To review performance against the safeguarding and family support improvement plan 2019/20.

The committee considered a report by the assistant director for safeguarding and family support (ADS&FS) which provided an update on performance in quarter 4 of 2020/21 against the safeguarding and family support improvement plan.

The ADS&FS introduced the report which included the points below:

·         There was a need to improve the response of MASH to referrals within 24 hours and work was ongoing to facilitate the handling of less serious referrals by early help services. Work was also continuing to attempt to address the high level of referrals received from the police;

·         There had been a decrease in the number of children on child protection plans. An audit was in progress in an attempt to understand the cause of this trend with a report available in June or July 2020;

·         The completion of special guardianship orders and the rescinding of care orders might be impacted by the closure of courts during the COVID-19 pandemic;

·         The roll-out of signs of safety had been affected by COVID-19 which had delayed the programme of briefings;

·         Improvements that had been achieved in quarter 4 included: timeliness of visits; supervision; and the completion of assessments within timescales.

There was a brief adjournment at 1.51 p.m. to allow Councillor Jennie Hewitt to reconnect with the virtual meeting. The meeting reconvened at 1.55 p.m.

In the discussion that followed the principal points below were raised:

·         It was proposed that when the new arrangements for the improvement report were considered that thought be given to prioritising the actions contained in the improvement plan. The invitation of all members of the committee to performance challenge sessions was also proposed as a recommendation. The DCF explained that work was ongoing on making changes to the improvement plan including smarter actions/timescales and to be clearer about the priority areas. The ADS&FS explained that it was difficult to prioritise elements in the plan as all actions were essential for improvement.

·         There was concern that the improvements realised would be undermined by the COVID-19 pandemic and if there was sufficient resource in the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) to cope with an increase in referrals during the easing of the lockdown. The ADS&FS explained that mechanisms had been put in place at the start of the lockdown to ensure that meetings and visits could continue virtually where appropriate. Where necessary face to face visits were continuing and keeping in touch meetings were taking place virtually to ensure that contact was maintained with children. Work was ongoing with partners to ensure that there would be sufficient staff resource in the MASH to handle any potential increase in the level of referrals following the return of schools and proactive conversations were taking place with schools to monitor the return of children on child protection plans. Social workers from the assessment team were being trained to undertake work in the MASH if an increase in referrals required additional resource.

·         It was queried if the involvement of third sector organisations had been considered  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54