Agenda item

Children's Services Performance Indicators

To receive and consider a report outlining the latest set of key performance indicators.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Children’s Services Key Performance Indicators report which was set out in agenda pages 17-22.

 

In relation to the Local Indicator: Percentage of child protection visits due in the period which were completed on-time (within 10 days of the previous visit, the Chairman felt that it would be useful to include a summary of the reasons as to why this indicator was red.  She stated that she was often questioned about this indicator at the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, therefore it would be useful to include the reasons to satisfy Members’ questions.

 

Lisa Humphreys, Assistant Director of Children’s Social Care stated that she would be attending the next meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee to talk about this indicator.  Lisa explained some of the reasons for the red:

 

·           The national target was 42 days, and the local target was 10 days;

·           Some children required visits more frequently than others, each situation was different;

·           Unannounced visits run the risk of people not being in;

·           Families could refuse to let Social Workers in;

·           Older children could refuse to see Social Workers;

·           Families could be on holidays;

·           Social Workers did not have the authority to demand a visit; and

·           School visits did not count as a child protection visit.

 

The following comments were made during the discussion of the item:

 

·           In response to a question Lisa Humphreys stated that although the national target was 42 days, Ofsted would rate 42 days as inadequate as it was not justifiable to visit a child who was at risk in six weeks;

·           Paul Senior, Director of People Services stated that he was confident that the service would stand up to scrutiny as Wokingham’s response was proportionate to the level of need;

·           Councillor Rowland was more concerned about the deteriorating direction of travel for certain ‘green’ indicators;

·           Members questioned if this target was achievable and whether it would be better to change it to 15 days;

·           In response to a question Lisa Humphreys stated that this indicator had on occasions been green for a short period of time;

·           In response to a question Lisa Humphreys explained that Wokingham benchmarked against other South East Local Authorities and the target was 10 days;

·           Lisa Humphreys stated that it was necessary to have a degree of flexibility, and that it was more important that the children were visited in accordance to their plan;

·           Councillor Miall was of the opinion that it was more important to make sure the first visit was undertaken as soon as possible;

·           In response to a question Lisa Humphreys stated that staff had mixed feelings about this red indicator.

 

Members were asked to consider changing this target to 15 days, however there was no consensus, therefore it was decided to keep it at 10 days.

 

Paul Senior reassured the Committee that if risk was identified, the correct processes would be set in motion to deal with it, it was important to manage expectations.

 

It was suggested by Councillor Rowland and agreed by the Committee that it would be useful to include arrows in the report to indicate the direction of travel.

 

Members were reminded that there would be a training session before the next meeting.  This session would include data analysis, child sexual exploitation, children missing and possibly other items.

 

RESOLVED That:

 

1)     The Local Indicator: Percentage of child protection visits due in the period which were completed on-time (within 10 days of the previous visit) would continue at 10 days;

 

2)     Future reports would include arrows indicating the direction of travel;

 

3)     The Committee would receive a training session before its next meeting.

Supporting documents: