To receive any announcements from the Chairman and any matters of communication.

The Chairman congratulated the Council’s Children’s Centres on the recent award of UNICEF Baby Friendly status.  The Chairman also announced that the item on the Equality and Diversity Strategy would be considered as the first item of business.

The Chairman also drew the Committee’s attention to a referral from the Audit Committee regarding a strategic risk they had been asked to consider.  The risk related to “a failure to work to access sufficient resources to respond quickly enough to rapid changes or a failure to implement new child protection procedures, and update guidance and share good practice”.

In response the Executive Member commented he was reassured that the Council was delivering its statutory obligations.  He was presently lobbying Central Government to the effect that budgets for children’s social care needed to more accurately reflect the demands on services.  He stated the Committee could be assured there were directorate plans in place to mitigate  risks that were monitored regularly.  In addition the Deputy Chief Executive/ Director of Children’s Services commented on the high reputational risk of child protection issues.  The residual risk rating had increased as a result of several senior vacancies within Children’s Services and the significant number of temporary social workers employed by the Council as a result of increasing caseloads.  Whilst there was an overspend in children’s social care the Deputy Chief Executive/ Director of Children’s Services commented this needed to be accepted and eventually budgets needed to rise permanently  to cope with increasing demands. 

In response to the assurance provided by the Executive Member and the Deputy Chief Executive/ Director of Children’s Services the Committee discussed the following:-

·        The Committee had previously been advised by the Director over the last few years  that the caseloads in children’s social care  would increase and Members should be aware of and accept this.

·        The importance of ensuring that appropriate funding was allocated to children’s social care services in comparison to other services.

·        The ways in which the Council lobbied Government for additional resources.  The Executive Member commented that whilst the Council itself lobbied Government there were others, such as the Local Government Association, who also lobbied the Government on our behalf.

The Committee discussed whether a more detailed report or regular updates were required to be received at future meetings.  In light of the discussion the Deputy Chief Executive/ Director of Children’s Services commented that the public’s tolerance of child protection was very low and media coverage did not always reflect the reality of the local situation.  In addition to the Council being accountable for some aspects of child protection the Government had also strengthened the positions of the Local Safeguarding Board, the Chief Executive, the Lead Member for Children’s Services and the Director of Children’s Services.  Figures could be provided periodically on the numbers of children receiving support if the Committee wished to receive further detail.

The Committee noted that this risk was being scrutinised in several different ways including via the Local Safeguarding Board.  In light of the assurance they had received at the meeting a further detailed report was not deemed necessary.  However, the Committee did feel it was appropriate for a statement on the numbers of children being supported and comments on risk to be presented on a quarterly basis alongside the quarterly performance report.

RECOMMENDED

That the Audit Committee be made aware of the discussion of the Committee and that a statement regards the number of children being supported and comments on risk be presented to the Children’s Services OSC on a quarterly basis.