Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director, Care, Wellbeing and Learning

The Committee received the report outlining examples of how well Adults and Children’s Services are working together.

It was noted from the report that Care, Wellbeing and Learning (CWL) is made up of five areas – adult social care, learning and schools, early help, commissioning and quality assurance and children and families. It was further highlighted from the report that there are interdependencies between the Service and each Director responsible for the Service is part of the Management Group which is chaired by the Strategic Director. It was also noted that the Director of Public Health

From the report the Committee received a summary of further examples of collaborative working which included examples from the following:

·         Transitions and Children’s Services

·         Case transfers/allocations

·         Transitions and Early Intervention/Prevention

·         Transitions and Special Schools

·         Work experience – Children and Adult Services

·         Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Adult Social Care (ASC)

·         Learning and Skills and Adult Social Care

·         ASC Provider Services and Children’s Services

·         Adult Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and Children’s Services

Areas for development were highlighted as follows:

·         The review of the Domestic Abuse Service will bring together Children and Adults Services across the Council into one co-ordinated unit.

• The Domestic Abuse Service will work with Adults and Children through a holistic model of support.

• The work between Transitions and Children’s Services can be strengthened to enable a seamless service and effective transition as our children with SEND and disabilities move into adulthood.  A review of SEND and Disabled Children Team (DCT) is being undertaken to look at systems, processes and procedures.

• Children and Adults Services are committed to ensuring that support for vulnerable children and adults is given in a co-ordinated way and that process or systems does not allow for anyone ‘to slip through the net’.

• An ICT review and replacement programme will allow for integrated IT data and processes across Children and Adults Services.

• Early Help model is fluid and flexible and can be transferred and used across Children and Adults Services. Phase two of the model will concentrate on how the continuum of need across both services can be seamless.

It was confirmed that an update on the work being done to tackle Domestic Abuse will come back to the Committee at the October 2018 meeting.

A concern was raised that due to the large size of the service some teams would become sectoral. It was confirmed that many areas within the service are discreet in terms of budgets but that great progress has been made since 2014 to improve communications including the introduction of group management meetings.

It was asked whether any departments within the service were stretched too thin. It was noted that all departments are facing resourcing issues however all share in a culture of open communication and problem sharing. It was further noted that more resource is required in quality assurance/performance management but work is being done to ensure that performance remains at a good standard.

RESOLVED:

(i)            The Committee noted the contents of the report.