Agenda item

REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADULTS SOCIAL CARE AND CHILDREN’S SERVICES

Review of External Inspection Reports – Adults and Children’s Services

 

To inform members of the activity pertaining to Adults Social Care and Children's Services regarding external inspections and associated actions.  This covers the period from 1st July 2021 to 31st December 2021.

Minutes:

Review of External Inspection Reports – Adults and Children’s Services

 

Members were informed of activity pertaining to Adults Social Care and Children’s Services regarding external inspections and associated actions for the period 1 July 2021 – 31 December 2021.

 

Alan Hartwell, Senior Manager Performance and Systems Support, highlighted the following points:-

 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out inspections for Adults Social Care and Ofsted for Children’s Services.  In terms of coverage, the report reviewed inspection activity across Adults Social Care, children’s residential homes, schools, early years and the multi-agency Joint Targeted Area inspection (JTAI).

 

The picture was very positive across Adult Social Care with an improvement of nearly 4% in the proportion of services and settings which were judged as good or outstanding.  Services and settings were detailed within the report.  With regard to Children’s Services, it was also very positive with an increase in the number of schools judged to be good or outstanding within the primary and secondary sector.  Inspections of Early Years services were still ongoing and a very high number of these were judged to be good to outstanding.  The report also referred to the support arrangements provided to Early Years providers during the course of the pandemic in terms of morale and supportive arrangements and also practical and technical help.  The Joint Target Area Inspection and the action plan which arose from it had been subject to quarterly monitoring via the multi-agency children’s safeguarding arrangements.  The actions within the Action Plan were fully signed off by the last meeting of the Northumberland Safeguarding Children Committee in January 2022.

 

A report would be submitted the Family and Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee in February 2022 covering the inspection framework in general, providing the current position and what the next inspections were likely to be.  A focused visit for Children’s Social Care was expected within the next year and could cover children who were looked after, permanency, referral receipt arrangements, or child protection arrangements.  The inspection of the Youth Justice Service was now overdue.  Since the reports had been submitted to the Committee, the report on Barndale House had now been received and it had been judged as good.  It was also reported that Ofsted had just arrived at Phoenix House, Children’s Residential Home, and it was currently being inspected.

 

The following comments were made in response to queries from Members:-

 

·            Mr. Hartwell agreed to provide details for Members about the timescales relating to the new build children’s homes at Pegswood and Hadston.

·            Covid had had some effect on inspections and the schedule.  Sometimes Ofsted and the QCC may amend the schedule to re inspect services/settings which may have been judged to require improvement more quickly.  It was acknowledged that some services/settings had been affected by the pandemic.  In terms of the number of inspections, there had been a long period with very few inspections but since summer 2021 they were now beginning to gather pace.

·            Mr. Hartwell agreed to provide more information showing Adults Social Care inspection results over a period of one or two years to enable it to be easier to see any patterns.

·            These inspections covered a number of areas including leadership, management, safeguarding, health and safety issues and the actual fabric of a building.  Mr. Hartwell confirmed that the fabric of the building had been referred to in inspection reports.

·            The Chief Executive pointed out that there was a differential about the services that the Council provided directly and that it had very little adult social care which was residential.  All of the providers were independent/not for profit/ or private and these were the registered individuals for any inspection.  The County Council was the commissioner of the care.

·            With regard to academies, the Council could offer the same level of service which would be offered to a Northumberland County Council maintained school, for example, a School Improvement SLA.  There was also an Education Strategy Board which included academies as members and regular Headteacher briefings.  When inspections were taking place the County Council did offer its support.

·            It was reported that the inspection at Kyloe House which had stated that satisfactory progress was being made, had been an interim inspection.  It had noted the progress being made towards the implementation of its previous required actions.  The next inspection would be a graded inspection.

 

RESOLVED the findings of the External Inspection Reports – Adults and Children’s Services be acknowledged.

 

Supporting documents: