Issue - meetings

It was RESOLVED that:

1.    the report be noted;

2.    more information be provided at a future meeting on the cost implications of delivering the Children’s Social Care Improvement Plan.

Lucie Heyes, Director of Children’s Social Care, introduced the item and highlighted the links between the placements, salaries and S17 Family Support budgets, for example a reduction in placements may result in increased pressure on Family Support.

Questions were invited from the panel and the following was noted:

1.    Foster carers need convincing that Lewisham is as good an employer as independent fostering agencies (IFAs). Many subscribe to the myth that IFAs are better to work for, despite the fact that Lewisham pays competitively.

2.    Lewisham would have to do a lot of marketing to encourage foster carers to move in-house, and a fee would be payable to the IFA if existing foster carers were to make the switch.

3.    The service has difficulty attracting foster carers for older children. Often, the reasons for older children being taken into care include violence and gang involvement, which requires foster carers with specific skills and experience.

4.    The recent inspection judgement outcome had been in line with the service’s self-assessment, and confirmed that no radical change of direction was needed. The department was 1 year into a 3 year plan.

5.    The 3 year improvement plan would be looked at in more detail at a future meeting.

6.    Some 80% of Lewisham’s case-holding social workers are permanent members of staff, which is considered good for London.

7.    Plans were in motion to convert some senior social workers to a more senior role, which would come with a pay uplift and would be good for career planning. This was easier to do than having to rescale existing posts.

8.    This conversion was expected to cost £120,000 per annum for 20 social workers each receiving an additional c. £6,000 per annum.

9.    Creating career progression opportunities was considered key to attracting good staff as people tend to move for promotion, not to do like for like. The progression would be social worker à senior social worker à advanced practitioner, and the intention was to put this in place by March 2020.

10.The service was also looking at pay benchmarking, affordability and caseload workforce supervision, as well as salary.

11.Some 71% of Lewisham’s children ooked after population was aged between 10-18, and this included older children coming into care as well as those who have been in care for some time, and may not need to be in care anymore. Stable placements for older children in long term care do get reviewed but family circumstances tend not to be looked it. The service needed to get better at doing this as in some cases it may be safe for the child to return to their family. This would need sensitive and careful long-term management.

12.Additional resource was needed to deliver the improvement plan and discussions were taking place through the finance board. Members asked that detail be provided to a future meeting on what the cost over 3 years would be to make the improvements necessary for the service to receive a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4