To note the contents of the report.

Members were told that as part of the review, staff from each of the five service areas under Achieving for Children (AfC) had been asked how far the key potential benefits identified at the outset of the contract had been realised, and how much of that had been down to the changes that had been implemented. The main highlights from the feedback related to improved engagement with residents and aligning policy frameworks across different service areas in order to improve efficiency. It had been proposed in the next Capital Work Programme that tje ICS system be transferred to Liquid Logic as used in the other area of AfC to improve efficiency and help staff across all service areas to track cases more effectively. It was noted that the use of agency staff had reduced, which was seen as a benefit as using permanent members of staff meant a more consistent delivery of service.

With regards to the engagement with foster carers and the changes being led by AfC, Members were told that there were three levels of engagement an individual carer could opt for. The first was to provide foster care and use the information provided; the second was to talk about the service proposals and recruit more carers; and the third was helping with the design of particular proposals relating to foster caring. Three foster carers from the Royal Borough had chosen to be on the joint area board, and they had helped AfC address some concerns that had been raised more widely. The Director of Children’s Services said that foster carers felt communication with them was good, and he had not had to take away any action points from his last informal meeting with them.

Cllr Wilson stated that 90 per cent of children in the Royal Borough went to a school that had either an outstanding or good Ofsted report, and that there were no schools that were in special measures. He asked what was being done to ensure this continued. The Director of Children’s Services said that providing resources for schools not rated as outstanding or good was a priority for the Council, and support was provided through a wide range of the Council’s service areas. Although a large number of schools had become Academies, they were still liaising with the Council about potential improvements. Each school in the Royal Borough had been allocated a named education officer to help maintain standards, and to enable any concerns to be escalated more efficiently and quickly.

The Deputy Director – Strategy and Commissioning said all commissioned services were being delivered, and this was being kept under review. It was considered important to stick with the service providers and allow time for their way of working to embed, and the implementation of the commissioned services was not a ‘quick win’. It was felt that Achieving for Children had the better expertise to be able to provide certain services, with the Director of Children’s Services giving the example of arranging family group conferencing. The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said that Achieving for Children had been selected as the service provider from six options, which had been chosen after a two year research process. She stated she was content with the level of service being provided, and there had been an improvement in the quality of staff that had been recruited. The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said that 90 per cent of the services provided by Achieving for Children were statutory, but that officers had correctly identified which areas to prioritise.

The Chairman asked if a rating system could be provided to outline the various success levels for the services listed in the report appendices. The Director of Children’s Services said he would look into providing this for the next performance report. The Chairman and Vice Chairman both said they had been reassured by the answers that had been provided by officers about the performance of Achieving for Children.

The contents of the report was noted by Members.