Agenda item

Notice of Motion Regarding "Children's Services in Sheffield Improving and Rated Good by Ofsted" - Given By Councillor Jackie Drayton And To Be Seconded By Councillor Dawn Dale

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes that following three weeks of inspection by Ofsted, they have noted that ‘Children’s Services in Sheffield are good’;

 

(b)       notes that the report detailed that, despite 10 years of austerity, Sheffield had made steady progress since the last inspection in 2013, by working through our comprehensive improvement plan, that has children and young people at the heart of it:-

 

(i)         securing significant additional corporate investment;

 

(ii)        support from Senior Management and Leaders across all areas of the Council and Partner Organisations; and

 

(iii)       as noted in the report, ‘Corporate parenting is ‘highly effective and emulates what a good parent should be’ and that ‘the local authority sense of corporate responsibility for children in care and care leavers is unambiguous’ and senior leaders provide proactive and committed corporate parenting; the report also highlights examples of practice that ‘exemplifies excellence in corporate parenting’;

 

(c)        notes that, in addition, the Council was commended for putting children at the centre of practice, with children and young people across the city benefiting from child focused staff and services and that the views of children and young people are valued at all levels, and the Local Authority has created an environment in which good social work is nurtured and celebrated, with a skilled and confident workforce;

 

(d)       notes that, although Ofsted highlighted many positive areas of practice, they also highlighted some areas that ‘requires improvement to be good’, which we identified in our self-assessment form sent to the Inspectors prior to their visit, but that the report also acknowledged in all those areas of concern senior management and leaders were aware of those weaknesses, had effective plans in place to mitigate risk and were taking action to improve each area of practice;

 

(e)       believes that this is a fantastic achievement, and all the more remarkable given increasing financial difficulties and increasing demand as more children and young people are coming into care with more complex needs, and thanks must go to the dedicated staff in children’s services, all council staff, foster carers, adopters, our agency partners, the community sector, Councillors, and all corporate parents who work so hard to ensure our children and young people and their families are safe, happy, secure, and achieve their full potential; and

 

(f)        notes that under this Administration the aim is to continue to improve the service the Council provides and reach ‘outstanding’, and believes that by working together we will achieve this in the future.

 

 

Minutes:

8.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Jackie Drayton, and formally seconded by Councillor Dawn Dale, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)      notes that following three weeks of inspection by Ofsted, they have noted that ‘Children’s Services in Sheffield are good’;

 

 

 

(b)      notes that the report detailed that, despite 10 years of austerity, Sheffield had made steady progress since the last inspection in 2013, by working through our comprehensive improvement plan, that has children and young people at the heart of it:-

 

 

 

(i)       securing significant additional corporate investment;

 

(ii)      support from Senior Management and Leaders across all areas of the Council and Partner Organisations; and

 

(iii)      as noted in the report, ‘Corporate parenting is ‘highly effective and emulates what a good parent should be’ and that ‘the local authority sense of corporate responsibility for children in care and care leavers is unambiguous’ and senior leaders provide proactive and committed corporate parenting; the report also highlights examples of practice that ‘exemplifies excellence in corporate parenting’;

 

 

 

(c)      notes that, in addition, the Council was commended for putting children at the centre of practice, with children and young people across the city benefiting from child focused staff and services and that the views of children and young people are valued at all levels, and the Local Authority has created an environment in which good social work is nurtured and celebrated, with a skilled and confident workforce;

 

 

 

(d)      notes that, although Ofsted highlighted many positive areas of practice, they also highlighted some areas that ‘requires improvement to be good’, which we identified in our self-assessment form sent to the Inspectors prior to their visit, but that the report also acknowledged in all those areas of concern senior management and leaders were aware of those weaknesses, had effective plans in place to mitigate risk and were taking action to improve each area of practice;

 

 

 

(e)      believes that this is a fantastic achievement, and all the more remarkable given increasing financial difficulties and increasing demand as more children and young people are coming into care with more complex needs, and thanks must go to the dedicated staff in children’s services, all council staff, foster carers, adopters, our agency partners, the community sector, Councillors, and all corporate parents who work so hard to ensure our children and young people and their families are safe, happy, secure, and achieve their full potential; and

 

 

 

(f)       notes that under this Administration the aim is to continue to improve the service the Council provides and reach ‘outstanding’, and believes that by working together we will achieve this in the future.

 

 

8.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Sue Alston, and formally seconded by Councillor Mike Levery, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

 

 

 

1.       the deletion, from paragraph (b), of the words “despite 10 years of austerity”;

 

2.       the deletion of paragraph (f) and the addition of a new paragraph (f) as follows:-

 

 

 

(f)       resolves to continue to work with partners with the aim to continue to improve the service the Council provides and reach ‘outstanding’, and believes that by working together we will achieve this in the future;

 

 

 

3.       the addition of new paragraphs (g) to (l) as follows:-

 

 

 

(g)      congratulates and thanks the staff at all levels who work incredibly hard to support the most vulnerable young people in our city and have been recognised by Ofsted as providing a good and improving service;

 

(h)      thanks foster carers in particular, for the incredible job they do in welcoming young people into their homes and providing the stable home life they need;

 

(i)       however, notes the concern expressed in the report that children who go missing are not seen soon enough after the missing episode;

 

 

 

(j)       notes that there are insufficient placements available for those young people with the most complex needs;

 

(k)      requests a report to the Corporate Parenting Board and to the Children, Young People and Family Support Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee, within 4 months, to update Members on progress made in addressing these and the other concerns raised in the report; and

 

(l)       notes that Leeds, as a comparable local authority, has achieved an outstanding Ofsted rating for children’s services, and that investigating how they achieved this could provide a way forward.

 

 

8.3

It was then formally moved by Councillor Alison Teal, and formally seconded by Councillor Martin Phipps, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

 

 

 

1.       the deletion of paragraph (a) and the addition of a new paragraph (a) as follows:-

 

 

 

(a)      welcomes the improvement in Ofsted rating since the previous report on children’s social care services in 2013;

 

 

 

2.       the deletion of paragraphs (d) to (f) and the addition of new paragraphs (d) to (g) as follows:-

 

 

 

(d)      notes that Ofsted found that the following areas require improvement to be “good”:

·         the consistent application of the threshold to step up to children’s social care from early help.

·         the use of screening tools to update and inform plans for children who are at a lower risk of exploitation.

·         arrangements for children who go missing from home and care.

·         arrangements to manage allegations against professionals.

·         placement sufficiency for the most complex and vulnerable children and adolescents.

 

 

 

(e)      believes that the need for improvement in arrangements for children who go missing from home and care is deeply concerning; 36 looked-after children were reported missing in 125 incidents in June 2019, out of a total of 652 looked after children at the time;

 

 

 

(f)       believes improvements to the service since 2013 are pleasing and thanks must go to the dedicated staff in children’s services, all Council staff, foster carers, adopters, our agency partners, the community sector, Councillors, and all corporate parents who work so hard to ensure our children and young people and their families are safe, happy, secure, and achieve their full potential; and

 

 

 

(g)      believes that the Ofsted judgement of children’s social care services needs to be rated “Good” as a minimum standard and this Council’s focus must be on the development of a children’s social care service that is judged to be “Outstanding”.

 

 

8.4

The amendment moved by Councillor Sue Alston was put to the vote and was negatived, except for paragraphs (g) and (h) of part 3 of the amendment, which were carried.

 

 

8.4.1

(NOTE: Councillors Angela Argenzio, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Paul Turpin, Peter Garbutt and Alison Teal voted for parts 2 and 3 and against part 1 of the amendment, and asked for this to be recorded.)

 

 

8.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Alison Teal was then put to the vote and was negatived.

 

 

8.6

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

(a)      notes that following three weeks of inspection by Ofsted, they have noted that ‘Children’s Services in Sheffield are good’;

 

(b)      notes that the report detailed that, despite 10 years of austerity, Sheffield had made steady progress since the last inspection in 2013, by working through our comprehensive improvement plan, that has children and young people at the heart of it:-

 

 

 

(i)       securing significant additional corporate investment;

 

(ii)      support from Senior Management and Leaders across all areas of the Council and Partner Organisations; and

 

(iii)      as noted in the report, ‘Corporate parenting is ‘highly effective and emulates what a good parent should be’ and that ‘the local authority sense of corporate responsibility for children in care and care leavers is unambiguous’ and senior leaders provide proactive and committed corporate parenting; the report also highlights examples of practice that ‘exemplifies excellence in corporate parenting’;

 

 

 

(c)      notes that, in addition, the Council was commended for putting children at the centre of practice, with children and young people across the city benefiting from child focused staff and services and that the views of children and young people are valued at all levels, and the Local Authority has created an environment in which good social work is nurtured and celebrated, with a skilled and confident workforce;

 

 

 

(d)      notes that, although Ofsted highlighted many positive areas of practice, they also highlighted some areas that ‘requires improvement to be good’, which we identified in our self-assessment form sent to the Inspectors prior to their visit, but that the report also acknowledged in all those areas of concern senior management and leaders were aware of those weaknesses, had effective plans in place to mitigate risk and were taking action to improve each area of practice;

 

(e)      believes that this is a fantastic achievement, and all the more remarkable given increasing financial difficulties and increasing demand as more children and young people are coming into care with more complex needs, and thanks must go to the dedicated staff in children’s services, all council staff, foster carers, adopters, our agency partners, the community sector, Councillors, and all corporate parents who work so hard to ensure our children and young people and their families are safe, happy, secure, and achieve their full potential;

 

 

 

(f)       notes that under this Administration the aim is to continue to improve the service the Council provides and reach ‘outstanding’, and believes that by working together we will achieve this in the future;

 

(g)      congratulates and thanks the staff at all levels who work incredibly hard to support the most vulnerable young people in our city and have been recognised by Ofsted as providing a good and improving service; and

 

 

 

(h)      thanks foster carers in particular, for the incredible job they do in welcoming young people into their homes and providing the stable home life they need.

 

 

 

 

8.6.1

(NOTE: Councillors Angela Argenzio, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Paul Turpin, Peter Garbutt and Alison Teal voted for paragraphs (b), (c), (g) and (h), and abstained from voting on paragraphs (a), (d), (e) and (f) of the Substantive Motion, and asked for this to be recorded.)