Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Children’s Services

Following a request from the meeting held on 19 October 2010, Cath Knowles attended to provide an update on the progress made in relation to the action plan drawn up following the Unannounced Inspection of Cheshire East Council’s Contact, Referral and Assessment arrangements for Children and Families Service by Ofsted.

Attention was drawn to action plan provided as an appendix to the report and Cath Knowles proceeded to highlight some of the main headlines from this. It was suggested that the Committee would appreciate seeing the caseload figures behind this report.

It was queried why most of the items had audits as an ‘action’ to be undertaken and whether the Committee would get to see the outcomes of these. It was confirmed that when the audits had been completed, the results would be fed back to the Committee at relevant junctures.

A comment was made regarding the fact that ‘units’ would now manage cases rather than individual social workers. It was questioned whether this would result in a lack of continuity for the children and young people affected. The Committee were reassured that by managing cases in units, it improves continuity, especially when an individual social worker is off sick for instance. Furthermore, it was explained that units help foster reflective and evidence based practice.

With regards to the Council’s ICT system (item 6), assurances were sought that funding would be available if a new system was deemed necessary. It was reported that whilst money was available for a new system, the service was still waiting on the outcomes of the Eileen Munro report. The rationale behind this was to make sure that Cheshire East was in an informed position before making a decision and to possibly align any new system with the findings of the report.

As an aside, Councillor Westwood suggested that it would be useful for the Committee to look at Children’s Social Services systems in more detail and that a possible Task and Finish Group would be the best way to go about this. It was proposed that Cath Knowles come back to the subsequent mid-point meeting to suggest which area would be most germane to investigate, bearing in mind that any new Task and Finish Group would be scheduled to start in June, post election.

RESOLVED –

a)      That the Committee note the report

b)      That the caseload figures behind the report be made available to Members

c)      That completed audits be brought back to the Committee for review.

d)      That a potential Task and Finish Group into Children’s Social Services systems be considered by officers and a response brought back at the next mid-point meeting.