01 November 2022 (postponed from

12 October 2022)

5. As stated in the previous report the Ofsted Action Plan was considered and agreed by numerous Boards. The progress of the Action plan will continue to be overseen and scrutinised by the Assurance and Ambition Board.

Implications

Children, Education and Communities Policy and Scrutiny Committee

Report of the Director of Safeguarding, Children’s Services

Ofsted Action Plan

Summary

1. The purpose of this paper is to update the Children, Education and Communities Policy and Scrutiny Committee on the progress against the Ofsted Action Plan.

Recommendations

2. The Committee is asked to note the progress of the action plan.

Reason: To keep the Committee updated on the progress of the action plan.

Background

3. Children’s Social Care was inspected by Ofsted under the Inspection of Local Authority Children Services (ILACS) framework, which was conducted between 7 and 18 March 2022. The overall inspection judgement was that York 'Required improvement to be good'. The Council was required to submit an action plan to Ofsted within 70 days of the publication of their report outlining how the council intends to address each of the areas for improvement and the monitoring arrangements.

A draft of the Ofsted Action Plan was shared and considered by the Children, Education and Communities Policy and Scrutiny Committee in June 2022. The final Ofsted Action plan was endorsed by Council Executive on the 28 July 2022.

Progress

4. The inspection report sets out seven areas that require improvement. Below sets out the areas and the progress against each one:

a. The consistency of written records so that they provide an accurate account of decision-making for all children.

Practice standards have been updated and young people have developed top tips for practitioners. Action learning sets have taken place to drive practice along with a library of good practice examples for practitioners.

b. The quality of assessments to ensure that they consistently inform care planning.

Work has been undertaken with managers across the service to agree what constitutes as a good analytical assessment which includes expectations of management oversight. Systemic practice has also been rolled out across the service. The care plan has been strengthened and will be rolled out once this has been considered further by young people.

c. The effectiveness of social work supervision in progressing plans for children and addressing practice shortfalls.

Practice standards for supervision have been updated and the supervision template has been revised with social workers and managers. Heads of service are regularly sampling the quality of supervision.

d. The analysis of return home interviews.

The missing from home and care protocol has been revised with the Police and multi-agency reviews of repeat missing episodes are in place. An end-to-end review of the missing from home and care process is underway.

e. Responses to children aged 16 and 17 who present as homeless.

Advocacy has now been extended to all young people aged 16 and 17 who present as homeless. The homeless protocol has been updated to provide a clear pathway for young people to access support and advice. Work has also been undertaken jointly with young people to review the information made available to young people who present homeless.

f. The pace of planning for children in unregistered children's homes.

Weekly oversight of young people in unregistered children’s homes is in place. For the 1 young person in this situation plans are in place. A review is now underway of young people who have been in unregistered provision in the last two years to identify learning that would help us prevent the use of unregistered placements.

The placement finding capacity within the team has now been increased.

g. Children's influence and attendance at the corporate parenting board.

The Council Constitution for Corporate Parenting has been updated and agreed.

The Speak Up service and Corporate Parenting Advisors have developed briefings for all elected members and Corporate Parenting Advisors are now full members of the Corporate Parenting Board.

Consultation

Council Plan

6. The delivery of high-quality children's services will support the aims of the Council Plan which are to improve the quality of life for residents by supporting good health and well-being and by providing a better start for Children and Young People in York.

Author:

Danielle Johnson

Director of Safeguarding, Children’s Service

danielle.johnson@york.gov.uk

Chief Officer Responsible for the report:

Martin Kelly, Corporate Director of Children and Education (DCS)

Report Approved

Specialist Implications Officer(s) None

Wards Affected:

· Financial Over recent years there has been investment into children's services. The 2022/23 council budget included a total of £4.7m in growth across children and education. There continues to be significant pressure of delivering children's services within budget. The successful delivery of improvement activity will contribute to easing this pressure.

· Human Resources (HR) None at this stage.

· Equalities The delivery of the Ofsted Action Plan will support the council in its overall duty to promote equality and address the needs of vulnerable or marginalised children, young people and families therefore contributing to the reduction of inequalities across the city faced by children and young people.

· Legal None at this stage.

· Crime and Disorder Delivery of the Ofsted Action Plan will ultimately safeguard children and young people, reduced the number of children exposed to risk and the impact of that exposure.

· Information Technology (IT) None.

· Property None.

· Other None.

Contact Details

Abbreviations:

ILACS Inspection of Local Authority Children Services