Agenda item

Members received a report and presentation which covered an 18 month period to 31 March 2019 which allowed for the incorporation of the Ofsted inspection at the start of 2019 under its new framework and also taking into account leadership changes at the Trust during the spring and autumn of 2018. The Board Chair stated that the inspection results confirmed the significant progress made and that work arising from the inspection had already commenced.

Following the presentation by the Chief Executive, Slough Children’s Services Trust, Members asked questions and sought clarification on a number of issues which were duly responded to including:

·  during the reporting period Children Looked After leaving care had received a good range of appropriate provision from a supporting team. None had been housed in bed and breakfast accommodation;

·  it was a 6 year contract with a break clause in October 2019 and a review was a normal requirement of such a contract;

·  the recruitment of permanent social workers was a national problem, particularly in the south east. There had been an incremental change in front line staff from agency to permanent. The projection was positive and had been assisted by the good Ofsted report, a new social work academy, apprenticeship scheme, a step up programme for graduates, scheme for employees with foundation qualification and in house training. Of the 340 staff employed by the trust in March 2019 approximately 280 were permanent members of staff;

·  the ratio of social workers to children varied according to complexity but in general was a favourable average of one social worker to 16-19 children;

·  those children identified as having EEC origin were being assisted regarding registration of the right to remain in connection with Brexit. Processes to ensure the right to remain for unaccompanied refugee children from outside the EEC were followed as appropriate. The requirement was to support CLA until they became 25 years of age;

·  an annual survey was undertaken to seek the views of children in care and updates were sought from the independent reviewing officers. The officers were confident that their needs were being met as appropriate and that the children were never promised something that could not be delivered or was not appropriate. A Member suggested that the statement from Slough’s Children in Care Council in the Corporate Parenting Strategy should include the words ‘to continue to’ in its expectations.

The Chair reported that the visit by Members to the Trust had been positive.

Resolved: That the report be noted.