Agenda item

Report of the Director of Children’s Prevention, Family Help and Safeguarding.

This report sets out the findings, key messages, and recommendations of the Young Inspectors inspection of children and families experience of social care meetings.

The main focus of the young inspection was:

·                To find out about experiences of children, young people and parents/ carers in their participation in children looked after review meetings, child protection conference and child in need review meetings.

·                To identify main themes based on the feedback from focus group discussions and responses to questionnaires from children, young people, parents/carers and social workers.

·                To develop parents and young people’s meetings standards/ wishes to help ensure that they are more actively involved, have more ownership of the meetings and are supported in shared decision making.

·                To develop recommendations for the service based on the responses from families and professionals.

The conclusions that emerged from the Young Inspectors gave rise to eight key recommendations for Camden’s social care service.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Children’s Prevention, Family Help and Safeguarding.

The Committee was given a briefing on the Young Inspector’s report by Elzbieta Chandrasena, Senior Development Officer Participation, and two young people before the formal meeting started. In their presentation they outlined the findings, key messages, and recommendations of the Young Inspector’s inspection of children and families experience of social care meetings. Alongside summarising the report, the young people described their personal experiences of social care meetings. Committee Members praised the young people for speaking about their lived experiences of social care meetings and the important recommendations formulated to empower children and young people. During questions, the following was discussed:

·       In relation to helping UASC meaningfully participate in social care meetings, a Co-optee asked if UASC could be accompanied by a friend who spoke the same language to help interpret in addition to a professional interpreter. In response, it was confirmed that it was possible. It would also be useful to have the young person’s native language as part of the questionnaires and surveys. A Member added that a professional interpreter might not speak the native language or specific dialect of a young person, but instead a common language, and in those cases important context and specific cultural references may be missed during a meeting.

·       In relation to section 7, response of the Corporate Parenting Board and how the findings would be taken forward, a Member asked the young people which recommendation they thought was most important. In response, they said that it was most important for the child to be prepared and understand what was in the report before the social care meeting and have assurance there would be no surprising information they were not previously aware of being raised. Adults should chat to the child before the meeting, the child should be made to feel comfortable in the discussion, and adults should ensure sure the meeting was centred around the child because it was about their life.

·       A Member requested the action plan and report on progress in response to the Young Inspector’s report recommendations (referenced in section 7.3) could report back to a future Committee.

·       A Member asked officers to what extent they were aware of the problems in the system highlighted in the report. In response it was confirmed that all of the issues were known to the service, however the report’s findings were a good reminder and would ensure a continual focus. The service had been working to simplify reports and introduced additional checks and balances to ensure reports were timely. The Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) wrote therapeutic letters to children as a direct line of communication to children and young people. The service would be working with the Council’s new social workers on all of the themes raised.

·       A Member asked the young people where the ideas for Young Inspector’s report topics derived form. In response, they said it was usually the Corporate Board meetings or Children in Care meetings that would suggest a research area.

The Chair and Committee Members thanked the young people for attending.

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted.