Children’s Services in Hertfordshire: Reflections on the Journey
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Transcript of Children’s Services in Hertfordshire: Reflections on the Journey
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
Children’s Services in Hertfordshire:Reflections on the Journey
John Harris – Director of Children’s ServicesPARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE
June 16th 2011
Launching the new Children’s Services in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
Reflections on the Journey
A Policy Narrative for the Future
Question Zero
Concluding Thoughts
Outcomes for Children and Young People
Beyond CSF, Every Child Matters and HCTP
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
• Children’s Services ‘performing well’
• Safeguarding adequate andimproving, with good leadership andmanagement
• Unannounced inspection ‘highly effective’
• Improvement evident across mostareas of children’s services
• Schools and all partners make a majorcontribution
• Keep focus on ‘narrowing the gap’
Outcomes for Children and Young People
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
Performance Profile
C4EO three – year trend analysis shows improvement in virtually all key PIs against statistical neighbours and nationally
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
• CSF ahead of its time in 2001 and experienced usual challenges of trailblazers
• Every Child Matters an important landmark• Strong buy –in from partner organisations and majority
of professionals• Children’s Trusts provided a strong framework for
determining shared outcomes, directing resources, and holding to account locally
• Innovative service design and delivery based on multi-agency working
Beyond CSF, ECM and HCTP
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
• Schools and NHS not always appropriately linked and engaged
• Distinctive role and contribution of social care not taken into account fully
• Insufficient focus on workforce development and leadership for cultural change
• Too many priorities and scope too broad• Too much emphasis on ‘top down’ performance targets• Legacy based on partnerships, shared agenda to ‘narrow
the gap’, and track record of integrated working.
Beyond CSF, ECM and HCTP
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
Question Zero – Public Value
Public Value Proposition(e.g. To halve child poverty by 2020)
Elected MembersHealth and Well –Being BoardPartners and Stakeholders
Service structuresCommon ProcessesWorkforce Development
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
Quantitative
Related to Quality or Risk Management
Qualitative
Evidence Tested
Predictive
Transformational/Financial
Quantitative
Process Outputs
Proxy for Quality
Qualitative
Attitudinal
Case Study Approach
Hard Measures, Soft Outputs?
Outcomes
Measures
Percentage of CLA Reviews Held in Time
No. Children on CP Plan for 2 years +
Students report that they are more in control of feelings at home and in school
Longitudinal study and controlled conditions
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
Question Zero - Better Outcomes and Lower Cost
Invest in universal and targeted services to improve life chances of the poorest and reduce ‘downstream’ costs to society
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
Early Intervention
• Policies and programmes to give children and young people aged 0-18 the social and emotional bedrock to achieve their full potential
• Evidence-based programmes for 0-5, 5-11, and 11-18
• ‘Early Intervention’ places• Local funding strategy• Children’s Centres and Schools at the
centre• To tackle poverty invest more in Foundation
Years and have a clearer set of ‘life chance measures’
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
The ‘Big Society’ and Localism
Hertfordshire County Councilwww.hertsdirect.org
1. High aspirations on behalf of every child
2. A moral purpose to improve the life chances and outcomes of every child, particularly the poorest
3. An ethos that promotes prevention, early intervention, and personalised services
4. A culture of co-production with children and families
5. An investment in the social capital of our community, working in partnership locally
6. A commitment to continuous improvement, working as part of a self-improving system of Children’s Services locally and nationally
Key Principles for Children’s Services in a Big Society