SOLACE in the East of England Systems change in children’s social care

System Improvement in Children’s Services? A little background about Children’s Services Why it’s a systems problem Wicked problems and simplifying change Adults’ and Children’s Services have some common features

Common Features of poorly performing Services Turnover in senior leadership High use of agency staff High numbers of newly qualified staff Inability to cope with service volumes High numbers in touch with statutory services Spend on placements sucking resources from all other areas Overspending/poor budget control Conflict within the service Poor partnership working

Why do systems get stuck? Lack of hope, trust and agency Causes and effects can’t be distinguished There are external or internal pay-offs rewarding/encouraging failure Professional capture Narratives develop to justify the status quo

Some approaches in Children’s Services Give hope by proving the possibility of change “Changing the things you can” A stuck system is in balance – you must upset it Vicious circles (invariably?) can be virtuous ones

Beliefs

Older people in residential care: some stories Too many people in residential care? Try this one Too few? What about this one?

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Least deprived Most deprived

Most deprived Least deprived

Coventry Research: Paul Bywaters Huge variation (ten times) between deprivation deciles Huge variation in terms of race (five times) between white and asian groups

The Inverse Intervention Law Overall, local authorities areas that have high average deprivation also have higher rates of children on child protection plans or who are in out-of-home care. BUT when you compare similar neighbourhoods in local authorities that overall have high or low deprivation, it is the low deprivation local authorities that have much higher rates.

The M25 and systems theory

Doing the right thing

Average spend per child Looked after children - £49,956 Children with Special Educational Needs - £17,351 Children who are in need or on a child protection plan - £4,605 Secondary school children - £5,866 Primary school children – £5,255 Early Years (2,3 and 4 year olds) - £2,617

Protective factors for children potentially at risk of harm Family Community Good health Hobbies and interests Positive Peer relationships Intelligence Positive personality factors Secure attachments Warm relationships Rules and structure Presence of extended family Stable relationships Pro social family values Parents education Explicit parenting skills/models Thriving economy Access to /contact with health and social services Parental employment Adequate housing Participation in faith activities Good schools Supportive adults outside family Safe, socially cohesive neighbourhoods

Connecting Families & the Future Two key insights Families always have reasons for what they do Much work is ineffective Use of key worker central to model Built around the families own goals Multi disciplinary back up Good risk assessments Re-creating agency, reducing dependency The difference between fault and responsibility

Discussion and Questions

Working the work

Challenging practice Understanding the incidence of serious harm “Children in need” of services Early and late closures “Next activity” analysis Repeat Assessments Incidence of “voluntary” care Poor outcomes from care – when care makes things worse

Practical Responses Replacing agency staff Active management of workflow MASH Reducing assessments and repeat assessments Case holding in Early Help Recruiting a permanent management team Reducing CiN caseloads Reducing LAC numbers

Data Analysis – Redditch Total: 37,413 Households I MIGHT NEED SOME HELP I’M IN NEED OF SERIOUS HELP I’M LIVING MY LIFE OK 532, (1.4%) (Social Care Measure) 416, (1.1%) (2 or more Measures) 4,112, (11.0%) 1 Measure 32,353, (86.5%) TIE 3 TIER 4 TIER 2 TIER 1

Needles in a Haystack