The Scrutiny Performance Panel – Child & Family Services met on Tuesday 12 March 2024 to review the 2022-23 annual reports on complaints and compliments for both Child and Family Services and Adult Services, and to receive a briefing on the Youth Offending Service. The panel also received a performance monitoring report for January 2024 and discussed the work plan for the remainder of the year.

Child and Family Services / Adult Services Complaints Annual Report 2022-23

The panel reviewed the annual complaints and compliments reports for 2022-23. Sarah Lackenby, Head of Digital and Customer Services, presented the findings, noting that an internal audit of complaints in 2022-23 had provided an overall assurance level of Substantial.

For both Adult Services and Child and Family Services, there was an increase in Stage 1 complaints, primarily attributed to rising demand and pressure on services leading to delays. In Adult Services, 27% of Stage 1 complaints originated from a single complainant regarding the same case, described as a complex situation. Both services saw a significant rise in compliments, with Adult Services experiencing a 128% increase and Child and Family Services a 97% increase.

In response to a question about accessibility, Councillor Louise Gibbard, Cabinet Member for Care Services, and officers agreed to explore the creation of a child-friendly version of the complaints policy, with a suggestion also made for an easy read version for individuals with learning disabilities.

Briefing on Youth Offending Service

Helen Williams, Principal Officer for Adolescent and Young People Services, and Phillipa Elliott, Youth Justice Practice Manager, provided an update on the Youth Justice Service (YJS). They highlighted that funding for the Turnaround Project, which has supported 47 young people, will cease in March 2025. The service is aiming to develop more group-based work to ensure interventions can continue to benefit young people.

The panel discussed the potential benefits of recruiting peer groups to support young people, noting that opportunities for this would be developed through the existing Participation Forum in a safe and supported manner.

Currently, the YJS operates from two separate buildings: an office in the city centre and a youth justice centre on an industrial estate. The aspiration is to consolidate into a single building that offers both office space and facilities for direct and creative work, with good travel access.

The panel also heard about the service's work to encourage young people to avoid court involvement. This includes a pilot project in primary schools delivering fun, educational lessons on anti-social behaviour, with plans to roll this out to more schools. A programme for comprehensive schools is also being developed.

A significant challenge identified was the availability of housing for young people leaving custody, with most lacking the skills for independent living. While the authority works with supported living providers, availability remains an issue. The panel agreed that Supported Living for Young People Leaving Care is an area that requires further attention and will be added to the work plan for the next municipal year.

A Knife Crime Awareness Questionnaire has been developed to understand young people's experiences and guide the service's interventions. The panel expressed satisfaction with the YJS's recovery and improvement over the past four to five years, hoping this positive trajectory will continue.

Performance Monitoring

Julie Davies, Head of Child and Family Services, presented the performance report for January 2024. She noted that the trends observed were as expected following the Christmas and New Year break, with an increase in contacts to the service.

The panel acknowledged that some trends were trending the wrong way and agreed to monitor these closely. Regarding the trend graphs, it was confirmed that the upper and lower confidence limits are based on historical figures, indicating that if figures remain within these bands, the service can deliver a safe and effective service with existing resources, although fluctuations are expected.

The panel expressed particular pleasure with the progress of the Academy, describing it as very innovative.

Work Plan 2023-24

The panel reviewed the work plan and noted the items scheduled for the next meeting.

The meeting concluded at 5:20 pm.