8a NOT FOR PUBLICATION Children’s Social Care Monthly Report – February 2022
8b NOT FOR PUBLICATION Children’s Social Care Monthly Performance Report – February 2022
8c NOT FOR PUBLICATION Understanding & Challenging Children’s Social Care Performance Reports
Minutes:
Members were invited to consider a cover report relating to:
8a Children’s Social Care Performance Cover February 2022
8b Children’s Social Care Performance Report February 2022
8c Understanding & Challenging Children’s Social Care
The following witnesses were welcomed to the meeting:
Mel John-Ross, Executive Director-Children’s Services, BMBC
Sophie Wales, Service Director Children’s Social Care & Safeguarding, Children’s Services BMBC
Cllr Trevor Cave, Cabinet Spokesperson Children’s Services, BMBC
Mel John-Ross introduced the report, explaining that although social worker caseloads are high, they are not the highest in the region. Work has been done to improve the situation, including recruiting additional social workers; managing demand; supporting partner agencies; and a tighter application of thresholds; and they are now seeing positive outcomes. However, it should be noted that a large number of caseloads does not necessarily mean a high workload, it depends upon the complexity of the cases. The longer-term solution would be a strengthened early help offer.
Barnsley is a good employer and newly qualified social workers are supported with training and development; protected levels of caseloads; and frequent supervision/reviews. Covid has had a long-term impact on staff but the service has a strong approach to supporting and managing attendance and if issues are raised by staff around workloads, co-working would be explored.
Performance in Children’s Social Care is still strong due to support available for social workers; the operating environment; and the culture of the organisation. The key to quality is about ensuring consistency.
The number of strengths and difficulties questionnaires (SDQs) completed is not as high as it should be. This is a focus for the service moving forward to understand more about the child.
RESOLVED that:-
(i) Witnesses be thanked for their attendance and contribution
(i) Members note the report
(ii) Members be provided with data relating to caseloads to allow comparison between Barnsley and national figures; and
(iii) Members be provided with data relating to the proportion of social workers leaving the authority to work with agencies