam Shrubsole, Manager, Wiltshire CAMHS
Children and Families Social Care / Terence Herbert, Associate Director
Martin Davis, Head of Service Care and Placement
Matthew Turner, Service Manager, Strategic Service Delivery, Children in Care
Karen Reid, Head of Service Virtual Schools
Children and Families Voluntary Sector Forum / Vanessa Bedford
Community Health Services (Virgin Care) / Val Scrase – Head of Operations
Lena Pheby – Safeguarding Nurse for LAC
Community Health Services (Virgin Care) / Dr Stuart Murray – Designated Doctor for LAC and community paediatrician
SEND Service / Nick Breakwell, Head of SEND Service
Finance / Marie Taylor, Principal Accountant
Early Intervention, Youth and Prevention / Blair Keltie, Child Sexual Exploitation Manager
Safeguarding QA / Janice Lightowler, Manager – Conference and Reviewing Service
Performance Management and Coordination / Lynda Cox, Head of Performance Management and Coordination
Strategic Procurement Hub / Lindsay Fortune, Senior Category Manager for Children
Voice and Influence / Leanne Field, Senior Commissioning Officer

Send papers and will attend if relevant items on agenda

Service / LAC Improvement group - representatives
Housing Services / Nicole Smith, Head of Strategic Housing
Legal / Mary Tasker, Legal Team Leader for Childcare
Public Health / Amy McNaughton, Public Health consultant
Community and Voluntary Sector / Lisa Lucas, co-ordinator

16 March 2015 (3)