commissioning for lac
TRANSCRIPT
APPENDIX C
Achieving the Best for
Children in Care in Luton
Placement Commissioning Strategy 2011-12
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APPENDIX C
Contents 1.0 Introduction – National and Local Context, Strategies and
Plans
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2.0 Vision and Key Priorities of Luton Children and Young People’s Trust
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3.0 Definition of Commissioning and Commissioning Principles and Standards
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4.0 Analysis of Demand
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5.0 Next Steps
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6.0 Commissioning Intentions for Children in Care
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7.0 Equality and Diversity
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8.0 Use of Resources and Value for Money
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9.0 Quality Assurance and Improving Outcomes
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Appendix A: Children in Care as at 1st April 2011 – Breakdown of Placements at Ward Level
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Version Control Version 1.4 13/10/2011 David Bruce
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1.0 Introduction, National and Local Context, Strategies and Plans 1.1 The purpose of this commissioning strategy is to understand and plan for the
current and future needs of Children in the care of Luton Borough Council as well as children and young people leaving care.
1.2 This document complements Luton’s new Children in Care Strategy and the new recently agreed key priority outcomes for the Children and Young People’s Trust.
1.3 It is also underpinned by the Luton Children’s Joint Commissioning Framework and Commissioning Change Plan.
1.4 The Government has recently published a revised legal framework for children in the care of local authorities that comes into force on 1st April 2011. Its intention is to provide a shorter, more coherent and less prescriptive framework to support frontline staff in making professional judgements based on best practice and on a clear cycle of assessment, planning, intervention and review.
1.5 The framework covers all aspects of a child’s journey through care, including health, education and ensuring the child’s voice is heard in the care process. It also includes regulations and guidance relevant to children’s homes and fostering services providers. The Government states that the regulations and guidance are designed to work together as a coherent whole, helping give local authorities the tools to ensure high quality care for all their children in care.
1.6 The framework can be depicted as an interlocking jigsaw, with the child at the centre, as follows:
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1.7 Guidance and regulations underpin each piece of the jigsaw which in itself is positioned within the legal framework of the Children Act 1989:
Child at the Centre
Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 and statutory guidance
Statutory guidance on securing sufficient accommodation for looked after children
Care Leavers
Volume 3: Planning Transitions To Adulthood for Care Leavers: Statutory Guidance on the Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010
Education and health
Promoting the health and well being of looked after children
Improving the educational attainment of children in care (looked after children)
The role and responsibilities of the designated teacher for looked after children: Statutory guidance for school governing bodies
Voice of the child
Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) handbook
Roles and Responsibilities of Lead Member and Directors of Children’s Services
Providing Effective Advocacy Services for Children and Young People Making a Complaint under the Children Act 1989
Placements [Legal Framework within the Care Standards Act 2000]
Volume 4: Fostering Services 2011 - Statutory Guidance on the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011
Volume 5: Children’s Homes 2011 – Statutory Guidance on the Children’s Homes Regulations 2001 (amended)
The Children's Homes Regulations 2001 (amended)
Notification, registration
National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services
National Minimum Standards For Children's Homes
1.8 In addition there are a number of related duties for vulnerable children:
Short Breaks: Statutory Guidance on How to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Disabled Children Using Short Breaks
Local authority responsibilities towards former looked after children in custody – Statutory guidance on the Visits to Former Looked After Children in Detention (England) Regulations 2010
Provision of accommodation for 16- and 17-year-old young people who may be homeless and/or require accommodation
Children in long term residential care
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Family and Friends Guidance: Statutory guidance for local authorities
The Arrangements for Placement of Children by Voluntary Organisations (England) Regulations 2011
1.9 Luton’s new Joint Strategic Needs Assessment is due to be published in shortly and identifies four cross-cutting priorities for children and young people. These are:
domestic abuse; performance at KS2; impact of poverty; and dental health.
All of these are key issues for children in the care of the Local Authority
1.10 Luton’s Children in Care Strategy 2010-12 sets out five strategic intentions designed to meet the needs of children in care across all aspects of the revised legal framework, with the child or young person firmly at the centre.
1.11 The Children in Care Strategy aims to deliver across five strategic intentions:
Maintaining strong family support within integrated services - Working with families to prevent and reduce the number of children placed in care.
Narrowing the gap in outcomes for all Children in Care – by being the best of corporate parents we ensure our children and young people achieve their educational outcomes and their aspirations for their future including.
Ensure children and young people are in stable and suitable placements by improving placement choices – by deployment of a robust and extensive commissioning framework alongside investment in in-house fostering.
Improving social work practice – by increasing awareness amongst staff of the needs of Children in Care.
Increase participation of CIC – by developing the ways we can communicate.
1.12 The Children in Care Strategy is supported by a detailed Action Plan that builds on already existing activity and practice that is required to continue on an annual basis. The Action Plan is governed by the multi-agency Children in Care Project Group which, in turn, reports to the Children and Learning Departmental Management Team, the Corporate Parenting Board and the Young People’s Panel. In addition the Children in Care Health Steering Group supports the health needs of children in care and reports in to the Children’s Health Steering Group.
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1.13 Luton’s Commissioning Strategy for Children with Complex Disabilities and Short Term Breaks Strategy are also key documents that sit alongside the Children in Care Strategy, Action Plan and Commissioning Strategy.
2.0 Vision and Key Priorities
2.1 The vision for Luton Borough Council’s Children and Learning Department is:
to design, deliver and commission services for Luton’s children and young people which will improve levels of educational attainment, protect the vulnerable and improve life chances, in the context of a changing relationship with schools, significantly reduced levels of resourcing and the changed expectations of our communities and partners. We will achieve this by maximising and actively targeting the available resources, promoting early intervention and developing new models of working.
2.2 Luton Children and Young People’s Trust’s vision is that Children and Young People are safe, healthy and successful in Luton. By this the Trust means that all children and young people:
will grow up to be happy and healthy will be protected, so they do not suffer from abuse, harassment,
exploitation, neglect, bullying or crime and they will live in safe secure communities
will enjoy and have fun as they grow up, and be supported to have aspirations to succeed in their education, developing interests and a range of life skills
will be actively involved in making decisions regarding how services for them are developed and delivered to them
will be supported to develop their self esteem and confidence as they become independent
will be given the support needed to help them do the best they can, especially those who are most vulnerable. and
all our families will be empowered to provide strong and supportive parenting for their children
all services will work together to reduce the number of children and young people experiencing the adverse effects of poverty.
2.3 Since November 2010, the statutory requirements for Children Trusts Boards have been removed and local areas are free to make arrangements that suit local needs. Luton Children and Young People’s Trust Board understand that these need to be fit for purpose and interface with the other local emerging arrangements for example the Health and Wellbeing Boards which are statutory Boards with the responsibility for producing
the Joint Strategic Needs Assessments the Health and Well Being Strategy
as well as for promoting integrated working between health and social care commissioners, as well as promoting the joint working with commissioners of services that impact on the wider determinants of health. A shadow health
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wellbeing Board will be established by April 2011 and the Board will be fully functional by 2013.
2.4 At the Children and Young People’s Board in September 2010, partners agreed that the work of the Board and there was a consensus to continue with Children and Young People Trust.
2.5 Following on from the Board, at the Children and Young People’s Board away day in November, four priority outcomes were agreed by partners and these will form the basis of the joint work of the Board for the forthcoming year. These are:
Improving child health and wellbeing Keeping children safe and secure Building strong and supportive families Raising the aspirations, attainment and achievement of vulnerable
children and young people.
These are underpinned by the development and implementation of Luton’s Early Intervention Strategy, Luton’s Family Poverty Strategy and Luton’s Strategy for Children in Care. These are all essential streams of work and contribute significantly to the delivery of these priority outcomes.
2.6 At its meeting on 9th March 2011 the Trust Board agreed the governance structure set out in the diagram below. It also requested the new Joint Planning and Commissioning Group (JPCG) to develop a priority work plan for the coming year for ratification by the Board. The JPCG is meeting early in April to undertake this work and it is anticipated that Children in Care will emerge as a key priority.
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Shadow
Health and Wellbeing Board
Children & Young People’s Joint Planning &
Commissioning Group
Luton Public Service Board
Other task and finish groups as directed by
the CTB work programme
Early Intervention Programme Board
Luton Family Poverty steering
group
Governance Arrangements for the Children and Young People’s Trust Board 2011
Children & Young People’s Trust Board
Luton
Forum (LSP)
Luton
Safeguarding Children’s Board
(LSCB)
APPENDIX C
3.0 Definition of Commissioning and Commissioning Principles and Standards
3.1 Luton’s Children’s Joint Commissioning Framework was ratified by the Children and Young People’s Trust Board at its meeting on 14th September 2010. The Framework gives the following definition of Commissioning:
Commissioning is the process for deciding how to use the total resource available for children, young people and parents in order to improve outcomes in the most efficient, equitable and sustainable way.
3.2 This can be described diagrammatically by the following illustration which is adapted from a Commissioning Support Programme (CSP) model:
Local resources for children’s system Finance Workforce Service Providers Capital Community Co-production
Outcomes for local children and young people Be healthy Stay safe Enjoy and achieve Positive Contribution Economic Well-being
Commissioning is the most efficient, effective, equitable and sustainable route
3.3 The Commissioning Framework also sets out a number of principles that underpin commissioning activity for children and young people in Luton across the Children and Young People’s Trust.
3.4 The key principles upon which this commissioning framework is based are commonly accepted across children’s services and are vital to effective joint planning and commissioning. Many of the principles are enshrined in statutory guidance and all principles are founded on the underlying premise that Commissioners will follow UK procurement policy and EU procurement laws.
3.5 The principles are as follows:
3.5.1 There is one strategic plan for children and young people’s services in Luton and all commissioning decisions will be driven by the priorities within this plan, although, of course, some joint commissioning will involve the procurement of services that sit outside the plan’s priorities and cross-cutting themes.
3.5.2 Commissioning decisions will be transparent, fair and lawful.
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3.5.3 The commissioning of services will result from a thorough review of local service provision and detailed needs assessment, including national and local data and feedback from children, young people, their parents / carers, service providers, local communities and stakeholders.
3.5.4 All commissioned services must result in demonstrable improvements in the outcomes for children and young people, including Luton’s most vulnerable families. NHS Luton has identified five priority Middle-Layer Super Output Areas where life expectancy in particular is significantly below local and national averages and these correlate closely with areas of Luton identified through the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) as having high levels of disadvantage. Inevitably there will need to be a focus on these areas in order to narrow the gap in outcomes for children and young people.
3.5.5 Commissioned services will be delivered by a range of organisations, including local community and voluntary sector partners, building upon existing provision to integrate and enhance service development and making operational and planning links with adult and community services to align funding, avoid duplication and ensure holistic approaches. The Children and Young People’s Trust will embrace the principles contained in the draft Bedfordshire and Luton Compact on Relations between the Public Sector and Community Sector, and work to develop effective involvement of third sector organisations in commissioning processes.
3.5.6 Commissioning decisions will prioritise the targeting of resources towards preventative and early intervention services to meet the identified needs of most children and young people at the earliest stage.
3.5.7 Commissioners will ensure equal access to services for all Luton’s children and young people and their families and, in particular, will promote increased awareness and take up of services by the most disadvantaged and vulnerable families in Luton. In all commissioning decisions full regard will be paid to the provisions within the Equality Act 2010.
3.5.8 Luton’s children and young people, parents and communities will participate meaningfully in the planning, shaping and reviewing of commissioned services.
3.5.9 Commissioners will ensure the coordination of services across Luton, aligning and pooling budgets and pursuing external funding opportunities where appropriate, to achieve the most cost-effective use of financial resources and meeting the duty of best value at all times.
3.5.10 Commissioners will ensure that service providers train their workforce to improve service delivery at a local level and combine resources and skills to reduce duplication of effort across the Borough.
3.5.11 Commissioned services will be set challenging targets and will be responsive to the results of monitoring and evaluation, as well as to the outcomes of evidence-based practice, the changing needs of local communities and any new priorities arising from the Children and Young People’s Plan.
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3.5.12 Commissioners will use methods of communication which are clear, transparent and inclusive and which reach all communities in Luton in the most effective and timely way possible.
3.5.13 Commissioners will ensure that commissioned services build sustainable structures for the future through the re-alignment, re-shaping and re-configuring of existing services and by embracing the strategies for multi-agency locality working.
3.5.14 Monitoring of commissioned services will be based on what is relevant to the needs of clients and to the targets set, including assessment of quality, value for money, outcomes and impact.
3.5.15 Commissioners will apply a fair and consistent approach to all service providers and will ensure that such providers:
follow a philosophy consistent with the above principles, have in place policies and procedures for quality assurance (including
safeguarding and recruitment checks), equality of access, monitoring and evaluation, and
use proven methods for involving service users and their carers have thorough and robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place to
ensure that children and young people are, as far as is possible, free from risk of physical or mental harm.
Commissioning Model
3.6 The diagram below describes the stages of Luton’s commissioning cycle:
1. UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT POSITION - the need, the market, the use of resources
2. STRATEGIC PLANNING - analysing information, setting priorities, planning for service, workforce and / or culture change
3. PROCUREMENT - designing services, developing specifications, make or buy decisions, letting contracts
4. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT & REVIEW - plans, contracts, SLAs, priorities, targets, outputs, outcomes
SERVICE USER and stakeholder
involvement including providers
& IMPROVING OUTCOMES
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4.0 Analysis of Demand Changes in Demand for Services 4.1 The number of Children in Care in England has risen by 6% (64,400) since last year.
Of the overall number of children in care, 9,500 children were new to the care system during the year ending 31 March 2010, a figure which has gone up 13% in the last four years. While the number of fostered children has risen by 4% from last year’ adoption rates fell by 15%. Only 2,300 were placed for adoption compared with 3,000 in 2006 - an overall drop of 24% over last four years.
4.2 In 2008, the number of children in care in Luton was 380. This figure fell to 336 in 2009, but has subsequently risen to 372 at December 2010. Luton is projecting a total Children in Care population of 380 by the end of March. This figure will include a higher proportion of younger children than previously, more children placed in kinship placements and shorter periods for children on Care Orders with improved permanency planning.
4.3 This increase since April 2010 is understood to be both as a result of the substantial number of long-term child protection cases that, following managerial review, are now entering proceedings, and also due to a substantial increase in the referral and activity rate across the department, reflecting national growth trends. Last year five children in Luton were adopted or made the subject of a Special Guardianship Order.
4.4 The table below shows that Luton’s children in care population has been higher than average over the last ten years. The reduction in 2007/08 and 2008/09 (the figures in the table are as at the end of March) has subsequently been reversed. The figure as at December 2010 was 77.8 per 10,000 population.
Children looked after rate, per 10,000 children aged under 18
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
70.00
80.00
90.00
100.00
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Ra
te
Luton East of England Statistical Neighbours England .
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4.5 Within these comparators there is a wide variation between authorities. The chart below show Luton and its statistical neighbours on a scattergraph linking the Children in Care population (March 2010) to deprivation. This shows that the Children in Care population at that time was slightly below average but roughly in line with direct correlation to the deprivation index.
4.6 The Association of Directors of Children’s Services Safeguarding Pressures Report
2010 showed ninety two Local Authorities reporting an average increase of 17% in the number of children entering local authority care. CAFCASS has reported that nationally the number of Care applications have increased by 44% from 2007/08 and 09/10 and continue to rise in this year. Nationally the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who were in care has dropped by 12% from 2009. In Luton there are ten young people in care who were previously unaccompanied asylum seeking children representing a 9% decrease from 2009.
Profile of the present children
78 children in care are Male, 198 are female. 23 have a 4.7 disability. 60% are White wn is shown below:
1British. The ethnic breakdo
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Ethnicity of Looked After Children
0
50
100
150
200
250
White
Brit
ish
Pakist
ani
Black
Car
ibbe
an
Bangla
desh
i
White
/Asia
n
White
/blac
k Carib
bean
Black
Afri
can
Any o
ther
mixe
d
Black
Any o
ther
whi
te
Asian
- oth
er
White
/blac
k Afri
can
Any o
ther
White
Irish
Europe
an - o
ther
India
n
Ethnicity
Nu
mb
er
S e rie s1
4.8 The cost of Children in Care depends on the profile of placements. The table below
shows the average weekly cost in 2010 of each placement type.
Cost of Placements
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Residential CareHome
ResidentialSchool
Children's Home AgencyFostering
Secure unit IndependentLiving
In-housefostering
Kinship fostering
Type of care
Co
st P
er W
eek
(£)
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4.9 Currently, the majority of children in care are fostered, primarily with in-house foster
carers. This is shown below:
Location of Looked After Children
215
76
7
13
25
1221
1
2
Number of LAC Placements with LBC Foster Carer Number of LAC Placements with Agency Foster Carer
Children's homes Placed for Adoption
Placed with own parents or other person with parental responsibility Residential Schools
Independent Living Missing / Absent from agreed placement
Other placement
4.10 Most have care orders, as shown in the chart below:
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Legal Status of Looked After Children
72
183
15
102
Interim care ordersFull care ordersPlacement Order grantedVoluntary agreements under S20 CA 1989
4.11 72% of Children in care enter the system as a result of abuse or neglect. There
are twelve unaccompanied asylum seeking children, seven have a child protection plan, and 37 are with the children with disabilities team. We also know of four private fostering arrangements.
Category of Need of Children Looked After
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
% o
f ch
ildre
n
England 08/09 61% 4% 4% 9% 11% 2% 0% 9%
Luton 07/08 69% 2% 3% 7% 8% 1% 0% 11%
Luton 08/09 72% 0% 3% 6% 6% 0% 0% 9%
Luton 09/10 73% 2% 4% 7% 8% 0% 0% 5%
Luton Q1 10/11 73% 2% 5% 7% 9% 0% 0% 5%
Luton Q2 10/11 73% 2% 4% 6% 9% 0% 0% 5%
Luton Q3 10/11 72% 3% 3% 7% 9% 0% 0% 5%
Abuse or Neglect - N1
Disability - N2
Parental Illness/Disab
ility - N3
Family in Acute
Stress - N4
Family Dysfunction -
N5
Socially Unacceptable Behaviour
Low Income -N7
Absent Parenting -
N8-
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4.12 In terms of placement stability 12% have three placement moves in a year. This is above average and Luton was in the third quartile nationally last year. Long term stability is better. This is still 3rd quartile but closer to the national average.
4.13 The table below shows that 185 of Children in Care are under five. This is below the national average but has been rising this year. There are currently 67 under fives compared to 54 in March 2010 - an increase of 24%.
Age of Children Looked After
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
% o
f childre
n
England 08/09 5% 16% 17% 41% 21%
Luton 07/08 3% 11% 19% 43% 24%
Luton 08/09 3% 11% 16% 47% 24%
Luton 09/10 4% 12% 17% 47% 21%
Luton Q1 10/11 4% 12% 19% 42% 23%
Luton Q2 10/11 3% 14% 18% 42% 23%
Luton Q3 10/11 3% 15% 18% 41% 24%
Under 1: 1 - 4: 5 - 9: 10 - 15: 16 - 17:
4.14 In the first eight months of 2010-2011 the number of new entrants was 97. The
number of children leaving Local Authority care between the same period was 57. In 2009-10 34 new care cases were opened within legal services. In the first six months of 2010 14 new care cases were commenced. By April 2010, there were 43 cases in legal proceedings covering 78 children - ie 23% of the total children in care group. By October 2010 these figures had risen to 53 cases (92 children), a percentage growth in line with the base number growth. The percentage of cases completed in 2009 -10 within the 40 week PLO target was 23%. The average time taken to complete a case in that year was 69 weeks.
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Throughput in in-house Fostering provision
In-House Foster Care Placements - 2009/10
Number of Number
Placements of
children
Ceasing During the year number of in-house foster placements ceasing and the child moving to another placement 127 94(excluding respite) Ceasing During the year number of in-house foster placements ceasing due to the child no longer LAC (excluding respite) 81 78 Ceasing Total number of ALL in-house placement ceasing during the year to include change of placement or ceasing due to LAC (excluding respite) 208 157 Starting During the year number of in-house placements which started at time child entered care (excluding respite) 138 132 EOY Number of children/placements with in-house foster placement 199 199
Throughput activity in Independent Fostering Agency Placements 4.15 As detailed later, the majority of our Children in Care are placed within internal
provision. Whilst the percentage of young people going into Independent Fostering Placements has not grown, however, the total number of all Children in Care has risen. It follows, therefore, that the number going into, and through the Independent sector has also risen. In 2009/10 Luton saw 71 children in placement at the start of financial year and this was matched in number at the end of the year, potentially masking the activity of 20 new placements started during year and 20 placements ended during year.
Costs of Foster Care 4.16 Luton foster care is estimated as £443 unit cost per week. The average cost of
an Independent Foster Provider placement has been calculated nationally as approximately £45,000 per year, which translates to a £865 per week unit cost (although the actual cost will vary depending on the needs of a child). Recent research undertaken by Demos (Independent think tank and research institute) estimated that the annual cost for a child in a foster placement can be between
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£23,470.20 and £56,225.57. The variant in cost was assessed as largely dependent upon how ‘stable’ the care journey is.
5.0 Next Steps
Reducing the numbers of Children in Care
5.1 Redirecting resources from Children in Care to prevention is a stated key aim of Luton’s Children in Care strategy. The more staff tied up in managing family breakdown crises, the less the authority is able to invest in preventative family support services. We will set targets for the progressive movement of resources between spending on children in care and family support and universal preventative services. We will further develop our needs analysis to better understand the current and profiled pattern of demand and supply. In particular we will seek to identify:
Whether the current thresholds of intervention are consistently applied; The extent of the pre-admission investigation of the caring resources of the
wider family; The different reasons for the children entering the care system; The length of time the children remain in care; The proportion of the children adopted or returned to their families; The management of risk.
5.2 Commissioning alone will not address these issues so the development of a range of family support services will need to occur concurrently alongside changes to practice, capacity, policy and the introduction of targets and controls. This will link in with Luton’s current review of Early Intervention services as part of the development of an overarching Early Intervention Strategy.
Establishment and Staffing review.
5.3 A review of the current social care establishment and staffing levels will be carried out in order to ensure capacity to deliver this strategy. This includes:
Review the thresholds of intervention; Develop case load management system to ensure distribution of social
workers best matches need.
Developing alternatives to residential care.
5.4 The main alternative will be high level family support. This will include commissioning support packages for families under Section 17 and developing a campaign to increase the numbers of in-house foster carers as well as further developing the kinship care policy. The Council will also consider the need for joint-funded projects, such as a Statutory Parenting Order service, substance misusing parent’s programmes and services for children who have been sexually abused.
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Maintaining an effective Fostering Service
5.5 An inspection of the service in 2008 raised a few issues which resulted in a full action plan which has now been fully actioned. Our next inspection is due in 2011. Work is currently underway to propose and implement a new tiered system of allowances to carers linked with training undertaken. The new rate of allowances will be comparable with those paid to carers of IFAs and we hope this will increase the number of In-house carers.
Policy Development
5.6 The overriding objective of preventing children entering the care system, or returning them to their families, will be a key consideration in all policy development. In particular, the following will be regularly reviewed to assess their impact:
Eligibility and threshold criteria Strengthen the case management panel to ensure all alternatives have been
fully explored before children become accommodated Permanence and stability policy Kinship Care Policy Family Support Policy Working with schools policy YOS policies - including:
o keeping Tariffs as low as possible; o Reducing use of remands to LA accommodation (which research
suggests also helps to reduce likelihood of subsequent custodial sentences);
o staff interventions with families to encourage parental responsibility and maintain young person in the home environment wherever possible;
o developing the Early Intervention Programme; o Schools admissions policy.
Strengthen controls within teams.
5.7 In order to implement more effective financial controls we will:
Keep emergency placements to an absolute minimum Develop family group conferencing Set challenging targets for the placement of children for adoption
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6.0 Commissioning Intentions for Children in Care 6.1 Luton’s Children in Care Strategy 2010-12 is clear that the majority of children and
young people in care a foster placement is the preferred option to provide stability and improved outcomes. However both the increasing demand for placements and the nationally experienced challenge in recruiting carers has seen an increasing trend in the number of foster-care placements that have been purchased externally as an appropriate alternative to in-house resources, providing an increased placement choice.
6.2 The quality of both types of placement is regulated and subject to inspection, hence the quality of care is assured. The significant difference in the provision lies in the cost, with the average cost for purchased placements being twice that of the in-house provision. Even maintaining the percentage of present usage would see the continuance of significant budget pressures on this area would be greater still next year.
6.3 By implementing Fostering Strategy 2010-2012 the Council will aim to increase placement choice in the local area, recruit in house foster carers to meet the needs and age range of Luton’s care population and thereby to reduce the number of children placed in purchased. The Strategy sets targets for the recruitment and retention of foster carers based on the predicted numbers of Children in Care over the next three years with a goal to reduce the current purchased placements by 10% by 2012. The focus is on long-term solutions to placement needs, not short-term fixes. Where purchased foster care remains necessary, this will be for short term interventions with a plan in place for most children or young people placed with an IFA to be moved into a Luton placement as soon as practically possible. The development of an expanded in-house fostering service is an integral part of this wider plan. A Fostering Sufficiency Assessment is also in development and when complete will better inform placement decisions.
6.4 The intention is also to increase the number of contract foster carers including contract carers for children with additional needs. We have secured support from C4E0 to assist in progressing this area of work and anticipate a step-change in recruitment/support of specialist contract carers as a key part of our 2011-14 short break strategy for disabled children.
6.5 In respect of the use of Independent Fostering Agencies, it is fair to say that Luton has robustly managed and monitored its Preferred Provider Procurement Contract. The Preferred Provider Agreements have produced an overall reduction in the fees in real terms for those placements with preferred providers. The overall increase in purchased foster care placements, however, has remained and created budgetary pressures in the past three years. The average cost per placement is £42,000, which has remained constant over the last two years and in real terms shows a small decrease when considering inflationary pressures. Whilst this is an increase in numbers of IFA placements it is a small decrease in the percentage of placements in light of the increase in the base group.
6.6 The Authority is leading on the development of a Framework of Procurement with four other local authorities designed to drive down fees and costs through the vehicle of shared procurement and economy of scale. The associated savings will
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be projected once agreement is reached in relation to signing of the Framework and the Invitation to Tender is returned in May 2011.
6.7 As of Friday 25th March, Luton Borough Council, Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council agreed to pass on a Memorandum of Understanding (the collaborative agreement) to their respective Legal Teams as well as a draft Framework Contract document containing a number of schedules. The Memorandum of Understanding is expected to receive Legal consideration during April 2011.
6.8 Pre Qualification Questionnaires are currently being requested by potential providers with a closing date for requests being 17:00hrs on the 7th April 2011 and completed PQQ's being submitted by 17:00hrs on the 14th April 2011. It is intended that Invitations to Tender will go out on the 6th May 2011.
6.9 To date the Council has received 58 expressions of interest from various independent fostering agencies (which also include our current six preferred providers).
6.10 The Framework Contract is nearing completion, with only minor changes being left to implement/change.
6.11 The Authority will also review its commissioning model for the 16+ age group to focus on improving outcomes for this vulnerable age group. The recruitment of ten additional supported lodging carers will also assist in maximising capacity within internal fostering services.
6.12 Over the last three years there have been an increasing number of children with complex disabilities placed in purchased residential placements. The Commissioning Strategy for Children with Complex Disabilities and the Short Term Breaks Strategy addresses this by proposing a number of local service developments.
6.13 The limited use of residential provisions for children with high intensity needs will continue through specialised fostering provisions. This is linked with the drive to recruit in-house specialist contract carers and the partnership with preferred Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs) to address the needs of young people either already placed in or likely to be placed in purchased residential provisions . Luton Borough Council and NHS Luton are close to agreeing a pooled budget arrangement through a Section 75 Agreement for the young people who are assessed as requiring highly specialised residential care, and this will ensure even closer and more robust multi agency planning and shared responsibility to make best use of resources.
6.14 The Authority continues to review arrangements in respect of transport costs for children in care and supervision of contact where lean processes have been introduced to streamline workflows and thus reduced what are significant budget costs. Work has focussed on minimising cancellations and close scrutiny of billing, and providers are now commissioned through the Children’s Joint Commissioning Team, rather than directly by social care staff. This has resulted in firmer negotiation on fees leading to reductions in cost, especially in the case of multiple placements. Work continues to ensure both the quality of service and the associated costs in
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relation to contact children have with their families. The review of the Manor Centre is also connected with these objectives and the Manor Centre Review document should be read in conjunction with this strategy.
6.15 The use of Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) has increased significantly and will continue to be expanded to achieve permanency for children and young people, and the Social Work Improvement Programme places a clear focus on permanency planning. There is a clear need for further improvement here as identified in recent case audit activity and health checks on placement services, and actions are in place to reflect guidance in the Munro review, including securing sufficient capacity and experience within placement services to champion permanency across children’s services. A broad range of training will be commissioned to enable the further development of knowledge and skills for staff working with vulnerable children and young people. This will include specialist training in respect of both re-unification of children and their families and securing permanency in a timely fashion.
6.16 The Authority will work to ensure sufficient choice of placement to meet the needs of children and young people entering the care system. Integrated Service and Team Managers will be provided with greater information on the cost of each type of intervention (eg via SGO, LA Care, Out Borough Placement) to better inform decision-making. The Fostering Strategy will be reviewed to ensure better recruitment and retention of foster carers, and the Children’s Joint Commissioning and Contract Manager will meet monthly with social care managers to discuss placement options and challenges.
6.17 Families will be supported to provide placements for children and young people where appropriate through better promotion and understanding of SGO and Kinship carers options.
6.18 Luton will develop a placement strategy for children with complex disabilities to recruit more foster carers for children with disabilities and to link more securely the short breaks and family support strategies to prevent disabled children and young people coming into care. This will be combined with a review of all Children in Care cases to ensure that all young people aged 16 and over with complex disabilities are engaged by a personal adviser to ensure access to education and training.
6.19 The Authority will continue to review and reduce the cost of transport for children in care, for example by improving care planning so that transport is considered when placing children. The cost of contact for children in care will also be reviewed and reduced where possible, whilst maintain a focus on the quality of contact. This will include making better use of Council buildings and by greater involvement of children and young people in evaluating their contact. Staff will also receive training in understanding the contact needs of children.
7.0 Equality and Diversity
7.1 Luton Children and Young People’s Trust is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for all children, young people and their families with a particular
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emphasis on protecting the most vulnerable (see Section 2 ‘Vision and Key Priorities’). All partners to the Trust have committed to this vision. In addition Luton Borough Council’s Children and Learning Department’s vision stresses its duty to ‘protect the vulnerable and improve life chances’.
7.2 Luton’s Children’s Joint Commissioning Framework sets out a number of commissioning principles that underpin commissioning activity across the Children and Young People’s Trust (see Section 3). These include an obligation to:
‘ensure equal access to services for all Luton’s children and young people and their families and, in particular… promote increased awareness and take up of services by the most disadvantaged and vulnerable families in Luton.’
7.3 The principles also stress that:
‘in all commissioning decisions full regard will be paid to the provisions within the Equality Act 2010’; and
‘Luton’s children and young people, parents and communities will participate meaningfully in the planning, shaping and reviewing of commissioned services.’
7.4 In addition, the Trust is committed to achieving diversity of provision, seeking to ensure that services are commissioned from a range of providers:
‘Commissioned services will be delivered by a range of organisations, including local community and voluntary sector partners, building upon existing provision to integrate and enhance service development and making operational and planning links with adult and community services to align funding, avoid duplication and ensure holistic approaches.’
7.5 A key strategic intention within Luton Borough Council’s Children in Care Strategy 2010-2012 is to narrow the gap in outcomes for children in care, ensuring that children and young people achieve their educational outcomes and aspirations for the future, including entering employment, education and training after leaving school, as well as access to health and leisure opportunities.
7.6 Luton Borough Council’s Single Equality Scheme 2010-2013 sets out the Council’s commitment to go beyond the legislation and ensure that its mainstreamed policies and practices are inclusive and relevant to Luton’s diverse and changing population.
7.7 The Single Equality Scheme describes how the Council will fulfil its legal duties and higher aspirations to place equality at the heart of everything it does. It has been developed by talking to and listening to stakeholders, service users and employees and taking on board their recommendations. The Single Equality Scheme puts into place practical steps to promote equality, inclusion and cohesion in the workplace, develop employment practices, build equality into how services are bought and provided, and ensure that engagement is open and inclusive, making Luton’s communities stronger and even more cohesive.
7.8 The scheme sets out the key steps the Council will take over the next three years to:
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promote equality in the workplace improve employment practices in line with the Council’s role as provider and
commissioner of services, and as a leading member of the Luton Forum mainstream equality into how services are bought or provided ensure that engagement with all stakeholders is accessible and
representative of the wider community help our communities become even stronger and more cohesive.
7.9 The core values of the Council as set down in its Corporate Plan and reiterated in the Single Equality Scheme include:
embracing equality and diversity respecting others acting with integrity focusing on customers improving being accountable
7.10 The Sustainable Community Strategy establishes key principles and values grounded on equality, cohesion and inclusion, to help all residents:
enjoy fair access to goods, services, employment and justice - Equality feel respected and able to live with dignity and in harmony with others -
Cohesion participate in and feel a part of our communities – Inclusion
7.11 Following consultation with its communities the Single Equalities Scheme sets out an initial ten key priority areas, as follows:
customer access and satisfaction across all equality strands educational attainment, especially for those groups underachieving access to buildings and transport for disabled people personalisation of social care access to employment for women in Luton representation of women, BME and disabled staff at senior levels in the
Council reporting of homophobic incidents, including bullying in schools successful conclusion of the Community Cohesion Commission increased action to improve the health of older and vulnerable people through
prevention services targeting the five priority areas in Luton with the Council’s leadership of equality work as a starting point, creating an
integrated Luton equality scheme by April 2011, particularly in relation to health inequality.
7.12 The Single Equality Scheme establishes its commitment to undertaking Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) on all key policies and strategies and establishes a Work Programme for EIAs to be carried out in respect of existing policies, services and functions.
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7.13 As a corporate parent the Council’s duties to Children in Care are set out in the Children Act 1989, the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and the Children Act 2004. Section 10 of the Children Act puts a duty on councils and other services outside of the council such as health and police to cooperate to secure the welfare of children. Section 52 of the 2004 Act also states the duty to promote education. The Council takes these duties very seriously and they underpin all its arrangements for effective corporate parenting.
8.0 Use of Resources and Value for Money
8.1 In order to achieve best use of resources and value for money the Local Authority has undertaken reviews of costs across in-house and externally commissioned services to establish comparative costs wherever possible.
8.2 In order to secure quality as well as value for money, externally commissioned services are procured in line with best value principles, internal procurement standards, European Union Guidance, and Luton’s Compact with the Voluntary And Community Sector.
8.3 The Council has corporately engaged in reviewing all external contracts in a successful attempt to drive down costs and external providers are challenged to reduce contract values.
8.4 The Luton Excellence Team (LEX) is supporting all departments with embedding LEAN principles into their workstreams with a particular focus on streamlining work flows and eliminating waste.
8.5 The Children’s Joint Commissioning Team comprises both Luton Borough Council and NHS Luton Commissioning Managers and is well placed to integrate commissioning of services for children and young people wherever possible. This is facilitated by robust and recently reviewed Children’s Trust arrangements that include a Joint Planning and Commissioning Group for children’s services, and a Children’s Joint Commissioning Framework underpinned by a clear set of commissioning principles.
8.6 The use of pooled budgets and partnership working is being extended and formalised through a new Section 75 Agreement which it is expected will be agreed by both Luton Borough Council and NHS Luton by mid April 2011.
9.0 Quality Assurance and Improving Outcomes
9.1 All partners to Luton’s Children and Young People’s Trust are committed to improving outcomes across children’s services with a focus on the key priority outcomes set out in Section 2 of this strategy.
9.2 The revised Children’s Trust arrangements will give priority and impetus to the management of data and performance to support planning and commissioning arrangements. The new corporate planning team will be in place from April 2011.
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9.3 The Council is also undertaking a full review of its commissioning and procurement arrangements to ensure their sufficiency and effectiveness.
9.4 Many objectives for Children in Care can only be achieved by working in partnership across a range of agencies – for example in improving educational attainment where the roles of Foster Care staff and the Virtual School are as important as that of the school attended by the child or young person
9.5 Quality Assurance mechanisms are being strengthened across safeguarding and care planning and placement services as part of the Social Work Improvement Programme. Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) undertake regular review of services and their findings are reported to the Social Work Improvement Board.
9.6 Luton Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) holds the Children and Young People’s Trust to account for the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people in Luton. The LSCB is responsible for challenging, through the Children’s Trust Board, each member agency on their success in ensuring that children and young people are kept safe. The independent chair of the LSCB is a member of the Children’s Trust Board but does not have any chairing responsibilities for this forum. The Director of Children’s Services, who is the chair of the CTB is a member of the LSCB and provides a quarterly update to the Board on the work of the Children’s Trust Board, in particular in relation to areas of challenge.
9.7 The LSCB will write an annual report to the Children’s Trust Board providing an honest assessment of local arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in Luton.
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Appendix A
Children in Care as at 01/04/2011
Breakdown of Placements at Ward Level
WARD Number of Children
Barnfield 5
Biscot 16
Bramingham 6
Challney 21
Crawley 19
Dallow 11
Farley 8
High Town 8
Icknield 13
Leagrave 8
Lewsey 12
Limbury 8
Northwell 16
Round Green 28
Saints 14
South 20
Stopsley 6
Sundon Park 8
Wigmore 12
Total number of children placed within Luton 239
Number of children placed outside of Luton 151
TOTAL NUMBER OF LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN 390
APPENDIX C
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A
APPENDIX C
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