Archived decisions

Appendix B

Best Value Project Brief

Looked After Children's Services

Customer: Social Services Departmental

Management Team

Sponsor/Departmental Lead for Best Value: Steve Pitt

Review Team Leader: Graham Wright

Project Managers: Mamie Branthwaite

Angela Harris

1. Goal

To review the performance of Looked After Children's Services in meeting the aims ands objectives set out in the service specification and identify the means of securing Best Value in those services.

Timescale of the Review: to December 2001.

2. Objectives

1. To provide evidence on the efficiency and effectiveness of the identified services within the review to the objectives set out in the service specification including

· investigating assumptions about the indicative costs, quality and suitability of services.

· Generating a range of options for provision of services

2. To examine the linkages between the services and identify areas for improvement to achieve best value outcomes including

· assessing the Department's recruitment and retention policies and the strategies they adopted

· comparing with those of similar neighbouring authorities and where possible with the independent sector.

3. To consult with users, carers and professional stakeholders to challenge current assumptions about service outcomes and delivery including the extent to which more comprehensive communication with the whole group of about 1,000 looked after children at any one time could be improved, or its impact upon service developments be more demonstrable .

4. Through the review process to identify options for sustainable continuous improvement over the next five years, including establishing whether the Looked After Children strategy of increased use of in house family placement including foster care is sustainable.

3. Approach

3.1 Challenge

The Review will challenge the rationale for Looked After Children's Services through evaluating the performance and effectiveness of current methods of service provision and examining outcomes achieved for service users, their carers and the County Council as a commissioner and provider of services and will consider alternative methods of service delivery.

The review team will examine the current investment in Looked After Children's Services and the impact of future predicted need will also be taken into account.

The setting up of a "Challenge Focus Group" is proposed as the challenge element will be an inclusive part of the review process. This will be achieved by involvement in the review of representatives from the Health Authorities, the Education Department, external providers, independent focus groups, a user group and elected members.

3.2 Compare

The current performance of Looked After Children's Services will be assessed and compared against a range of objectives and performance indicators both qualitative and quantitative. Unit costs will be identified and comparisons made. Models of service delivery will be compared:

- with other Local Authorities

- with other providers of service, voluntary and independent

- within areas of Hampshire's in-house services.

National best practice will be considered through research data based on evidenced-based practice and national organisations data.

3.3 Consult

The Review Leader and Project Managers have held 2 meetings with the proposed core review group, which comprises both internal and external stakeholders and have held discussions on the scoping process and to assist in identifying key issues for the review. The results of the internal stakeholders meeting are in Appendix A and will be used in the review as a working document. Consultation workshops have also been organised with a wider range of internal and external stakeholders to undertake a similar exercise.

The next stage of consultation within the review will involve stakeholders through focus groups, workshops/meetings, interviews, questionnaires and site visits. These exercises will focus on the performance of services against the service specification. The Review team will seek to involve the core review group and a wider range of stakeholders in assisting in discrete pieces of work within the review. The review team will seek to ensure that the other links identified in section 4 of the Service Specification including the Education Development Plan, Connexions strategy and the NHS Plan will form a part of the consultation and information survey and the Review's results.

The Review Team have considered the best way to approach the consultation process with the Looked After Children and their families. Every effort will be made to engage this key stakeholder group in appropriate discussions. However, the Review Group will involve the CAT team and Family Rights Group to assist in this process.

3.4 Compete

Looked After Children's Services involve a mixed economy of service provision. The challenge, comparison and consultation elements of the review will provide information on the performance of Looked After Children's Services. In evaluating gaps in service provision and areas for improvement it will enable identification of those areas of service provision that could be more efficiently and effectively provided either by the independent sector or in a partnership approach. Actions to develop competitiveness and the mixed economy will be considered in the Review Action Plan.

3.5 Specific issues

The four key themes of E-Government, Equalities, Sustainable Development and Crime and Disorder will be addressed in the Review, drawing on the expertise of the Environmental Challenge Team, the Remit group and the Equalities Strategic Action Group.

4. Scope

The services to be included in the Review are:-

1) Foster care services including long-term care, respite care.

2) Family Link.

3) Residential care services including long term care, respite and assessment services for children who are looked after.

4) Adoption services.

5) Family centre services for Looked After Children.

6) Care management services for Looked After Children.

7) Adolescent support services for Looked After Children.

8) Commissioning services for Looked After Children.

9) Care leavers' services.(to include transition issues)

The Review will work jointly with the Best Value Review of Carers and Respite Services to review respite services for Children with Disabilities.

The Review will link to the Best Value Review of Youth.

The interface with Adoption services will be included in this review. However the Adoption Service itself will be reviewed in Year 4.

The Children with Disabilities Review is Year 4 and the LAC review may inform part of that review.

5. Constraints

Start Date: April 2001

End Date: December 2001

The scope of the review is considerably wider and larger and more complex than the previous year's reviews. It may be problematic to undertake the review in the agreed timescales.

The departmental remodelling being undertaken during the period of the review may affect the recommendations and outcomes of the Review.

6. Dependencies

Not all financial information will be easy to extract from current data. It may be difficult to undertake a cost/benefit analysis with such a wide range of service activities and complex user needs.

Outcomes are reliant upon the input of a comprehensive package of services and different providers which may make badging to one service problematic.

Information required from independent sector providers may not be available, or available in a different format.

Due to the linkages between Looked After Children's Services, Health, Education and other services, any Action Plan will need to be supported by these stakeholders.

7. Resource Requirements

Agreed

Signatures Date

Team Leader

Sponsor (on behalf of DMT)

Corporate Best Value Team