Archived decisions
Outcome 1: Looked after children gain the maximum life chances from education, health and social care provision | |||
Performance Indicator |
Current Performance |
Performance Target |
Barrier to achieving performance target |
% of LAC with 1 GCSE |
62.3% at 30/9/01 |
80% by 2003/2004 |
HCC performance already higher than national average |
% of LAC over 1 year reported as having immunisations up to date |
15% |
95% by 2003/2004 |
Achievement of agreement with strategic health authority and PCTs Compatibility and reliability of information systems |
% of LAC over 1 year with annual dental check |
19% |
75% by 2003/2004 |
Dentists are independent practitioners within the NHS Ensuring at stat reviews |
% of LAC over 1 year with health assessment during year |
15% |
90% by 2003/2004 |
Efficiency of admin support systems |
Average % of LAC with health items |
16.2% at 30/9/01 |
85% by 2003/2004 |
All the above |
% of reviews completed on time |
56% at 30/9/01 |
95% by 2003/2004 |
Current social work vacancy levels Cultural/appreciation of importance Inability to recruit additional reviewing managers |
Action |
Officer responsible |
Target date |
Cost/resource implications |
1. Allocate lead responsibility for school places to a senior level in education |
AD |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources |
2. Develop one continuing care agreement with Health |
AD |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources |
3. Agree protocol for shared data with Health |
QP PL |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources |
4. Appoint additional reviewing managers to review care plans on time and consistently across the county. Also to ensure that care plans identify services and progress actions that will meet the LAC's health, educational and social needs |
CM SM (Reviews) |
April 2004 |
To be funded from remodelling |
5. Develop joint training with other agencies to improve joint working |
SM (Training) |
April 2004 |
Will require additional funding - to be costed |
Outcome 2: Through appropriate care placements looked after children are securely placed with carers capable of providing safe and effective care for the duration of their childhood | |||
Performance Indicator |
Current Performance |
Performance Target |
Barrier to achieving performance target |
% of LAC with 3+ placements during the year |
13.5% at 30/9/01 |
10% by 2003/2004 |
HCC performance already mid-range versus national target Insufficient numbers/inappropriate carers |
% of children looked after at least 4 years, in foster placement for at least 2 years |
43.3% at 30/9/01 |
75% by 2003/2004 |
Ineffective care planning Inadequate monitoring through stat reviews not on time Insufficient support to carers |
% of total LAC placements which are Family and Friends placements |
16% at 6/01 |
24% by 2004/2005 |
Significant uplift required Ability of dept to support carers Shift required in timely consideration by social workers of family and friends as preferred option |
Action |
Officer responsible |
Target date |
Cost/resource implications |
1. Develop a strategy for Family and Friends Carers |
SSM (Adoption /Family Placement) |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources + PSA funds |
2. Remodelled family placement teams to work up improvements in degree and type of support including out of hours to in-house foster carers |
SSM (Adoption /Family Placement) SM (Family Placement) |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources |
3. Increase Family Support and Family placement |
SSM (Family Support) SSM (Adoption /Family Placement) |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources |
4. Re-evaluating the residential strategy |
CM |
April 2003 |
Within existing resources |
Outcome 3: A competent and committed workforce within a participative and supportive management culture | |||
Performance Indicator |
Current Performance |
Performance Target |
Barrier to achieving performance target |
Vacancy level of frontline field work |
32% at Dec.01 |
15% by April 2004 |
Terms and conditions relative to other local authorities Throughput of qualified social workers nationally Perception of social work as a career Not implementing PD Plans and supervision policy/workload management Subject to implementation of corporate strategies for recruitment and retention |
Sickness |
12 days per year |
At least SSD average of 7.1 in 2004 |
Excessive workloads Low morale Ineffective management |
% of relevant staff achieving PQ1 |
5% at 31/3/01 |
55% by 31/3/2004 |
Inadequate backfill Excessive workloads Perception by social workers of significance of PQ First line manager perception of significance |
% of relevant staff achieving the Child Care Award |
0% at 2000/2001 |
50% by 31/3/2004 |
As above + Insufficient numbers of social workers gaining PQ1 |
% of staff who feel morale is low |
56% at 03/00 |
Decrease by 50% by 2004 |
Lack of ownership of dept's aims and values Visibility of senior management Excessive workloads Poor communication Terms and conditions |
Action |
Officer responsible |
Target date |
Cost/resource implications |
1. Senior managers will be more visible and communicate more with staff |
AD |
On-going |
Within existing resources |
2. Undertake regular staff surveys to evaluate the ongoing climate within the organisation |
CM |
On-going + annual |
Within existing resources |
3. Performance development and supervision policy is reinforced and monitored |
CM SM(Operations) |
On-going + annual reporting |
Within existing resources |
4. Managers must ensure that training and induction is integrated within performance development framework |
CM |
On-going + reviewed annually |
Within existing resources |
5. To improve the current vacancy level the field work staffing budget underspend should be safeguarded by the development of a more coherent strategy which ensures optimum use of the fieldwork staffing at budgeted levels Review current arrangements for covering vacancies or long term sickness with a view to reducing agency costs |
DMT/CT/CPTO AD (Res) AD |
April 2002 |
Within existing resources + opportunity costs |
6. Develop an improved recruitment and retention strategy which includes a range of enhancements to rewards and conditions and development opportunities. To be included in the corporate pay and benefits initiative under development |
AD (CF) |
April 2004 |
Will require additional funding - to be costed into the SSD Workforce Plan |
7. To ensure that the Workforce Plan includes sufficient staffing levels (including administrative staff) to enable staff to deliver services and take up training opportunities without excessive work pressure |
CM SSM (Business) |
On-going |
Opportunity cost bid initially funded from QP MAP 4 Grant |
8. To develop a strategy for ensuring equal access to regional and national learning events together with a process for disseminating the learning |
CM |
April 2003 |
Within existing resources |
Outcome 4: Looked after children's individual needs and choices are met through maximising resources to deliver effective services that demonstrate value for money. | |||
Performance Indicator |
Current Performance |
Performance Target |
Barrier to achieving performance target |
Unit cost of in-house foster care |
£230 per week £246 per week (if 100% NFCA rate implemented) |
50% increase by 2004 |
Budget capacity |
Unit cost of independent foster care (IFAs) |
£717 per week (excluding joint funding and including disabilities) £679 per week (excluding joint funding and disabilities) |
10% decrease by 2004 |
Ability/willingness of IFAs to absorb reduction Destabilization of market therefore affecting supply of placements |
Unit cost of in-house residential care |
£1822 per week actual cost £1406 per week at 95% occupancy |
Achieve 95% occupancy overall by 2003 Reduce agency costs by 50% Reduce sickness by 5% |
Recruitment of competent staff Development of existing staff Continued use of additional staff for special care |
Unit cost of independent residential care i.e. external |
£1183 per week (excluding joint funding and including disabilities) £1358 per week (excluding joint funding and disabilities) |
5% decrease by 2003 |
Ability of HCC to hold the line in absence of effective regional contract Inability to fund/recruit to contract officer post Poor care planning/crisis placement Continuation of spot purchasing |
Action |
Officer responsible |
Target date |
Cost/resource implications |
1. To ensure that transitional housing benefit is applied for where appropriate |
SSM (LAC) |
On-going |
Within existing resources |
2. To pursue any alternative funding sources e.g. Public Service Agreements |
SSM (Business) |
On-going For PSA February 2002 |
Within existing resources |
3. By examining the needs of LAC and the resources available in-house, identify the additional resources required from the independent sector |
CM SSM (Business) |
April 2003 |
Within existing resources |
4. Consider raising foster care allowances to NFCA rates |
AD |
April 2003 |
Will require additional funding - £360k to uplift |
5. Maximise the development of block contracting and flexible contract arrangements with IFA's where appropriate and identify the range of specialist IFA services to reflect the needs of LAC |
SSM (Business) |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources |
6. To develop the Family and Friends carers strategy and implement it |
SSM (Adoption /Family Placement) |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources + additional Government PSA funding |
7. Appoint a contracts officer post to improve the contracting process to gain more beneficial contractual terms with external providers and by working with managers involved in purchasing services aid consistency |
CM SSM (Business) |
April 2003 |
Additional funding of £37,000 p.a -opportunity cost bid initially funded from QP MAP 4 Grant |
8. The above post must ensure that all contracts meet the requirements of the amended Race Relations Act |
SSM (Business) |
April 2004 and then on-going |
As above |
Outcome 5: Users and carers are involved in planning; their individual care packages and the delivery of services | |||
Performance Indicator |
Current Performance |
Performance Target |
Barrier to achieving performance target |
% of children attending their reviews |
57% in 2000/01 |
85% by 2003/2004 |
Inadequate preparation of children and their carers Age/preparedness of LAC to attend Location, setting and time of review |
Nos of LAC attending consultation events |
40 in 2001 |
80 in 2002 |
Location, setting and time Availability/preparedness of staff Recognition by children/parents and practitioners of importance |
Nos of relevant LAC responding to user surveys |
e.g. complaints questionnaire - 27 responded |
80% response rate |
Lack of knowledge of LAC and inadequate support from social workers and carers |
Action |
Officer responsible |
Target date |
Cost/resource implications |
1. Social workers involve children and their families planning the individual's care |
All Team Managers |
On-going |
Within existing resources |
2. Strategic Service Managers involve users and carers in planning services |
All Strategic Service Managers |
By 2003 and then on-going |
Within existing resources |
3. Appoint 3 key new posts to meet Government requirements to ensure that children and families participation is not fragmented and piecemeal. These are a children's participation officer, a parents' participation officer and a corporate children's officer |
CM |
April 2003 |
Additional funding of £100,766 p.a. - using QP grant for first 2 posts and SSD part payment for corporate post |
4. The above posts should organise a promotional campaign to ensure children know their rights and how to use the complaints procedure, annual consultation events, promotion of Family Group Conferences, user and carer surveys, the development of a website and a reference group for parents |
CM |
April 2004 |
Additional Funding required - to be costed using QP grant as part funding |
5. Evaluate the role of the Care Action Team and consider setting up a Young People's Council |
CM |
April 2003 |
Within existing resources |
6. LAC consultation forms to be re-designed to make them more `user friendly' |
SM (Reviews) |
April 2003 |
Within existing resources |
Outcome 6: Services are planned to meet strategic objectives through accurate management information | |||
Performance Indicator |
Current Performance |
Performance Target |
Barrier to achieving performance target |
% of LAC with ethnicity data |
81% at 31/10/01 |
100% by 2003 |
Lack of prioritisation of recording |
% of children meeting the criteria who are on the joint CWD register |
No register at present - awaiting formal implementation |
75% by 2003 |
Lack of effective ownership and implementation by agency partners Lack of admin/inputting |
% of LAC with substance misuse data |
No baseline |
50% by 2003 |
Lack of knowledge Lack of data Lack of IT system to record |
% of LAC cautioned or convicted in relation to % of all children cautioned or convicted |
Ratio of 3:1 |
Ratio of 2.3:1 by 31/3/2004 |
Accuracy of data Effectiveness of intervention programmes |
% of LAC case files audited New PI with effect from April 2002 Compliance Quality Audit |
31% from 02/01-10/01 No baseline |
100% by 2003 100% of agreed sample |
Lack of prioritisation of recording Excessive workloads |
Accuracy of workforce data Accuracy of vacancy data by sector and type Accuracy of training data by type and post Accuracy of qualification by type |
No baseline |
100% of all data accurate by 2004 |
Lack of ownership of data Lack of prioritisation of importance Effectiveness of IT system |
% of staff leaving having exit interviews % of exit interviews collated and analysed |
No baseline |
80% by April 2004 100% by April 2004 |
Willingness of staff and managers Excessive workload Lack of ownership of data |
% of LAC consultation forms collated and analysed |
No baseline |
50% by April 2004 |
User friendliness of forms Recognition by staff of the importance of consultation Lack of ownership of data Lack of effective systems |
Action |
Officer responsible |
Target date |
Cost/resource implications |
1. A Management Information Policy is developed for the department, including identifying a departmental lead and a children and families lead at senior management level |
AD |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources |
2. Continue to implement the children and families auditing strategy |
SM (PMU) |
On-going |
Within existing resources |
3. Ensure there are sufficient administrative staff to input data |
AD (CF) AD (Resources) |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources thru' remodelling |
4. Developing the care management manual to ensure that social workers are clear about management information requirements |
DO (CM) |
April 2003 |
Within existing resources |
5. Within existing resources, consider how best LAC and their carers could check the accuracy of personal information held on SSD databases |
QP PL |
April 2003 |
Within existing resources |
6. All spend is linked to departmental objectives as identified in the commissioning plan and the QP MAP |
CM QP PL |
April 2003 |
Within existing resources |
7. All new staff receive an induction pack with details of recording practice and management information requirements |
SM (training) C/F PA |
April 2003 |
Within existing resources |
8. To ensure that the new Social Care Information System is introduced effectively to produce accurate management information in line with organisational and Government requirements |
IT consultant SSM (Business) |
April 2004 |
Additional funding required - part of SCIS development |
9. Ensure that the data analysis of LAC (and related) data is clearly defined within the PMU responsibilities |
CM (PMU) |
April 2003 |
Within existing resources |
10. To work towards the development of a shared database between Social Service, Education and Health |
IT consultant SSM (Business) |
April 2004 |
Within existing resources |
Key to abbreviations
AD = Assistant Director (Children and Families) AD (Res) = Assistant Director (Resources)
QP PL = Quality Protects Project Leader CM = County Manager (Children and Families)
SM = Service Manager SSM = Strategic Service Manager
DO (CM) = Development Officer (Care Management)
C/F PA = Children and Families Personnel Advisor