Agenda item

For Members to undertake a pre-decision scrutiny in relation to the LASSAR for 2021/22. 

The Chair welcomed Councillor Ash Lister (Cabinet Member for Social Services (Children’s)), Deborah Driffield (Director of Children’s Services) and Sarah McGill (Corporate Director, People and Communities) to the meeting.

Members were reminded that a draft version of the annual report was circulated in the summer for comments and feedback; the amended draft report is being considered today prior to being presented to Cabinet and Council.

Councillor Lister was invited to make a statement in which thanked staff for their commitment and referred to the direction for 2022-23. He also referred to the challenges across Social Services throughout the UK in respect of the recruitment and retention of experienced Social Workers and the sufficiency of placements all of which have an impact on the budget.

The Corporate Director thanked Members for the comments provided previously, those have been considered and acted upon. The Committee were advised that whilst the report still follows a specific template it is hoped that by next year that will have changed as Welsh Government are currently considering amending the way in which this report has to be provided. 

The Chair invited questions from Members:

Members referred to the interventions and reviewing hubs and queried their impact.  Members were advised that a performance report could be provided outlining the difference those hubs have had for families, for children and also in terms of processes and numbers.  The reviewing hub provides an assurance that we have independent oversight of those children subject to care and support plans and as a consequence of that oversight we have been able, when cases are not so complex, to use social work assistants to deal with the cases. Feedback from families is that the expectations on them are clearer; the outcomes they are looking to achieve and they support they will receive.  It has provided the Judiciary with more confidence in the outcomes we are suggesting.  There has been a delay in appointing staff; we have just lost a really good team manager to one of the posts we have advertised. 

The interventions hub has been very successful to the point that we now have a waiting list. Those interventions will make a real difference to families and, over a period of time that they will be able to support themselves with without direct statutory intervention.  The plan is to develop a business case so that the interventions hub can be enlarged rather than having to go out to the private sector to buy in more expensive packages of support.

Members discussed hybrid working and queried the use of agency workers living in London carrying out Teams meetings with families.  The Director advised that she was aware of the issue and confirmed that the service still has remote workers, although not in Child Protection.  The expectation is that they came in at least half of the week to see the children, to do the visits and to go out to, because obviously you can't do child protection without seeing the homes and the children.  Remote meetings are often the most effective use of team when you take into account issues such as travelling.  More recently the young people and the families have indicated that they wish to continue with the use of hybrid working in terms of meetings.  There are significant pressures in relation to the recruitment of social workers; if those living in London are willing to come to Cardiff two and a half days a week there is no reason why they cannot be employed. Remote meetings also provide staff with the flexibility to the timings of meetings.  It is about what works for the family.

Members discussed the involvement of Welsh Government in relation to difficulties in recruiting social workers.  The Director advised that they have been lobbying hard and as a group of Heads of Service have just agreed enter into a formal agreement, not a contract, in terms of agency staff.  There are a whole series of principles; an agreement not to increase any hourly rates; not to employ social workers from another Welsh authority;  not employ those that have left on a permanent contract as agency for at least 12 months.  It will work until such times as you cannot attend the child protection visits; you will then pay more as you do not have another choice. At the moment it is difficult to say how it will work – will agency workers just disappear to England; they are still doing a lot of hybrid working. Welsh Government and Social Care Wales are looking at the whole area of recruitment. 

Members asked what work the Council was doing with local colleges to encourage a career in social work and were advised that there has been liaison via HR with various forums with schools and colleges and events are attended to talk about what Cardiff has to offer, but the main priority has been to liaise with universities so that students in their final placements can do them with Cardiff.  The issue is not with the recruitment of newly qualified social worker, there is a lack of experienced social workers.

Members queried whether there were sufficient safeguards in place to ensure that children looked after with additional learning needs are being protected, during the transition from the previous SEN code of practice to the new system.  Officers advised that they had received number of presentations from education in terms of the changes and the impact they will have; there are also regular management meetings.  Sometimes children with additional learning needs are not receiving the support they should because of the long drawn-out process to get that assessment. It is therefore vital, using all the formal processes that we identify where the children's needs aren't being met, or even the haven't been assessed, and that is raised at a strategic level.

The Cabinet Member advised that currently within Education they are considering a virtual Headteacher role, and whether a Headteacher role could be created to have that oversight of all children looked after in education.

With reference to a question about unregulated placements, Members were advised that unregulated placements are illegal; the legislation is clear but that more recently when it is has not been possible to find a place for a child at a Children’s home a bespoke arrangement which is unregistered has to be set up.  It is overseen by the regulators, CIW who send reminders about facing prosecution.   It is something that is happening on a regular basis throughout the country.

It is necessary as there are not enough placements for children.  Whilst there has been an increase in residential placements, it takes a long time to design and build a Children’s Home, the registration along takes 6 months.  More recently there have been teenagers whose parents could not cope with their behaviours and placements have had to be found quickly, hence the need for the bespoke arrangement.  It has been happening over the last 6 months.  It is not something that the authority wants to do, many other local authorities are in the same position.

The Director advised that as a result of the letter threatening prosecution there is a need to attend certain panels, to write every week outlining what has been done to find a placement for those children, what is being done to keep them safe and what the arrangements are; how close it can be made to look like regulated accommodation for example using agencies that are regulated.  There are lots of steps that have to be taken on a weekly basis.

The regulator requires attendance at a panel to explain and provide reassurance that we have done all that we can to bring the arrangement in line.  The Corporate Director advised that the authority is very well aware of the requirements for and that, with the properties that were using, the rules are followed and we are careful about making sure that the support in place.  The Committee were also advised that the outcomes for those young people in these bespoke arrangements are very positive.  Steps are being taken to register the authority’s own provision as quickly as possible to ensure that the best interests and needs of Cardiff’s young people are served and that we are not just following the letter of the law.

In answer to Councillor Davies, the Director made it clear that she stood by the legislation in respect of unregulated placements, the guidance is absolutely clear, the requirements are to ensure that children looked after are safeguarded, they have the best in terms of property and the best in terms of staff support.  There is a ratio of staff which is much higher than they would have anywhere else, we have found that they needed the period of time with that support, they have no other pressures or peer pressure.  It has enabled them to reach a sense of calm and a lot of them have been able to move on.  There has been such a change in their Pen Pictures over a period of 4 – 6 weeks which has allowed them to find a registered placement.

Members discussed out of county placements; there is a national shortage of residential provision across the UK but the long term aim would be for the children of Cardiff to remain in Cardiff.  There are conversations taking place with Welsh Government about what the Council is doing to reduce the figures and to be able to confidently say that we are doing all that we can to safeguard and support a child or young person either to go back to their family or to progress to a placement.  The issue of sufficiency of placements is about having the opportunities in Cardiff; we need to make sure that sufficiency in Cardiff so that children in Cardiff can be as close to home as possible to maintain family groups, schools and friendship groups.  However, it is not always appropriate for the child and they may have to be moved out of county for their own safety.

Members were advised that some of the performance information talks about children within a 20 mile radius of Cardiff, this is due to the size of Cardiff, it does not make sense to just to stay within the boundary.  Why would you move a child that lives with extended family just because they don't live in the Cardiff boundary; it makes absolutely no sense, but it makes sense if you’re performance driven in terms of improving the numbers.  What is important for the child has to be the consideration. 

Members sought clarification as to the security of the sources of funding for a number of the initiatives referred to and whether they will continued.  Members were advised that the DWP was a grant which has since ended.  There will be increasing pressures due to the number of care experienced children than are leaving care.  There is still a legal duty for them to have a social worker until the age of 18, and thereafter support until they are 25.  A personal advisor is a legal responsibility which does not have to sit with Children’s Services.  Into Work is Council run service, it is critical that there is joint working between Children’s and Adult Services.  There has been good work around the Youth Gateway ensuring that young people have got access to accommodation and support and building on that developing a more integrated set of provisions which is a start.

RESOLVED:

That the Chairperson writes to the Cabinet Member on behalf of the Committee expressing their comments and observations captured during the way forward.