BPU Head of Service Position Statement

BPU Head of Service Position Statement The aim of this paper is to provide a position statement regarding the identified BPU functions within the Annual Council Reporting Framework. Workforce It is considered that Workforce Development continues to be a well placed service area with effective mechanisms in place to manage our workforce to ensure that we have staff who are appropriately qualified, trained and effectively regulated to support the delivery of quality social care services to children and adults in Powys. We are committed to continuously improving the quality of our service by providing consistent and robust support and management information to service areas, our staff and partnership agencies with access to the necessary skills through training, development and qualifications. Effective mechanisms The Corporate Safer Recruitment Policy has been implemented ensuring effective mechanisms are in place for recruiting our workforce. The whole of our Adults, Children s and BPU Services who have been identified as requiring a CRB check have an appropriate CRB check at the correct level in place, enhancing our safer recruitment, selection and management of the workforce. We have a rolling programme for renewal of CRB every three years with approximately 583 staff due for renewal in 2011/12, in addition to new starters, prospective adoptive parents and foster carers and volunteers. We are meeting the regulatory requirements (100%) in respect of our Adult and Children s Services Social Workers registered with the Care Council for Wales. 96.5% of our Children s Residential Care Staff are registered with the Care Council for Wales and our remaining 3.5% are completing their induction in order to apply for registration. Whilst it remains voluntary, the majority of our Domiciliary Care Workers are also registered with the Care Council for Wales. Our turnover of staff is relatively low across Adult and Children s Services resulting in good retention of staff, business continuity and sustainability. 89% of employees in post for more than 2 years, 65.4% in post for more than 5 years within Adult Services, 68.4% of employees in post for more than 2 years, 37.8% in post for more than 5 years within Children s Services, 86.5% of employees in post for more than 2 years, 66.5% in post for more than 5 years within BPU. We have successfully implemented a First Year in Practice programme and service specific induction programme for all social care staff. Initial reviews 1

have been undertaken to ensure compliance and identify further developments for 2011/12. Effective support mechanisms are in place with our staff throughout Adults and Children s Services and the BPU. It is recognised that supervision is an essential part of monitoring and improving practice. Whilst there are no targets set by Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales our current performance is as follows. 70.4% of supervision sessions completed within timescales within Adult Services (excluding Provider Services), 74.1% of supervision sessions completed within timescales within Children s Services, 87.6% of supervision sessions completed within timescales within BPU and 95.6% of annual Employee Development Reviews completed within timescales within BPU. In 2010/11 we developed a BPU Workforce Strategy and will support operational services with their workforce strategies as required to ensure that we have the right people, in the right place, at the right time to adequately support front-line service delivery. The Social Care Workforce Development Programme (SCWDP) not only promotes the one sector, one workforce ethos but provides the local authority with financial support to ensure our workforce are suitably trained and qualified. 78.6% of our Social Care staff have gained appropriate qualifications as determined by the Care Council for Wales and 35 NVQs have been sponsored by the Workforce Development Unit across the whole sector therefore supporting the requirements of the Social Care Workforce Development Programme. 96% of staff training needs are met within available resources. Our Care Council for Wales re-registration requirements are fully met. 3 inhouse employees qualified in the Degree in Social Work in December, 2010 and 2 are now following the First Year in Practice programme, in addition to any external social worker appointments. 5 Social Workers completed Advanced Practice Learning (Practice Assessor) training in 2010/11. 6 Team Managers/Senior Practitioners also undertook the Association of Directors of Social Services Wales Team Manager Development Training. In 2010/11, in addition to the Social Care Training Brochure, we developed and launched brochures for Foster Carers and Adoptive Parents and Carers, along with piloting an Integrated Training Brochure (includes Social Care, Children and Young People s Partnership, Local Safeguarding Children s Board and Powys teaching Health Board) to collaboratively deliver training through partnership working and engagement of the social care sector. We have developed a single booking system that is accessible to all of the social care and children and young people s workforce. We have also refocused the Social Care Workforce Development Programme Forum and Integrated Workforce Development Implementation Group and formed a joint Integrated Workforce Board to work towards a co-ordinated and 2

integrated approach to the delivery of training and qualifications throughout the sector. We have developed a more robust and cross sector training needs analysis system and launched a number of e-learning training packages, which are available to the wider sector at no cost. As part of the launch we were the first Council in Wales to implement a Welsh Child Protection Foundation e- learning programme and provide e-learning to agencies outside of the Council. We have also established a bursary scheme that provides a supplement for all social care and children and young people agencies who obtain appropriate qualifications in accordance with National qualification targets as determined by the Care Council for Wales and Welsh Assembly Government (WAG). Of the 6729 training places offered; 38% of those attended were from the wider sector workforce. The recording of online recruitment processes, CRB, Care Council Registrations, Approved Mental Health Practitioner Register, personal training information, expense claims for Adults and Children s Services and BPU (office based staff), 1:1s and Employee Development Reviews, sickness reporting, requesting and authorising of leave and the ability to advertise and book training courses and undertake changes in respect of staff establishment are all on Trent. Progress on Improvement Priorities 2010/11 The first year in practice programme was successfully implemented in November, 2009. An interim report on the implementation was produced in November, 2010. A specific training programme for Social Workers moving into Senior Practitioner roles and Senior Practitioners moving into Team Manager roles is currently on hold to avoid duplication with: a) ongoing support and application to the Progression Panel for Social Workers moving into Senior Practitioner roles b) Association of Directors of Social Services in Wales Team Management Development Programme where two Team Managers and one Senior Practitioner have completed the programme. Nominations are awaited for year two participants. The implementation of a National Minimum Data Set (NMDS) for Social Care is currently on hold awaiting further guidance from WAG. England are developing an on-line NMDS for the social care industry whilst WAG are assessing the requirement in Wales for a Welsh National Minimum Data Set. Work continues to develop a wider range of relevant modules for qualified Social Workers which are externally credited in line with the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). However, there have been external delays within the Care Council for Wales and links with the Association of Directors of Social Services in Wales Workforce Committee. 3

The action plan on safer recruitment was completed and implemented. We continue to comply with existing safer recruitment practice and will work with Corporate Support Services to develop and implement new policies in line with new/revised guidance/legislation. Service areas have engaged in the development of Trent modules. E-learning packages have been developed and implemented and are available to the wider sector at no cost. Existing e-learning training programmes will be monitored and evaluated and further e-learning training programmes developed as required. Preparations for the requirements of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) are currently on hold due to the recommendations of Government Reviews of the CRB and Vetting and Barring Scheme. Preparations for requirements of the proposed new legislation will commence on receipt of further guidance. Potential improvement priorities 2011/12 The Social Care induction programme was implemented in June, 2010. We will review the programme and continue to develop this, as appropriate, in 2011/12. We will implement the BPU Workforce Strategy and support operational services with their workforce strategies as required to ensure we have the right people, in the right place, at the right time to adequately support front-line service delivery. We will contribute and respond to major service developments/new legislation, for example, Adult Services Modernisation, Welsh Assembly Government Fairer Charging Measure, CRB. We will continue to support the registration of the remaining social care workforce (mandatory and non-mandatory posts). Following a successful pilot we will publish an Integrated Training Brochure (Single Training Programme) for Social Care, Children and Young People s Partnership, Local Safeguarding Children s Board and Powys teaching Health Board. We will develop and implement a Quality Assurance Framework for all training provided as part of the single programme and have a mechanism in place to ensure that training is delivered to an appropriate standard. In partnership, we will development of the Integrated Workforce Board and establish workstreams to work towards a co-ordinated and integrated 4

approach to the delivery of training and qualifications and collection of workforce information throughout the sector. Performance Management, Business Planning and Information Systems Performance Management arrangements are considered to be well placed, a view supported by the recent Annual Review and Evaluation of Performance Report December 2010 and supplemented by reference in the CSSIW Inspections of Adoption and Permanence arrangement Report August 2009, and Inspection of Children Safeguarding Report September 2009. The Council has a Corporate Framework in place which supports effective performance management, with an established and developing performance culture throughout Social Services which includes a robust approach to staff supervision and employee review and development. The investment in information systems (DRAIG the Social Care Client Database, TRENT the Corporate HR System and Ffynnon as the Corporate Performance Management Software System) and their implementation has provided a sound basis for improved performance monitoring and reporting. The processes for reporting performance to managers in the Care & Well Being Directorate continues to be well developed and comprehensive in Children s Services and it has also been acknowledged by CSSIW that the authority has strengthened its performance management systems in Adult Services which are now supplemented by the use of Balanced Scorecards and new management information reports within service areas. In last year s statement we identified that Performance management continues to be supported by the corporate framework and business planning cycle with Service Business Plans in place which link to key corporate strategies and priorities with clear objectives and targets. However it was also recognised that improvement action monitoring needed to be undertaken more regularly. This process has been improved during 2010/11 through development of new management information reports (that are generated via Ffynnon) for Heads of Service and Lead Project Officers and include for example, the monthly Adult Living Programme work stream actions to Senior Management Team and Project Board and the half yearly ACRF improvement action monitoring reports to the People Scrutiny Committee. The annual employee review and development process continue to enable the overarching Head of Service key business priorities to be reflected in personal plans for staff. We have also resurrected Business Planning down to Team level in Adult and Children s services in 2011 and this is seen as another means of improving the current framework. There is an overarching Quality Assurance Strategy and Framework in place that aims to provide a co-ordinated approach for Adults and Children s Services to monitor and review their respective and cross cutting business processes and performance management agenda. In addition the strategy 5

enables independent scrutiny by the Performance Management Unit who conducts their own Quantitative and Qualitative audits and reviews in both Adult and Children s Services. Whilst it has been recognised that the authority s quality assurance arrangements for Children s Services have improved and include a focus on performance, quality, complaints and learning from case reviews, this will also need to be further replicated by Adult Services during 2011/12. Business Processes continue to be developed and implemented in parallel with IT Systems across Adult and Children s services to monitor and improve the quality of data recorded by practitioners on DRAIG and ongoing data cleansing work (in collaboration with our Performance Management Officers, Data Quality Clerks and IT Support staff) enables more accurate and robust performance and management information to be reported via DRAIG and Ffynnon and to further support the delivery of care management. There continues to be considerable success in the development and implementation of core information systems e.g. DRAIG, Trent, Ffynnon, and supplemented with the Domiciliary Care System, E-banking and more information recorded on updated Websites, which has provided an excellent basis for improved operational delivery and performance management reporting, with the efforts of staff in the Business and Performance Unit being recognised as effective in supporting managers to monitor and improve performance (particularly in Children s Services). Significant progress has been made in relation to the Integrated Children s System in respect of recording data electronically, minimising duplication, standardising business processes, generating management information reports and sharing information with internal and external partners. Appropriate data sharing arrangements are already established across operational teams together with more robust exchanges of key information with the Police Service and Health Agencies. We are also working towards even closer collaboration during 2011/12 which will naturally arise from the wider integration of services between Powys County Council and Powys teaching Health Board and the feasibility study of potential Joint Social Care Management arrangements with Ceredigion County Council. The development of an interface between DRAIG and the Education Service and Schools Systems to support data sharing and simplify the collection of data for the annual Children in Need census has not progressed as quickly as originally envisaged due to technical issues. It is however envisaged that this will be included in a corporate review of ICT priorities under new ICT Governance Board arrangements early in 2011. It is important that Heads of Children s and Adult Services are actively engaged in these arrangements. The Board is yet to indicate whether and when this proceeds, and if so gives further grounds for optimism on progress. ICS has achieved compliance with statutory requirements and continues to be consolidated and strengthened in line with operational service plans. 6

Whilst the Unified Assessment process (UAP) in adult services has not progressed at the same rate as ICS, it is gaining momentum. IT support and deployment has been provided in several areas including reablement, care planning and specialist assessments. IT Systems are also well integrated into the work streams on Service Modernisation and Reconfiguration of Care Management and this should produce improved outcomes from both a service delivery and performance management perspective. The Information Systems Team continues to collaborate with other Welsh Authorities to develop a robust and common platform to support operational services in order to obtain a greater return on its investment and to plan systems for the future which will support all-wales solutions. Intensive work on the Paperless Powys project began in 2010, with Social Care (Children s and Adult Services) being included in phase 1 for roll-out April-May 2011. The significance and impact of Paperless Powys on the services and on the BPU ICT resources in order to roll out and support is considerable. Existing ICT work plans will be reviewed and prioritised by the new ICT Governance Board. Our reporting framework continues to be embedded with quarterly performance reports to the Directorate Management Team and the People Scrutiny Committees incorporating progress against strategic change measures, national and local performance indicators and data, budget and personnel monitoring and feedback from compliments and complaints. Monthly Head of Service Balanced Scorecard Reports for Adult and Children s Services are monitored and reviewed at Senior Management Teams and weekly reports continue to be embedded for Children s Services Team Managers and this will be supplemented in 2011 with for example planned management information reports for Children in Need, Children aged 16+ and the Out of Hours Service. A monthly report continues to be produced for the Social Services Steering Group to identify Early Warning Signs of potential problems in Children s Services and includes graphical trend analysis to assist them in monitoring and scrutinizing performance in key areas. In line with last years improvement priorities, it was acknowledged by CSSIW that the authority has strengthened its performance management systems for adult services through the production of new monthly activity reports on Assessment and Care Management, Carers and for Adult Safeguarding and that these are supplemented by the use of balanced scorecards within service areas. We also monitor our performance by comparisons with other local authorities which are achieving upper quartile performance indicator results and those authorities that are deemed to be serving people well. The quarterly Strategic, Core & Corporate Improvement Indicator reports and results also contribute to the Annual Council Reporting Framework, making a fuller assessment of performance in relation to objectives, targets and costeffectiveness and also contributing to the production of the Council s annual statement or report in line with the Social Services Guidance on Planning and the new ACRF Framework. The authority s current Change Plan enables stakeholders to scrutinise the Council s performance through a detailed 7

examination of the evidence provided by indicators, consultation, inspections and reviews but at the same time also recognize that we need to become even more citizen focussed. Efforts have been made during 2010/11 to electronically capture customer feedback on satisfaction levels and client outcomes in adult services for example, this has involved our Quality Assurance Officer continuing to work with operational managers in our Domiciliary Care Service to further improve management information reports to evidence customer views and perceptions. It is envisaged that the use of the Lime Survey software will be extended to capture this information for Learning Disability and the Reablement Service during 2011/12, in line with the Social Services Improvement Agency best practice examples of getting engaged. The authority is committed to developing the Ffynnon system during 2011/12 as a further means of improving collaborative working and improving performance and knowledge management. It is also envisaged that the Ffynnon system will continue to improve accountability and service standards within the County and act as an enabler and driver for collaborative working and at the same time support the making the connections agenda and the Wales Programme for Improvement. However, it should be noted that despite these improvements, the cessation of the Performance Management Development Fund (PMDF) Grant from 31.3.11. and the subsequent reduced level of funding received to replace this grant from April 2011 onwards, coupled with the risks identified in supporting the Paperless Powys Project, could impact on maintaining and improving the current levels of achievement in Powys. 8