1. Leading Improvements for Looked-After Children Blackburn with Darwen Council March 2011

2. Siobhan, Maureen, Tanya and Rob Your LILAC Assessors!

3. Your Assessment When? Four days in January on-site What happened? Interviews with: The urcarecouncil Foster carers The Social Work Practice Pilot and Leaving Care (Signpost)Team Staff leading on Participation The Senior Management Team/Lead member for Children’s Services The Independent Children’s Rights & Advocacy Service The Independent Reviewing Team Social Workers for CIOC & CWD Mentoring & Education staff Anchor Avenue children’s home

4. Postal questionnaires to staff, carers and young people. Policies and procedures. In total we consulted with: 32 children and young people 55 members of social care staff 15 foster carers

5. Standard 1: Shared Values – LILAC STANDARD ACHIEVED New Participation Policy The Pledge YP questionnaires: 81% of young people felt they had a good say in their life. How BWDC achieved this standard:

6. LILAC Good Practice Proposal for Shared Values: You have developed a good Pledge, so that everyone knows about it make it into a glossy poster or make a DVD to promote it to all children and young people

7. Standard 2: Style of Leadership - LILAC STANDARD ACHIEVED How BWDC achieved this standard: Lots of children and young people had met or knew Big Bosses from Children’s Services. Cllr Bateson & Gladys regularly attend the CiCC and visit places that looked-after young people live and meet. Staff felt that senior management were committed to Participation, particularly Gladys & Lynne.

8. LILAC Good Practice Proposal for Leadership: Annual postcards/Christmas card with Gladys’ picture on it and an explanation of her responsibility

9. Standard 3: Structures - LILAC STANDARD ACHIEVED How BWDC achieved this standard: Dedicated, proactive CiCC (urecarecouncil) who carry out regular consultations CiCC is well promoted Different groups for different ages/needs (separate from CiCC), which focus on Participation CiCC has good links to national organisations and events

10. LILAC Good Practice Proposal for Structures: Designated Participation Worker for looked-after children/apprentice Participation Assistant

11. Standard 4: Staff - LILAC STANDARD NOT ACHIEVED POSITIVE FINDINGS: Employment opportunities and apprenticeships for young people from care C&YP Participation Strategy states staff should be provided with Participation training BWDC employees are engaged in an in-house volunteering scheme – 40 looked-after C&YP have mentors

12. LILAC Recommendation for Staff: Staff appraisals Staff/carer inductions Participation training for staff & carers These recommendations will need to be implemented in order to achieve this Standard.

13. Standard 5: Recruitment & Selection – LILAC STANDARD NOT ACHIEVED POSITIVE FINDINGS: Care-experienced person on the Fostering Panel The Strategic Director and the Children’s Services Director were interviewed by YP

14. LILAC Recommendations for Recruitment & Selection: Train & support a panel of YP to be involved in R&S for all front-line staff & in foster carer recruitment This recommendation will need to be implemented in order to achieve this Standard.

15. Standard 6: Care Planning and Review - LILAC STANDARD ACHIEVED How BWDC achieved this standard: Care Planning 87% of young people knew why they were in Care. 67% of young people said they had helped to write/agree their care plan. 67% young people felt their care plan reflected their wishes and feelings. 93% of children and young people said they had a choice in where they went to school/college. BUT 60% of children and young people said that they DIDN’T get a choice in where they were placed.

16. Reviews There are three different age-appropriate consultation forms for C&YP, and the option to do it online. IROs are doing their best to meet with their children and young people alone before reviews. Some children and young people felt they had a say in how their reviews are run but SWs said they didn’t think reviews are very YP -friendly.

17. LILAC Good Practice Proposal for Care Planning & Review: IROs should visit children and YP more Consider a project to make reviews more child-centred.

18. How BWDC achieved this standard: Complaints: Complaints policy in place. Lots of information about how to make a complaint is available. 87% of children and young people said that they felt safe to make a complaint. Standard 7: Complaints & Advocacy – LILAC STANDARD ACHIEVED

19. Advocacy: Action for Children provides independent service. Service is promoted to carers and staff and is independent from Children’s Services Lots of awareness about the service and good feedback about the service.

20. LILAC Recommendations for Complaints & Advocacy: Have a set structure of regular visits to Children's Homes

21. Assessors comments Blackburn Council is very friendly, they have a lot going on for Looked After Children. Blackburn is keen to encourage and make sure Looked After Children are supported in every area of their life [education, activities, placements etc.] The children clearly enjoy the activities that are run through the Children In Care Council. I felt that the staff where very keen and interested people who were very welcoming and friendly. The best bits about the assessment was speaking to the young people and hearing their views.

22. IT’S WITHIN YOUR REACH!!

23. Thank you