To present the Performance Digest for Children’s Services for 2009/2010 and to highlight key performance issues.

The Committee considered the Performance Digest for Children’s Services for the end of year 2009-2010.

The Head of Performance presented her report which drew Members attention to a number of key areas for consideration based on each of the Every Child Matters outcome areas and she highlighted the following issues:

Be Health

• The Be Healthy Outcome Group of the Children’s Trust was coordinating Herefordshire’s multi agency activities to improve children and young people’s health and reduce the levels of obesity;
• The CAMHs service (mental health services for children and young people) had achieved 15 /16 in 2009/10;
• Assessments under the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), were well above target;

Stay Safe

• 75.9% of initial assessments were completed in 7 working days (NI 59) which represents a significant improvement in performance against the previous year’s outturn of 37.4%. 
• At 31 March 2010, there were 147 children subject to a child protection plan, a significant rise from the same time last year when it was 104.  The timeliness of reviews of child protection cases was impacted by the bad weather in the early part of 2010.
• Robust measures were in place to monitor newly qualified social care staff.

Enjoy and Achieve

• There had been an improvement in achievement across the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Key Stages 1 and 2 showed a continuing downward trend.  The Inclusion of the results for the two Academies had impacted on the results for the percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more A*-C GCSEs (NI 75).

Make a Positive Contribution

• In relation to re-offending (NI 19), the data for the year end was still not available; however, the positive trend reported in previous quarters was expected in the year end outturn.
• Young people’s participation in positive activities (NI 110) is measured through the annual Tellus survey and in 2009/2010, 79.6% of young people reported participating in activities run by adults.  In that year, the percentage was disproportionately high compared with other authorities giving a target for 2010/2011 of 94%.  This year’s results are more robust and although below the target, were 14 percentage points above national figures and 11 percentage points above statistical neighbours.

Achieve Economic Wellbeing

• The percentage of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NI 117) was 5.9% for 2009/2010 which is the same outturn as the previous year.  Due to the impact of the recession and general downturn in the economy it was unlikely that the 2010/2011 target of 4.7% would be achieved. 

Concern was expressed that the outstanding requirement under NI51 that a 24/7 emergency telephone response for the CAMHS service be provided by December 2010 was unacceptable and that an earlier implementation date be achieved.

As a Link Member Councillor Robertson was impressed with the work being done in relation to Making a Positive Contribution.

Members were pleased to note that no families were currently in Bed and Breakfast accommodation.

The Interim Director of Children’s Services commented that the Performance Digest could indicate some areas that scrutiny may wish to investigate further and suggested that while child obesity was of concern the broader health issues could be looked at in collaboration with Health Scrutiny e.g. alcohol / lifestyle / housing / CAMHS/ Psychology Service.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted and the Committee recommends:

1. that Cabinet Member(s) consider an earlier implementation date for the 24/7 emergency telephone response required to meet National Indicator 51; and

2. that closer working arrangements be brought about between the CAMHs and child psychology service.