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A People Directorate:

A golden fleece or Emperor’s new clothes

Brian M. Walsh13th June 2014

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• Context

• People Directorate Vision

• Structures

• Building in assurance and testing the model

• Living with uncertainty

• Concluding observations

Content

Coventry’s Financial Context

2014/15next year

£254m

£762 per person

333,088

2013/14this year

£268m

£818 per person

328,021

FundingRevenue Budget (millions)

Population

Fundingper person

£293m

2010/11before the cuts

£929 per person

315,739

2015/16 estimate

337,985

2016/17 estimate

£235m

£687 per person

342,703

£243m

£720 per person

Cuts Per person

£111 £167 £209 £242

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A People Directorate

People Directorate Vision:

‘Enabling safe, healthy and active communities where vulnerable people are protected and have the opportunity to reach their

potential’

Four principles:

1. Continuous improvement2. People will be as independent as possible for as long as possible3. People will be expected to do more for themselves4. The Council will protect and support the most vulnerable residents

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Structure for Success?

Social CareNeighbourhood TeamsEmergency Duty Team

Children’s Discretionary Payments(Section 17 & no recourse to public

funds)

£7.6m

Looked After Children

£21.7m

Fostering (External – Foster Care Agency Fees and Allowances)Residential (Internal – The Grange)

Residential (External - Residential Placement Fees)LAC Costs, LAC Transport

Prevention & Early Help

Children & Families First (CFF Team, Education Welfare,

Troubled Families); Early Years (Nursery, Children’s Centres, two

year olds, Early Years Talker)

£5.9m

Youth Service &

Play Centres

£2.0mRAS & MASHReferral & Assessment Service; Multi-Agency

Safeguarding Hub

£3.0m

In-between Social Care and LAC

Court & Assessment Support; Legal Costs; Supervised Contact

LAC case-holdingResidential (Gravel Hill)Crisis Intervention TeamUnaccompanied Asylum

Seeking Children

£4.2m

Family Placement

Internal Fostering and connected persons

Fees (Foster Carer Allowances)Internal Fostering Recruitment,

Support and Assessment

£4.1m

PermanenceCare Leavers (Route 21 & Allowances)

Fees (Special Guardianship, Residence Orders and Adoption)

Recruitment, Support and Assessment

£5.6m

Cross-Cutting£2.1m

Family Information Service, Children’s Champion,

Parenting & Partnerships, Young Carers,

YOS

Disabilities

£2.4m

Residential (Broad Park)Disabled Children’s Services

Short Breaks

636 Looked After Children

815 Children on Protection Plans

4,723 Open Social Care cases

990 Children and Families First cases

618 referrals to Social Care (in April)

6* Data is current as at 30th April 2014Finance information is total expenditure for 2013/14

Children’s Services

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Snapshot of performance• Ofsted judgement of inadequate – Improvement Board and planning well

underway

• Significant additional resources have been made available

• Case loads are higher than we would like

• The numbers of contacts and referrals to Social Care have also increased significantly each year

• There has been a significant rise in the number of children who have a Child Protection Plan. This now stands at approximately 800, compared to 519 in March 2013

• Recruitment and retention of social workers remains key priority

• Increasing in-house foster carers is a key priority

• Improvement in the adoption service - 52 Coventry children were adopted between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2014, compared with 40 during the same period in 2012/13.

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Managing the business

• Regular Strategic Management Board• Cabinet Briefing, Cabinet and Council• Weekly Informal Cabinet Member briefing (with joint briefings for

adult and children fortnightly)• Fortnightly Operational Management Team – the ‘business’ of

running a Directorate alternates with Transformation Management Team with transformation and saving plans

• Weekly People Directorate Management Team• Quarterly People Directorate Transformation Programme Board

with partners

• A busy diary but essential to managing such a wide ranging directorate

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Testing the model (1)

• The development of an Assurance protocol to make accountability clear

http://democraticservices.coventry.gov.uk/documents/s15452/Assurance%20Protocol%20for%20the%20Effective%20Discharge%20of%20Director%20Childrens%20Services%20Function.pdf

• Developing a quality framework – it has been challenging to reflect the breadth of the Directorate

• Maintaining strong performance management of individual services

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Testing the model (2)

• Setting a framework for review with external partner. Useful to consider a ‘business perspective’ in the form of mergers and acquisitions

• Establishing a People Directorate reference group has built in time to reflect, and external challenge. Phase 1 of a 3 phased approach

• Veracity of the model subject to amendment during its 18 months initial life cycle

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Living through uncertain times

• Setting off on a voyage, with a great task to achieve, requires quality leadership both political and managerial

• As challenges arise, proportionate responses become increasingly important

• Understanding the risk thresholds of those around you, and regularly communicating understanding makes the journey smoother

• It is not a voyage to undertake alone – feedback and learning is critical

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Conclusion• Holding your nerve is crucial

“I am not stupid!” thought the man: “it must be my good office, for which I am not fit. It is funny enough, but I must not let it be noticed.” And so he praised the stuff which he did not see, and expressed his pleasure at the beautiful colours and charming pattern. “Yes, it is enchanting,” he told the Emperor.

Hans Christian Andersen

• But listening to those around you is critical“But he has nothing on!” a little child cried out at last. “Just hear what that innocent says!” said the father: and one whispered

to another what the child had said. “But he has nothing on!” said the whole people at length. That touched

the Emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but the thought within himself, “I must go through with the procession.” And so he held himself a little higher, and the chamberlains held on tighter than ever, and carried the train which did not exist at all.

Hans Christian Andersen