To receive the Children’s Services Quarter 1 Performance Report and National Local Outcomes Performance Framework Scorecard. [Report attached]

Contact: David Shaw - Director of Children's Services

David Shaw, Director of Children's Services, introduced the Quarter 1 Performance Report and National Local Outcomes Performance Framework Scorecard and advised that officers had sought to provide a comprehensive picture of performance across Children's Services, including the development of a draft performance scorecard requested by the Committee.

Sonya Miller, Service Director for Children and Young People, explained that the scorecard was designed to complement the existing Children's Services Analysis Tool (ChAT) by providing a clearer strategic overview of key performance indicators and outcomes and had been developed around the themes of the National Outcomes Framework. She advised that existing performance data showed Children's Services continuing to perform strongly overall, although demand across the system remained high and added that the scorecard would provide an important baseline against which future improvements could be measured.

The Chairman welcomed the inclusion of comparative and benchmarking data within the scorecard, noting that it provided useful context regarding areas of strong performance and areas requiring further improvement.

Concern was raised about adoption timeliness, particularly the length of time taken to place children with adoptive families. Sonya Miller advised that increased case complexity, particularly involving sibling groups, had contributed to delays despite an increase in adoption activity since joining the Together for Children Regional Adoption Agency. She confirmed that the matter had been raised with the Together for Children Board and that performance continued to be closely monitored.

Members requested that future reports should more clearly link performance information with financial data, enabling members to understand both the effectiveness and efficiency of Children's Services activity and demonstrate how Children's Services activity was contributing towards reducing financial pressures on the Council. David Shaw acknowledged the need to strengthen links between performance and financial reporting and advised that officers were exploring cost and outcome benchmarking to inform future reports. He highlighted the long-term financial benefits of prevention and early intervention and agreed to consider how these savings could be presented more clearly to members. He also agreed to circulate Local Government Association benchmarking information.

Sonya Miller added that much of the financial pressure within Children's Social Care related to residential placements for children in care. She explained that while the majority of looked after children were placed in family-based settings, around 100 children were in high-cost residential placements, which represented the greatest area of financial challenge. She advised that significant work was being undertaken to safely step children down from residential placements into family-based care wherever appropriate, and that officers would consider how to better report both cost reduction and cost avoidance achieved through this work.

Laura Tyler, Service Director Commissioning added that while financial pressures remained significant, officers needed to improve how they communicated both the cost avoidance achieved through placement negotiations and commissioning activity and the work underway to reduce future costs across Children's Services and Adult Social Care. She advised that considerable work was being undertaken behind the scenes and agreed that improvements could be made in reporting this more transparently to members.

RESOLVED:

The Committee noted the report, welcomed the draft scorecard approach and requested that future reports include clearer links between performance, financial outcomes, cost avoidance and service improvement activities to support effective scrutiny of Children's Services performance.