staff bulletin - december 2019 - derbyshire · 2020. 1. 3. · your colleagues so a further thank...
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PUBLIC
Staff Bulletin - December 2019
Message from Jane Parfrement, Executive Director Our Vision OFSTED Outcomes SMT Out and About - December 2019 Excess Annual Leave Flexitime Scheme Fostering Christmas Tree Derbyshire Fostering Christmas Card Competition Occupational Therapy Week 2019 World of Work (WoW) project New Early Help Teams in Derbyshire Children's Services Procurement of Goods and Services Christmas Crafts Evening at the Hunloke Centre Derbyshire Music Education Hub Christmas events Foster Carers Christmas Party Christmas Hamper Scheme Talkback Sessions - November 2019 The latest revisions to the Derbyshire Children's Services Online Procedures Future Bulletins
Message from Jane Parfrement, Executive Director As we approach the end of the year, as always, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all for your hard work and support during 2019. I am continually impressed by professionalism, dedication and passion that I have observed in staff right across the service and look forward with you to next year.
The new decade will bring some new faces and Iain Peel will be joining us in January as Service Director Schools and Learning. Saranjit Shetra will return to her substantive post as Assistant Director and I want to thank her for her valuable contribution to the senior management team.
As always the run up to Christmas has been busy however this week brought a lovely interlude with a group of staff turning the
North Block corridor of County Hall into a Christmas Wonderland. Teams entered in a best Christmas room competition – I won’t give away the winner as there is likely to be an article to follow in January but I can say the effort made by all was nothing short of spectacular, Chatsworth House eat your heart out. The competition was judged by a child and foster family and she was so incredibly excited! A big thank you for all the effort put in by those who participated and I know many
of you will have also ensured the festive season has sparkled for those children we work with and your colleagues so a further thank you from me.
Finally I wish you a peaceful and happy Christmas and New Year.
Our Vision 'Working creatively together to inspire and empower children, young people and their families and communities to be the best they can be: safe, healthy, happy, learning and working'.
OFSTED Outcomes Aston on Trent and Simmondley primary schools were judged as “Good” in their recent Ofsted Inspection.
SMT Out and About - December 2019 During December, Jane Parfrement accompanied one of our children in care, who judged the Children’s Services office in County Hall with the best Christmas decorations. The winning office was room 268, the Financial Services Team, many congratulations to them!
Alison Noble attended the Foster Carers Christmas Party at the Donut Centre, and Derby Courts Christmas Carol service.
Linda Dale attended the School Support Team meeting.
Excess Annual Leave As we move into the last quarter of the 2019/20 leave year it is timely to issue a reminder about the need to use up your excess annual leave before 31 March 2020.
In accordance with the current employee leave schemes policy you may carry over up to 5 days annual leave (i.e. the equivalent of one working week) to the next leave year with the agreement of your line manager.
In genuinely exceptional circumstances you may request additional carry forward of up to 10 days annual leave (i.e. the equivalent of two working weeks). Carry forward requests for reasons such as a special holiday, getting married or upcoming house move will not be considered as exceptional. The annual leave allowances mean you have enough leave within the year to plan for an extended break, etc., particularly if you have already carried forward leave from the previous year.
If you are citing general workload pressures as the reason for your request you would need to evidence that your workload was significantly higher that others in the same role and that your manager had known about your inability to use leave as a result of workload.
If your request for additional carry forward of leave is due to sickness absence impacting on your ability to use leave this would only be classed as exceptional if you had a substantial period of sickness absence and/or it fell at the end of the leave year resulting in planned leave not being taken and no time to rearrange.
If you have excess annual leave please speak to your manager as soon as possible and plan in its use to avoid it being lost.
Flexitime Scheme Just a quick reminder about flexitime hours:
Flexitime means that you can work your hours between 7am and 7pm. If you work enough hours over a four week period, you can may take up to two days or four half days flexi leave.
Please note that the needs of your department always come first and you should agree the times you work and flexi leave with your manager in advance.
The correct use of the flexitime scheme will mean that there is no need for any additional hours outside these times to be claimed or approved, except in exceptional circumstances which have been pre-approved by the Executive Director.
Further details can be found here: https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/site-elements/documents/pdf/working-for-us/employment-policies/flexitime-scheme-guidelines.pdf
Fostering Christmas Tree
Once again our fostering Christmas tree has been on a journey around our beautiful Derbyshire churches. Our tree has even more fairy lights on this year so you won’t miss it! We have been to the Crooked Spire, St Thomas Church on Chatsworth Road, St. George's Church in New Mills and finishing off at County Hall main reception.
We hope everyone enjoyed the Christmas tree festivals as there were some fantastic trees which has inspired us for next year’s tree.
Derbyshire Fostering Christmas Card Competition Derbyshire Foster Carers were invited to design a Christmas Card for the Fostering Service. The fabulous winning design was created by the Ashmore-Slack family. 3000 of these cards have been produced and sent to Foster Carers, Staff, Senior Managers and Cabinet Members who have been asked if they could send them to colleagues, family and friends who may be interested in Fostering. This winning design will help to spread the word that we need more Foster Carers to look after Derbyshire Children in Care.
If you would like a pack of “The Fostering Snowman and Family” Christmas Card please contact [email protected]
This Fostering Christmas Footer is currently been used by all fostering staff at the end of emails. The little footprint reindeer painting was awarded 2nd place in the competition and we thought it made a perfect footer.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and thank you for your support to Fostering.
Occupational Therapy Week 2019 The Paediatric Occupational Therapy (OT) team within Disabled Children's Services celebrated National OT Week during 4-10th November.
During the week they had display boards with information for colleagues about the role of OT’s not just in Disabled Children's Services but across different sectors including mental health, adult services, education, work/industry and prison/rehabilitation of offenders etc.
The display included “dispelling the myths” of OT and colleagues were given Royal College of OT pens, stickers, badges and post-it notes.
The OT team devised an OT themed quiz and a week long cake sale in the break out area which raised £33 for our local branch of Remap.
Remap custom-makes equipment to help disabled people live more independent lives and have supported many of the children that we work with. http://www.derbyremap.info/Index.php
World of Work (WoW) project
The Virtual School and Derbyshire Adult Community Education Service (DACES) held another Christmas event on the 16th of December at the Eco Centre to celebrate the work done as part of the World of Work (WoW) project. 30 young people are involved in this Virtual School project which aims at building confidence and encouraging skills for employment. Their creative work was at the heart of the Christmas celebration.
Young people led Christmas craft making activities with songs, food and a special DJ set. Derbyshire’s Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) young people were also involved in the activities, making Christmas decorations, performing and making friends at this lively, festive social event.
New Early Help Teams in Derbyshire Children's Services
The Early Help Review is completed and we have launched a new Early Help service, which was established between September and November 2019. Across Derbyshire we have new arrangements for Early Help in each of the 6 localities. We will work with children, families and partner services to get the right help at the right time. We have changed the name from ‘MAT’s’ to ‘Early Help Teams,’ and Children’s Services early help offer comprises of:-
• Targeted Early Help Teams across the County for Family & Youth Support providing parenting groups, youth groups & individual family focussed support for children of school age. • 0-5 Integrated Teams and Childrens Centres, working closely with Health Visitors and Early Years providers, these teams continue to provide parenting courses, family support and school readiness support for children. • Parenting Assessment & Family Time (PAFT) Teams: supporting the work of social workers and facilitating supervised family time for children and parents. • Transition Team which can support all agencies to undertake their early help work, we have Early Help Advisors supporting agencies to provide preventative services.
Our partner agencies across Health, Education and Communities are contributing to providing help at the earliest opportunity, to ensure families are supported with early intervention to help resolve issues early.
The DCC Targeted Early Help (EH) offer is available to vulnerable children and families; it is accessed through ‘Starting Point’ via the completion of an online EH Request form. Requests will be triaged and, if appropriate, sent through to Localities Vulnerable Childrens Meeting (VCM) for allocation, these meetings are led by your Locality Early Help Team Manager (see below). If agencies need support at the initial stages of their early help work they can contact their link EH Development Officer who will arrange for an EH Advisor to work with you to develop your Early Help Offer. Support can be given to help develop your Early Help arrangements or for Information, Advice and Guidance on an individual child and family.
Early Help Contact List
Job Role Name Email Telephone Early Help Team Managers - These managers oversee the early help teams in the locality including the Children’s Centres High Peak & Dales
Faye Edwards [email protected] 01629 233006 01629 533844 (BS contact no)
North East & Bolsover
Brian McKeown Helen Smyth
[email protected] [email protected]
01629 533623 01629 537398
Chesterfield Karen Foster [email protected] 01629 533557 Amber Valley Liz Morris [email protected] 01629 533640
01629 533212 Erewash Barrie Chittenden [email protected] 01629 537820
01629 531576 South Derbyshire & Dales
Laura Wilkinson Dave Beris
[email protected] [email protected]
01629 532617
Transition Team Leader
Chris Caley [email protected] 01629 536451
The transition team oversees the early help partnership arrangements and support for partners
Early Help Development Officers - These managers oversee the EH Advisors and the Youth & Community Engagement workers and cover two locality areas each South Derbyshire & Erewash inc: County lead for community development
Nusrat Sohail [email protected] 01629 532961
High Peak & Chesterfield Inc: County lead for young people
Adam Cope [email protected] 01629 532952 07827 313821
North East /Bolsover & Amber Valley inc: County lead for families
Debbie Hadley [email protected] 01629 532955
Education & Employment Team Manager - This manager oversees the service for NEET/EET activity and partnership development for NEET
Pam Bond [email protected] 01629 532951
Principal Practitioner Early Help The Principal oversees the development of Early Help practice and policies
Maureen Evans [email protected] 01629 536477
Procurement of Goods and Services In response to feedback the below article which was included in November’s edition has been amended to further clarify the process.
When Children’s Services SMT reviewed the Scheme of Delegation for 2019-20, they were keen to ensure that we maintained value for money as a department. To assist with this, a lower departmental limit was set for staff placing orders, requiring them to obtain 3 quotes to place an
order for an item costing between £250 and £50,000. This meant that for orders between £250 up to £1000 where only one quote was able to be obtained, approval from Corporate Procurement was required.
Following a recent review it has been agreed that for orders between £250 and £1000 when only one quote can be obtained, approval can be given by the budget holder or a member of staff at Grade 12 and above with delegated budget responsibility. This means that Protocol 7B will only now need completing and sending to Corporate Procurement for purchases above £1000.
The current freeze on Dnet content has meant we are unable to update any of the documents, therefore in the interim please find the revised departmental scheme of delegation on EDRM here.
Guidance on Protocol 7(A) and (B) can be found on our website here.
Prior to making any purchases a Children’s Services’ requisition form must be completed detailing the request and a budget holder signature obtained authorising the expenditure from their budget.
Finance ‘miniguides’ can be found on Dnet here and if you require any further advice or support with purchasing please either contact your local Business Services Manager or Children’s Services commissioning team.
Adam Addis - Business Services Manager
Christmas Crafts Evening at the Hunloke Centre
The Virtual School and Derbyshire Adult Community Education Service (DACES) have been working collaboratively, with input from refugee children, to create a programme of educational activities that support cultural celebration and integration.
The programme was launched on 5th December with a Christmas crafts evening at the Hunloke Centre in Chesterfield. Our UASC and refugee children had the opportunity to make Christmas wreaths, light-up snowmen, baubles, decorated boxes and cards. The tutors explained the historical significance around these Christmas traditions and the young people left with decorations and gifts to share. Some were even brave enough to try the mince pies and Christmas cake!
It was a lovely evening sharing British Christmas traditions with our incredible young people from around the globe.
Derbyshire Music Education Hub Christmas events
Over 1,500 of our young musicians have been involved in 30 large-scale concerts on the run-up to Christmas across the county and beyond; venues included Buxton, Chesterfield, Derby, Ecclesbourne, Glossop, Kirk Hallam, Lullington, Manchester, Repton, Ripley, Tamworth and Wirksworth.
Plus, for the seventh year, our Snowman Live Tour added a live orchestra to the iconic film for audiences at 9 performances in Buxton, Chesterfield and Derby.
Foster Carers Christmas Party
On 6th December two Fostering Teams hosted Christmas parties for foster carers, including their own children and the children they look after.
Both teams did really well in their achievements in keeping the costs to a minimum.
In the North of the County, foster carers provided a disco, 12 foot grotto and Father Christmas, even a Christmas Elf greeting the children as they entered the grotto to receive their
Christmas gift!
Food and chocolates were kindly donated and everyone enjoyed hot dogs and cakes. There were games, face painting and even a fun photo booth! There was plenty of joy, fun and laughter the whole evening.
The photographs look like everybody had a smashing time, including Alison Noble (Service Director) and Smruti Mehta (Assistant Director) who also joined in the fun, you may recognise them in picture taken in the photo booth, I hear they even joined in the Okeycokey!!
Father Christmas also took a detour from his festive preparations and stopped over at the party in the South of the County with a selection box for every child. Prizes for the raffle were donated by staff and Thorntons, there was even a special football signed by Wayne Rooney!
They were entertained by a magician who was accompanied by his pet squirrel; I am told there was a lot of squealing and giggling from the attentive crowd of little ones sitting on the carpet in front of him!
They too had a wonderful buffet of cakes, drinks and Christmas treats provided by the staff. They had a disco which was enjoyed by adults and children, the children all knew all the dance moves – as did some of the workers! There were plenty of sparkly dresses and Christmas jumpers and some carers in Santa outfits, in true Christmas spirit.
Both Fostering Support Teams went to a great deal of effort to organise the event and showed passion, commitment, drive and
energy to ensure our carers are valued and their commitment recognised, so huge thank-you to them all, as well as for their continuous hard work in the support they provide on a day-to-day basis.
Our Foster carers are unsung heroes who are committed and work extremely hard to achieve the best outcomes they can for our children in care, they are one of our best asset.
A great deal of fun was had by all. Well done to everyone.
Christmas Hamper Scheme Derbyshire County Council’s Children’s Services and South Derbyshire District Council have worked in partnership on the Christmas Hamper scheme to provide families and individuals with a hamper of food, toiletries and gifts to ease financial pressures at this time of year.
We invited nominations from Early Help Practitioners, Social Workers and partner agencies to nominate recipients to receive a hamper for the festive period.
The scheme operates with the aim of organisations and individuals working together to deliver festive cheer to those who will struggle to find it elsewhere.
Charity FareShare has donated food items, Young Ones have provided toys for children, Green Bank Leisure Centre have donated Leisure Passes for young people and staff/community members have also donated food/toiletries.
The project has also been supported by generous sponsors including Novus, Ventro Group and Newton Fallowell's Swadlincote branch.
This project has been heavily supported with volunteers from both Children’s Services and South Derbyshire District
Council with organisation of the scheme, being Panel Members, and packing and delivering hampers. We will be providing 56 Christmas Hampers throughout South Derbyshire.
Talkback Sessions - November 2019 Seven Talkback sessions took place during November across the county. These were attended by around 60 members of staff.
Talkback sessions are an opportunity to meet informally with colleagues and a member of the senior management team. There is no agenda – these sessions are an opportunity for staff to share what’s working well, or to raise any issues or questions they may have.
The following are some of the key themes raised in this year’s sessions:
• Business Services Review: Understandably, many people working in Business Services are feeling anxious about the review. Some managers also felt concerned about centralising the line management of business services, as things worked well already within their service. This feedback has been shared with the review team.
• Early Help Review: Some people who had been appointed into new roles following the review said they felt unsure about their responsibilities. This is being addressed by managers. Colleagues in other services said they would welcome more information about the new Early Help arrangements. Briefings are taking place within Localities and an article was included in the October Children’s Services bulletin and an additional article will appear in the December bulletin. Further information is available from [email protected]; [email protected] or [email protected]
• Practice Supervisor role: In one of the sessions, staff shared that they didn’t feel there was consistency in how the Practice Supervisor role within social care was being carried out, or the way Practice Supervisors and Team Managers worked together. Alison Noble and Pete Lambert are looking at this further with Tracey Hyslop, our Principal Social Worker. Leadership was explored at the December team managers’ development day.
• Accommodation and equipment: Issues were raised in several sessions, particularly in relation to office bases in Amber Valley and Chesterfield. A strategy for the council’s accommodation in Amber Valley is being developed by Corporate Property, who will be meeting with services to seek their views. Linda Dale is looking into the other specific issues raised.
• Allowances for foster carers and social workers’ pay: Several people suggested that current allowances/pay were not attractive enough. With the market supplement that has been introduced recently, social workers’ pay is now in line with most authorities across the region. There are signs that the market supplement is helping to improve recruitment and retention of social workers. Allowances for foster carers are reviewed regularly and benchmarked across the region.
• Cost of fuel for work-related travel: Some members of staff raised that they found it difficult to pay for fuel a month in advance of being able to claim reimbursement. SMT is looking into options that may help staff with this, including how we can enable greater use of pool cars including electric vehicles.
• Family time for children in care: It was suggested that another regional authority had a good system in place for scheduling family time. SMT is looking into this further to see if there is any learning we can take.
• Mobile working: There are now more opportunities to work flexibly, which were discussed at a number of sessions. Tablets with mobile SIMs are available instead of a laptop, for those who prefer this option. A roll-out of smartphones is also underway for staff in key roles across the department where a need has been identified.
The latest revisions to the Derbyshire Children's Services Online Procedures
The latest revisions to the Derbyshire Children’s Services Online Procedures have now gone live: http://derbyshirecaya.proceduresonline.com/
A summary of the main amendments can be found by clicking the ‘Amendments’ button on the manual home page. Colleagues who have registered their details with Tri.x will be notified automatically of any updates.
If you wanted to register your details so you receive automatic updates, please follow this link – https://derbyshirecaya.proceduresonline.com/register_updates.html
The next scheduled update will go live in June 2020, any revisions for the next update will need to be submitted to Cathy Roe by March. For more information please contact Cathy Roe, Business Services Manager on 01629 532434 [email protected]
Future Bulletins
If you have some news you would like to share with colleagues via the Staff Bulletin, please email it to Jina Hames, Business Services Officer. [email protected] The deadline for January's bulletin is 10th January.
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