Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration presented an overview of safeguarding and looked after children activity and performance during 2015/16 which included annual reports for the adoption and fostering services.

The Cabinet Member referred to the considerable pressures that were, and continued to be, faced within the Children’s Social Care service both in terms of the complex needs of many of the children and the increasing demand for support.  The Borough was experiencing a 2% to 3% increase in its child population each year and Central Government cuts to funding meant that resources were becoming ever more stretched.  A key focus was therefore on preventative work at a very early stage and that approach, together with the implementation of all of the recommendations made by OFSTED following its inspection of safeguarding and social care services in May 2014, meant that considerable progress had been made during the last year.  In that respect, the Cabinet Member referred to several of the graphics within the report which reflected the reduction in the number of children requiring a protection plan and the 20% fall in the number of contacts that required progression to a statutory social care referral. 

The Cabinet Member commented that although the services were going in the right direction, the high proportion of vulnerable children that were being placed in Barking and Dagenham would likely mean that those levels of improvement would level out.  It was also noted that while the Council’s Social Care Ambition and Financial Efficiency (SAFE) programme had resulted in better spending controls the increasing demand for services and the resultant pressures on finances would require a review of the programme and a report to Cabinet in due course.

Cabinet Members commended the work within the Children’s Social Care service that was helping to keep the Borough’s children safe and commented on the integrity of the reports which highlighted failings and areas of concern as well as the positive aspects.  Particular reference was made to the 28 adoption decisions, many involving children with special needs, that were achieved in 2015/16 which placed Barking and Dagenham amongst the top 3 performing authorities in London.  The Cabinet Member for Corporate Performance and Delivery suggested that future reports should include more comparative data for the wider London area as well as for neighbouring Boroughs.  It was also noted that the annual reports of the Local Safeguarding Children Board and the Corporate Parenting Board would be presented to the Assembly on 30 November 2016.

The Cabinet resolved to note the report and, in particular:

(i)  The service improvements and challenges referred to in the report, as well as the actions taken last year in response to local demand and the financial pressures experienced by the service; and

(ii)  The areas identified as priorities for 2016/17 following analysis and review of 2015/16.