Dear Colleagues,

The 2016 LSCB Survey of Professionals Working with Children and Young People is now open. Please can we encourage you all to take 10 minutes to answer the questions. The survey is anonymous and feedback from the survey is used to inform our ongoing work with children and families.

2016 Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LSCB2016

Below is a 5 minute briefing from earlier this year which provides feedback from the 2015 survey.

The LSCB survey ran from 26 June to 23 July 2015, and was responded to by over 300 members of staff from across the LSCB.  These are the some of the findings and some of the things that we have put in place as a response which will improve outcomes for children, young people and families.

1. Only 70% of respondents had read the Multi-Agency Thresholds Guidance this year.  We have taken feedback from practitioners and are currently simplifying the Thresholds document to make it more ‘user friendly’.
2. 37% of respondents did not feel confident completing an Early Help Assessment (EHA).  Did you know that the Early Help Team Officers can provide support and bespoke training to those who require it? Early Help
3. 25% of practitioners felt that outcomes intended for children and families were ‘always clear’ in plans, and 60% felt that outcomes for children and families were ‘sometimes clear’.  Since this survey was undertaken IROs have delivered sessions at the Practitioner Forums on SMART planning.  A guidance document on planning has been written, have you read it? SMART Planning
4. 21% of you thought that children and young people were not appropriately involved in safeguarding decisions affecting them.  How are we eliciting the views, wishes and feelings of the child/young person in our assessments and care planning, so that we understand their lived experience?
5. 76% of you felt that you had delivered a better service due to multi-agency training.  Our training programme can be found here: Cumbria LSCB Training
6. 81% keep up to date with learning from Serious Case Reviews. However, this means that almost 20% of you do not.  We will continue to send out key messages and deliver training so that we are learning from serious case reviews. Learning from Serious Case Reviews
7. 54% of you weren’t familiar with the LSCB’s Conflict Resolution Process.  Following feedback from practitioners the policy has been updated and renamed as the Escalation Policy. Have you read it yet?
8. We asked you “Looking back to when you first started working with children and young people - What advice would you give to your then self, now, to help working with children and families?” This is what you told us: 

‘Keep the child as the focus of your decision making’

‘Always keep lines of communication open with families and other agencies’ 

‘Never give up for children & families keeping their best interest at the centre at all times’

Thank you for taking the time out to complete the survey. The next practitioner survey will be sent out on 13th June 2016 and will run until the 3rd July 2016. We really value your feedback and hope that you all respond.