Southend on Sea Borough Council Preparing for Joint Area Review Briefing for Children and Learning Partnership Board May 2007

CPA, JAR and APA Youth Offending Team inspection Enhanced Youth Service inspection CPA across the Council APA and JAR take place simultaneously – JAR informs APA and APA inspectors will have JAR report JAR grades for safeguarding, LDD, LAC, service management/partnership, and capacity to improve and additional areas for investigation Grade of Children’s Hospital Improvement Review and any Health Care Inspection informs health outcome for APA APA grade provides the grade for the overall effectiveness of children’s services that feeds into CPA assessment

Annual Performance Assessment APA will assess all five outcomes Tell-us survey will feed into APA (aiming for response of 1300 per authority but return of make statistically valid)

What will the JAR investigate? (New methodology from April 07) REPORT DOES NOT FOLLOW 5 OUTCOMES BUT AREAS OF INVESTIGATION Safeguarding (high profile given to safeguarding as this is not inspected through other arrangements) Looked after children Children with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities Other areas identified in our 2006 APA letter, e.g: –Substance misuse –Absence and exclusions from school –16-19 provision

JAR arrangements Increased importance of frontline service observation Increased importance of children and young people’s views of services (e.g. case tracking – also parents/carers) Continuing attention to equality, diversity and human rights issues

Post-inspection 24 OctDraft report for comments 31 OctFeedback meeting 12 NovComments on draft reports 3 DecPre publication report 18 DecPublication

Safeguarding Strengths Local Children Safeguarding Board with independent chair – monitors that all agencies are fulfilling their safeguarding responsibilities Training strategy for all agencies Developments Community Safety Sub-group needs to develop a higher public profile on keeping children safe in the community Safeguarding practice and training for single agencies

Looked after children Strengths Reduction in numbers Budget in control and significant savings made Improved outcomes for LAC Improved staffing, especially management Corporate parenting group strengthened involvement of members Recently begun regular reporting direct to scrutiny Developments Improving quality Core and initial assessments Reinvestment into prevention Leaving care and employment, education and training

Children with Learning Disability and Disability Strengths Make as much or better progress as other children in schools Statements of SEN produced within timescales (without exceptions) 100% offered transition plans Updated multi-agency LDD strategy being put in place Integration of Education and Social Care functions Lighthouse Centre Developments Strengthening multi-agency commissioning and planning processes Review of education for children with emotional/behaviour difficulties Statements of SEN (with exceptions)

Substance misuse Strengths Preventative work, e.g. healthy schools Service to young people who misuse via Youth Offending Service New needs analysis and plan being written Developments Commissioning being disaggregated from adults to be routed through CYPSP Multi-agency monitoring of performance information Schools involvement Tying together the preventative and treatment strands

Absence and exclusions from schools Strengths: Focus on secondary (absence slightly higher than national – 3 schools persistent truants) Permanent exclusions broadly in line with national and reducing this academic year Fixed term exclusions reduced significantly over last two years Integrated locality working – more joined up support Developments Requirement for secondary school ‘collaboratives’ from Sept 07 – excludees of 6+ days

16-19 education and training Strengths planning group with strategic steer across Ex, Thu, S’end ‘Collaborative’ offer for Sept 07 further strengthened Gained ‘licence’ (Gateway bid) to deliver new Specialist Diplomas: –Creative and media from 08 –Health and care from 09 –(Need to re-bid for construction) Action plan currently being updated NEET reduced significantly Developments For new Specialist Diplomas –Employer engagement –Staff training

We want us all to Shine Thank you