Meeting documents

Item

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Progress October 2003

Action from October 2003

1. To establish systems for quantifying unmet need

1. Devise policy and process to identify unmet need and implement.

2. Include in reports to Chief Executive and Executive Member.

Liz Price, Planning Manager

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

End Oct 03

From Oct 03

Referral and assessment team have established system for identifying unmet need. This will be developed further through implementation of Care First and across all teams.

ML devising format for reports to Chief Executive and Executive Members

Confirm arrangements within Care First Implementation - Liz Price

To be introduced from Nov. 03

2. To ensure that referring agencies always confirm in writing referrals that relate to a child about whom there are child welfare concerns

1. Promote agency response in writing through Area Child Protection Committee.

2. Incorporating Data Protection and Human Rights Act issues with Child Protection training.

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

Trina Shane, Group Manager

End Oct 03

June 03

Promoted through discussion at ACPC. Progress to be reviewed through further discussion at ACPC. Referral & Assessment Team management reports increased number of written referrals from agencies received. Corporate training initiative will increase understanding of need to comply with this recommendation - programme commencing end of year.

Child Protection training programme published.

Establish system for routinely recording receipt of written referrals

3. To systematically record on file that we have advised the police, at the earliest possible opportunity, when a referral may constitute a criminal offence against a child: and that the police are informed of referrals to other agencies.

All staff to action: File audits to confirm practice

Trina Shane and Charlie Moat, Group Managers

End Oct 03

File audit and child protection quality assurance audit confirms this practice.

4. To systematically record on file the purpose of all referrals made to other agencies and confirm auditing arrangements of this action

1. Ensure that this is recorded in all cases

2. Improvements in supervision both by Team Managers and Group Managers.

3. Include in training programme

All Team Managers

Trina Shane, Group Manager

Trina Shane, Group Manager

July 03

End Mar 04

July 03

File audit shows improved but variable practice. Consolidation of core assessment process will further improve practice.

All managers focus upon quality assurance within supervision.

Incorporated as planned

Continue feedback through supervision by Team Managers and Group Managers.

5. To ensure all teams comply with Child Protection procedures for open cases and conference arrangements

Ensure and document compliance by all staff.

All Team Managers

Immediate

File audit and Child Protection quality assurance audit shows improved compliance. Additional audit of open cases in place.

Continue feedback through supervision by all managers.

Item

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Progress October 2003

Action from October 2003

1. To ensure that case allocation always makes explicit the purposes of intervention, and the expectations of the allocated social worker and any other staff working with the family

1. Team Manager to record on file and discuss in supervision.

All Team Managers

Trina Shane, Group Manager

Oct 03

End Oct 03

File audit shows explicit statements about purpose of intervention on audited files

Achieved and ongoing

File audit ongoing task - Group Managers

2. To ensure that assessments systematically record information, analysis, conclusions and decisions

All Social Workers

All Team Managers

Oct 03

File audit and Child Protection Quality Assurance audit shows improvement

File audit ongoing task - Group Managers

3. To improve recording practice throughout the service

1. Clear guidelines for recording

2. Monitor through file audits and supervision.

3. Performance Reviews and training

Group Managers (Liz Price, Planning Manager)

Team Managers

All Managers

July 03

July 03

Oct 03

Improvements noted in file audit. Introduction of Care First will change recording priorities.

Achieved and ongoing

Achieved and ongoing

4. To ensure that checks are always made against the Child Protection Register and that this is recorded on the case file

1. Senior Practitioners and Team Managers to audit files

Trina Shane, Group Manager

July 03

_ Continuing to reinforce good practice

_ Reminders sent to staff about compliance

_ Need to ensure that all checks are formally recorded

5. To improve the availability (inc. timeliness) of interpreters

1. Review availability and access to interpreters.

Charlie Moat, Group Manager via READ group

Oct 03

_ Infrequent demand for interpreters means no further experience reported. Teams have information if required to access service.

_ Corporate arrangements clarified. No re-commissioning required

6. To ensure that we always assess the suitability of any temporary accommodation for a child and report any shortfalls to senior managers

1. Team Managers to ensure that all such assessments take place.

2. Review relationship with Housing and function of Housing Liaison Group to check compliance

All Team Managers

Team Manager with Housing Liaison Group

Oct 03

End Oct 03

Improvements in joint assessments noted: need to confirm for all cases.

Children and Families Services and Housing Service completing their review.

Referral & Assessment and Housing Team to co-ordinate for all cases. Team Manager report to include recommendations for improvement: to be implemented by Heads of Service.

7. To ensure that the child's views, as appropriate to age and understanding, are included in all assessments and recorded on files.

Trina Shane, Group Manager

Disabled Children's Team Manager

End Oct 03

End Oct 03

Reports from Referral & Assessment Team demonstrate improvements in practice in terms of both seeing the child and including their views in assessments.

Audit of issues and tools in progress by Disabled Children's Team.

Review progress

8. To establish the availability of legal advice 24 hours/7 days a week

Review commission for legal services/Emergency Duty Team service in conjunction with neighbouring authorities.

Charlie Moat, Group Manager

End Oct 03

Audit of demand revealed that very infrequent request for legal advice out of hours. Head of Service liaising with neighbouring authorities to establish rota so that this is available as required.

Head of Service to confirm with South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bristol.

9. To improve effective response to children in hospital

Review arrangements between Disabled Children's Team, Accident & Emergency and Children's wards

Team Managers, RUH and Referral & Assessment

July 03

Discussions progressed with A&E, Children's Wards and paediatricians. Agreement reached for consistent practice.

Written protocol to be established, implemented in practice and reviewed.

Item

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Progress October 2003

Action from October 2003

1. Every case file of a child in need will have an up to date chronology

1. Review procedures and clarify what chronology includes.

2. Ensure compliance

3. Include in training programme

Trina Shane, Group Manager

All Team Managers

Trina Shane, Group Manager

Oct 03

Oct 03

Oct 03

Clear guidance given to staff about production of chronologies and their content.

File audit, Child Protection Quality Assurance monitoring and supervision reporting demonstrates that more files have relevant chronologies.

Chronologies included in ACPC training course - practice and procedures.

2. To improve practice in the auditing of case files by senior managers

To put in place systematic auditing of files by Group Managers and auditing of random sample by Head of Service and Director

Group Managers.

Head of Service

Oct 03

Systems in place and implemented. Time resource is significant.

Ongoing process

3. The Sub Committee of the Area Child Protection Committee to monitor the attendance of all relevant professionals at planning and review meetings and report to Area Child Protection Committee

1. Child Protection Sub Committee monitoring of agency in attendance at Child Protection conferences to be reported to Area Child Protection Committee

2. Review need for additional monitoring of other meetings and how this could be achieved

Liz Price, Chair, Sub Committee

Liz Price, Chair

Sub Committee

June 03

Oct 03

Child Protection Sub to continue monitoring agency attendance at all initial and reviews Child Protection conferences and report to ACPC. Concluded no additional monitoring needed.

Agency attendance at and reporting to Child Protection conferences monitored and are satisfactory.

4. To further improve procedures for the transfer of cases between teams

1. Case Transfer meeting to resolve obstacles to transfer of work.

2. Group Managers to be informed of any unallocated cases on regular basis.

Trina Shane, Group Manager

Trina Shane & Charlie Moat, Group Managers

Oct 03

June 03

Some improvement in transfer of work.

Group Managers informed of any unallocated cases on a regular basis.

Group Manager to continue work with all teams.

Ongoing

Item

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Progress October 2003

Action from October 2003

1. To ensure that all staff know how to access information concerning vulnerable children who have moved into the area from overseas.

Identify additional sources of information, renew guidance to staff

Senior Practitioner, Referral & Assessment Team

Oct 03

1. Senior Practitioner takes lead in accessing this information.

2. Review of guidance to be completed in New Year.

Senior Practitioner

2. To ensure that written notifications that we provide to other Councils about children in need moving into their area is always documented on our case files.

All Team Managers to ensure this action

Trina Shane & Charlie Moat, Group Managers

Oct 03

File audit demonstrates compliance.

On going

Item

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Progress October 2003

Action from October 2003

1. To achieve consistent take up of training by all staff and evaluate its impact on practice and outcomes for children.

1. All staff to attend training identified within Performance Reviews

2. Implementation of child care training strategy.

3. Reviews of inter-agency child protection training programmes

All Team Managers

Trina Shane, Group Manager & Child Care Training Strategy Group

Trina Shane, Group Manager

July 03

July 03

Sept 03

Take up of multi agency training is reported to ACPC. Within Children & Families Service performance reviews and Post Qualifying child care award used to evaluate improved outcomes. Encouragement of evidence based research has resulted in improved analysis and reporting (Child Protection Sub monitoring) which will lead to improved outcomes for children.

Training programme reviewed and reported to ACPC.

Systematic evaluation processes will be introduced following appointment of ACPC training co-ordinator.

2. To further improve staff confidence in expressing their professional views in all settings

1. Through in-house and inter-agency training.

2. Obtain feedback from staff

Trina Shane & Charlie Moat, Group Managers

Trina Shane & Charlie Moat, Group Managers

Sept 03

Oct 03

Training workshops are planned to enhance Social Work practice and confidence.

Evaluation of training events indicates increased confidence, knowledge and skills of staff.

Item

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Progress October 2003

Action from October 2003

1. To ensure that cover arrangements for absent staff include access to their emails

Review cover arrangements re emails, messages, correspondence etc.

Trina Shane & Charlie Moat, Group Managers in Team Managers Meetings

Oct 03

Systems in place for covering absent staff - further work required to make access to emails available to managers.

Group Managers to confirm mechanisms re email access

Item

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Progress October 2003

Action from October 2003

1. Children's Services priorities and improvements will be explicitly included in the Council's statements of policy and operational plans.

1. Raise profile of children's services across the Council. Include corporate parenting in new member induction programme.

2. Maintain profile within Councils CPA Improvement Plan.

3. Prepare report and submit this improvement plan to Directors Group.

4. Prepare report and present this improvement plan to Council Executive.

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

Head of Service & Director

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

July 03

Oct 03

July 03

July 03

Completed - induction sessions held 10 & 24 September. Over 30 members attended.

Profile of safeguarding children maintained within Council's CPA Improvement Plan

Report for Directors Group in June 03

Report for Council Executive July 03.

2. To build upon current reporting mechanisms to the Chief Executive and elected members to equip them to carry out their respective responsibilities to children in need.

As above

As above

As above

Actions completed in August 03. All members provided with written brief re roles and responsibilities for safeguarding children.

3. To report to the elected members the outcome of the review of the effectiveness of referral and assessment systems

1. Undertake review

2. Report to Executive Member

Trina Shane, Group Manager

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

Aug 03

Oct 03

Review of R&A systems undertaken. Draft completed October 2003. Head of Service to complete report and action plan for submission to Executive Member.

Head of Service to submit report to Executive Member Dec. 2003

4. To establish routine visits from the Executive Member and Director of Social Services to the Referral and Assessment and Disabled Children's Teams, and routine contact between Councillors and front line staff.

1. Arrange initial visit

2. Establish process for on-going contact

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

July 03

Oct 03

Visits taking place and plans in hand for on-going routine contact.

5. To establish systems for the routine reporting of any unallocated cases.

1. System for reporting unallocated cases to be established.

2. Ensure reporting to Executive Member.

Trina Shane & Charlie Moat, Group Managers

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

Oct 03

Oct 03

Reporting system now in place.

Head of Service has established routine reporting mechanism to Executive Member.