TAMESIDE Council is showing signs of improvement in its ‘inadequate’ children’s services department.
That comes despite it being told to once again address ‘significant concerns’ over its dealings with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
The man brought in to drag the authority’s branch from the depths believes good signs are evident.
Commissioner Andy Couldrick will deliver his latest findings on the department at the meeting of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel on Wednesday, January 14.
And he tells of the latest findings of Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors after another inspection.
He also leaves council leaders, both political and non-political, under no illusions that their role will determine if improvements sustain.
In his report, in which he says he has now been placed in charge of parts of that facet by the Department for Education, he states:
“Tameside’s SEND services have been inspected by Ofsted/CQC and found to have ‘widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which the local area partnership must address urgently.’
“A priority action plan has been submitted and the new SEND Improvement Board is established, chaired by the chief executive of Bolton Council.
“My commission was extended by the Department to oversee aspects of the SEND improvement, related to social care’s contribution, as well as some of the leadership and partnership issues that are common to both systems and need to get better.
“The recent CQC/Ofsted inspection of Tameside’s SEND services also highlighted significant partnership weaknesses and deficits in the health offer to children in Tameside with additional needs.
“Through the SEND Improvement Board, we will expect to see improvements here too. I have met with the independent chair of the board, as well as with colleagues in the Department for Education and NHS England.
“I would expect the board to become an increasingly strong forum for overseeing change and improvement and for holding partners to account for their contributions.”
Despite what may appear as more doom and gloom on the children’s services department, Mr Couldrick does see grounds for optimism as changes take effect.
Harry Catherall’s impact as interim chief executive, before Emma Alexander took the role permanently, and Jill Colbert’s appointment as director of children’s services (DCS) have started a turnaround from what was described as a ‘bullying’ and ‘toxic’ culture.
He adds: “The interim chief executive continued to develop a more positive culture in the council since taking over.
“I have met with the new chief executive and can confirm she is aware of the areas of concern I have.
“The DCS has, throughout the summer, been covering a number of roles in her service while waiting for permanent assistant directors to take up their posts in Tameside.
“This was a significant undertaking but a better option than introducing further temporary leadership and heads of service speak positively of her accessibility and the support they have received.
“There is also increasing permanence among service and team managers. The foundations for improvement are being laid in Tameside and the first signs of strategic, corporate and service improvement are visible.
“The positive impact of permanent and stable leadership is beginning to be felt. There is now a much more stable leadership and increased permanent recruitment.
“There is an increasing sense of discipline and order in the management of practice, and early signs that activity is beginning to change, positively.
“There are still challenges, of course. Re-referral rates remain too high, initial child protection conferences are still not happening within the required timescale frequently enough, too many children in care experience changes in social worker and initial health assessments are not taking place promptly enough.
“However, one of the important features of Tameside now is that the challenges and areas needing improvement are known and understood by the service, with plans in place to address the stubborn areas of poor performance.
“The council has continued to provide financial support to children’s services.
“Fundamentally this is a product of long-term poor service performance, with an exaggerated spend on placements for too many children in care and on agency social work staff as a result of weak management, recruitment and retention activity.
“These patterns of spend will shift as stronger leadership and management continues to take hold, but it is a slow curve to turn and it will take time for the activity, and consequent costs, to ‘normalise.’
“The foundations for improvement in Tameside’s children’s services are virtually all in place now.
“The first, early signs of improvement are emerging, but there is much still to do to embed a culture of good practice, management and leadership.
“Tameside benefits from a committed and loyal workforce, in the council and across the partnership, who want to do the right thing and be the best they can be.
“It is for the leaders and the wider council and partners to enable this potential now to be realised for Tameside’s children, young people and families.”