Meeting documents

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

1. To establish systems for quantifying unmet need

1.3

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

Evaluate at Case Transfer meeting and quarterly activity reports.

Feedback from Chief Executive

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

1.4

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

Area Child Protection Committee

Sub Committee of Area Child Protection Committee/ Training Management Group

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.

1.6

All staff to action: File audits to confirm practice

Trina Shane and Charlie Moat, Group Managers

End Oct 03

Through supervision of staff at all levels.

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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

1.7

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

Group Managers via supervision and file audits.

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service in supervision

Child Care Training Strategy Group

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

1.7.2

Ensure and document compliance by all staff.

All Team Managers

Immediate

Sub Committee of Area Child Protection Committee

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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

2.1

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

All Team Managers

Trina Shane, Group Manager

Oct 03

End Oct 03

File audits by Group Managers Supervision arrangements

Child Care Training Strategy Group

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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

2.2

All Social Workers

All Team Managers

Oct 03

File audits by Group Managers

3. To improve recording practice throughout the service

2.4

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

Review by Children & Family Services Management Group

Supervision by Group Managers

Group Manager file audits

Group Managers

Child Care Training Strategy Group

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

2.5

1. Senior Practitioners and Team Managers to audit files

Trina Shane, Group Manager

July 03

Area Child Protection Sub Committee monitoring of child protection activity quarterly.

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

Children & Family Services Management Group

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

2.8

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

John Barnes, Team Manager with Housing Liaison Group

Oct 03

End Oct 03

Group Managers supervision

Children & Family Services Management Group

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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

2.11

1. Reinforce good practice about seeing children for initial assessments and ensure their views are recorded. Team Managers to monitor.

Trina Shane, Group Manager

David Niven, Team Manager

End Oct 03

End Oct 03

Group Managers supervision and file audits

Group Manager supervision. Disabled Children's Strategy Group.

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

2.13

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

Charlie Moat, Group Manager

End Oct 03

Children & Family Services Management Group.

9. To improve effective response to children in hospital

2.15

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

David Niven, Team Manager

July 03

Trina Shane, Group Manager

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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

3.1

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

Children & Family Services Management Group

File Audit Trina Shane and Charlie Moat, Group Managers

Child Care Training Strategy Group

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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

3.1

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

Head of Service

Director of Social Services

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

3.6

1. Child Protection Sub 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

Area Child Protection Committee

Area Child Protection Committee

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

3.7

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

Children & Family Services Management Group

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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

4.2

Identify additional sources of information, renew guidance to staff

Charles Plummer, Senior Practitioner

Oct 03

Children & Family Services Management Group

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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.

4.4

All Team Managers to ensure this action

Trina Shane & Charlie Moat, Group Managers

Oct 03

Supervision and file audits by Group Managers

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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

5.1/5.2

5.3, 5.4

5.5

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

Group Manager audit of training programme

Head of Service

Area Child Protection Committee

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

as above

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

Head of Service and Area Child Protection Committee

Reports to Head of Service and Area Child Protection Committee

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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

6.2

Review cover arrangements re emails, messages, correspondence etc.

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

Oct 03

Report to Head of Service

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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

7.1

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

Directors Group

Council

Directors Group

Council

Item

Climbie Audit No.

Actions Required

Lead Officer(s)

Timescale

Monitoring Arrangements

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.

7.2

As above

As above

As above

As above

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

7.6

1. Undertake review

2. Report to Executive Member

Trina Shane, Group Manager

Maurice Lindsay, Head of Service

Aug 03

Oct 03

Children & Family Services Management Group

Children & Family Services Management Group

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.

7.6

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

Quality Protects Members Group

Quality Protects Members Group

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

7.8

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

Children & Family Services Management Group

Executive Council