Issue - meetings

To consider the latest trends, priorities and pressures in terms of departmental performance as reported in the Quarterly Service Report for the third quarter of 2017/18 (October 2017 to December 2017) relating to Children, Young People and Learning.

Please bring the previously circulated Quarterly Service Report to the meeting.  Copies are available on request and attached to this agenda if viewed online.

Panel members are asked to give advance notice to the Overview and Scrutiny Team of any questions relating to the QSR where possible.

Lorna Hunt gave an update on the Quarterly Service Report and the key updates were:

·         Children in need were those who were suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Neglect was the highest in this category at 49%.

·         The number of children in care increased from 116 in March 2017 to 146 in February 2018.

·         Children on a child protection plan had decreased from 171 in March 2017 to 105 in March 2018. 21% of children of a child protection plan were moved into care so they could be protected. Some had also been transferred to another local authority.

·         The panel were shown ward data for children on child protection plans and who were looked after.

·         Placement stability was currently at 56% which was below the national average. It was noted that these figures were based on only 11 children and some of the moves were due to moving from residential to foster care, being placed for adoption or placements where the foster carers could no longer meet the needs of the child.

·         OFSTED found that plans were very ‘child-centred’ and rate them very highly.

·         It was noted that actions were being taken to address placement stability, including commissioning ‘Cornerstone’ to assist with recruitment and training of Foster Carers.

Members of the panel would email the team directly with any questions or queries they had.