Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Strategic Director Children, Families & Adults.

The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director (Children, Families and Adults) relating to a peer review of the Council’s safeguarding of children which took place between the 3 and 7 December 2012.

 The review found that Cheshire East’s key strengths were:

·           A strong commitment at every level to improve outcomes for children;

·           Good multi-agency working and partnerships;

·           Strong leadership and management;

·           A dedicated workforce; and

·           The political will to implement change.

However, the Review identified that the Council needed to ensure that:

·           Council staff and partners are clear about Cheshire East’s vision for children and young people;

·           Frontline staff have a good understanding of outcomes and how they are measured in practice;

·           Partners, in particular Health, commit to change;

·           The multi-agency delivery of Early Help is more effective;

·           Staff in all agencies have a clear understanding of thresholds into Social Care and how they should be applied;

·           The voice of the child is fully embedded in practice;

·           Front line social work practice is consistently good; and

·           Experienced and skilled Social Workers commit longer term to Cheshire East as a place to work.

Councillor Gordon Baxendale (visiting member) addressed the Committee regarding the need for more members of the Council to recognise and acknowledge their corporate parenting roles.

Councillor Phil Hoyland Chairman of Children and Families Policy Development Group (PDG) also addressed the committee and explained that he was looking forward to receiving recommendations from the peer review to allow the PDG to initiate some policy development work in this area.

In response to a question about why the report had highlighted inconsistency of practice and whether this related to ICT systems, Nigel Moorehouse explained that this was partly due to the fact that many of the Council’s social workers were relatively inexperienced but was also connected to the fact that the Council needed to improve its ICT infrastructure to support the service.,

RESOLVED

(a)   That the key findings of the peer review contained in appendix 1 and the peer review action plan contained in appendix 2 be noted

(b)   That the report be referred to the Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee for that committee to scrutinise the health implications of the peer review.

(c)  That the Strategic Director (Children, Families and Adults) be requested to report back to this committee in 6 months time on progress made.

(d)  That  the Strategic Director (Children, Families and Adults)  be also requested to report back to a future meeting to provide the committee with an update on ICT improvements