Archived decisions

REPORT OF THE

POLICY AND RESOURCES SCRUTINY AND SELECT COMMITTEE

PART I

SCRUTINY INQUIRY ON THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF RISK WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

1. The first scrutiny inquiry undertaken by the Committee, operating in the style of a Select Committee, had the following subject:

How we can respond effectively to early indicators that a child is at risk of detrimental outcomes (emotionally, socially, educationally and/or mentally) and through early intervention reduce the likelihood of their having difficulties later on.

2. The subject matter of the scrutiny study will be fundamental to the work being carried out in the newly configured Children's Services Department and will inform the approach of the newly appointed Director of Children's Services. It, therefore, supports Aims 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the Corporate Strategy.

3. The process followed was to obtain and study relevant written evidence from publications and written submissions; to take evidence from external experts and witnesses; to obtain the views of County Council Officers from the Education and Social Services Departments; and to interview the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services. Numerous key themes emerged from the publications, written submissions and evidence from witnesses which are reflected in the detailed recommendations set out below.

4. The in-depth investigation was carried out on behalf of the Committee by a small Panel chaired by Councillor Ludlow, and he will present the Committee's recommendations to the County Council and elaborate on the rationale behind them. The full report considered by the Policy and Resources Scrutiny and Select Committee has already been sent in advance to all County Councillors.

5. The committee therefore requests the County Council to endorse their views on the outcome of the Scrutiny study on the prevention and management of risk with children and young people, as set out below, and to adopt the recommendations for action set out in paragraph 6.

    1. IN DESIGNING STRATEGIES NOW:

      (i) The County Council should, in its lead role under the Children Act, plan to ensure that the whole of the workforce delivering universal services to children and young people in Hampshire is trained to:

        a. Know how to spot the early warning signs of risk to children & young people - they should know what development to expect of children at certain ages and be able to identify deviations and lack of progress.

        b. Understand the theory and importance of attachment and bonding between parents and children and be able to observe indicators of its absence.

        c. Have and use a common language, which enables common understanding and information sharing.

        d. Know how they in their role can support families and develop resilience in children.

        e. Understand their accountabilities and responsibilities for individual children.

        f. Know how to share information between partner organisations.

        g. Know how to assess when specialist services may be appropriate and how to access them.

      (ii) A proactive lead should be taken by the County Council in collecting and collating data of risk indicators across the county in order to:

        a. Prioritise needs (both locally and strategically)

        b. Establish trends

        c. Collect ongoing data for measuring impact

      (iii) Data should be used effectively by:

        a. Mapping needs for each locality against local services already in existence. It is especially important to take account of local schemes, such as "Surestart" and voluntary organisations.

        b. Working with partners to agree strategic priorities in preventative work.

        c. Agreeing what ongoing data is required to measure impact of strategies - and how it will be collected, collated and learned from.

    2. FOR FUTURE PLANNING:

      (i) Further attention should be given to resolving the potential conflict between the autonomy of schools and their role in fulfilling Hampshire County Council's leadership of children's services. (The Children Act imposes duties on schools and their staff that will conflict with their autonomy).

      (iv) It is important to consider the whole family rather than just children when assessing need for preventative intervention, for example, respite support for parents can have important benefits to siblings as well as parents and children with disabilities.

      (v) It is important to make use of resources that already exist - which is why mapping services is so important.

      (vi) As the feedback from the public is that they prefer to access familiar local services than have to travel to more expensive ones, this needs to be reflected in our planning.

      (vii) We must enable and support innovative solutions - which means good problem analysis and creativity and also opportunities for sharing good practice.

    3. An important role for Cabinet will be to ensure that the strategic direction agreed is monitored for:

      · Effective implementation

      · Desired impact over time

    4. All Councillors need to be made aware of their responsibilities in this area both jointly (as Corporate Parent) and individually, especially with regard to the Council's aims and strategy in developing Children's Services and preventative work in particular.

    5. That all Councillors should:

    (i) Be aware of the strategic and local priorities for children & young people.

    (ii) Have a good understanding of the specific needs in their area and the services that are working with them. i.e.

      · They should visit schools and other Children's Services establishments

      · They should be able to discuss an input to the prevention priorities in their areas with recognition that causes vary and strategies need to be tailored and effective.

      (iii) They should monitor the effectiveness of partnership working in their area in this field.

      (iv) Where possible be easily able to access the information necessary to fulfil this role.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. That the detailed recommendations of the Policy and Resources Scrutiny and Select Committee relating to the study on the prevention and management of risk with children and young people, as set out in paragraph 5 above, be adopted.

2. That the Cabinet be requested to respond by September 2005 with their intentions with regard to implementing those recommendations.

3. That Senior Officers be instructed to report back to the Council in 8 months time as to the ways in which the recommendations set out in this report have been implemented.

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