Agenda item

To apprise the Committee of the latest Children, Families and Lifelong Learning performance information.

Witnesses:

Clare Curran, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning

Patricia Denney, Director – Quality & Performance

Tracey Sanders, Assistant Director – Inclusion & Additional Needs

Key points of discussion:

1. The Chair remarked that after a period of improving performance, there was a decline—or at least progress has stopped—in some areas of performance.

2. The Chair noted the number of working days from the first appointment in the MindWorks neurodiversity pathway had reached 248 days and continued to rise. This indicated that the extended closure of the assessment pathway, intended to improve first appointment performance, had not been effective, leaving this pathway a matter of concern. This topic had been raised at the Joint Adult and Children's Select Committee meeting in May, and they had not been reassured MindWorks was equipped to handle the demand.

3. The Chair further said that Surrey County Council had returned to the 2022 performance level for EHCP timeliness, achieving 61% within 20 weeks. However, an audit conducted as part of the EHCP Recovery Plan indicated that only 22% of the EHCPs were rated as good or outstanding, and that 45% of annual reviews had been completed. This suggested that while the focus was on reducing numbers as part of the Recovery Plan, the quality of the EHCPs had suffered. The Chair further remarked that an incomplete or inaccurate EHCP is nearly as bad as not having one, and a late annual review can have a similar detrimental impact on a child or young person.

4. The Assistant Director – Inclusion & Additional Needs acknowledged that it was difficult managing the backlog of overdue EHCP needs assessments while ensuring quality and that recent EHCPs did not tell the child’s story as fully as before. There were also concerns about how health and social care provisions were recorded. To produce high-quality plans, collaboration with partner colleagues providing advice in the EHCP process was necessary. They further said that the voice of the child was not adequately represented and noted that it reflected the speed at which the plans had been issued. A workshop was planned to help SEND colleagues better promote the voice of the child. Nevertheless, they remarked that the components describing educational needs, provision, and outcomes were strong overall. They further said that concerns about a plan's quality could prompt an early annual review for revisions. Concluding, they said that the team had improved the completion rate of annual reviews from 25% to 59% by the end of July 2023. They aimed to reach 75% by December 2024 and had prioritized vulnerable children's reviews, with 78% as of today and a target of 100% by Christmas 2024. The Chair responded that despite some reassurance in critical areas, it was hoped these issues would prompt the implementation of a quality control process or improved management of the reports.

5. The Chair said social work retention and recruitment stability was a concern, noting the permanent establishment of social workers was at 55%, while the target ranged between 80% and 85%, while Ofsted believes a stable permanent social work workforce is an essential feature of the journey to good. The Director – Quality & Performance said that everything was being done to promote the roles by working closely with the Recruitment, Retention, and Culture Board (RRC) and by showcasing the benefits and opportunities at Surrey County Council. One of the challenges faced was the cost of living, as well as the availability of rental and housing stock in the county, and individual career choices. In terms of retention, it was hoped that current social workers would promote the benefits and opportunities for employment at the Council. A Member noted that several ideas had been presented at the RRC. He asked what happened with funds set aside for supporting social workers doing the desk work. The Director said that two fiscal years prior, additional funds had been allocated for business support, accompanied by significant recruitment efforts. However, there were limitations to what these support initiatives could accomplish. In terms of the apprenticeship levy for social work, it was being fully utilised.

6. A Member asked about a commitment to reduce overseas recruitment and to provide social workers with a housing package. In reply, the Director – Quality & Performance that there was a desire to explore the housing market issue; however, there was no willingness from private landlords or housing associations to accommodate it.

The Committee NOTED the report.