Meeting documents

There were no apologies for absence.

Margaret Aston declared an interest as she sat on the Fostering and Adoption Panels.

Brian Roberts declared an interest as he had sat as an observer at a Fostering Panel.

Brenda Jennings, Chairman of the Achievement and Learning Task and Finish Group, will open the meeting.

The Chairman welcomed members to the meeting and reminded them that the main scope of the review was:

·         To make recommendations to Cabinet that might help inform their decisions around possible different delivery methods.

·         To identify options for additional savings in order to meet anticipated £27 million deficit in funding pressures for the County Council.

Today was the third evidence-gathering session.

·         Key findings from last week’s sessions with Alan Dinning and Chris Munday had been summarised.  Full minutes would be available for the next papers.

·         Additional data had been requested – this was listed on the summary sheet.

·         Members had learned that:

o       this was an area with considerable pressures and overspend 

o       it was demand-led and based on statutory duty

o       Discretionary, preventative action could lead to lower spend in statutory areas

o       How these services were provided was currently being reviewed by the service areas in order to find ways to deliver the services more effectively

·         At the meeting members would learn more about the commissioning of placements, how they were monitored and the costs

·         Members would also hear case studies involving the placement of children in care and how BCC worked with partners to keep children out of the care system. 

·         This part of the session would be closed due to the possibility of identification of individuals.

·         It would be helpful again to have a brief meeting to consolidate what members had learned and the next steps during/ after lunch, which would be provided at 1pm.

Contributor:

Iain Campbell, Safeguarding Lead Commissioner, Access to Resource Team, Children’s Services, Joint Commissioning Unit

Purpose:

Iain Campbell will give a perspective on cross-regional commissioning placements, monitoring, contracting and costs.

Background papers:

·         Access to Resources – team description

Iain Campbell, Safeguarding Lead Commissioner, Access to Resource Team (IC), and Simon Brown, Operations Manager, Commissioning (SB), were w

welcomed to the meeting.

SB had a background in placements and had been in post since September 2009.

IC told members the following:

IC had worked for Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) for 25 years. IC had managed all the BCC Children’s homes and had an MA in therapeutic childcare. 

The Access to Resources Team (ART) was formed about 3 years ago. The Local Authority used to rely on Ofsted reports but now also made visits.

ART was used across the UK, particularly in the London boroughs.  Olga Sullivan and IC had been brought together to form ART. 

The ART Team had started with 200+ educational placements with external providers.  The Team dealt with all external placements for SEN, fostering and mother and baby placements, when a placement could not be provided in-house.

The placements were monitored every year. 

BCC was part of a cross-regional group, and also part of Pan-London, to ensure that fostering placements were monitored thoroughly.

The Commissioning Strategy aim was not to place children away from home where possible, and to keep the placement local. 

The current figures for placements in the County were as follows:

45 children in 52-week residential placements/special schools (LAC)

4 children in mother & baby units (where assessment is needed around the parenting capacity of the mother)

The cost of these placements started from £1,300 per week and a 12-week residential placement could cost £40,000.  Residential placements cost £2,000 - £4,600 per child per week.

There were currently no placements abroad.

Mother and Baby placements - some of the families were very vulnerable, with previous children having been removed.  The process took about 12 weeks, and consisted of monitoring and training. More and more responsibility was passed to the mother in a safe environment.  Where drugs and alcohol were involved, the recovery often depended on the mother staying away from her partner, which could be a very complex issue.

SB explained that he had undertaken research in mother and baby placements. Based upon 6 years’ worth of data, he had found that only 1 in 3 mothers and babies stayed together following the assessment and a year after the assessment, 1 in 3 of that number were still together.

In the first year of ART there had been a saving of £0.5m.  In the current year there had been a zero percentage increase to providers. For 2010-11 the Pan London Consortium was recommending a -2% decrease.  ART negotiated with the providers re: price on individual placements.  The number of children needing placements was increasing and they were staying longer in placements (longer Court processes).

There were still issues - some units had been found to be sub standard, with problems not picked up by Ofsted.  This is monitored very carefully.

Benjamin UK had four units in Buckinghamshire.  They provided residential placements in a Therapeutic Community for young people who were at risk  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To resolve to exclude the press and public as the following item is exempt by virtue of Paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972 because it contains information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual

RESOLVED

That the press and public be excluded for the following item which is exempt by virtue of Paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972 because it contains information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual

Contributors:

Diana Large, Divisional Manager, Permanency and Placements

Liz Fillingham, Team Manager, Children in Care Under 14 Team South

Isabella Docherty, Team Manager, Children in Care 14+

Joan Ferguson, Team Manager, Fostering Recruitment Team

Sandra Carnall, Social Worker, Children in Care Under 14 Team South

Cecilia Bool, Assistant Team Manager, Care and Protection Team North

Purpose:

Diana Large and representatives of her team will give an overview of the work of social workers in out-of-county placements and will present case studies which will demonstrate the complexity of this area of work.

Paper:

·         Family Placement Recruitment Team - overview