Issue - meetings

The Panel will receive a verbal update on this item from the People and Communities Strategic Director.

The People & Communities Strategic Director addressed the Panel on the following items.

Independent Review Service – The Service has been notified by Ofsted of a thematic inspection on 23^rd and 24^th January 2013. The inspection will involve a review of randomly selected cases, discussions with children and young people, IRO’s, social work staff and managers. B&NES is one of ten local authorities selected and Ofsted will provide a summary report on the effectiveness of Independent Reviewing Services nationally.

Sector Led Improvement – During January B&NES will visit Swindon Council to carry out a Peer Challenge of their Safeguarding thresholds. Also Dorset County Council will visit B&NES to carry out a peer challenge of our services for diverting children and young people from care.

This system has been established across England to help the sector support its own improvement. It is estimated that the time requirement will be approximately 5 days per officer from the ‘donating’ local authority.

Children’s Centres – Ofsted have requested that we allow them to trial a new inspection framework for Children’s Centres that are managed on a ‘cluster’ basis. B&NES has managed on this basis for some time and I am minded to agree given that all Centres are due to receive an inspection over the next 12 – 18 months.

Children’s Social Care Improvements – The Improvement Plan continues to be implemented with very close management of key improvement activities. The emphasis on timeliness of assessments is bearing fruit as timescales have improved significantly. We are also addressing issues of quality and a report will come to a future meeting of the Panel.

The Chairman thanked him for his update.