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Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
LIVERPOOL CHILDREN’S SERVICES
Children’s Social Care Business Plan
The Context
‘Our ambition is that families, particularly those with multiple and complex needs will have
access to coordinated Early Help in accordance with need as soon as difficulties are
identified.
The offer is personalised, multi-agency, evidenced based and embedded within a Whole
Family approach.
Children and young people in those families will live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives and
develop into responsible adult citizens, thereby breaking the intergenerational cycles of risk
and vulnerability. Families will become more resilient and develop capacity or skills to
prevent and resolve problems.
The aim is to reduce demand for higher cost specialist services and achieve greater use of community based universal preventive services.
WHAT WORKS
Joined up local service delivery: universal and targeted provision
Early identification of problems, quick effective response, robust decision making at
the beginning
Services designed to give families greater control over their lives
Investing in outreach, non-stigmatising and accessible provision
Avoid re-inventing the wheel and use available evidence to deliver tried and tested
programmes
Learn from what works and provide evidence of source and context
Focusing on how services are delivered: programme fidelity
Quality, trained workforce
Continuity of practice from front to back door, same approach by all staff
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
THE CHALLENGES
Problems of vulnerable children and families are worsening:-
A permanently reduced welfare state
On-going economic instability and spending restraints
Fragmenting service infra-structures
Promises to enable joined up budgeting and longer-term planning remain challenging
Managing within reduced budgets and workforce
Short-term service commissioning
Ever-changing policy initiatives and Government changes: 400+ affecting children
and families over 21 years. This can create short term benefits with funding, and
then it is not sustained.
20 changes of legislation or policy per year with each lasting on average a little over
2 years
Transition between Childrens Services and Adult Services – The tension of different
thresholds for Adults. This applies to both Disabled Children and children ‘staying
put’ and finance for carers. Adult Services work to assist adults towards greater
independence whilst Children’s Services work within ‘Staying Put’.
The implementation of the Children & Families Act 2014.and a 0-25 strategy for disabled children
Children’s Social Care Business will be Underpinned by Key Practice Themes and
aligned with the priorities of the Children and Young Peoples Plan
http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and-policies/children-and-families/children-
and-young-peoples-plan/
1. Child’s Journey
- Listening to & recording the Voice of the Child
- Tell your story once – for child and parents/carers
- Assess in detail at the earliest opportunity
- To start with early help and Early Help Assessment
- Focused plans that are clear and well communicated to children, young people and
their families.
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
2 Social Work Action
- Assess and analyse
- Plan
- Communicate
- Deliver
- Act - Intervene
- - Support
- Step Down
- Close if appropriate
3 Management decision making and quality supervision
- Clear lines of accountability
- Meeting timescales for decision making
- Considering appropriate levels of delegation
- Effective communication
- Clear, updated policies and procedures
- Supervision including reflective practice
- Management oversight of caseloads
- Management of risk – escalation where appropriate
- Consistent management of poor performance
- Being creative with limited resources
- Regular case file auditing
Social Care in Liverpool needs to return to basics. The service will focus on quality,
timely services to families that are delivered in full compliance with Working Together
2013.
Assessments will be appropriate, timely and detailed and will have a clear outcome that has
been discussed and agreed with a manager.
Social Workers will own the decision making and any disagreements on the plan for the child
will be escalated via line management, all discussions will be recorded. Social Workers will
be supported to make their own decisions.
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Social Workers will receive monthly supervision and their cases and the decision making
within them will be the shared responsibility of the Social Worker and Team Manager. Social
Workers’ own experience will be used in supervision and reflection on case work. They will
receive support and reflection in supervision as well as case work supervision. There will be
sufficient time for reflection amongst case work discussions.
Social Workers and Team Managers will consider priorities and time management
Team Managers will receive a full programme of supervision / coaching and training to
enable them to undertake the management tasks to the required standards.
Social workers will have coaching and training. Newly qualified social workers will have
mentoring and peer support for example in attending court.
Understanding permanence should promote an underpinning framework for all social work
with children and families from Early Help and Family Support through to adoption.
At the point we engage with any child or family, we will think about the plan for permanence
at the earliest opportunity..
The Liverpool Context
Local Context Population
The resident population of Liverpool on Census night (27 March 2011) was 466,415. The city’s population increased by 26,942 (6.1%) between 2001 and 2011, reversing the trend of long-term population decline. Liverpool’s population is a young one, reflecting the popularity of the city among students and young professionals. Over a quarter of people living in the city (26.8%, 125,200 people) are young adults (15-29) compared with 19.9% nationally, while almost half (45.4%) are aged 16-44.
Liverpool’s Black Minority Ethnic population more than doubled between 2001 and
2011, increasing by 33,700 people (110.5%) – to13.8%, but the city’s White British and
Irish population decreased slightly (-6,800 people, a 1.7% decrease). Economy
In March 2011 just under two thirds (63.4%) of all Liverpool residents aged 16-74 years were economically active (i.e. in employment or seeking work). This is an 8.5% point increase from the 54.9% in 2001. Liverpool’s economic activity rate was significantly lower than the England and Wales average (69.7%).
This increase in economic activity rates in Liverpool was significantly greater than the national rate of increase (3.0% points). This means that although economic activity rates in Liverpool are low, the gap to the national economic activity rate reduced significantly between 2001 and 2011.
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Higher proportions of the Liverpool population than nationally are employed in the public sector – health and social work, education and public administration and defence – and in accommodation and food services. By contrast, smaller proportions of the city’s population than nationally are employed in construction; manufacturing; professional, scientific and technical activities; and information and communication.
Liverpool gained 1,100 jobs in 2011, which at 0.5% was the fourth highest percentage increase among the Core Cities, behind Birmingham, Nottingham and Newcastle but was significantly higher than the GB (-0.1%) and city region rate (-0.3%). Liverpool’s employment growth of 9.9% between 1998 and 2011 has outpaced the GB growth rate of 7.8%. Among Core Cities, only Manchester (15.1%) and Newcastle (13.4%) achieved a greater percentage increase than Liverpool. The Gross Disposable Household Income (GDHI) per head of Liverpool residents in 2010 was £12,766, one of the lowest levels among the Core Cities (only Nottingham and Birmingham are lower). GDHI per head in Liverpool is £2,961 lower than the UK average and £10 below the Core Cities average. Over the past five years (2006-2010) Liverpool’s GDHI per head has grown by 13.5%, which is the highest growth among Core Cities (average 9.4%) and exceeds the UK’s growth of 12.1%.
Mayor of Liverpool In May 2012, Councillor Joe Anderson became the first-ever directly elected Mayor of Liverpool. His mayoral pledges include:
Build 12 new schools The Liverpool Schools Investment Plan will provide a high quality school environment across the city including a refurbishment programme and 12 new, hi-tech, secondary, primary and special schools. Almost £170 million will be spent over the next six years. Build 5000 new homes
The construction of new housing on brownfield sites will target dereliction in the city. Where possible, derelict properties will be refurbished and brought back into use. Attract investment and jobs
The city's economic development company Liverpool Vision will focus on bringing new jobs to the city by encouraging investment, helping existing businesses grow and entrepreneurs to start new ones, working with the Local Enterprise Partnership and other partners. Five Mayoral Development Zones and two Enterprise Zones provide a focus for commercial developments to attract businesses and new jobs by offering incentives. Make the city greener, cleaner and healthier New arrangements will encourage residents to recycle more and manage their household waste in better ways. This will result in a lot less waste going to landfill, benefiting the environment and saving £80 per tonne.
Key Information
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Size & Scale
• Unitary Authority • 96,392 children & young people aged 0 – 18years (Jan 2011 census) • 89,356 children & young people aged 0 - 17 years (mid-2012 population estimate) • 12 special schools • 2 pupil referral units • 122 primary schools • 16 secondary schools • 0 primary academies • 13 secondary academies • 17 children’s centres operating across 26 sites • 391 children & young people = Child Protection • 4,423 children & young people = Children in Need • 988 children & young people = Looked after Children
Social Care Workforce
The current workforce includes:-
The Safeguarding Support teams have 92 Full Time Equivalent social worker posts, The Disabled Children’s Team has 13.4 FTE social worker posts The Adoption Team has 10 FTE social worker posts The Fostering Team has 23 FTE supervising social worker posts The Looked After Childrens social work teams have 35.5 FTE social worker posts The Leaving Care Team has 12.5 FTE social worker posts and 16 personal advisor posts There are 72 posts in the residential sector There are 63.5 family support worker posts across the services and 18 outreach posts In Quality Assurance there are 9 Independent Reviewing Officers posts and 6 Safeguarding Officers posts as well as a Complaints Team, LADO, Participation Officer and CSE Coordinator.
Key Partners
• Schools and Academies • Nurseries • Merseyside Police • Merseyside Probation Trust • Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group comprising 95 GP practices • Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) • Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust • Acute Health services – Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust • Public Health services, now in the local authority
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
• Liverpool Youth Offending Team • CAFCASS • Voluntary Organisations
Key Strategic Planning Forums
• Liverpool Safeguarding Children Board • Liverpool Health & Wellbeing Board • Liverpool Children’s Trust Board • Citysafe – Community Safety Partnership
KEY STRENGTHS
Public Law Outline processes well embedded
Two “outstanding” residential children’s homes Parenting & Nurture Programmes,
Instant Response teams, Supervised Contact Service
Specialist team for Disabled Children
Partnership working with Health in Continuing Care
Residential Short Breaks Unit for disabled children
Good Family Support Services including
Well developed Family Group Conferencing Service
Collocated Joint Investigation Team
Numbers of children subject to Child Protection Plans for over 2 years is low
Improving Adoption Service Schools
82% of schools are judged by Ofsted to be good or better
No secondary or special schools are in a negative Ofsted category
Attainment data at the end of key stage 4 is above the national average
Positive trends in attainment/standards over time and across the key stages In school inspections, safety and safeguarding are judged at least good in the greater majority of schools
Key Challenges
• A third of our children and young people live in poverty (33.1% compared to the England & Wales average of 20.7%)
• The overall LCC budget will have reduced by 53% by 2015 • 62,800 residents are workless • Life expectancy in most wards is below the national average • Impact of bedroom tax and benefit cap.
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Childrens Social Care Business Plan 2014-15
Key Issues that Inform the Business Plan
Demonstrate change and improvement for children to optimise their life chances & reduce risk
Assessment, case work & support with children and families is focused and consistent
Plans for children are clear, targeted & communicated well
A Strategic Vision for Workforce Development to develop staff who have the skills to match the service redesign
An Organisation whose infrastructure is corporate but flexible to the diversity of specific services
A remodel of services within Corporate Change Management and Risk Management
The integration of the Disabled Childrens Team within the context of the 0-25 agenda
Strategic Objective Activity Lead Timescale
Remodel the Social Care
Service to ensure it meets its
requirements
Undertake a Service Review to remodel the service around activity.
Roll out Single Assessment (45 days)
Develop a Single Assessment Protocol with partners
In depth Risk Assessments including consulting with agencies.
Introduce 6 month step up, step down or closure for Child In Need
Bernie Brown – supported by Liz Mekki David Hynes/Tyra Pether Liz Mekki/Peter Jones Liz Mekki All teams All teams
July 2014 initially June 2014 Completed March 14 Continuing Continuing
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
cases(with exceptions such as some disabled children) with immediate audit of compliance
New exemplars for CIN planning meetings/reviews
A coherent strategy for long term support including early help and Early Help Assessment Tool – non statutory to be developed to create capacity & a more proportionate response.
Develop residential short term assessment as part of the early help offer and for children on the edge of care.
Review cases in Early Help & Outreach Family Support
Launch Neglect Strategy
Provide quality & timely services for children and families
Improved Child Protection planning – ensuring review & no drift – 9 months plus exceptions (LSCB Discussion)
Appropriate, effective & timely Child Protection Plans & audit of them
Clear communication and Pathways to the front door
All to use Suzanne Metcalfe Service Manager – Family Support Angela D’Annunzio / Rose Devine / Lesley Sheriff / Julie Finnegan / Alex Creevy All Ray Said/Ian Bowden All safeguarding officers Levels of Need
Completed March 2014 2014 December 2015 July 2014 Completed May 2014 Continuous Continuous Completed
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Clear focused, targeted, child centred plans
Multi-agency plans and reports from agencies/services, schools, Adults, domestic violence, alcohol, drugs, mental health etc. including improved compliance
Commitment to pre proceedings protocol and ways of working, including partner agencies contributing to assessments & keeping to timescales for the child
Clear escalation process in place for decision making
Develop & embed early permanence focusing on improved outcomes
Develop relationships & understanding of roles & responsibilities for the interface between Fostering, Safeguarding & other services – to include commitment to Panels
Have clear remit for Post Order team
Develop Special Guardianship Order support
Including children who have been
adopted being considered as
Children in Need for support
All team leaders LSCB Court team leaders Ray Said SS Service Managers Nicky Urding, David Hynes, Tyra Pether Martin Hudson. Steve Oliver Martin Hudson Martin Hudson, David Hynes, Tyra Pether
Continuous Continuous Completed September 2014 July 2014 July 2014 September 2014 July 2014
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Ensure Participation is
understood and embedded
across the whole service
Children In Care Council
Ensure Participation Plan is understood & embedded
Strategic Children In Care Council Participation leads or champions in each Service area.
Involve young people in the design and delivery of services including disabled children in their Education Health Care Plans
Involve parents & carers in the design and delivery of services
Gill Thornton All Service Managers All named champions All team leaders All team leaders
Established July 2014 Completed Continuous Continuous
Reduce Numbers of Children
in Local Authority Care and
spend on Non LA.
Clear threshold for Looked After Children admissions
Levels of need embedded and clearly understood by all agencies
Introduce Family Group Conference before any admission to care via Section 20, including homeless 16 & 17 year olds
Support families in need to look after their children safely(Special
Martin Hudson LSCB Angela D’Annunzio Angela D’Annunzio -Management Team –
Continuous Initial reports to Management Team
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Guardianship Order/Residence Order/Adoption/Early Help/Family Support), using Signs of Safety
Implement Signs of Safety – a strength based model of assessment to look at strengths to meet/identify outcomes
Effective Risk Assessments & Single Assessments with agency partners involved.
Residential short term assessment incorporating outreach as part of the early help offer. Look at evidence base to find out what is effective for which cohort
Step down/closure for Child In Need within 6 months (exceptions including some disabled children)
Early permanence focusing on outcomes
Convert some Interim Care Orders to Special Guardianship Orders
Review Placed with Parents arrangements/Section 20 using strength based model. Return homes using Instant Response Team
Increase numbers of Liverpool City Council foster carers involving Foster Carers Group - budget needed for marketing, advertising
Family Support Angela D’Annunzio for family Support Liz Mekki Angela D’Annunzio All team leaders SS Team leaders Court team leaders Martin Hudson / Angela D’Annunzio / TM Family Support 1 / IRT Teams Nicky Urding
LSCB protocol agreed March 2014 September 2014 Continuous Continuous Continuous Continuous Continuous
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Stimulate provision of local placements in Liverpool
Secure accommodation admission threshold with consistent approach developed within multiagency context at a senior level.
Clear escalation process in place for decisions about looked after children
Nicky Urding Bernie Brown Ray Said
Continuous September 2014 Completed
Strategic Vision for Workforce
Development
Become a Learning Organisation
Include the child’s voice, Have Your Say & compliments, consult with children & families and partners
Produce initial Workforce Strategy and Delivery Plan
Establish operational group to influence & develop training plan to inform future needs with notice for staff
Develop Managers via mentoring/coaching programme and embed a programme for leadership development
Quality Supervision as a key management priority. Embed Supervision Policy. Consider time & accommodation for supervision
Produce an audit report on Supervision compliance
Assess individual development
All Ray Said/Participation Officer David Jacobs Ray Said Bernie Brown/David Jacobs/Wendy Moss All Service Managers Ray Said All supervisors
Continuous Continuous April 2014 Completed June 2014 May 2014 September 2014 June 2014
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
needs via Performance Review and Development
Aggregate training needs via commissioning groups including commissioning groups in each service to identify and put forward gaps
Joint training opportunities are maximised.including shadowing opportunities across services
Develop outcome measures to monitor and evaluate the impact of training on services and development. Use limited resources well
Develop a competent well trained workforce with clear minimum standards Embed professional capabilities/core competencies
Introduce core practice standards in all services
Ensure plans in place to meet demands of individual teams to ensure statutory requirements are met & staff are supported to do their work
Develop in house training within teams, including lunchtime sessions & speaking at other services’ team meetings
Ensure induction is appropriate and
David Jacobs All supervisors David Jacobs All team leaders Service managers Service & team leaders Team leaders David Jacobs
June 2014 Continuous Continuous Continuous September 2014 Continuous September 2014 Completed
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
available.
Post qualifying training for social workers
Remodel Leadership and Performance Managers Meetings.
David Jacobs Service managers
Training Plan May 14 September 2014
Embed a performance agenda
driven by managers at every
level.
Introduce and embed the Quality Assurance Framework at all levels – including audits, and performance capability
Clear escalation process in place
Performance management reports on case loads on a monthly basis to give clarity on closures/risk/caseloads.
Improve inter agency working arrangements (sharing the responsibility)
Knowing the business and partnership working – Risk/Need/Threshold – multiagency understanding & support for Levels of Need
Embed a 6 month review of Child In Need with social workers (supervision) with the exception of some Disabled Children’s Team cases.
Review how children come into care across teams
Clear focused, child centred plans
Ray Said/service managers Ray Said Service managers All managers Jan Gallagher/Bernie Brown SS & DCT team leaders David Hynes/Tyra Pether Ian Bowden/Carl Thomson
Signed off with continuing activity Monthly Continuous Continuous September 2014 Continuous
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Develop an organisational
Infrastructure that is able to
effectively support the Social
Care Business
Re-align Business Support resources to meet service requirements including a structure to support budget management
Human Resources support for managers
Improved Information Technology support including improved delays on business requests
Implement Liquid Logic & reports to assist performance management
Bernie Brown/Liz Hill Bernie Brown Bernie Brown SIT/Liz Mekki
September 2014 May 2015
Embed The Early Help Agenda
with Partner Agencies.
Liverpool Safeguarding Children Board sign off of the Early Help Strategy/Levels of Need/Early Help Assessment and launch
Early Help Implementation Plan put in place.
Develop a coherent early help offer with a menu of support, advice and intervention from agencies
Embed monitor and review quality assurance processes including multi agency contacts and Referrals Liverpool Safeguarding Children Board/Careline/Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub/Common Assessment Framework Coordinator
Suzanne Metcalfe Angela D’Annunzio Suzanne Metcalfe Suzanne Metcalfe / Angela D’Annunzio Ray Said, Mike Evans, Stefan Chapleo, Pauline Ashton LSCB
April 2014 June 2014 September 2014 September 2014 Continuous
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Internal quality assurance by agencies (joint responsibility)
Measure outcomes for contacts, referrals, re referrals, Children In Need
Measure outcomes for Family Group Conferences, outcomes for children, value for money
School Service/early intervention to pilot Early Help Assessment Tool
Multi Agency Training strategy
Embed, monitor and review the quality assurance process with all agencies
Early intervention-establish clear commitments from partner agencies.
Consider co-location at its most effective – across internal services & external agencies
Schools Family Support Service to ensure Early Help Assessments and Lead Professionals
Firm up agency links and contributions to early intervention
Clear focused, child centred plans which are robust.& include the voice of the child
Plan for increase in need for children with severe learning
Mike Evans Angela D’Annunzio/FGC lead Angela D’Annunzio Margie Johnson Alan McCarthy Ray Said Suzanne Metcalfe Bernie Brown Angela D’Annunzio / Margie Johnson Angela D’Annunzio All team leaders Carol See, Maria Kelly
September 2014 September 2014 From June 2014 Completed Continuous Launch April 2014 From June 2014 Continuous
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
difficulties
Development of a MASH Identify Partners involved in Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub
Identify what is to be undertaken in Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub
Define Processes
Establish budget
Identify accommodation/location
Information Sharing protocols drawn up and agreed
Access to quality information to embed early help at front door
Reduce inappropriate referrals
Good access to help from partner agencies
Establish staffing/training
Monitor outcomes
Links with early intervention and Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub
Work with partners with belief and confidence
Agree programme for move to co-location and joint working with agencies and combined teams both at referral/evaluation point and assessment/direct work stages.
Move to pooled budget
Stefan Chapleo Governance Group/Bernie Brown
Go Live Dec 2014
Develop and Participate in a
strategic response to Child Sexual
Clear focused, child centred plans which are robust and include the
All team leaders
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Exploitation voice of the child
Clear procedures & pathways
Work with partners on Missing Children Strategy
Adherence to reporting & recording of missing children
Identification of risk
Train staff including multiagency training
Include parents & carers in training & information
LSCB Karen Ogle All team leaders All team leaders Alan McCarthy Alan McCarthy
LINKS
Children & Young People’s Plan
http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and-policies/children-and-families/children-and-young-peoples-plan/
Early Help Strategy
http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and-policies/children-and-families/early-help-strategy/
Neglect Strategy
http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and-policies/children-and-families/multi-agency-neglect-strategy-2014-2016/
Levels of Need
http://www.liverpoolscb.org/user_controlled_lcms_area_home/uploaded_files/LSCB%20Responding%20to%20Need%20Guidance%20and%20Levels%20of
%20Need%20Framework%20FINAL.pdf
Liverpool Children’s Service Business Plan – May 2014
Permanence Strategy – can be found on the internal Children’s Services shared drive
Adoption Action Plan - can be found on the internal Children’s Services shared drive
Transition to Adult Services - can be found on the internal Children’s Services shared drive
Missing Children
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-who-run-away-or-go-missing-from-home-or-care
Quality Assurance Framework - can be found on the internal Children’s Services shared drive