Information Classification: PUBLIC Working with Providers – the approach continues Ben Davies – Service Director, Cornwall Council June 2020
Information Classification: PUBLIC Commissioning for the best outcomes Fostering, Residential and Education: Increasing need in Cornwall for: • Children and young people with complex needs • Parent and child family assessment centres • Sibling groups • Children’s residential homes that have some degree of flexibility in admission, e.g. same day placement • Placements within or closer to Cornwall In 2018/19 the directorate expenditure was: • Residential Care for Children and Young People - £6.022m • Fostering Placements for Children and Young People - £3.714m
Information Classification: PUBLIC Our Relationship-Based Approach
Information Classification: PUBLIC Our approach • Cornwall wants to work together with independent agencies as partners to provide the best available fostering placements and residential placements. • We want to take a co-parenting approach to fulfil our shared ambition to improve the outcomes of children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences and for those with special educational needs. • We want you to join us in asking “would it be good enough for our own child?” • This overarching service specification has been developed from what children and young people have told us , taking into account the views of parents/carers and through dialogue with representatives of independent providers. • It sets out our approach to working collaboratively with our trusted providers , based on a shared responsibility to match children with the right placement and to work together to do the best we can to improve their outcomes , fulfil their potential and give them a chance of a brighter future .
Information Classification: PUBLIC Our support to providers • Access to our core curriculum for your staff • Access to our Placement Support Team • Support if you are struggling with the regulator • Quality assurance visits, including pre-Ofsted preparation visits • Payments in advance in certain circumstances • Inflation • Payment by results for performance • Participation in corporate parenting • Continued commitment to joint working to support the best outcomes for Cornish children
Information Classification: PUBLIC What we have learnt working with placement providers • Working with providers in a collaborative manner is key to meeting the needs of Cornish children • Developing relationships with locally based providers • Ensuring sufficiency to meet the needs of children together • Looking to further develop the market • Providing support to providers as infrastructure is an issue • Being transparent and clear • Developing our relationship – shared understanding of our children and young people
Information Classification: PUBLIC Key success factors Commissioning embedded with operations Knowledge and understanding of the needs of children, young people and families Understanding of the market – good relationships Developing the market Confidence to champion children
Information Classification: PUBLIC Meur Ras Thank you
Information Classification: PUBLIC Cornwall’s Response to COVID-19 and update on placements David Roose Head of Service Children in Care & Care Leavers June 2020
Information Classification: PUBLIC What we are doing • Workers and managers are working from home • Children and care leavers are being seen through WhatsApp and other forms of communication (weekly) • Supervisions and guidance continues • Workers are seeing children where it is necessary for safeguarding and welfare • PPE has been distributed within teams • Money and store cards have been distributed within teams
Information Classification: PUBLIC Management Oversight • COVID 19 plans in place and have been reviewed once. Focus on education, health and contingency plans. Managers approving. • Heads of Service and Service Managers auditing plans and approving. • Performance management continues for strategy discussions, CIC visits, Children missing episodes, CP visits. • Ben Davies undertaking monthly seminar for managers. • Virtual team meetings with staff.
Information Classification: PUBLIC Children in Care • Numbers have remained stable 470 • Important because increase would place great strain on system • Independent partners working well with us • Not fully implemented fostering and residential DPS framework • Carefully monitoring government guidance • We are moving children where it is in their interests (welfare and safeguarding) • Health assessments continue • Laptops for CIC being worked on
Information Classification: PUBLIC Care Leavers • Run In house supported lodgings. • Use Young Devon Provision. • Increased emergency and assessment provision by 8 • Concerns about care leavers getting back into education, training and employment. • Generally not been moving young people during COVID 19 • Have a Care Leavers protocol with Housing. • Do not generally commission Care leavers provision and not part of DPS.
Information Classification: PUBLIC Family Placement • Area of high concern 80 foster carers shielding out of 180. • Lost 10% of placements (18 carers). • Teenage placements an issue. • Advertised for carers during COVID 19 and had over 40 responses. • Priority for adolescent carers bring 10 through in the next couple of weeks. • Managed to cope well and most carers continued. ‘Part of family’. • Put in place a flat in St Austell for emergencies. • Have a foster carers annex in Sennen for emergencies.
Information Classification: PUBLIC Family Placement • Developed an unregistered placements procedure should we need it. • Specialist fostering support team providing practical support for carers which is helping maintain placements. • Discussing with carers who are shielding about children going to education. Individual approach. • Independent agency placements holding up. • Providers looking within own resources when breaking down. Thank you. • Good relationships with fostering providers continue –thank you.
Information Classification: PUBLIC Residential • No in-house provision. All through DPS, current arrangements continue. • Good use of residential within Cornwall. 21 Beds. • Stability of residents – thank you. • Shortage of placements for teenage girls –mental health • Carer and child placements required. • Generally commissioning and getting responses. • We appreciate the difficulties you are under Match, COVID 19 etc. • Thank you.
Information Classification: PUBLIC Summary • Will be working differently until September • Mitigating placement difficulties • Looking to maintain care leavers in ETE. (we have averaged 1 st over last five years).. • Working to ensure that CIC attend school from September. • Working closely with Health, education, independent and voluntary sector colleagues
Information Classification: PUBLIC Moving to DPS
Information Classification: PUBLIC Why are we moving to a DPS? • To help drive high quality, affordable placements • Help stimulate market development • Join without committing to vast framework agreements • Bid for digestible amounts of work • Apply to join at any time www.cornwall.gov.uk
Information Classification: PUBLIC DPS Opportunity • Work in partnership strategically • Develop existing and new relationships to enable the best for our children and young people • Primary method of sourcing placements • Potential opportunities around soft block contracts through the DPS www.cornwall.gov.uk
Information Classification: PUBLIC Establishing the DPS www.cornwall.gov.uk
Information Classification: PUBLIC How does a DPS work? (Call-Off) Placement Requirement Advertised www.cornwall.gov.uk
Information Classification: PUBLIC Mobilising and Useful links • DPS training and support package: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/health-and-social- care/childrens-services/commissioning/fostering- residential-and-send/ • Register with Supplying the South West: www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk • Support and guidance on e-tendering: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/business/commercia l-services-and-selling-to-the-council/e-tendering- and-contract-management/ www.cornwall.gov.uk
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