Agenda item

Purpose of the Report: Scrutiny of Children’s Services Performance Improvement

Witnesses:
Mark Barratt, Director of Quality Assurance

Clare Curran, Cabinet Member for Children

Key points raised in the discussion:

1. Officers explained that the report outlined performance in Children’s Services in Surrey. It was highlighted that there was now a robust usage of performance data, and that this was as a result of a modified system which enabled clear data entry and recollection. It was also noted that usage of this had changed and that it was used to challenge behaviour on both a strategic level to an operational level.
   
   
2. Officers recognised that there had been significant challenges regarding data quality. It was stressed that the service was looking to address key areas of vulnerability and ensure that data is inputted in a single and streamlined way, explaining that systems were changing to make this possible.
   
   Robert Evans entered the meeting at 10.10am
   
   
3. Members questioned what work was being undertaken to reduce indicators rated as high risk, highlighting those high risk indicators that were on a downwards trajectory, and questioned whether the service was taking priority action to address these. Officers stressed that there was a plan of activity to rectify indicators which were on a downwards trend, and noted that with an understanding of the data, there was an opportunity to understand the underlying root cause of key issues were.
   
   
4. The Cabinet Member for Children stressed that there was rapid improvement work underway and that the implementation of the Transformation Business Cases that were approved by Council were critical to the improvement of the service. The Cabinet Member noted that the acceptance of the high risk indicators demonstrated that the service was aware of its deficiencies and need to improve. It was explained that improvement was underway, but that there was significant work needed to ensure that this improvement was embedded within the service.
   
   
5. Officers noted that the remodel the management tier of services had provided organisational clarity and that this was improving accountability and ownership of performance within the service. It was noted that this was part of the change of culture in performance management within the service.
   
   
6. Members noted that they appreciated the improved evidence of performance monitoring and noted that they would like to see evidence of continued and regular performance monitoring presented to the Committee and that any indicators that had a consistent downward trend should be highlighted to the Committee.
   
   
7. Members questioned whether there would be any projected impact on reductions in spend in the service, particularly the proposals to reduce the number of Children’s Centres in the County, and how the service planned to mitigate this. The Cabinet Member stressed that this should be viewed as part of the wider transformation programme and there would be more resource put into early intervention, which should improve performance measures in the long term, due to the targeted nature of earlier intervention and concentration of resource. The Cabinet Member emphasised that it was not the intent to remove services that residents depended on, but that it would re-evaluate how the service utilises assests. Members noted their concerns and noted that they would like to see the results of the Family Resilience Consultation to understand the impact the residents feel that this will have in future.
   
   
8. Members questioned how the service rated their performance measures and whether these were internal guidelines or national guides. Officers noted that there were comparisons published by the Department for Education which detailed Children’s Services performance which the service would be using to benchmark with good and outstanding authorities.
   
   
9. Members questioned staffing numbers and stressed that there was a need to retain staff, ensure that they understand the need to change to improve performance and that this can be done in the programme of change. It was noted by officers that change was needed on a cultural level to ensure practice improvement, rather than looking solely at staffing levels.
   
   
10. The Cabinet Member noted that the performance compendium was a relatively new process and that this had helped significantly to analyse the performance and underlying issues in the service. It was stressed that this was a good mechanism for the Cabinet Member to challenge and analyse performance information and that they were provided to the Cabinet Member for regular analysis. Members questioned whether this regular analysis could be undertaken by the Committee as a means of improving scrutiny of practice improvement.
    
    

Recommendations:

1. That the key indicators are supplied by the Cabinet Member for Children and continue to be regularly reviewed each month and assessed against national performance and quarterly regional benchmarking to assess Surrey in the national and regional context, and:
   
   
   1. That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee receive this monthly update, with the Cabinet Member for Children, to consider the detailed performance indictors used.
      
      

b.    That the Committee receive a quarterly update of key performance measures, and also highlights areas of sustained downwards trend with a narrative of the service’s response to this.