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COUNCIL MEETING, 28 SEPTEMBER 2006

REPORT OF THE

EXECUTIVE LEAD MEMBER FOR CHILDREN'S SERVICES

AND EXECUTIVE MEMBER WITH SPECIAL

RESPONSIBILITY FOR EDUCATION

PART II

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT 2006

1 The Annual Performance Assessment (APA) is the core process whereby the Local Authority's services for children are measured. The APA consists of three elements: performance data; inspections and a self-assessment. The Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Office for Standards in Education, together with other respective regulatory agencies will use the information provided in the APA to judge the contribution of County Council's Children's Services in maintaining and improving outcomes for children and young people and the Council's capacity to improve its services.

2 The self assessment exercise judges performance against the five outcomes of the Children Act 2004 and considers aspects of partnership and service management. The completion of the self assessment was undertaken in consultation with representatives of County Council partners within the statutory, voluntary and community sectors. The Executive Lead Member has received the APA self-assessment for 2006 and supports its conclusion as do the Children's Services Policy Review Committee. Hampshire Children's Services has identified nine priorities for children and young people over the coming year. These build on last year's APA inspection judgement; evaluation of the effectiveness of services; extensive needs analysis; listening to children, young people and their carers; and the priority outcomes in the Children and Young People's Plan. The nine priorities for Children and Young People over the coming year are as follows:

· To increase healthy eating and physical activity in order to reduce child obesity;


· To establish the Local Safeguarding Children's Board in taking a wider safeguarding role;


· To increase the identification of domestic abuse and provide appropriate support and intervention;


· To reduce the incidence of bullying;


· To ensure that all Children Looked After are living in appropriate and stable placements;


· To increase the numbers of children attending school and support for those not in school;


· To improve the educational attainments of Children Looked After;


· To increase access to volunteering;


· To improve young people's access to transport.

3 After a series of central moderations, the Local Authority is due to receive a draft letter summarising those findings during September 2006, prior to their publication later in the autumn, as part of the Council's corporate assessment. The Authority has, however, received informal, unmoderated emerging findings which are positive. The APA is a key component with regard to fulfilment of the children's element of the Local Area Agreement as well as of the Children and Young People's Plan. It is also an important element leading towards the detailed Joint Area Review which all public sector Children's Services in Hampshire will be subject to within the next eighteen months.

FELICITY HINDSON, MBE DAVID KIRK

Executive Lead Member for Executive Member with Special

Children's Services Responsibility for Education