Agenda item

Connecting Families Update

The Panel will receive a presentation regarding this item.

Minutes:

The Divisional Director for Safeguarding & Social Care gave a presentation to the Panel regarding this item. A copy of the presentation can be found on their Minute Book and as an online appendix to these minutes, a summary of the presentation is set out below.

 

Connecting Families Criteria

 

·  Parents, young people & children involved in crime or ASB

·  Children & young people who have not been attending school regularly

·  Children & young people who need help

·  Adults out of work or at risk of financial exclusion & young people at risk of worklessness

·  Families affected by domestic violence & abuse

·  Parents, young people & children with a range of health problems

 
Measures of success

 

·  Family members in work (for 26 weeks plus)

·  Children and young people in the families regularly attending school  and doing well ( Attendance 90% for 1 year )

·  Reductions in youth crime and anti-social behaviour caused by the children and young people within these families (reduction of 33 % over 6 months)

·  Reduction in domestic abuse within these families  (reduction of 50 % over 6 months)

·  Reduction in mental ill-health and families are healthier

·  Reduction in the numbers of children admitted to care/ staying in care

·  Increase in effectiveness and timeliness of child protection measures where needed

·  Reduction in substance / alcohol abuse

·  Parents are being better parents and C&YP are ready and fit for school

 

Key principles of family support

 

·  We may need short or long term help and support from services when we face life’s difficulties or challenges.

·  We want support to be practical, hands on and professional.

·  We want workers to listen to us and be supportive.

·  Want workers to work with us in partnership, sharing power and decision making.

·  Want workers to promise what they can achieve and keep their promises.

 

Payment by results & outcomes

 

·  We are requested to work with 700 families by 2020 (140 per year). To date we have attached 527 (and been paid for) against our target of 452 so we are exceeding our target in this area.

·  We have claimed 212 payments by results to date, against our target. Which means we are 9/152 LA’s and 2nd against benchmarked areas of a similar size.

·  We have not yet had a Spot Check from National audit, however we receive an internal audit every time we claim to ensure we are making robust claims

·  Ofsted said that Connecting Families provides an outstanding service, with excellent direct work with children. An annual family feedback report demonstrates the impact of this service, ranging from practical support, such as gaining employment and maintaining housing tenancies, to confidence building and improved relationships.

 

Next Steps

 

·  The programme’s transformation funding encourages whole family with a clear focus on stretching outcomes agreed with local partners, so the management team are focusing on:

 

o  Work with Social Care to improve step down to Early Help Services

o  Encouraging all Early Help Services to carry out Think Family work

o  Improved links with adult Social Care and other Adult Services

 

o  To maintain the high level of returns for the Payment by Results record and to apply for the “Earned Autonomy” when we can which will ensure we receive 100% of all the funding available.

o  Drafting and submitted the Maturity Model Document for Early Help in B&NES.

 

o  Challenges – Peer review in November from West Cheshire & funding or mainstreaming the work post 2020 when the programme is due to end. 

 

The Chair asked how concerning was the prospect of the ceasing of the programme and funding in 2020.

 

The Divisional Director for Safeguarding & Social Care replied that a contingency plan must be addressed. He added that he felt that the Council should look to evidence to Government that the posts had become indispensable and to gain further funding for them to be retained.

 

Councillor Liz Hardman commented on how well the programme was working within B&NES and agreed that the Government should be approached so that we can continue to carry out this work.

 

The Cabinet Member for Children & Young People, Councillor Paul May said that he would consider it a disaster if the programme were to cease and would support a proposal that would give continued funding to Local Authorities that have achieved well.

 

Councillor Sally Davis said that all political groups should be encouraged to have this area of work in mind during the budget setting process.

 

The Panel RESOLVED to ask that the Cabinet Member for Children & Young People makes a representation to the Government on the success of our Connecting Families programme and to seek further funding following the proposed closure of the programme in 2020.