Download - Preparing for Joint Area Review

Southend on Sea Borough Council

Preparing for Joint Area Review

Briefing for

Children and Learning Partnership Board

May 2007

Southend-on-Seachildren’s partnership

CPA, JAR and APA Youth Offending Team inspectionEnhanced Youth Service inspection• CPA across the Council• APA and JAR take place simultaneously – JAR informs APA and

APA inspectors will have JAR report• JAR grades for safeguarding, LDD, LAC, service

management/partnership, and capacity to improve and additional areas for investigation

• Grade of Children’s Hospital Improvement Review and any Health Care Inspection informs health outcome for APA

• APA grade provides the grade for the overall effectiveness of children’s services that feeds into CPA assessment


Annual Performance Assessment

• APA will assess all five outcomes• Tell-us survey will feed into APA (aiming for response of

1300 per authority but return of 500-600 make statistically valid)


What will the JAR investigate?(New methodology from April 07)

• REPORT DOES NOT FOLLOW 5 OUTCOMES BUT AREAS OF INVESTIGATION

• Safeguarding (high profile given to safeguarding as this is not inspected through other arrangements)

• Looked after children• Children with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities• Other areas identified in our 2006 APA letter, e.g:

– Substance misuse – Absence and exclusions from school– 16-19 provision


JAR arrangements

• Increased importance of frontline service observation• Increased importance of children and young people’s

views of services (e.g. case tracking – also parents/carers)

• Continuing attention to equality, diversity and human rights issues


Post-inspection

24 Oct Draft report for comments

31 Oct Feedback meeting

12 Nov Comments on draft reports

3 Dec Pre publication report

18 Dec Publication


Safeguarding

Strengths

• Local Children Safeguarding Board with independent chair – monitors that all agencies are fulfilling their safeguarding responsibilities

• Training strategy for all agencies

Developments

• Community Safety Sub-group needs to develop a higher public profile on keeping children safe in the community

• Safeguarding practice and training for single agencies


Looked after children

Strengths

• Reduction in numbers• Budget in control and significant

savings made• Improved outcomes for LAC• Improved staffing, especially

management• Corporate parenting group

strengthened involvement of members

• Recently begun regular reporting direct to scrutiny

Developments

• Improving quality• Core and initial assessments• Reinvestment into prevention• Leaving care and employment,

education and training


Children with Learning Disability and DisabilityStrengths• Make as much or better progress

as other children in schools• Statements of SEN produced

within timescales (without exceptions)

• 100% offered transition plans• Updated multi-agency LDD

strategy being put in place• Integration of Education and

Social Care functions• Lighthouse Centre

Developments

• Strengthening multi-agency commissioning and planning processes

• Review of education for children with emotional/behaviour difficulties

• Statements of SEN (with exceptions)


Substance misuse

Strengths• Preventative work, e.g. healthy

schools• Service to young people who

misuse via Youth Offending Service

• New needs analysis and plan being written

Developments• Commissioning being

disaggregated from adults to be routed through CYPSP

• Multi-agency monitoring of performance information

• Schools involvement• Tying together the preventative

and treatment strands


Absence and exclusions from schools

Strengths:• Focus on secondary (absence

slightly higher than national – 3 schools persistent truants)

• Permanent exclusions broadly in line with national and reducing this academic year

• Fixed term exclusions reduced significantly over last two years

• Integrated locality working – more joined up support

Developments• Requirement for secondary

school ‘collaboratives’ from Sept 07 – excludees of 6+ days


16-19 education and training

Strengths• 14-19 planning group with

strategic steer across Ex, Thu, S’end

• ‘Collaborative’ offer for Sept 07 further strengthened

• Gained ‘licence’ (Gateway bid) to deliver new Specialist Diplomas:

– Creative and media from 08– Health and care from 09– (Need to re-bid for construction)

• Action plan currently being updated

• NEET reduced significantly

Developments• For new Specialist Diplomas

– Employer engagement – Staff training


We want us all to Shine

Thank you

Download - Preparing for Joint Area Review

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