Children s Services, Schools and Families. Quality Assurance Framework. Reviewed by: Shaun Caplis QA Group Date Agreed: Feb 2013.

Transcription

1 Children s Services, Schools and Families Quality Assurance Framework Reviewed by: Shaun Caplis QA Group Date Agreed: Feb 2013 Agreed by: Date to be reviewed: Policy to be found on this Portfolio Tab: Marcellina Taylor September 2014 QA

2 Contents page Introduction to Bedford Borough Council Quality Assurance Framework Page 1 The themes of the Quality Assurance Framework Page 3 Partnership Page 4 User feedback Page 6 Statutory inspections Page 8 Workforce development Page 9 Senior management oversight Page 10 Appendix A Bedford Borough Children s Services, Schools and Families Services Standards Page 14 Appendix B Quality Assurance Accountability Page 15 Appendix C Spot Check Audit template Page 24 Appendix D Case Audit Tool Page 25 Appendix E Safeguarding File Audit Tool Page 32 Appendix F Looked After Children File Audit Tool Page 35

3 Introduction to Bedford Borough Council Quality Assurance Framework Bedford Borough Council is committed to providing high quality, dependable services for children, young people and their families. In order to achieve the best possible standards of service delivery we have adopted a very clear and streamlined Quality Assurance process. We aim to keep children at the heart of our services and deliver against nationally agreed standards and ensure the achievement of our performance targets. Quality Assurance is a process-centred approach to ensuring that the Council is providing the best possible services. It is related to quality control, which focuses on the end result, such as testing a sample of activity from a cohort. Although these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, Quality Assurance focuses on enhancing and improving the process that is used to create the end result, rather than focusing on the result itself. Quality Assurance is a continual and dynamic process by which the organisation sets standards, monitors achievements against those standards, uses information to improve services and undertakes ongoing review. It is a structured and qualitative approach, which measures performance and identifies areas for improvement. It should be both systematic and themed, cross agency and single agency. A focus on Quality Assurance processes and practices and on practice evaluation can help build a sustainable culture of improving local practice and performance. This framework for Quality Assurance and service improvement is both reflective and proactive. By examining service delivery against good practice standards and considering service users views about the services received, we can measure the impact and quality of service delivery. By providing training, supervision and support to our staff we will anticipate and identify potential problems in practice standards and seek to resolve them to achieve a high standard of practice. Quality Assurance is everyone s responsibility and those conducting inspections, audits and other quality assurance approaches share responsibility for ensuring that all levels of staff are actively engaged in the quality assurance process and it is essential that all levels of staff play a part in driving forward good quality work For Bedford Borough Council, this Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) links with the nine service standards developed to ensure that those children, young people and families who access of services know what quality of service they will receive. A copy of these service standards are shown in Appendix A. Page 1 of 37

4 The Aim of the Quality Assurance Framework The aim of the QAF is to: Improve outcomes for children Ensure a consistent quality in our services through the introduction of practice standards Ensure services are achieving consistently high standards by linking findings of audits to training and development of staff Engender an organisational culture committed to learning and continual improvement Improve the service by acting upon feedback from children, their families and staff Support the continuous improvement and development of the children s workforce. What does good look like? Continuous service improvement is at the core of our QAF. Its purpose is to inform, mitigate risk, provide benchmarking checks, help prioritise future improvement and ensure the child s journey is shorter, smoother and more precise. We need to ask the questions: What would good look like for this child / family? If our interventions and plans were successful, what would the child s / family s life look like? i.e. if the desired outcomes were met? How would we know (measure) if the good is being achieved? What s the evidence that progress is being made towards achieving good? If no progress is being made, do we need to do things differently or have we got the wrong plan? Why are we doing what we are doing? What s the research evidence base for our actions and plan? What would we look for? Plans being in place that reflect thresholds for timely and safe intervention Plans for children arising from assessments (single or multi-agency) are framed in terms of the measurable wellbeing and safety outcomes to be achieved Children remain the focus of professionals attention Parents, carers and children and young people report that they are treated empathetically and with respect by staff in Children Social Care s front door service etc Those making referrals to the front door of Children s Social Care are able to talk directly with an experienced social worker with minimal intervening steps Child protection plans and children in need plans result in objective, tangible improvements in the wellbeing and safety of children and their families Page 2 of 37

5 Children and parents identify positive improvements in their safety and wellbeing as a result of the work arising from the children in need/child protection plan. Parents feel and can support with concrete examples they are more empowered and effective in their parenting as a result of the involvement of the service Parents and young people report that contact with the service has made a positive difference to their and their children s lives. Responsibility and accountability All managers and practitioners have a responsibility to ensure that services provided to children and families are of a consistent quality which positively impacts on outcomes. Each member of staff is accountable for the quality of their own practice and has a duty to contribute to their ongoing learning through evaluation of practice. In addition managers have specific responsibilities for monitoring and driving forward improved practice. These are further developed in Appendix B which shows the Quality Assurance Monitoring Responsibilities for internal stakeholders at Bedford Borough Council. In addition, a range of information is needs to be collated and analysed to inform the Council and its partners about the quality and effectiveness of services delivered, as depicted in this diagram below: Page 3 of 37

6 For Bedford Borough Council, the accountability and responsibility for quality assurance can be shown in one of five areas, as depicted in the diagram above. These areas are: Partnership User feedback Statutory inspections Workforce development Senior management oversight The next sections of this document sets out what we mean what we mean by accountability and responsibility for these five themes listed and demonstrates how they contribute to the continued quality assurance of services. These levels of accountability and responsibility are further developed in Appendix B which outlines the Quality Assurance Accountability for officers in Vulnerable Children service area and Members of Bedford Borough Council in discharging the QAF for Bedford Borough Council. These are minimum expected standards, that if not achieved will meant that we are not doing all we can to ensure that outcomes for safeguarding children are being achieved and improved. As we become more evolved in our approach to quality assurance, there will be additional frameworks developed, along the lines of that exemplar in Appendix B; these will cover other service areas and partnership working. It is important that all those who work with or for children and young people in Bedford Borough know what their level of accountability and responsibilities are in ensuring services provided are of a high quality and dependable in nature. Partnership Bedford Borough Safeguarding Children Board The Children Act 2004 requires each Local Authority to establish a Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). The LSCB is a key statutory mechanism for agreeing how relevant organisations in each local area will co-operate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children; and ensure the effectiveness of what they do. The core functions of the LSCB are: developing thresholds, policies and procedures; communicating and raising awareness; monitoring and evaluation; participating in planning and commissioning; analysing information about child deaths and ensuring that there is a coordinated response to an unexpected death; and, undertaking Serious Case Reviews. Bedford Borough LSCB has a statutory role in ensuring that single agency and multiagency work in child protection is of a good standard. It receives regular reports on the performance of agencies in the professional network. An Page 4 of 37

7 Independent Chair of the Board provides appropriate and independent challenge to all member agencies. There is a Lay Member on the Board and this adds another layer of public scrutiny of the Board s work. Paragraph 3.3 in Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a duty on key agencies to make arrangements to ensure that their functions are discharged with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The LSCB has a key role in monitoring and scrutinising both the Social Care and partner agencies across the Borough to ensure that they are fulfilling their Section 11 responsibilities. Under the new Ofsted Inspection Framework Bedford Borough LSCB will be specifically inspected during the Inspections of arrangements for the protection of children to ensure that it meets its statutory duties and provides effective challenge to all partner agencies, which drives improvement. To satisfy the LSCB and its members that it is carrying out its duties effectively it will be quality assured annually against a Framework which focuses on the work and resulting effectiveness of the following: Governance arrangements Business Planning Quality Assurance Learning from Serious Case Reviews and child deaths (including learning from near misses) Multi agency training and learning Measuring impact across all tiers of child and family intervention Relationship with Ofsted Engagement with service users/staff LSCB Multi-agency audits A sample of cases being reviewed by the LSCB for evidence of good practice in safeguarding and the effectiveness of early intervention. Learning from Serious Case Review s Under the new Framework for the Inspection of Local Authority arrangements for the Protection of Children (2012) Ofsted inspectors will require sight of the findings of any Serious Case Reviews (SCR S) undertaken, and the outcomes of Ofsted s evaluation of any such reviews. The LSCB needs to demonstrate that it has learnt from SCR s and that practice has evolved as a result of the review. In relation to SCR s, the LSCB should demonstrate good practice by; Being proactive in ensuring that lessons are learned from SCR s and in disseminating information from SCR findings. The SCR process needs to be amended so that not only does it focus on what went wrong, but also why it went wrong. Ensuring that recommendations are implemented, holding agencies to account for progressing their action plans Using SCR findings to drive improvement and to influence future plans Learning from the process of carrying out SCR s Understanding how implementing the findings of SCR s make a difference to children, young people and their families. Page 5 of 37

8 Role of the Health & Wellbeing Board Health and Wellbeing Boards are a key element of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and are the means by which local authorities will deliver their new duties and improve joined up working. Bedford Borough's Health and Wellbeing Board brings together those who buy services across NHS, public health, social care and children's services, plus elected councilors and service user representatives, all these parties are deemed key stakeholders and are tasked to jointly consider local needs and plan the right services for our population. This is a new and collaborative approach to deliver the priorities outlined within the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Everyone in the Borough has an equal right to good health. By working together more effectively we will be able to support all of our residents to lead healthy lives by providing the support and opportunities which they need to do this. Early Intervention & Prevention The Early Intervention & Prevention Strategy sets the framework for which practitioners will operate. There are 4 tiers of services offered to children, young people and families and as a partnership a wide range of services are on offer. Tier 1 services are primarily Universal services open to all children; the majority of children will function throughout their development years just using mainstream provision. Occasionally some children, young people or families need some extra support to help them to overcome a problem or to prevent a problem occurring. This can be at any stage of a child s development. The easiest and simplest access to some targeted support is through the use of a Common Assessment Form (CAF). The CAF helps the lead professional to identify what services the family need. Sometimes some problems that families face are prolonged or require specialist interventions or support; these services are provided at tier 2 / 3 often they are for short periods of time and then the family goes back down to using universal services. Occasionally they may require on-going specialist support and these services would be provided at tier 3 / 4. Understanding Thresholds To support partner agencies in accessing the most appropriate services, a mapping exercise has been undertaken that enables the Council to promote all the different types of services available for children young people and families to access. There is also a Multi-agency Case Clinic where professionals can go to talk about their particular family problem and seek User Feedback Conference and Review Service The Child Protection Conference Chairs and Independent Reviewing Officers have a central role in assuring the quality of child protection planning and looked after children reviews. The chairs are pivotal in quality assuring practice and are the eyes and ears of the organisation. The CP/IRO/QA Team Manager will report on Child Protection Conferencing activity to both the Quality Assurance Page 6 of 37

9 Liaison Group (see section on senior management oversight) and to the Directorate s Senior Leadership Team. Both Independent Reviewing Officers and Child Protection Conference Chairs are a pivotal part of the quality assurance process and driving forward improvements in practice. If they become aware of practice concerns that are placing a child at risk they are required to raise notify the relevant Team Manager immediately. The Team Manager will then discuss the issues raised and take appropriate action. To support the Conference and Review Service in assuring the quality of child protection planning and looked after children reviews there are Dispute Resolution and Escalation Process policy documents. Monitoring Forms The quality assurance monitoring form is a key document that is used to communicate quality and practice issues following all reviews of children looked after (CLA) and child protection conferences. There are two forms specific to each meeting one for LAC and short breaks and one for child protection conferences. The forms contain information relating to the quality of the child protection or CLA of the process both leading up to and during the meeting. It is the responsibility of the Independent Reviewing Officer and conference chair to complete a monitoring form within 24 hours of the meeting that they have chaired. Case Management Supervision Tool Where there have been issues raised in the monitoring form that need action, the Independent Reviewing Officer and Conference Chair will open a Case management supervision record tool, BIC 530. All case discussions (verbal and ) between the Independent Reviewing Officer/Conference Chair and Team Manager/Social Workers or other persons will be recorded in a "Case management Supervision QA" form. s are easy to drop into this form as an attachment within the form allowing all key communication to stored in one central place in non disclosure. The use of the BIC 530 is essential to evidence the challenge and scrutiny by the Independent Reviewing Officer/Conference Chair to the Team Manager and Social Workers who have case management supervision. It is essential that issues raised are tracked and resolved in a timely way, wherever possible. Corporate Parenting Panel The purpose of Bedford Borough Corporate Parenting Panel is to lead on behalf of Bedford Borough Council and partners to ensure that all services directly provided for children and young people in care and care leavers are delivered to a high standard and to statutory requirements. The panel also ensures that elected members are aware of their corporate parenting responsibilities and that all council services are mindful of the needs of Page 7 of 37

10 children in care. They meets three times a term and at each meeting it scrutinises and monitors the following core outcomes for children in care; Placement Stability Independent child care reviews The performance of all care standards regulated services: Service to care leavers, including accommodation, education, employment and Training The health needs of children in care Education attainment of children in care Membership of the Group comprises of Portfolio Holder for Children s Social Care (Chair), Head of Social Work (Deputy Chair) and four further elected members (one from each Group on the Council). Other officers attend as appropriate. Feedback from Parents, Carers, Children and Young People We encourage feedback from parents, carers or the children and young people we work with as a positive opportunity to learn about how we can improve our services. The views of those that access our services or support are important in shaping future decisions about services and policy. Feedback will be collated using a variety of tools including: surveys/ questionnaires consultation events feedback from the Corporate Customer Relations Team Complaints and Compliments The Customer Relations Team issues a weekly report on active compliments and complaints. This is shared with Team Managers, Heads of Service, Assistant Directors and the Executive Director for Children's Services, Schools and Families. The report captures what is happening at the time to remedy a complaint and if there appears to be any similar cases this is referred to in the report as and when the need arises. In addition quarterly and annual reports are generated and shared with the Directorate s Senior Leadership Team and members. These reports focus on any themes or trends arising from complaints and any service improvements that have been identified. Questionnaire There are questionnaires for professionals, volunteers and members of the public; these are anonymous and about their experiences of safeguarding, early intervention and integrated working, and whether or not they feel confident responding to issues of concern and what they perceive to be local priorities. Statutory Inspections OFSTED is the regulatory body that has responsibility for inspection of local authority children s homes, fostering, adoption and private fostering Page 8 of 37

11 arrangements, as well as the unannounced inspection of contact/assessment services. It is also responsible for three yearly inspection of safeguarding and looked after children services. Under the new Framework for the Inspection of Local Authority arrangements for the Protection of Children (2012) all Ofsted inspections will be unannounced and the full inspection will be contained within a two week period. The local authority will be notified on day one of the inspection that the lead inspector will be arriving on site that day to begin the inspection. The Inspection will focus on the following areas: Overall effectiveness, including areas for development Quality Assurance Framework The effectiveness of the help and protection provided to children, young people, and their families and carers The quality of practice Leadership and governance These inspections will consider key aspects of a child s journey through the child protection system, focusing on the experiences of the child or young person, and the effectiveness of the help and protection they were offered. The inspections are intended to identify strengths and areas for development and their specific recommendations should be included in Bedford Borough s overall quality assurance activity within Children s Services. In addition, OFSTED are the regulatory body to inspect schools. The School Inspection Framework (September2012) sets out how inspections of schools provides an independent assessment of the quality and standards of education in schools and assess whether pupils are achieving as much as they can; whilst also ensuring risk to children, young people and adults is minimised by evaluating the effectiveness of schools procedures for safeguarding Workforce Development Recruitment and retention Our 'recruitment and retention' policies will project Bedford Borough Council as a good place to work with competitive terms of employment and opportunities for ongoing support and professional development. Robust safer recruitment procedures ensure we recruit the right people with the right qualifications, skills, and competencies to do the job for which they have been recruited. Training and development Structured induction programmes will support new employees to understand the Borough s profile; vision, values and standard operating procedures, to build confidence and competence to undertake their roles to the highest standards. Our policies and procedures for supervision and regular performance appraisal and individual performance objective setting will be the platform through which a manager and their staff will discuss key issues in relation to cases and Page 9 of 37

12 workloads. It will also be used to ensure both compliance with policies and procedures and the achievement of the Directorate s service standards and National Minimum Standards as appropriate. A robust workforce development programme will ensure that staff has the necessary skills and capabilities to deliver a high quality and effective service to children, young people and families in Bedford Borough. Senior Management Oversight Case File Audits Case file audits are the systematic analysis of children s case files to provide a picture of the quality of intervention and to identify what is making the biggest difference to the improvement of outcomes. There is increased significance being given to the practice of local auditing, and particularly multi-agency audits (including case file audit), as a key means of ascertaining and evaluating the realities of social workers day-to-day work, and of questioning and challenging the underlying issues about the quality of front-line practice. Team managers are expected to read case records on a regular and consistent basis. Good practice in this area would be to have Team Managers auditing each others team s cases. In addition, a Head of Service or Assistant Director should be part of the audit process in providing an overview of findings and ensuring that actions are implemented and ultimately lead to improvements. Team Managers Spot Check Audit on a monthly basis Head of Service/Assistant Director twice a year 3 cases in each team 5 cases in each team A selection of case files should ensure that all workers have at least one of their case files audited during the rolling year. Once a file has been selected for audit, the allocated worker and the Team Manager should work through the audit template. Copies of completed audit templates should be sent to the Head of Service, within two working days. A record of the audit should be placed on the electronic system. The Assistant Director will complete an overview report on the findings to Senior Leadership Team. Quality Assurance Liaison Meetings The Quality Assurance Liaison group will meet on a monthly basis, attended by Independent Reviewing Officers, Child Protection Conference Chairs, and Team Managers. Other members will be invited on a quarterly basis according to the agenda. Page 10 of 37

13 These meetings are based on the principle of operational teams and Conference and Review Service sharing information about the quality of practice /service being offered to children and their families, which in turn leads to an informed discussion about whether the service and /or practice is of a sufficiently high standard in terms of quality of planning and performance. The meetings give both operational managers and Independent reviewing officers the opportunity to explore: their expectations about the quality of service in terms of assessment, planning, service provision and review received by children and their families the focus of the work being undertaken and the impact of this on the child s life. to identify areas of good practice to focus on any gaps in service and how these will be responded to for feedback between the teams and C&RS of service delivery Performance Management Performance management information is an important element of evaluating the performance and quality of services as well as supporting the business to make effective decisions whist delivering Value for Money. A number of systems allow this information to be collated, analysed and evaluated, reported and monitored. The performance information we collate is clear, robust and timely, with a clear description of current performance and recommended action (if appropriate). Details on performance is shared with the Directorate s Senior Leadership Team on a monthly basis; in addition, there is a monthly performance clinic to hold senior managers to account on areas of poor performance. QA reporting A monthly report with analysis taken from the monitoring forms used by the Conference and Review Service will be a standard agenda item at the QA Liaison meeting to look at performance, practice and themes. The meeting collectively will assess and agree a response with actions and timescales to address outcomes needed. The Conference and Review Team Manager will report on a monthly basis to the Quality Liaison meeting on the following data and outcomes; Numbers of LAC /CP Plans Caseloads for IROs Performance Indicators Reviews completed Chairs minutes, including any delays that have arisen Availability of key documents before the review CP chairs attendance, number of reports shared before conference and the quality of reports. Health plans Quality of information for reviews Page 11 of 37

14 Children and Young People s feedback Parents feedback Visiting matrix/multiagency engagement Self-assessment Social workers will complete using a self-assessment tool, developed to capture information on safeguarding practices, including policies and procedures, information-sharing, recording incidents of concern, recruitment of staff and volunteers, training and safer recruitment. Overview and Scrutiny Committee The role of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee is to ensure that Members of the Borough Council have the information available to ask the questions that challenge in order to support service improvement. Overview and Scrutiny has a direct link to Cabinet, and makes recommendations for decisions or actions to be reviewed. Lead member/portfolio Holder The political processes in the local authority are intended to ensure that good delivery in services for children sits within overall local priorities, including local authority wide strategic planning, evaluation and value for money. The Lead Member for Children s Social Care is politically accountable for ensuring the Local Authority fulfils its legal responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The Lead Member for Children s Social Care is also a member of the Bedford Borough Local Safeguarding Children Board. Senior Leadership Engagement Quality assurance is the responsibility of all, and not just the social worker or the Conference and Review Service. The table in Appendix B outlines how there is a part of the process for different managers in the organisation. Management oversight Management oversight is the term used to describe activity (such as those outlined below) to ensure that there is no omission or error made. For us, this means the supervision of staff to ensure that practice standards and effectively and consistently applied to cases and that there is evidence of the same. Practice Standards The practice standards are designed to ensure that services provision is fit for purpose and meets the assessed needs of children, young people and families using our services. The audit and management oversight work we do is to satisfy ourselves and each other that the work we do reaches these standards. Supervision and Appraisal As part of the quality assurance process, supervision records will be reviewed to ensure that identified actions have been completed and that all cases have received the oversight required to ensure the safety and welfare of the child/ren. Page 12 of 37

15 Staff feedback A Social Work forum will be held on a monthly basis. The purpose of the meeting is to provide workers with an opportunity to raise issues with appropriate management and give potential solutions. It will identify the development of practice and help to improve ways of working. The forum will provide a key mechanism for consultation on policies and procedures that impact on Children s Social Care. Feedback from the forum will be reported to the Senior Leadership Team on a quarterly basis. All Social Workers will be required to complete a questionnaire on a twice yearly basis. The findings from the survey will be reported back to the Senior Leadership Team and staff will be kept informed of the responses and the actions that arise. Safeguarding Assurance Days will be held on a monthly basis. They will be attended by a range of professionals from across the Department, including the Lead Member and/or Portfolio Holder for Children s Social Care, Director for Children s Services, Assistant Director for Children s Social Care, Team Managers and front line practitioners. The purpose of this process is to identify good practice and facilitate the opportunity of building on these established areas that require development. It will provide a forum for front line safeguarding staff and mangers who are responsible for vulnerable children and families to share their experiences. Page 13 of 37

16 Appendix A Bedford Borough Children's Services, Schools and Families Service Standards Standard 1: Children and Young People's safety and best interests shall be the overriding consideration of any Children's Service intervention in their lives; Standard 2: Staff work in partnership with children and young people to ensure their voice is heard and their daily life experience is understood; Standard 3: Staff works in partnership with parents and carers in a manner which supports them to fulfil their responsibilities and maximise outcomes for their children and young people; Standard 4: Agencies work together to achieve optimum outcomes for children and young people; Standard 5: Staff work with children and young people and their families in a manner which consistently promotes social inclusion; Standard 6: Children s services will be accessible, transparent and understandable to children and young people, parents and carers; Standard 7: Staff works within the legislative framework and make best use of practice guidance and research; Standard 8: Records and reports are complete, accurate, up to date and fit for purpose and demonstrate an audit trail of analysis and evidence informed decision making; Standard 9: The service is effectively managed; staff are effectively supported to achieve optimum outcomes for children and young people. More information on these Service Standards can be found in the policy portfolio at Page 14 of 37

17 Appendix B Quality Assurance Accountability The table below outlines what the expected accountability is for officer s in the Directorate s Vulnerable Children service and Members of Bedford Borough Council in discharging the QAF. These are minimum expected standards, that if not achieved will mean that we are not doing all we can to ensure that outcomes for safeguarding children are being achieved and improved. 1. Social Worker and Senior Practitioner QA Task Frequency Purpose Quality assure all case work ensuring there is the appropriate focus on the child Ongoing Ensure chronologies are up to date, key data is accurately recorded and up to date, overall quality of work is a good standard Quality assure key aspects of case recording: Person details up to date Clear timelines and good quality of Assessments, plans and Reviews. Statutory reports and minutes Completed prior to submission to supervisor and is child centred Quality of work and practice standards are addressed and monitored Involvement in themed audits as commissioned by senior managers Attendance at Team meetings Collect views from children, young people, parent s / carers, as feedback as part of the quality assurance process As required As appropriate As required Gather assurance about quality of practice Discuss practice, policy and procedural issues Ensure views of the child is captured as part of the quality of work and practice standards Safeguarding Assurance Days Page 15 of 37 Quarterly To attend events to ensure that all staff engage as appropriate

18 2. Social Work Team Manager/Consultant Social Worker (those that supervise professional staff) QA Task Frequency Purpose Spot check audit of 3 cases (Appendix C) that they have a responsibility for. Quality assure key aspects of work and recording: Monthly Quality of work and practice standards reviewed and monitored. Areas of good practice or concern flagged Chronologies Assessments Plans & reviews Reports to CP Conference, LAC review and Court Quality of recording Quality assure all cases transferring or closing, (Not in Intake and Assessment) Team Manager to observe a minimum number of child protection conferences/lac reviews/core Groups (the minimum number to be agreed with Head of Service as appropriate) Conduct supervision across the team and ensure it is: In place for all staff Happening in accordance with the supervision policy Recorded Page 16 of 37 Prior to transfer or on closure Monthly Monthly Ensure chronologies are up to date, key data recorded and up to date, overall quality of work is a good standard and is child centred Quality of work and practice standards are addressed and monitored Monitors Social Work Practice and ensures children are safeguarded appropriately

19 Monitors case progression and moves cases forward Manages risk Reviews actions Involvement in multiagency audits via BBSCB Involvement in themed audits as directed by senior managers Attend fortnightly Team Managers meetings Attend and participate in the QA Liaison meetings Safeguarding Assurance Days 3. Head of Service As required As required Fortnightly Monthly Quarterly Assess the quality of multi-agency working Gather assurance about quality of practice from a range of sources Discuss, challenge and scrutinise each other s practice Monitor and Scrutinise practice and agree actions to improve practice To promote and attend events to ensure that all staff engage as appropriate QA Task Frequency Purpose Head of Service audit 5 cases in each team using agreed file audit template (Appendices E & F) Twice a year Quality of work and practice standards reviewed and monitored. Areas of good practice or Case audit of 3 cases a month chosen randomly (Appendix D) Analyse and share relevant feedback sources (IRO, CP Reports, Consultations, and Complaints etc.) Monthly Twice a year concerns flagged Quality of work and practice standards reviewed and monitored. Areas of good practice or concerns flagged Assess quality of service based on user experience Conduct supervision across the Team Page 17 of 37 Monthly Monitors Social Work practice and ensures

20 Managers and ensure supervision is: In place for all staff Happening in accordance with the supervision policy Recorded Monitors case progression and moves cases forward Is reflective and focuses on improvement Manages risk Reviews actions Submit a supervision monthly monitoring return to the AD Involvement in themed audits Safeguarding Assurance Days Quarterly As required Quarterly Monitors that supervision is taking place on a regular basis Gather assurance about quality of practice from a range of sources To promote and attend events to ensure that all staff engage as appropriate 4. Assistant Director Children s Social Care QA Task Frequency Purpose Audit 5 cases in each team using agreed file audit template (Appendices E & F) Twice a year Quality of work and practice standards reviewed and monitored. Areas of good practice or concern flagged Lead Safeguarding Assurance Days Page 18 of 37 Quarterly To gather assurance about performance, practice and service standards and provide opportunity for front line

21 staff to air concerns. Attend and actively contribute to the Social Work Forum Responsibility for monitoring and scrutinising data (including performance indicators) to improve performance and practice by ensuring that deficient areas are addressed Monitor complaints and action plans arising from complaints to ensure lessons are collated and disseminated Conduct supervision across the Head s of Service and ensure supervision is: In place for all staff Happening in accordance with the supervision policy Recorded Monitors case progression and moves cases forward Is reflective and focuses on improvement Manages risk Reviews actions Submit a supervision monthly monitoring Page 19 of 37 Every other month Ongoing Ongoing Monthly Monthly To gather assurance about practice and service standards and provide opportunity for front line staff to air concerns. Monitor performance, quality of work and practice standards reviewed and monitored. Areas of good practice or concern flagged and addressed Ensure that learning from complaints contributes to the improvement cycle Monitors Social work practice and ensures children are safeguarded appropriately Monitors that supervision is taking

22 return to the DCS Be an active member of the Bedford Borough Safeguarding Children Board. Provide appropriate scrutiny and challenge to partner agencies with regard to their safeguarding responsibilities Report to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Quarterly As required place on a regular basis Monitor and scrutinise safeguarding practice across Bedford Borough Monitor and Scrutinise practice 5. Director of Children s Services QA Task Frequency Purpose Audit 1 case file a month, selected at random using agreed file audit template (Appendices E & F) Monthly Quality of work and practice standards reviewed and monitored. Areas of good practice or concern flagged Supervise and Appraise the Assistant Director of Children s Social Care Attend Safeguarding Assurance days Lead the Social Worker Forum Be responsible for the completion of the Section 11 return to the LSCB Hold the BBSCB to account for the quality of Page 20 of 37 Monthly Quarterly Every other month Annually Ongoing Monitors Social Work practice and ensures children are safeguarded appropriately To gather assurance about practice and service standards and provide opportunity for front line staff to air concerns. Hear directly from social workers issues and address practice, policy and legislative changes To satisfy the LSCB that the Department is discharging it s statutory safeguarding responsibilities Monitors practice across the agencies to ensure

23 it s planning and the meeting of it s objectives and effectiveness children are safeguarded appropriately Monitor complaints and action plans arising from complaints to ensure lessons are collated and disseminated Commission audits linked to practice findings/themes Ongoing As required Ensure that learning from complaints contributes to the improvement cycle Gather assurance about quality of practice from a range of sources 6. Elected Members and Chief Executive QA Task Frequency Purpose Monitor performance via Executive, Corporate Parenting Board, Improvement Board, Overview & Scrutiny Committee Ongoing To monitor performance, practice, decision making and outcomes Members to undertake visits to Children s Homes Members to spend time shadowing front line practitioners Report to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee on the performance of Children s Social Care as required Attend & actively contribute to Safeguarding Assurance Days Monitoring via 1:1 with DCS Annual meeting with DCS and AD to focus on Page 21 of 37 Quarterly Quarterly As required Quarterly Quarterly Twice a year To maintain an overview of service and performance issues To maintain an overview of service and performance issues Monitor and scrutinise social work practice and priorities To gather assurance about practice and service standards and provide opportunity for front line staff to ait concerns To maintain an overview of service and performance issues Detailed discussion to reflect accountabilities for

24 service outcomes, pressures, quality issues outcomes for children in need of protection and safeguarding 7. Child Protection Conference Chair and Independent Reviewing Officers QA Task When Purpose Monitor quality of Social Work practice and management decision making through the: Continually To ensure that quality of child protection planning and care plans for looked after children whilst Monitoring forms driving forward Case management supervision tools improvements in practice In order to highlight practice concerns to the relevant team manager. Where necessary, to enact the Dispute Resolution and Escalation Process to resolve issues. Meet with Team Managers through QA Liaison meetings Attend Social Work team meetings Involvement in themed audits Obtain feedback from children and families for each child protection conference and statutory review Monthly Monthly As required As required Monitor and scrutinise practice, identify best practice examples and provide a monthly report taken from the detail in Monitoring forms. Provide feedback about practice Gather assurance about quality of practice from a range of sources Ensure quality of work and practice standards are addressed and monitored Audit CP Conference Minutes Page 22 of 37 Quarterly Ensure quality and consistency against the

25 Safeguarding Assurance Days Quarterly standards To promote and attend events to ensure that all staff engage as appropriate Page 23 of 37

26 Spot Check Audit template Appendix C Spot Audit Template BIC 513 Date Completed by Team PRN Area Comment Actions Chronology Purposeful Plan Recording Management oversight Analysis Page 24 of 37

27 Children s Case Audit Tool Appendix D Child s Name(Initials): Ethnicity: DOB: Service Identifier No: Team Identifier No: Auditor: Date of audit: Grade: 1 Poor 2 Adequate 3 Good 4 Outstanding Early Intervention ( Early Help) Y N NA Comments Grade Is there evidence that there has been a coordinated response by services negating the need for a CAF? Has the need for a multi-agency meeting been identified? Has a CAF been undertaken and has this informed the referral and planned action? Was there a team around the child approach? (state no if only one partner agency has been actively involved in addressing the concern) Has the early intervention been effective in safeguarding and promoting the child s welfare? Page 25 of 37

28 Referral Y N NA Comments Grade Does the referral information make clear the reason why a referral at this point is necessary? Did the referral contain enough information so that the nature and level of the child s needs and any risks could be assessed? Response to Referral Y N NA Comments Grade Was the referral acted upon within 24 hours if no, are the reasons for this recorded? Is there evidence that the response to the referral has been shared with the referrer? Is there evidence that any immediate child protection issues have been acted upon? Is there evidence of management oversight of the decision making? Page 26 of 37

29 Assessment Y N NA Comments Grade Does the Initial Assessment provide a clear picture of the child, their situation and needs? Is the Initial Assessment child centred? (If the concerns relate to parental substance misuse, mental health or domestic violence) is the impact on the child clear? Has the child been seen? And spoken to? Has a chronology been completed? And updated? Is the plan of action clear and does it relate specifically to the original concerns? Is the risk clearly identified? Does the plan of action appear proportionate to the risk? Is there evidence of management oversight of the decision making? Page 27 of 37

30 Was it completed within timescales? ( 7days from referral) Is the Core Assessment complete? Was it completed within timescales? (35 days) Have statutory visits been undertaken? Is there evidence that Core groups are effective and that there is sustained attendance and involvement of key members/agencies? Can you see how the child, young person and their family have been involved in the process? Planning Y N NA Comments Grade Does the plan set clear objectives? Was the case transfer well planned? Is there evidence that all parties are fulfilling their responsibilities for the plan effectively? Page 28 of 37

31 Is there evidence of regular network meetings, communication and information sharing? Is there effective participation of relevant agencies in decision making and planning? Are appropriate resources being called upon to support the child? Are they culturally appropriate? Are they having an impact? Is there an effective relationship between the social worker and the family? Is there evidence of management oversight of the decision making? Review Y N NA Comments Grade How is the plan impacting on the child? Is the plan kept under review? Updated? Does the plan remain centred on the child? Page 29 of 37

32 Is there evidence that our involvement is having a positive impact on the child? Is there clear evidence that of the child s views and how they have participated? Management oversight and recording Is there evidenced that the front line worker is appropriately supported and directed? Y N NA Comments Grade Are the records up to date? Are the records in one place? Or are they electronic and paper? Does the record show sound assessment, analysis, decision making and good practice? Has there been management sign off on all key decisions? Is the any evidence that lack of resources have impacted the management of the case? Page 30 of 37

33 Brief summary/feedback Page 31 of 37

34 Children s Social Care Safeguarding File Audit Template Appendix E Name of team: Name of child/young person: Child s unique identifier: SWIFT number: Status of child (CIN or CPP): Name of allocated worker: Name of team manager: Date of audit: Name of auditor: Is the file up to date? File detail Child/young person s contact details Initial assessment Core assessment/section 47 enquiry (where relevant) Timeliness of Assessment Record of Initial Child Protection Conference (where relevant) Child Protection Plan (where relevant) Visiting matrix completed Core group meeting minutes (where relevant) Record of Child Protection Review Conference (where relevant) Date and time of home visits including who was present and whether the social worker spoke to On file? (Yes/No) Date of last entry Page 32 of 37

35 the child File detail On file? (Yes/No) Date of last entry Date, time and contents of any communication relating to the child and family Up to date Chronology? The child narrative on CCM includes: Yes/No Overview of the child and family s situation/dynamics, plus background information Key events in the child s life A summary of the main themes and issues faced by the child Any previous involvements with services Any changes to the child s legal status Any other overarching issues which the social worker considers relevant The family narrative on CCM includes: Yes/No Parents employment status Previous interactions with social services Instances of substance misuse, mental illness and domestic abuse Details of family history Parents needs Capacity for change and development in the parents A view of the web of relationships that exists in the family group Recording Do records use clear, straightforward language? Page 33 of 37

36 Are records concise and accurate? Can you see the wishes and feeling of the child? Are records stored safely and able to be retrieved promptly and efficiently? Do records include key decisions made within supervision case notes? Quality Key for completion of evaluation column in quality template 1 Does not meet requirements 2 Partially meets requirements 3 Meets requirements 4 Exceeds requirements Comments and Action Comments Action Page 34 of 37

37 Name of team: Children s Social Care LAC File Audit Template Appendix F Name of child/young person: Child s unique identifier: SWIFT number: Name of allocated worker: Name of team manager: Date of audit: Name of auditor: Is the file up to date? File detail Child/young person s contact details Initial assessment Core assessment/section 47 enquiry (where relevant) Timeliness of Assessment Care plan (including health plan and personal education plan) Is it up to date? Application for care and supervision orders (sections 31 and 32) Date and time of visits to the child/young person Timeliness of permanency Plan Review meeting records Up to date chronology? On file? (Yes/No) Date of last entry Page 35 of 37