Annual reports – Schools Block – Combined Services

Agenda Item 7

Purpose of ReportsTo receive an update on the services which the following funding has provided and to agree the funding levels for 2015-16 (2014-15 figures in brackets for reference):

1. Local Safeguarding Children Board £72k (£72k);

2. Field Work Family Support £1m (£1m);

3. School Standards and Effectiveness £940k (£1.29m);

4. Education Entitlement Service £270k (£270k);

5. Leadership and Governance £60k (£60k); and

6. Parenting support £116k (£116k).

Note: no new commitments or increases are allowed to combined services budgets.

Combined Services Overview

Combined Services funding supports a range of activities that are key to both schools, the local authority, pupils, parents and the safeguarding of children.

The report identifies:

a)A reduction in the combined services funding requirement for 2015-16 of £350k; and

b)That the authority is proposing to continue the levels of support in the other areas which is subject to a vote in agenda item 8.

Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Northamptonshire (LSCBN) (£72k)

In recent years the Schools Forum has contributed to the running costs of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, which include but are not limited to the staffing of the Business Office, Serious Case Reviews, Training provision.

The statutory guidance for safeguarding “Working Together 2013,” requires a local Authority and partners to establish and fund a Local Children’s Safeguarding Board. The budget for the Board is set annually and contributions are made by all partners.

Schools are partners and this is further clarified in the new guidance on safeguarding in schools “Keeping Children Safe in Education”.

The key role of partners funding the LSCBN is in holding all partners to account for discharging their safeguarding responsibilities, monitoring performance, promoting learning and development, training and ensuring that the partnership has proper procedures and policies.

Local Safeguarding Children Board Northamptonshire (LSCBN)

Following on from Ofsted findings in 2013 the Board continues to drive forward the improvements for safeguarding in the county, working with, and holding to account partner agencies.The LSCBN office currently undertakes the following work on behalf of the partners within the county including (amongst others): a)To support the Chair of the LSCB in discharging statutory functions.b)Undertaking and delivery of Serious Case Reviews (SCR) (a number are currently active within the county) each has a significant cost attached, which is minimised by the work of the LSCBN office in its coordination and facilitation role - ensuring all statutory requirements are met.c)Continually reviewing processes and researching best practice to incorporate into the process.

Local Safeguarding Children Board Northamptonshire (LSCBN) - Risks

A key risk is that the Schools Forum will discontinue their current financial support to the LSCBN; this would result in a significant drop in resources available to operate an effective Business Office; this would increase the pressure on other partner agencies within the LSCBN.

If the payment is not maintained through the Schools Forum, partnership contributions would need to be pursued from individual schools; this would be a logistical challenge & may result in reduced contributions / reduced effectiveness & increased bureaucratic processes.

Field Work Family Support(£1m)Current Children’s Social Care budget - £59m (net budget)

DSG Family Support is used to support Schools contribution to safeguarding children and support children living in the community access an appropriate education resource

The numbers of children currently open to Safeguarding and Social Care Services:•874 Children in Care•814 Children on Child Protection Plans•627 Children on Child in Need Plans

Field Work Family Support – Future Direction

Further strengthening of Northamptonshire MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) to support schools – advice and guidance – direct link

Strengthening policy, protocols and practices regarding missing children -including those missing from education

Pilot with special schools to offer social work support

Further develop family support services – early help forums with clearer support from social care services

Improve links between foster carers and schools to raise aspiration and further develop our corporate parenting responsibilities

Ensure school’s support services for edge of care

Consider, plan and implement the Single Assessment

Review current services for children at risk of CSE

School Standards & EffectivenessThe School Effectiveness Team works to establish clear and ambitious plans for improving outcomes for all learners, challenging and advising headteachers and chairs of governing bodies in order to continually improve standards. The team evaluates the overall effectiveness of all schools using a range of data sources and other evidence. Good practice is identified in order to support school improvement across the county. The DSG funds the centrally employed School Effectiveness Team. It also funds the commissioning of targeted professional development and training, aimed at improving the quality of leadership in our vulnerable schools (LA category 3, 4a and 4b including those in an Ofsted category of concern)It also funds our Partnership Headteacher programme and our school to school support programme, centrally managed by the school effectiveness team. – see Appendix 1

School Standards & EffectivenessThe total budget for the service in 2014-15 is £1.37 million including £62k council funding and £50k other income.

In 2015-16 the authority will increase the council funding by £350k and reduce the DSG funding by a corresponding amount. This allows a higher element of the statutory services to be funded by the LA.

The budget includes the current staffing structure and on costs – 1 fte head of school standards, 8 fte senior school improvement manager posts and 4 administrative posts.

As of 1 September 2014, there are 5 schools across the county in an OfSTED category of concern; 3 primary; 2 secondary.

Schools placed into an Ofsted category of concern must convert to Academy status and then lose their Ofsted status

School Standards & EffectivenessThere are 96 LA schools categorised as 3, 4a or 4b; LA maintained and academies

45 of these schools have been supported in the financial year 2013 – 2014

Impact of this support can be seen in the attached report; SE-Impact Summary CPD

40 schools have been supported through SIG funding and through the support of the Partnership Headteachers and their schools and staff

The impact of this support can be seen in the attached report; (Appendix 2) SE-Impact Summary PHT

School Standards & Effectiveness

In published Ofsted reports there is a statement evaluating the effectiveness of the work of the Local Authority. The work of the team is key in safeguarding the reputational risk to the whole education system in the county.

Over the last financial year the % of schools judged to be good or outstanding has risen by 0.6% to 77.7%; a 2.2% rise in Primary to 78% but a 9% drop in secondary to 63%.

Over the last financial year the % of learners in schools judged to be good or outstanding has dropped by 1% to 70.9%; a 2% rise in Primary to 72% but a 4.5% drop in secondary to 67.8%

Leadership and governance

A new Governor Support Team adds value to the Leadership & Governance universal offer to all LA maintained schools. Schools that require improvement are prioritised for workshop activities, face to face support and advice. The clerk to a governing body is a professional role. The clerk should be able to advise governing bodies on legislation, procedures and constitution. The Governors Support Team provide area network meetings for all clerks to ensure they have access to information required and opportunities to improve their service.

Leadership and governance

The DSG funding in 2014/15 was £60k. This funding is sufficient to support the basic statutory functions of the team. Total budget £271kDSG £60k (22%)NCC £186k (69%)Income generation (Appropriate Body for NQTs) £25k (9%)

Education Entitlement Team (£270k)£270k of the funding supports a proportion of the work of the centrally employed Education Entitlement Team (EET).

We propose this is maintained for 2015-16.

The Education Entitlement Team contributes to the risk management process through their knowledge of:

• arrangements for attendance management;•arrangements for pupils at risk of exclusion or excluded from school provision or age appropriate full time education;• the processes & resources for the management of behaviour; and• the quality of provision for vulnerable groups of students.

Education Entitlement TeamThe EET also:

•Issue licences for children in employment and entertainment to ensure they are safe and that their education is not adversely affected;•Make every endeavour to find children who go missing from education; •Support parents who choose to educate their children ‘other than in a school’ (Elective Home Education – EHE) ; and•Providing a permanent education presence and frontline liaison with the MASH.

EET officers act as champions for children and work with a wide range of education providers to ensure children receive their entitlement to full time education.

•

Education Entitlement TeamUnder the guidance on school attendance the LA has committed to support schools in challenging parents who take their children out of school without authorisation. This will include the issue of warning notices and where appropriate, fixed penalty notices issued according to local criteria.

Arrangements for supporting schools to reduce exclusions are in place; additional alternative provision is being developed.

Both of these are labour intensive but have a positive impact on improving the life chances of children and young people through better engagement in education. They also help schools to demonstrate improved outcomes for their students.

Education Entitlement Team Demand is high including from schools. In the last year a total of 2,700 on-line referrals into the service.

-586 children missing education CME referrals. Reduced after investigations to a tracking cohort of c. 190 children missing from education (includes historical cases)- 336 penalty notices issued of which 36 taken to court for non-payment- 79 cases prosecuted for non-attendance- 243 elective home education enquiries responded to-317 referrals “at risk of”/ and exclusions. In total 130 children were permanently excluded.-Workshops being run termly for schools around Attendance, Prosecution, Exclusions and Children Missing Education.

Parenting Support (£116k)Funding covers the development and co-ordination of parenting support, with particular emphasis on providing Early Help to families. It includes policy and strategy development and covers the employment of two Parenting Support Co-ordinators (PSCs) to assist with implementation.

Key elements include:• Strong strategic links with partner organisations

• Development of parenting support

• Clear and consistent pathways for parents

• Providing information, advice and support to professionals

Parenting Support Key achievements so far include:•Support for Level 3 needs has been commissioned and is in place

•Support to meet Level 1 & 2 needs is under active development and includes

•Linking into ongoing CAFCO activity across the sector

•Working with target schools to build capacity

•Co-delivering a range of evidence based parenting programmes

•Supporting NCC Adult Learning Services to develop their offer to parents

•Work with primary schools to develop a ‘nurture’ course for parents

•Contributing to the development of peer networks for school staff

•Providing support to Skilled Generalist Practitioners

Parenting SupportFuture activity:

•Work to normalise and de-stigmatise parenting classes

•Contribute to the countywide roll out of the ‘Five to Thrive’ message

•Supporting schools to identify where early help is required

•Develop ‘Strengthening Parenting’ training for front line staff

•Implement quality assurance process for commissioned services

•Work with partners to maintain high quality provision of parenting support