Daily roundup: Inspections, financial management and mental health
Derren Hayes
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
East Sussex children's social care judged "good" by Ofsted; spend on agency staff triples at Windsor children's services; and new chair announced for mental health body, all in the news today.
Children’s social care services at East Sussex County Council have been judged as “good” by Ofsted. The partnership work of the Local Safeguarding Children Board was also judged to be "good" by the inspectorate. The authority is one of the first to be assessed under the new single inspection framework.
Children’s services in Windsor tripled the amount spent on agency staff over the past year. Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Windsor Observer show the amount spent on agency staff by the department rose from £456,007 in 2012/13 to £1,547,652 in 2013/14. Councillors are attributing the rise to a council-wide move away from nationally agreed terms and conditions in February last year.
Sue Bailey, outgoing president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, is to take over as chair of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition in July. Child psychiatrist Dr Bailey has been president of the royal college for three years and will take over at the coalition from Barbara Rayment.
Children’s services in Buckinghamshire have overspent by £2.5million in the last financial year, the Bucks Herald reports. The council said the overspend was to meet a rise in the number of looked-after children in the county. Two extra teams of social workers have been taken on to meet the demand, it added.
The Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) is one of 48 health, care and housing organisations to sign up to a three-year strategy to support people’s independence and develop personalisation services. Working together for personalised, community-based care and support 2014-17, is a new partnership agreement organised by Think Local Act Personal. ADCS is supporting the initiative by disseminating case studies of what good personalised support looks like for children and young people.
Concerns about the Department for Education's handling of allegations of extremism in Birmingham schools have been raised by Theresa May. According to the BBC, the Home Secretary has asked Education Secretary Michael Gove about claims his department was aware of allegations in 2010 and Birmingham Council two years earlier. In a letter, Mrs May said: "The allegations relating to schools in Birmingham raise serious questions about the quality of school governance and oversight arrangements."
