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Strategy for reducing the number of Hertfordshire Children Looked After

Children’s Service Panel11 September 2014

Appendix A

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• Builds on the 2010 CLA Strategy which has seen reductions in the number of Hertfordshire Children Looked After from 1193 in July 2010 to 1032 in July 2014.

• Focuses on work to reduce the overall population of children looked after

• Complemented by other specific strategies relating to commissioning and improving outcomes for children and young people

• Close links with the wider development of family focused working

Structure of the Strategy

• Analysis of the Hertfordshire care population overall and disaggregated within specific age bands

• Identification of a number of key actions set out against specific age ranges: the principles of many of these will extend across other age ranges but for simplicity are listed only once in the action plans.

• The actions identified here are not intended to be exhaustive of all activity relating to children looked after

• Financial modelling will now begin to take place against this analysis

Introduction: Background to the CLA Strategy

Background: the CLA population and demographic pressures

Impact of Demography = net +20 between 2014 - 17

Background: the CLA population and demographic pressures

Increasing financial pressure associated with both population size

and the placement profile

*Wilbury House was transferred from Disability to Residential during 12/13

** CLA Client Exp. budgets increased as all CLA locality teams added in 11/12, and CART & ISS Leaving Care added in 12/13

Hertfordshire CLA reduction (-10.3%) against trend of national (+5.3%) and statistical neighbour (+6.1%) increase

(2010–13)

Focus on key groups and the numbers entering / leaving

care and the length of stay

Informed by Sufficiency Audit; ensuring we have the right

number and type of placements and support

commissioned and that it is effective and offers best value

How, why, and when we use different types of

placement to meet needs of C&YP and

ensure a good placement mix

Enhancing the life chances of CLA and Care Leavers through the corporate

responsibility of the whole County Council to enable

them to individually reach their full potential

e.g. Health of CLA; Educational

attainment (Virtual School); Care Leaver

activity

Overarching CLA Strategy

Strategy for reducing the number of

Hertfordshire CLA

Corporate Parenting Strategy

Commissioning Strategy for

CLA

CLA Placement Approach

Other key strategies for

CLA

The ambition of the strategy to reduce the number of CLA

Ensuring that Children Looked After have the opportunity to thrive by working effectively together …

Children looked after aged 0 - 10

Children looked after in their early years

Changes in the way we work as a result of FJR

will only just be beginning to have impact

Assumptions

The number of u5s entering care will remain broadly steady:

There will be reductions as a result of earlier intervention and preventative family focused work both when difficulties first become apparent and through changes to the Public Law Outline.

which will offset

The forecast demographic increases (+12 over next 3 years) in this age group.

Children looked after in their early years

Numbers exiting to permanence increasingProportion of children exiting care through adoption / SGO:

2011/12: 9.3% 2012/13: 15.4% 2013/14: 22.9%

Proposed Action

Only CLA where

necessary

• Ensure that PLO processes lead to diversion from rather than delay to care proceedings• Develop a more coherent approach to our services offering targeted support for challenging

behaviour• Review the use and impact of family network meetings and family group conferences

Children looked after aged 0 -10

An appropriate range of placements and services*

• Maximise the recruitment and utilisation of in-house foster carers• Establish a revamped Children’s Cross Regional Arrangements Group (CCRAG) providers database

to achieve better value from independent providers• Consider opportunities to extend the Keys Arrangement

Leave care as soon as possible

• Ensuring good step down support when children return home• Strengthening adopter recruitment through the Adopt the Future programme• Enhanced focus on planning for permanence through Foster Carer SGOs and the use of long term

fostering

Children looked after aged 10-15

Children becoming looked after aged 10 - 15

100

90

80

70

50

60

40

30

20

10

Those that do enter in the 10-15 age group are likely to remain in care and will therefore impact long term costs

Perc

en

tag

e

Age on entering care in 2011

Difference between the average cost of an IP Fostering Placement & an in house placement is

£407 per weekor £21,221 each year

Placement Profile: Fostering

Placement Profile: Residential

Increasing numbers of 10-15s coming straight into residential care – increased complexity from

staying at home for longer?

Average independent residential costs increasing: new

placements average = £3117 per week compared to

£2,990 overall.

Average in-house residential placements = £2,787 per week

CLA aged 10-15 & Placement Profile

Proposed Action

Only CLA where

necessary

• Review and develop ‘threshold’ services for children and young people on the edge of care.• Explore opportunities to expand short break opportunities for families under stress as an alternative

to care.• Ensure that alternative, costed options are developed in partnership between social work and

Brokerage teams when requesting a placement.• Establish localised targets, tracking, and reporting to raise awareness of placement activity in local

service areas.

An appropriate range of placements and services*

• Provide further support to enhance the skills and confidence of in-house foster carers to offer placements for children and young people with more complex needs.

• Regularly review all independent and residential placements to explore options to offer alternative in house placements underpinned by the right education, social care, and CAMHS support.

• Develop a better range of choices for children’s homes within Hertfordshire.

Leave care as soon as possible

• Develop an intensive support service to work alongside allocated worker to return children home within the first weeks of care.

Young people aged 16 to 18+

Young People looked after aged 16+16+ = only age cohort where significantly different to comparators. Largely due to bulge in former 10-15 year olds still in care; but also higher rate starting too.

Young People aged 18+

Forecasted Cost of those

turning 18 in 14/15 based on

13/14 average length of stay

post 18

The reach of the Staying Put statutory entitlement has been

expanded to all YP in foster care

Young People aged 16-18+

Proposed Action

Only CLA where

necessary• Maximise the impact of the Joint Housing Protocol with District Councils

An appropriate range of placements and services*

• Development of specialist short term (Crashpad) placements • Implementation of the 16+ accommodation strategy• Maximising access to benefits that contribute to placement costs and implement the protocol with

JobCentre Plus for care leavers• Ensure active care planning in place to move young people down care continuum

Leave care as soon as possible

• Enhancing assessment planning to prepare young people well for independence, including disabled and other vulnerable young people.

• Develop a greater role for Hertfordshire Access to Resources Panel (HARP), Brokerage and Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO) in tracking progress for rising 18s.

• Implementation of the revised Staying Put policy to include activity around negotiation with independent providers.

• Develop better engagement with adult services (including in other local authorities) to prepare young people for independence.

Conclusion: Targets for Reduction