The Chief Executive  and the Interim Strategic Director Children’s Services will submit a joint report (Document “AA” which contains Not for Publication Appendix 4)) which provides updated information about the Council’s response to the OFSTED ILACS judgement published on 29 October 2018.

Recommended –

(1)       To note the actions taken in response to OFSTED inspection     findings.

(2)       To note the plans to establish the Improvement Board and provide      comment.

(3)       To note and comment on plans to produce the draft Improvement        Plan.

(4)       To refer the draft Improvement Plan for discussion at the             Children’s Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

Overview and Scrutiny Area: Children’s Services

(David Walmsley – 01274 431241)

Resolved–

(1)       That the action taken in response to the OFSTED inspection      findings be noted.

(2)       That the plans to establish the Improvement Board be noted.

(3)       That the plans to produce the draft Improvement Plan be noted.

(4)       That the draft Improvement Plan be referred for discussion at the          Children’s Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

ACTION:       Interim Strategic Director Children’s Services

Overview and Scrutiny Area: Children’s Services

(David Walmsley – 01274 431241)

The Chief Executive  and the Interim Strategic Director Children’s Services submitted a joint report (Document “AA” which contained Not for Publication Appendix 4)) which provided updated information about the Council’s response to the OFSTED ILACS judgement published on 29 October 2018.

The Chief Executive stated that following on from the consideration of the OFSTED report in October, the Council had taken urgent steps to drive up improvements in a sustainable manner and this report set out the draft statement of action to continue the improvement journey.  To this end the Improvement Board was coming on stream with an independent improvement advisors in the process of being appointed.  She added that OFSTED would be making a return visit in the new year and progress will be reported to the Executive thereafter.  The Council had also appointed a new Interim Strategic Director of Children’s Services who will be overseeing the improvements and we were confident that these improvements will be made in the interest of the children of the district.

The Interim Strategic Director was present at the meeting and stated that she had now been in post for a few weeks and that she was intending to take decisive action to ensure improvements in Children Social Care are made.  To this end plans were in place to ensure that the right improvements were made and that staff and key stakeholders were fully involved in the process.

The Children and Families Portfolio Holder stated that he had met with the Interim Strategic Director as well as with staff, and he had sensed that there was a real urgency to make the necessary improvements following the OFSTED judgement.

In response to a question on how the voice of the child would be captured within the improvement plan, the Interim Strategic Director stated that this element would have to be captured and evidenced in our case work in order to ensure it was recorded.  She added that 1700 case files had now been audited and a number of immediate actions had taken place to ensure issues were dealt with appropriately.

Resolved–

(1)       That the action taken in response to the OFSTED inspection      findings be noted.

(2)       That the plans to establish the Improvement Board be noted.

(3)       That the plans to produce the draft Improvement Plan be noted.

(4)       That the draft Improvement Plan be referred for discussion at the          Children’s Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

ACTION:       Interim Strategic Director Children’s Services

Overview and Scrutiny Area: Children’s Services