Agenda item
Findings of Ofsted Focused Visit to Review Arrangements for Care Leavers
The report provides a summary of findings of a recent Ofsted Focused Visit on care leavers, which took place on 13th and 14th November 2019. The report also draws attention to learning points and actions taken following the Focused Visit.
Minutes:
The report provided information to the Council’s Corporate Parenting Committee about the Ofsted focused visit to review arrangements for care leavers that took place on 13 and 14 November 2019. The inspection was not graded, but a letter was received with the outcome, which was attached to the report. It had come to the Committee for comment and review.
Members heard that inspectors had spoken to the Chief Executive of Brent Council, the Lead Member, the Strategic Director for Children and Young People, partners such as the CCG, and over 20 young people through the Care Leavers’ Hub. They had been complimentary overall towards the Council as Corporate Parents, and thought care leavers received a very strong support package from the Council and partners. The Council Tax Exemption for care leavers had been highlighted as a good initiative, and the inspectors felt the local offer was supported by the whole council, including senior leaders, partners, and care leavers. A review of the local offer would shortly be conducted, beginning with consultation with young people and care leavers aged 16+ years. This review would be presented to the Committee in April 2020.
Onder Beter (Head of LAC and Permanency, Brent Council) raised awareness of the need for further support for care leavers in apprenticeships and work experience. Practice points such as recording and showing how intervention had led to better outcomes for children and young people were identified as areas needing improvement, and an action plan overseen by the Strategic Director Children and Young People had been created with issues addressed monthly. All targets addressed would be completed by June and a report presented to the
Committee.
In response to member’s questions, Onder Beter highlighted transitions work being done to ensure Looked After Children were prepared for leaving care, with a new initiative put in place with ‘ASDAN’ to ensure every care leaver was undergoing an accredited programme of life skills before they turned 18 years old. The aim was for all Social Workers and Personal Advisers to take the training. The programme was initially targeted at those ready to take up tenancies. N fed back that she had attended life skills group workshops at the hub and would recommend it, which this new programme arose from.
In response to members’ questions about case recording needing improvement, Onder Beter explained that while personal advisors were able to demonstrate the good relationships they had built face to face with young people to inspectors, this was not reflected in the case files. It was acknowledged that there were some newly recruited personal advisors who were still learning, but audit work was now done on a regular basis. Onder Beter added that budgets meant the service was unable to have the same staff and children allocation ratio for care leavers as social workers, but the case load for personal advisors did not stand out as high pan London. The committee raised the importance of clear recordings of the management rationale for closing cases. Onder Beter acknowledged that new measures in place should ensure this.
Discussion moved on to availability of apprenticeships for care leavers. It was confirmed that the FA did not offer care leavers apprenticeships. Many apprenticeships required qualifications that many care leavers would not possess, and officers raised the need for recognition of this amongst those who offer apprenticeships. The Council worked hard to prepare care leavers and help them achieve qualifications needed, and they were also looking to sharpen their approach targeting businesses. National Apprenticeship Week was due which could be used to develop partnership arrangements. Another way they were looking to increase the number of care leavers in apprenticeships was to promote them more. It was added that businesses were cautious to offer apprenticeships therefore raising awareness of barriers was necessary.
One care leaver expressed that when she was doing her apprenticeship she was not told until it was already underway that she would not be able to pass without her English qualifications. It was agreed that there should be discussions with employers about exceptions for care leavers with a guarantee that the Council would support the young person to achieve the qualifications necessary.
RESOLVED:
i) To support the work senior leaders have been undertaking with partners to increase the number of care leavers in apprenticeships through local business contacts.
ii) To note the content of the findings of Ofsted’s Focused Visit as well as the actions taken by the Looked After Children and Permanency Service following the Focused Visit.
Supporting documents:
- 8. Ofsted Focused Visit CPC 5 Feb 2020, item 8. PDF 91 KB
- 8a. Appendix 1 - Brent Focused visit of local authority childrens services_Nov19, item 8. PDF 145 KB