Agenda item

Purpose of the report:

To apprise the Select Committee of the work, findings and recommendations of the No Wrong Door Task Group.

Report to follow.

witnesses:

Mary Lewis, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families

Lesley Steeds, Chairman – No Wrong Door Task Group and Vice-Chairman of the Select Committee

Jo Rabbitte, Assistant Director – Children’s Resources

Key points raised during the discussion:

1. The Chair of the Task Group explained that the Task Group had been formed at the suggestion of the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families. The key reason for adopting the No Wrong Door model was that children entering care as teenagers generally had a worse experience than younger entrants. Adolescent entrants often experienced wide ranging social and emotional needs and greater placement instability and tended to attain worse outcomes that young entrants, particularly regarding education, employment, training, and post-care accommodation stability. Looked-after children often reported that they would like better communication between staff, to remain with their birth family where possible, to receive more consistent support, and to be able to access support more easily. The No Wrong Door model sought to address those needs and mitigate the challenges experienced by adolescent entrants to the care system. The Task Group primarily utilised targeted requests for information, public surveys, and remote meetings with witnesses to gather the information required to assess the suitability of No Wrong Door for introduction into Surrey.  

2. The Task Group found that the model had been effective at reducing care episodes, improving outcomes for service users and creating cost savings elsewhere; and was consistent with the priorities and policies of Surrey County Council. The introduction of the model had strong support at Member and senior officer levels within the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Directorate. Fundamental issues continued to persist in children’s services. However, despite the presence of some barriers, the conditions in Surrey were such that the model would likely be efficacious if introduced in the county.

3. The Chair of the Task Group thanked its Members, supporting officers and inquiry respondents.

4. The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families thanked the Task Group for the Report. She stated that work with teenagers needed to improve and would be increasingly important over next few months due to the increased number of adolescents entering care under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was cause for concern as outcomes for young people entering care in their teenage years were generally poor; the No Wrong Door provided a way of preventing adolescent entry to care. The Cabinet Member stressed that it was important for an organisation to make sound and timely judgement when adopting a new model and stated that the council was well placed to do so, due to and the council’s high-quality residential care homes.

5. A Member questioned how the more sceptical views on the No Wrong Door Model held by Cambridgeshire and Wiltshire County Councils had been considered against the positive feedback received from Rochdale Borough Council. The Chairman of the Task Group assured the Member that the Task Group had taken very careful consideration of all evidence received.  

6. The Member added that they would like to recommend that the implementation of the No Wrong Door model in Surrey be brought forward. The Chair of the Select Committee stated that the report was going to the October meeting of Cabinet and that the Select Committee could add suggestions to encourage the development of the policy.