LIVERPOOL CHILDREN S SERVICES Children s Social...

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


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.

http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and-policies/children-and-families/children-and-young-peoples-plan/



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.


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.


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


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 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.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and-policies/children-and-families/early-help-strategy/

http://liverpool.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and-policies/children-and-families/multi-agency-neglect-strategy-2014-2016/

http://www.liverpoolscb.org/user_controlled_lcms_area_home/uploaded_files/LSCB%20Responding%20to%20Need%20Guidance%20and%20Levels%20of%20Need%20Framework%20FINAL.pdf

http://www.liverpoolscb.org/user_controlled_lcms_area_home/uploaded_files/LSCB%20Responding%20to%20Need%20Guidance%20and%20Levels%20of%20Need%20Framework%20FINAL.pdf


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

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-who-run-away-or-go-missing-from-home-or-care

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