Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Strategic Director (Children, Families and Adults).

Lorraine Butcher attended to present a report which detailed the OFSTED Inspection of Safeguarding and Looked After Children Services. Lorraine Butcher reported that the inspection was carried out from 27 June to 8 July 2011 and its purpose was to evaluate the contribution made by relevant services in the local area towards ensuring that children and young people were properly safeguarded and to determine the quality of service provision for looked after children and care leavers.

Lorraine Butcher stated that on the whole the report was very positive. It was explained that the outcomes did not quite reflect the content of the report as OFSTED had been unable to award Cheshire East ‘good’ in a number of categories due to the inability to demonstrate ‘sustained improvement’. This was not due to any failing by the Council or its officers but more due to the fact that the first fifteen months post Local Government Re-organisation had been a forced period of development with a large amount of flux. Lorraine Butcher asserted that the report had made it clear that the foundations for a well performing service had been established and that the Directorate were confident on delivering on the outlined areas of improvement.

The Chairman commented that before asking any questions, the Committee must be clear on what they wanted to do with the report from a scrutiny perspective. It was suggested that a special meeting could be established to go through the report in more detail and that this should be held before the next scheduled meeting on 18 October 2011 if possible.

A point was made with regards to the proposed changes to the OFSTED inspection regime. It was queried whether Cheshire East would start to measure by the success of a child’s journey through the various processes as suggested by the Munroe Review. Lorraine Butcher reported that Cheshire East was already planning towards the proposed new inspection framework which would include approaches outlined in the Munroe Review. Having said this, it was asserted that it was better to build in self assessment through embedded good practice rather than to just prepare for a one off inspection.

As a final point, attention was drawn to the fact that the children’s residential home at Claremont Road had received an outstanding judgement in every category from a recent OFSTED inspection. The Chairman suggested that congratulations be passed onto the staff and management team and that it be noted in the minutes.

RESOLVED –

a)    That a special meeting be convened to go through the OFSTED report in more detail before the next scheduled meeting on 18 October 2011.

b)    That the Committee’s congratulations for the staff and management team involved with the residential homes on Claremont Road be noted.