Sefton Council Children's Services Area Based
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ITEM NO. 11 REPORT TO: Cabinet Member Children’s Services Cabinet DATE: 17 May 2006 18 May 2006 SUBJECT: Re-Structuring of Children’s Services – Identification of ‘Areas’ for local delivery WARDS AFFECTED: All affected REPORT OF: Bryn Marsh, Strategic Director Children’s Services Bryn Marsh CONTACT OFFICER: 0151934 3525 Graham Taylor 0151 934 3678 EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL: No PURPOSE/SUMMARY: To present to Elected Members proposals for the defined areas that will form the basis of local neighbourhood delivery structures. REASON WHY DECISION REQUIRED: To respond to the new statutory requirements for delivering children’s services, new partnerships, including with schools; implementing the Every Child Matters” agenda and to prepare for the new inspection regime. RECOMMENDATION(S): That the Cabinet Member approves that as a result of detailed analysis of Ward information including demographic, attainment, socio economic and other data: and that after consideration of ‘natural’ communities, that the “areas” be: i. South Sefton: including the Wards – Church, Derby, Ford, Linacre, Litherland, Netherton with Orrell and St.Oswalds; ii. Mid Sefton: including the wards - Blundellsands, Harrington, Manor, Molyneux, Park, Ravenmeols, Sudell and Victoria; iii. Southport: including the Wards – Ainsdale, Birkdale, Cambridge, Dukes, Kew, Meols, Norwood That the Cabinet Member approves structure model A2 and that this is reviewed in 12 months. That a suitable site be obtained in the North of the Authority to provide facilities for the mid and North Sefton Teams. KEY DECISION: No FORWARD PLAN: Not appropriate ITEM NO. 11 IMPLEMENTATION DATE: Following the expiry of the call in period for the minutes of this meeting ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS: Cabinet has already agreed to the principle of working in ‘areas’ and this report responds to the request for information on which ‘areas’ can be chosen. IMPLICATIONS: Budget/Policy Framework: This report contributes to the development of effective services to Children Financial: Cost of establishing the area bases will vary depending upon the sites. At present funding has been found for the refurbishment of the Good Shepherd – Sterrix Lane sites, which should accommodate both an area team and other service providers. Other sites will have to be funded from existing resources. Legal: None Risk Assessment: Failure to respond could result in an adverse inspection (JAR) in 2006/7, which might lead to the Children’s Services being either outsourced or externally directed. Asset Management: Not appropriate CONSULTATION UNDERTAKEN/VIEWS PERSONNEL DIRECTOR STAFF ITEM NO. 11 CORPORATE OBJECTIVE MONITORING: Corporate Positive Neutral Negative Objective Impact Impact Impact 1 Creating a Learning Community √ 2 Creating Safe Communities √ 3 Jobs and Prosperity √ 4 Improving Health and Well-Being √ 5 Environmental Sustainability √ 6 Creating Inclusive Communities √ 7 Improving the Quality of Council √ Services and Strengthening local Democracy 8 Children and Young People √ LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS RELIED UPON IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT ITEM NO. 11 1. BACKGROUND. 1.1 In 2005, Children’s Services provision underwent some significant changes as a result of the new Children Act and a plethora of guidance from the DfES. This built upon the “Every Child Matters” and “Next Steps” documentation. All of which was reinforced by the publication of the new inspection framework which brought about two new elements of inspection – the annual performance assessment (APA), a self-evaluation of each local Authority’s educations and children’s social care services and the Joint Annual Review (JAR) a three yearly HMI assessment, including visits, of a Council’s provision for Children including all the contributions of all the local partners, particularly the local PCT(s). 1.2 Sefton undertook its first APA in May/June, the formal ‘letter’ from OFSTED, indicates that Sefton is operating across all children’s services above the ‘satisfactory’ category. The service is already well down the line in preparing for the JAR which is taking place alongside the Council’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), and should be completed by the end of June with a report by September. 1.3 At the end of 2005 there were a number of changes to the structure of the service. Some have been relatively minor as a result of small changes in responsibilities, or re-alignment of provision, whilst some have been significant and driven by changes in statute. The recent revisions and amendments to the Inspection Framework and additional guidance from the DfES associated with the Children Act now require that we look afresh at our service delivery mechanism and consequent structures to delivery that service. 1.4 Cabinet agreed at its meeting 15 December 2005, to adopted a new structure. This included proposals to take account of the new national requirements to assess the needs of and provide services for ‘neighbourhoods’. (This is an ill-defined concept of ‘areas’ of significant similarity across a number of statistical and other objective parameters. In Sefton this could mean Wards or more significant geographical areas such as ‘Crosby’). 1.5 It was also agreed that Children’s Services structures should support the needs of communities and reflect Ward boundaries, Area Committees and the social coherence of neighbourhoods 1.6 It was further agreed that any ‘area/neighbourhood’ delivery structure should support the delivery structures and mechanisms of our partners not least the forthcoming single PCT. 1.7 A new Sefton PCT will, through necessities of scale, have to operate across “areas” within Sefton. There is a declared willingness to look towards partnerships with the local authority and provide some real coherence on area identification with those local authority structures. The intention is clear to have co-terminus local authority. 1.8 Cabinet approved Annex A1 and A2 as possible ways forward. ITEM NO. 11 2. Area Rationale 2.1 Required is a major mind shift in the way most people will be working, (see Annex B). This shows the new context in which the service will have to operate. The Council as Children’s Services Authority (CSA) will have to provide professional leadership and accountability in a number of school related and social care aspects. Officers, with other key partners, will also have to coordinate the five outcome areas including the associated targets and performance indicators. This element will have close links with the Children and Young People Thematic Group. There are also a number of national workstreams for the CSA to action, some with very tight deadlines. 2.2 To accommodate the requirement to provide locally delivered services according to neighbourhoods needs, Sefton CSA will have to provide an area/community basis for most of its front line service delivery. Key Senior Officers will have to manage these area/community teams. 2.2 What is certain is that the new context for Children’s Services could involve a single person having a range of Leadership, Management, and Coordinating responsibilities each with a body of staff and a range of different accountabilities. This is wholly in line with the developments envisaged in the National Children’s Workforce Reform strategy. 2.3 It is proposed that no more than three areas would be manageable. However the ‘natural’ communities must be reflected in the “areas”. 3. The “Areas and/or neighbourhood” Team 3.1 Each area team will consist of a multi-agency team with a core membership, which will be enhanced with additional officers depending upon need. As a minimum this would include staff from: Educational Welfare, LAC. LDD, Assessment and Family Support, STEPS, Attendance and Behaviour, SureStart, Childcare, Youth, EiC (BIP), Out of School Hours, CAMHS. The principle function of these teams is to ensure that children and their families can be supported, hopefully before moving into crisis 3.2 There is also likely to be some co-location of other teams split more by geography than directly by need – e.g. S&E and advisory services, portage services for pre-school children with disabilities, Complementary education. Some services will always remain as a central resource but could be located in an area base. It will not be neat or simple 3.3 It is believed by your Officers that either structure Annex A1 or A2 is operable. However it may be that it would be necessary for practical reasons, not least accommodation, to locate two of the teams together. ITEM NO. 11 4. Statistical Analysis 4.1 Decisions around areas/communities have required analysis of Ward and other data. The report on this analysis is attached at Annex C. 4.2 There was also a more subjective analysis of special educational service usage by school. This added nothing to the discussion except that schools across the borough have a similar usage of special educational services. 4.3 There is a popular understanding that the natural areas in Sefton are recognised as: Southport, Formby, Crosby, Maghull, Bootle, Litherland, Netherton; with arguments for finer distinctions around the likes of Aintree, Hightown, and Lydiate. 4.4 A grouping of area committees boundaries would result in. Bootle, Crosby- Maghull, Formby-Southport,: 4.5 In any analysis there must always be the proviso that the management arrangements/delivery must address the separate communities within any groupings - Formby is not the same as Ainsdale, Linacre/Derby is not the same as Netherton nor are their community needs. 5. Financial Implications 5.1 Cost of establishing the area bases will vary depending upon the sites. At present funding has been found for the refurbishment of the Good Shepherd – Sterrix Lane sites, which should accommodate both an area team and other service providers. Other sites will have to be funded from existing resources. 6. Consultation 6.1 Extensive consultation has taken place with schools and partners, including PCTs and voluntary organisations. 6.2 There have been no negative responses. 6.3 The PCT have welcomed the idea and have indicated that this would “facilitate a commissioning strategy based upon intelligence of the demographics of each individual area and the population needs”.