progress and challenges

Simon Westwood – Mouchel 2008

Progress and ChallengesHertfordshire Children’s Services

External Support Team

Headline Report – May 2008


Executive Summary

Context

Progress against agreed Indicators

Beyond External Support - Residual Risks

Final Report Headlines


Context



• Children First is a collaboration between Mouchel Management Consultancy and Outcomes UK

• Appointed through a competitive process led jointly by Herts CC and DCSF

• Requirement from DCSF following inspection and welcomed by Herts

• Project ran from Sept 07 until April 2008



• GO East chaired - Multi-agency Project Board on behalf of DCSF

• CX, DCS and PCT CX on the Project Board • Consultancy Team and Interim Head of Service• Later Interim Chair of HSCB• Diagnostic process/challenge followed by support to

implement change and improvement• Outcomes of the diagnostic were accepted by the

Project Board as the main areas for the work of the external support team


Safeguarding 1 Inadequate

Looked After Children 1 Inadequate

Service Management 2 Adequate

Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities 2 Adequate

Capacity to Improve 3 Good

Context - 2007 JAR

Despite improvements made throughout 2006 the key judgements were:


Key Improvement Themes

• Safeguarding - this included safe staffing processes and undertaking development work with the HSCB

• Interim management of fieldwork services• Performance management• Partnerships


• Ensure safe staffing processes are robust• Improve operational fieldwork performance in social

care – assessment and Looked After Children• Improve data quality and target setting• Improve effectiveness of Children Schools and Families

Board and extended board in managing others• Refocus Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board

Performance Improvement Aims


4 Key Strategic Risk Areas

• Leadership and performance management• Integrated Children’s System – In other authorities this

has impacted on assessment performance• Accountability Framework• Common Assessment Framework implementation

requires agreed thresholds


Executive Summary


Executive Summary

• Strong commitment to improve from Members, Officers and Children’s Trust partners – by October provide evidence of changed practice

• HCC and partners agreed a Post Inspection Action plan and allocated additional funds

• Openness to challenge and support from DCSF, GO East and External Support Team partners - this provides a sound baseline for Hertfordshire CSF as a self improving organisation


Executive Summary

• Overall there has been good and rapid improvement in children’s services over the past six months

• First milestones are mostly achieved delivering acceptable performance in most areas

• Overall the capacity to improve is good if plans are implemented in a timely manner


Executive Summary

• Leadership by the DCS and CSF board is now more focused on Performance Management and committed to ensuring greater consistency in management practice and Members can have confidence in this

• CSF have developed with a comprehensive Performance Improvement Action plan

• Safe staffing processes are in place and working


Executive Summary

• Agreed key indicator outcomes of 12 previously judged Red (significantly underperforming) against comparators they are now –

• 5 Green – equal to or exceeding comparators• 5 Amber – 4 of which exceeded the March 08

target set but are still below comparators but should be achieved by September 08 if progress is maintained

• 2 Red – still in need of significant improvement


Executive Summary

• Achieving targets set and agreed for September 2008 will evidence sustainability and consistent performance against comparators

• Achieving targets set and agreed for March 2009

will show good performance against comparators


Executive Summary

• Strengthening PM corporately will help sustain improvements in CSF

• Recognition that all managers need to improve PM – training is a requirement for all - this shows a high level of commitment from DCS and CSF board


Executive Summary

• Training must lead to genuine behaviour change• Strengthening PM across partnerships is a

continuing need • Systems for managing poor performance need

to be consistent and make use of full range of management tools


Executive Summary

• Agreement of Local Area Agreement 2 indicators –these show a clear emphasis on vulnerable and there is suitable tie up with the Children and Young Persons Plan

• Need to revise Corporate Plan

Current aim by 2009 - work has started following development of the Community Plan

• Therefore the new Children’s Services targets are not currently reflected in the Corporate plan


Executive Summary

• Agreement for facilitation and development programme for Members

• To enable Members to keep pace with the performance management improvements


Key Quantitative Indicators


Initial Assessments

Rate per 10,000 of IA's Approved

170

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

Sept2007

Oct2007

Nov2007

Dec2007

Jan2008

Feb2008

Rate per10,000 InitialAssessments(Rolling Year)06/07

Target

Trendline

%IA's Approved in time

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

Sept2007

Oct2007

Nov2007

Dec2007

Jan2008

Feb2008

% InitialAssessmentsApproved inTime06/07

Target

Trendline


Core Assessments

Rate per 10,000 of CA's Completed

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Sept2007

Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Jan 2008 Feb 2008

Rate per10,000 CoreAssessments (RollingYear)06/07

target

Trendline

%CA's Approved in time

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

Sept2007

Oct 2007 Nov 2007 Dec 2007 Jan 2008 Feb 2008

% CoreAssessmentsCompleted inTime

06/07

Target


Progress

• More children and families are receiving assessments in Herts than comparator authorities

• Timeliness still needs to improve to match comparators some assessments falling just outside timescale

• Performance on timeliness for core assessments still variable in teams


LAC Worker Allocation

%LAC Allocated to Appropriate worker

96.5

97

97.5

98

98.5

99

99.5

100

Sept2007

Oct 2007 Nov2007

Dec2007

Jan 2008 Feb2008

% LACallocated to anappropriatew orker

06/07

Target

Trendline

%LAC allocated to Named Qualified Social Worker

68

70

72

74

76

78

80

82

Sept2007

Oct 2007 Nov2007

Dec2007

Jan 2008 Feb2008

% LACallocated to anamedqualif iedsocial w orker06/07

Target

Trendline


Progress

• Now full CP allocation• Some improvement in qualified LAC allocation• But appropriate worker 100%• Child Protection reviews on time are 100% • De-registration is timely • Re-registrations are lower than other LAs• The rate of BME children on the CPR and in

LAC is lower than similar LA’s


Review and Participation

%LAC with all Reviews in time

58

63

68

73

78

83

Sept2007

Oct2007

Nov2007

Dec2007

Jan2008

Feb2008

% LAC w ith allreview s in time(rolling year-PAF definition)

06/07

Target

Trendline

%LAC Participated in their Review (Rolling Year)

66.0

68.0

70.0

72.0

74.0

76.0

78.0

80.0

82.0

Sept2007

Oct2007

Nov2007

Dec2007

Jan2008

Feb2008

% LAC w hoParticipated intheir review(rolling year -PAF definition)06/07

Target

Trendline


Key Qualitative Indicators


• Performance is discussed more frequently than it was and with greater forensic attention to detail

• Middle managers say that they are now more clearly focussed on outcomes and use performance information

• Corporate expectations for middle managers’ role in PM set out in paper to SMB on Performance Management

Progress - PM


• All members of CSF Board have an agreed data set for which they are held to account

• Monthly performance monitoring reports are used by Board to challenge progress

• Corporate expectation that a Performance Agreement will be put in place between every member of staff and their manager is a positive step forward

Progress - PM


Progress - Safeguarding • Improved number and timeliness of assessments• Secured multi-agency agreement to thresholds

and eligibility criteria

• Improved the working style and accountability of

HSCB and leadership


Progress – Safe Staffing

• Comprehensive file review including historical checks

• Revised policy and procedures communicated to staff

• Staff vetted including redeployed staff • Reducing vacancies for qualified social workers in

fieldwork teams but still some way to go• Monthly case meetings to progress “live issues”


Progress – Fieldwork PM

• Fieldwork service has made significant improvement in performance management

• Confidence in data is significantly improved • Front line and service managers are more

consistently using data to monitor performance• Aim to spread this throughout other services


Progress - Partnerships

• Trust partnership – has reviewed role and function - plans to recast roles by September

• Shadow board established - proposed future link to Exec

• HSCB and HCTB Executive developed Compacts• Core Executive – re-focussed on an ECM

outcomes based approach and improved partnership working through Outcomes leads


Beyond External Support


What Needs to be Embedded/Sustained?

• Full delivery of the Performance management Improvement programme

• Performance management training for members, senior leaders and corporate link

• Compacts embedded with Partnerships• Need to link performance agreements to appraisal

process • Need to integrate and align processes not add more


HR Case File cleansing and Historical CRB check

Finalise new files and backdated checks and ensure evidence is recorded on all files as planned by May

Aligning PM improvement in Children’s Services with Corporate

Performance Management Improvement programme agreed. PID Produced and Project Management approach begun

CAF Implementation and understanding of agreed multi agency thresholds

Training commenced in all districts. Multi agency thresholds agreed – Close Project monitoring required

Assessment and Looked After Children KPI’s

Continuing drive on improvement. Implement action plans from clinics

Residual Risks


Senior and middle managers do not model best practice in PM

Training to be implemented and progress tested by Children First through autumn review

Functionality of ICS to produce appropriate reports and alerts to enable proactive PM

Need to clarify that what bespoke output reports are needed to assist sustained PM

Unwillingness of partners to accept the need for improved performance management

LSCB and Trust Board formally signed up to the CYPP. Finalise and implement Compacts

Unable to maintain social worker recruitment

Revisit recruitment strategy and flexible case management for LAC and Care leavers

Different systems recording key data for Safe Staffing

Ensure integrated HR IT systems interface SAP/ Checkpoint/ Access database

Residual Risks


Residual Risks – Actions

• Continued drive on operational risk areas• ICS to deliver timely and accurate reports for

managers through implementing Business Objects software

• CAF implementation and monitor impact of referrals to Social Care by District

• Ensure systematic prevention services are developed including Integrated Youth Support


Residual Risks – Action

• Complete HR file update – due this month (May)• HR, Members and senior officers need to continue

to assist middle leaders and provide confidence so that managers take appropriate action to manage performance

• Communicate to staff turnover and outcomes from disciplinary, capability and absence action


Residual Risks – Action on KPI’s

• Still to improve - still below comparator authorities Core and Initial Assessments in time, Reviews on time and Participation, PEPs, Pathway Plans, Health and Dental checks

• Implement action plans from Performance Clinics and develop further


October Review – Check Sustainability and Improvement Embedded

3 Phases- • Desktop Review

KPI data against agreed targets APA Self Assessment Fieldwork – Focus Groups, Interviews and

Observations• Written Report


Proposals for October Review

• Review and analyse progress on agreed KPI’s• Identify further evidence of improvement against the

agreed qualitative indicators• Check perception of HR support – evidence of

changing behaviour of managers and impact on performance

• File Health Check on Safe Staffing


Proposals for October Review

• Check delivery of performance management improvement plan

• Check join up of plans Corporate/LAA/CYPP• Check evidence of children and young people’s

input• Look at individual performance agreements to

check if priorities go down to individual level


John Harris DCS

Hertfordshire Children’s Services Response


Questions and Comments


thank you

progress and challenges

Documents