Agenda item

Carly Speechley, the newly appointed  Executive Director Children’s Services was introduced to Members and welcomed to this, her first meeting of the Committee.

She was attending to discuss the strategic risk associated with Children’s Services and specifically the following risks:

·         Potential death of a child/Safeguarding failure in Children’s Services; and

·         Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

With regard to the first risk, there was a need to continually appraise the controls to minimise the potential for death of a child or safeguarding failure in Children’s Services and a need to be able to identify any changes which may weaken current levels of assurance.  It was noted that factors impacting on this, and which should be assessed, included the impact of Covid 19 upon both families and workforce capability, increasing poverty which had increased need and demands for services and increasing caseloads which presented a risk.  Future financial settlements could impact on service provision as well as an awareness of system pressures including workload.  It was noted that if systems broke down there was a potential for huge reputational damage (as seen in a number of UK authorities) which included the removal of the Director of Children’s Services and government imposition of Commissioners to run services until improvements were made.  Information was provided about the status of this risk and the response rating in relation to the 6 Actions associated with the risks.  Details were also provided about the work that was currently being undertaken to address these actions as well as the progress being made in this respect.

With regard to the second risk, the Joint Area SEND Inspection in 2021 had set out progress made and areas for improvement.  The SEND Improvement Programme was addressing the Written Statement of Action which had been submitted to Ofsted by the deadline of 28^th February, 2022 and approved.  The strategic, multi-agency SEND Oversight Board provided governance, oversight and improved capacity to ensure all actions were completed in a timely way.  Quarterly performance and finance reports were provided to the Council’s Senior Management Team and to Cabinet.  The Statement of Action would ensure a clear focus on the two areas of weakness identified during the inspection namely, improving parent engagement and influence on strategic decision making and the early identification, support and improved outcomes of children receiving SEN support in local provision, avoiding escalation of need and out of borough placements.  Key issues were, therefore to ensure accelerated progress against the Statement of Action and the implementation of the Improvement Programme to address the areas for improvement.  Information was also then provided about the status of this risk and the response rating in relation to the 5 Actions associated with the risks.  Details were also provided about the work that was currently being undertaken to address these actions as well as the progress being made in this respect.

In the ensuing discussion, particular reference was made to the following:

·         The Executive Director commented on the monitoring of staff workloads that was taking place particularly in relation to Action 3 of the first risk and to the difficulties that had exacerbated issues due to staff vacancies.  She particularly commented on the specific challenges associated with the staffing vacancies and of the importance of having staff who were correctly trained and of the calibre required. 

·         Arising out of this discussion, reference was also made to the arrangements in place to ensure that no issues arose when cases were ‘closed’.  An assurance was given that all the necessary checks were made to ensure that children were not left in a vulnerable position

·         In response to specific questioning an update was provided of the work of the Practitioner Sub Group

RESOLVED that thanks be given for the updates and the updates be noted.