Children's Services monthly bulletin

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John Gregg

Welcome...

You're all working really hard to improve the lives of local children and I just want to say thank you. 

I know it's not always easy. We're all increasingly busy and reviews and inspections add to the pressure we all feel. But, you still continue to give your all and it doesn't go unnoticed.
 

There are lots of good things happening. It's important we recognise this, as well as the challenges we still face around our performance and quality of practice.

Thank you.

John Gregg, Director of Children's Services

john.gregg@coventry.gov.uk

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News and updates

Together

Together, we can tackle child abuse

A new government campaign encouraging people to report child abuse launches this week.

The 'Together, we can tackle child abuse' campaign is being run in 33 areas - including Coventry. 

Using radio adverts, social media and large outdoor posters, the campaign aims to encourage the public to report their concerns in order to get help to children more quickly and address the barriers that can stop people taking action. The campaign will address all forms of abuse and neglect. 

You can find out more at www.gov.uk/reportchildabuse

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DfE visit

We're still waiting for formal feedback from the Department for Education's visit, and once we have this we'll share it with you.

The team who came said they were encouraged by what they had seen and heard. 

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Fostering

Driving ahead with fostering

The drive for more Council foster carers has continued with the launch of advertising panels across Council vehicles. Read more.

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young people fire fighting display

All fired up

Local youngsters have been put through their paces by the West Midlands Fire Service – and received a qualification to boot.

During half term eight young people from across the city completed a five day training course organised by the Youth Service, Youth Offending Service and the Fire Service. Read more.

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The Easter Bunny needs your help

The Participation Service is organising an Easter party for looked after children aged 11 and under. To ensure we have enough eggs for all the children, they're asking for donations of medium size eggs, around £2.00 - no mini sized eggs please.

If you would like to donate an Easter egg, please leave it at Civic Centre 1 reception by 21 March or contact the Participation team on ext 2989.

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News in brief

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Next steps

Children’s Services have undertaken significant steps to improve over the last eighteen months. The service is working at pace to embed and sustain the changes already made. The focus over the next few months will be to deliver on the following: 

  • Implementing the workforce strategy to stabilise the workforce and reduce the reliance on agency workers will be key over the next few months with the new social worker recruitment campaign “We’re with You
  • Improving the quality and consistency of practice by continuing to progress through auditing and quality assurance, ensuring that learning is being fed back in to practice. 
  • Ensuring that there is a greater availability of placement choice for all children by implementing the placement sufficiency strategy
  • Recruiting more foster carers and specialist carers to increase capacity to avoid residential placements for more complex children and young people
  • Ensure that the best use is made of the available resource/budget to maximise the impact on children’s lives.
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Get in touch

Email joanne.moynihan@coventry.gov.uk with your updates, comments or suggestions

March 2016

 

Performance
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Our performance - Jan 2015

Average caseloads:

- RAS - increased to 29

- Neighbourhoods - between 17-20
- IRO - down to 70


Contacts to MASH 

1537 - of these 38%(586) were referred to social care


Child Protection Plans

505


CAF

29.4% of all CAFs were held by either Health or schools against a target of 40%


Number of Looked After Children

614

Adoptions

37 children have been adopted and 41 placed


Don't Gamble with Data

Meetings and training

Children's Services Learning and Development Portfolio

The Children’s Services Training Portfolio is available on Beacon so that the service can view the training offer and how to book onto the sessions available.
Access the portfolio

Don't Gamble with Data

Have you completed your mandatory 'Don't Gamble with Data' training yet? It's vital that you do. Find out how to complete the short e-learning course.