4. Social services Children+adults –separate areas of activity

5. Children’s Social Services

11. Children’s social care

12. Social services: who protects children? Social care – “multi agency approach” – often more than one provider involved. Central government sets framework of duties/responsibilities/standards Providers are: Local authorities (social services providers are counties; unitaries; London boroughs) The NHS – Clinical Commissioning Groups The Police (children at risk/abuse issues) Charitable groups eg NSPCC/Barnados

13. Children’s Services Arrangements changed fundamentally by Children’s Act 2004 (post-Lord Laming inquiry into death of Victoria Climbie) Policy of “Every Child Matters” introduced Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards Act also established Children’s Services Departments for local councils – bringing education and social care for children together

14. Baby P – Lord Laming report 2009 Failure of agencies to share information Social workers over-stretched Red-tape+form filling hampering front-line staff “Over-complicated, lengthy and tick-box assessment+recording system.” Child protection seen as ‘Cinderella Service’

15. Care of children Role of social services (the council): Protection (safeguarding) Promote general welfare of children Encourage children to be brought up in family setting Work with parents in child’s best interests Provide accommodation for children where necessary (Tracy Beaker, fostering)

16. Children at risk - Child Protection Plans Plans are drawn up by professionals following initial child protection conference Social services – (the council) - co- ordinate action to safeguard children through “inter-agency” plan Plans set out how child is to be protected Children may be taken out of home

17. Children taken into care – why? Underlying principle: Where children are at significant risk of harm and there is on-going risk Types of harm: Neglect Physical Abuse Sexual abuse Emotional abuse Children can be registered under more than one category

18. Care Orders Only for children under 17 Applications for such orders go to Family Court Orders are applied by councils where: Child is at risk of significant harm and care is below reasonable parental standard KCC – 261 care orders sought in 2013-14 at average cost of £5,000

19. Serious Case Reviews Purpose of SCRs: Are there lessons to be learned from the case about how professionals and agencies worked? Identify clearly what those lessons are, how they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result Improve inter-agency working

23. Care Homes Councils must provide Community Homes for children in care Private homes must be registered by the Commission for Social Care Inspection Homes may be run by charities, eg Barnados Usually mixed (boys and girls)

24. Fostering Can be short or long term Seen as preferable to care home environment Foster parents: no legal custody or full parental rights (but may choose to adopt later) Must be approved by social services Are paid+have allowances for clothing/holidays etc

26. Adoption Eligible children must be < 18 And be a child for whom returning home is not possible Adoption orders sever all legal ties with natural birth family Confers parental rights and responsibilities on new adopting family

27. Adoption ii Adoptive parents must be > 21 Be able to provide stable + permanent home Need not be married; can be single; same sex couples can adopt No upper age limit No bar against those who are disabled adopting Adoption must be through an approved Adoption Agency or Voluntary Adoption Society approved by Secy. Of State

28. Adoption scorecards Government publishes “scorecards” for council adoption rate (2012) Figures from 2012: 72 failed to meet target to place children in adoptive families within 21 months overall and within seven months of being cleared for adoption by the courts But improvements since then – eg Kent (KCC) has seen adoptions of under-twos treble since 2012

30. Adult social services

31. Growing pressure We are an ageing society – people now living much longer than they were More people over 65 than under 16 for the first time 10m people are over 65 – by 2050, forecast is 19m In 1900, 1% of popn. was > 65; 2000 it was 7%; by 2050, it will be 20% Number of people working beyond retirement age (65) has doubled in 10 years to 900,000

32. Growing pressures… Fastest growing sector of the population is the over-80s Currently, 3m are over age of 85 Forecast is that will double to 6m by 2030 Of govt spending on benefits – 65% of DWP budget goes on older people (£100bn in 2010- 11) NHS spending on retired households: £5,200 NHS spending on non-retired: £2,800

36. Care Act 2014

37. Cap on care costs - £72,000 for those above state pension age National minimum eligibility criteria Duty on councils to provide access to independent financial advice Right of appeal on eligibility and funding Councils to assess needs of carers as well as those needing care

38. Issues about Care Act Insurance market not interested – so people can’t take out policies to cover costs More pressure on councils as numbers of elderly people increases Poor pay for carers on zero hours contracts

39. Community care: how? Assessments gauge what kind of help might be needed and can be provided in accordance with “eligibility criteria.” Councils usually have a system that grades level of need: for example, critical, substantial, moderate or low People most at risk given priority Individuals are given a care plan setting out what will be provided and by who Care may be secured through system of “direct payments”

40. Care plans Services to be provided Who will provide them Contact for issues or problems How reviews can be asked for if circumstances change

41. Community care – what kind of care? Domiciliary care services: such as – Meals on wheels Help with personal bathing or shopping Respite care (for carers too) Special equipment added to home – ramps; adapted furniture; stair rails Day care centres Services often contracted out to private sector/voluntary sector.

42. Who regulates – the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Independent regulator Regulates all health and adult social care services in England provided by NHS, local authorities, private companies or voluntary organisations Protects the rights of people detained under the Mental Health Act.

43. Care Quality Commission Care homes Domiciliary care providers Hospitals In all cases to “ensure compliance with required standards of care and welfare”

44. CQC ii All health and adult care providers must register with CQI (Health and Social Care Act 2008) Includes NHS trusts Registration designed to ensure compliance with essential standards of quality and safety Has power to conduct unannounced inspections Can issue fines and fixed penalties Withdraw registration, for eg from hospitals failing to meet cleanliness standards; close down departments or withdraw operating licences from entire hospital

46. Adult Safeguarding Boards Multi- agency: councils; police; NHS Role: Approve policy, procedures and guidance for safeguarding Approve a training strategy Monitor performance of statutory agencies Hold agencies to account Publish annual report