To receive an update from Directors on the Council’s current situation for services within the remit of the committee with regards to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, including:
• current numbers compared to projections for latent demand;
• situation for staff (office/home working), impact on wellbeing and support in place;
• home education and children not in school.
Minutes:
Martin Davis, Director of Families and Children’s Services, provided an update about the impact of the pandemic on his department. Points made included:
• On a national level LAs had seen a significant increase in the number of referrals, but this had not been replicated in Wiltshire, or other good or outstanding LAs.
• The director emphasised the importance of winter planning as latent demand was coming through more slowly than expected, with the number of referrals rising slowly.
• Cases were on average more complex than those received pre-pandemic, with children subject to a Child Protection Plan being on them for longer than was previously the case.
• The number of individual referrals had increased and there was greater workload for drug and alcohol services.
• It was noted that recruitment and retention remained a focus and that there were relatively high vacancy rates in certain teams. Wiltshire was in competition with other LAs for experienced staff, but a recruitment programme was in place.
• The director reported that fostering placements had been successful, but the limited number of local places had meant that children had to be placed further from home, which, in turn, increased pressure on budgets.
During the discussion, the points made included:
• Lucy Townsend, Corporate Director of People, reported that Wiltshire had led the South West in its bid for Build Back Better Funding. Wiltshire was also working alongside other LAs in the region on child sexual exploitation, safeguarding and the lessons learned from the pandemic.
• It was reported that staff were working from home unless it was deemed essential for them to be in the office.
• Members raised concern about the reasons behind the low numbers of referrals and asked why latent demand was not coming through as predicted. Martin Davis, Director of Families and Children’s Services, explained that the number of referrals had fallen as low as 270 in November 2020, so the Safeguarding Vulnerable People Partnership had conducted a review. He reassured members that a large amount of work had gone into early intervention to ensure that cases did not escalate to a more serious level and that Wiltshire’s figures were similar to other good and outstanding LAs.
• In response to a question about the trend over the most recent quarterly figures, the director explained that there was a seasonal variation in figures. He then offered to provide statistics showing the performance of Wiltshire when compared to other good and outstanding authorities and that these would be included in the fortnightly updates.
• Analysis had shown that the key drivers of referrals were similar to those before the pandemic, including mental health, drug and alcohol related issues.
• The Director of Education and Skills confirmed that Covid-19 rates in Wiltshire were above the English average. It was reported that Public Health had risk assessed 189 settings and that plans were in place to complete the vaccination roll out in schools by the end of November. Other measures had also been taken to reduce mixing between students, such as a halt to school assemblies.
• It was reported that there had been a significant rise in the number of referrals relating to home schooling last year, with number of children being home schooled in Wiltshire peaking at 779, but numbers had since reduced to 740.
• In response to a question about the roll out of CO2 monitors it was explained that the roll out to special schools had gone well and it was expected that delivery to mainstream schools would start later in the month.
• Members were reassured that the Medical Needs Education and Reintegration Service were on hand to support pupils suffering from long Covid.
Resolved
1. To thank officers for the update provided and ask for a similar update at the January meeting, if still relevant at that time.
2. For social care figures and current case rates to be included in the next agenda if possible.
3. For officers to include the percentage of Child Protection plans for good and outstanding authorities in the performance monitoring report to be presented at the January 2022 meeting (as this are the figures that provide reassurance that Wiltshire’s Child Protection numbers are not worryingly low, despite being lower than statistical neighbours and national average).