Agenda item

Agenda item

Central Bedfordshire Council Looked After Children Annual Report - 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015

 

To consider a report describing the achievements, progress and challenges of the Looked After Children health service in meeting the health needs of Central Bedfordshire’s children and young people in care during the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015.

 

Minutes:

 

The Panel considered a report from the Director of Nursing and Quality NHS Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG) which described the achievements, progress and challenges of the Looked After Children (LAC) health service in meeting the health needs of Central Bedfordshire’s children and young people in care and care leavers during the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015.

 

The Designated Nurse for Looked After Children first referred to the high standard of work undertaken by her predecessor, the Council’s Head of Corporate Parenting and the Children in Care Council (CiCC) all of which had contributed to the outcomes recorded.  She then introduced the Annual Report which covered the following areas:

 

·         National policy and legislation

·         Local context

·         Profile of Bedford LAC population

·         Partnership working

·         Health service structure for LAC and care leavers

·         Child and adolescent mental health services

·         Public/health/teenage pregnancy

·         Central Bedfordshire Council joint strategic needs assessment teenage pregnancy report 2015

·         Performance

·         Quality and audits

·         Bedfordshire clinical commissioning group

·         Conclusion

 

The Designated Nurse worked through the report highlighting particular items of interest and responded to comments, queries and requests for clarification from Members. 

 

With particular regard to ‘Table 1: Profile of Central Bedfordshire Council’s Looked After Children’ the Designated Nurse undertook to examine a Member’s comment that the figures provided appeared to be inaccurate.

 

Another Member expressed some concern at the quality and clarity of the data provided in the report and asked that a greater level of information be provided on what had actually been achieved.  She also requested that, in future, Annual Reports be submitted to the within three months from the end of the period that was covered and then sought reassurance that health assessments were being provided for those Looked After Children with more complicated health needs.  Another Member, whilst acknowledging the overall progress made, also commented that the report lacked the information which would have allowed the Panel to undertake a fuller evaluation of the health provision during the period covered by the report.  He also commented that the report failed to recognise children’s mental health as a priority.  In response the Designated Nurse explained the process with regard to health assessment provision and emphasised that the service was provided by a range of professionals not just by the NHS.  Further, the data relating to this was sent to the Council which could organise additional or remedial action as it felt necessary.  She also reassured the meeting that mental health was a priority and outlined current developments regarding provision in this area. 

 

The Head of Corporate Parenting advised the meeting that all Looked After Children received two health assessments during a twelve month period and this figure was above the national average.   Further, the emotional well being of the children was closely monitored.

 

The Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations suggested that a ‘deep dive’ report on Looked After Children health care provision be produced with input from the Designated Nurse, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and the CiCC to allow consideration of the varied underlying issues, including financial, to be carried out by the Panel.

 

The meeting discussed the need to ensure that Members were briefed on all issues relating to Looked After Children to ensure that they were able to fully respond if interviewed during Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspections.  The meeting also acknowledged the need for all groups and individuals working with Looked After Children to recognise and take seriously mental and emotional health issues as was the need to ensure access by young people to mental health care.  The Designated Nurse stated that there were already services in schools that might be able to assist and that designated teachers were being trained to recognise those children experiencing mental and emotional problems.

 

The Designated Nurse acknowledged that the report focused on numerical information rather than the underlying ‘story’ but emphasised that the report content depended on data supplied by the Council.

 

NOTED

 

the Looked After Children Annual Health Report for 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015.

 

RESOLVED

 

that a ‘deep dive’ report on Looked After Children health care provision be submitted to a meeting of the Corporate Parenting Panel by no later than March 2016.

 

 

Supporting documents: