Children’s Services Jenny Coles Director of Children’s Safeguarding & Specialist Services

National & Local Themes Early Intervention Managing Demand Continual improvement of quality of service and outcomes Integration and Partnership Underpinned by legislation & national guidance

The Golden Thread

Where are we now? Children’s Centres & Early Years Targeted Advice Service Targeted Youth Support Thriving Families Safeguarding Disabled Children Children Looked After

Children’s Centres: Core Purpose Early education, childcare and child development services Outreach and family support Parenting programmes Access to adult learning and employment support Child and family health services by supporting the Healthy Child Programme 0-5 yr olds To improve outcomes for young children and their families, with a particular focus on those families in greatest need of support through:

Children’s Centres: LA’s statutory responsibility To ensure sufficient CCs to meet local need To ensure each CC has an Advisory Board To consult on any significant changes to the CC provision To ensure that the LA, commissioners of health services and JobCentre plus work together to provide integrated early childhood services To prepare and publish the post- Ofsted action plan for each CC

Hertfordshire Children’s Centres: facts & figures

Children’s Centres: Next steps Evidence that current service is valued and respected by parents, communities and professionals Contracts end March 2015, recommission from 2013/2014 – possibly aligning with health visitor commissioning Agreement that CCs could be grouped to widen catchment areas, reduce management costs and increase direct work New Ofsted framework emphasises need for a universal offer Members Scrutiny planned for May 2014 which will inform development of tender specification

Multiagency Targeted Advice Service Provides advice, guidance, signposting and a triage service for cases that do not meet the threshold for Safeguarding & Specialist Service on how best to meet the needs of children & families, including through a Common Assessment Framework (CAF), where appropriate Management of Domestic Violence (DV) notifications & referrals Safeguarding consultation to practitioners through the support line Target – response and referral within two working days

Care leaver service for year olds (25 if in education) All care leavers have a named Personal Adviser and a Pathway Plan, reviewed every 6 months care leavers - 31 in higher education last year. 18 applied for university this year to date asylum seekers Targeted Youth Support Service Intensive interventions to prevent family breakdown, address high risk behaviours Prevention of offending, case management and interventions to deliver Court Orders and reparation Sustained reduction in number of young people brought into care since April 2012 Average length of time in care 16.5 weeks Of these 60% returned home to parents, 20% went into independent accommodation with support Integrated Targeted Youth Support Service Leaving Care Service

Targeted Youth Support – Youth Justice Key Outcomes 2012 / 13 (12 months to March 2013) First time entrant to the criminal justice system – 313 (down 48%) Sentenced to custody – 4.5% In education, employment or training – 81.7% Offenders who are looked after children – 2.5% In suitable accommodation – 96.4%

Case Study – Family H: Mother and four children (12, 15, 16, 17) At start of engagement:Early Outcomes: Agencies involved – reactively - included Social Care, Housing Association, Police, Education Agencies involved - proactively - Housing Association, Education, CAMHS, Thriving Families Team School attendance (core indicator) – children had all stopped attending school for three months. Children all back in school Worklessness (core indicator) – Parent had stopped working Parent has gained employment, 17 year old actively seeking employment. Anti social behaviour (core indicator) – 10 reports to housing and 12 reports to police in one month concerning family. Housing issue resolved and family seeking to house swap to start afresh Risk of homelessness (local indicator) – Housing provider planning to take legal action Domestic abuse (local indicator) – History of domestic abuse from children’s father who no longer lives with the family 12 year old accessing mental health support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service 427 Year 1; scaling up to support 1122 families in Year 2 5 x TF core teams leading intervention and monitoring family progress (Action & Impact) Multi-agency resource e.g. housing, substance misuse, employment advice, police, schools Access to dedicated Family Budgets – personalised and timely response to meeting needs TF Board (Health and Well-Being) to re-shape services based on evidence of impact THRIVING FAMILIES 427 families Dedicated worker - what is really happening - practical support – assertive and challenging - agreed plan

Safeguarding Services: Purpose To reduce the risk of harm/significant harm to Hertfordshire’s vulnerable children and young people, maintaining them within their family so long as this is compatible with their welfare. Where this is not possible, to take the necessary legal action to provide children with alternative permanent homes where they will be safe, loved and can achieve to their maximum potential

Safeguarding Teams 11 assessment teams 15 locality safeguarding teams 3 family safeguarding and assessment teams 6 looked after children teams

Key Performance Data: Q4 2012/3 79.8% of initial assessment s to timescale 83.3% of core assessments to timescale 632 Children on Child Protection plans Every child on a CP plan or looked after had an allocated Qualified Social Worker 1038 Children Looked After 79.1% CLA with up to date pathway plans

Disabled Children’s Service 1100 Children Safeguarding First Making it Personal Pioneering Partnerships Embracing New Ways

Children Looked After: Fostering and Adoption Support and achieve permanence for children Majority of CLA in foster care 67 Adoption orders; 84 adopters approved 64 fostering approvals (net gain 26) 54 special guardianship orders 55 Family and Friends

Children’s Residential Service 3 mainstream homes for adolescents All evaluated by Ofsted as Good with Outstanding features 1 long term home for disabled children ; 1 short breaks service for disabled children Multi-agency service providing intensive support to young people aged and their families/carers, where the needs are proving to be beyond the resources of existing services. In 2012, out of 71 cases, 24 have moved down the care continuum, of which 14 were returned home (5 from Foster Care, 2 from Residential, 6 following ARC 28 day Assessment and 1 from other family member. With ARC intervention and support 33 cases have remained in their placements, 14 in the family home, 18 maintained their placement in Foster Care and 1 in Residential. 1 Multi agency outreach and assessment service working with children up to 12 and their families/carers to prevent breakdown In 2012, out of 68 cases, 41 children were stabilised within their family/foster placement,16 children moved down the care continuum and 24 children achieved permanence. Ofsted evaluated as Outstanding in all areas Residential Homes Adolescent Outreach Service (ARC) The Datchworth Project

Children Looked After Children in Care Council: strong voice for young people; Virtual School for CLA operational for 3 years; 39.4% of children looked after achieve five or more GCSE A* - C grades (but only 13.1% including English and mathematics); 81.3% children looked after with health & dental checks; 62% of 19 year old care leavers in education, employment or training.

Areas for focus 2013/14 Implementing Post-Inspection action plan; Implementing Working Together 2013 changes; Ensuring needs of all children and young people are effectively considered within assessment and planning processes Improving implementation of quality assurance / audit learning and ensure performance management and quality assurance are fully embedded Recruitment and Retention of staff.

Areas for focus 2013/14 Family Justice Review / Public Law Outline changes; Increasing placement choice linked to fostering strategy and Delivery of Special Provision Locally; Adoption reform and further improving permanency timescales for CLA; Ensuring service planning is better influenced by the views of children, young people & carers; Strengthening our engagement with Health and improve information sharing/joint working with commissioners, providers & adult service.

Opportunities: where are we going?

Strategic Drivers Opportunities for integration of commissioning & services Focus on delivering early intervention & evidence of what works High quality & timely specialist services Work force development