Setting

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404045 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mr Gareth Williams Director of Children’s Services Leicestershire County Council County Hall Glenfield Leicestershire LE3 8RF

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YOUNG PEOPLE IN LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

This letter summarises the findings of the 2006 annual performance assessment (APA) process for your local authority. We are grateful for the information that you provided to support this process and for the time made available by yourself and your colleagues to discuss relevant issues.

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Summary

The contribution of the local authority’s children’s services in maintaining and improving outcomes for children and young people. The council’s overall capacity to improve its services for children and young people. 4 The contribution of the local authority’s social care services in maintaining and improving outcomes for children and young people.

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Summary

Grade Service descriptors Capacity to improve descriptors

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Summary

4 A service that delivers well above minimum requirements for users. Excellent / outstanding 3 A service that consistently delivers above minimum requirements for users. Good 2 A service that delivers only minimum requirements for users. Adequate 1 A service that does not deliver minimum requirements for users. Inadequate Leicestershire County Council delivers an excellent contribution to maintaining and improving the social care outcomes for children and young people in the area. The council and its partners, across all sectors, provide effective leadership for children’s services across the area. Its capacity for further improvement is outstanding. The contribution of the local authority’s children’s services in maintaining and improving outcomes for children and young people is good overall. The council provides its services within the following context. It is a largely rural two tier county authority with much of the county being

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Summary

affluent. It has a population of 134,500 children and young people under 18 years of age. There are seven district councils and currently four Primary Care Trusts (PCT). In the 2001 census the number of people registered in ethnic groupings other than the category White British in Leicestershire was 44,177 or 7.2% of the population, an increase from the 1991 census and made up from an ethnically and culturally diverse community. The council estimates that some 3.0% of Children and Young People are in need of level 3 specialist services (compared with 3.2% nationally) and 0.4% in need of Level 4 highly specialist services (compared with 0.75% nationally).

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Being healthy

The contribution the council’s services make to improving outcomes in this area is very good. The council’s performance has shown further improvement since its last APA in 2005 and results from the strong contribution made by children’s services. Services are effectively coordinated to ensure that whilst they address national targets they also focus on specific local priorities.

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Being healthy

There is good support for parents and carers through a coordinated programme of parenting groups, delivered across the county. Specific targeting in two geographical areas has resulted in good take up by parents from ethnic minority communities and the council has stated that parents attending the course have typically reported around a 50% reduction in difficulties. During 2005 – 06 the numbers of parents attending such groups has increased from 101 to 287.

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Being healthy

The most recent data (2004) indicates that whilst there has been an increase in the number of conceptions amongst 15–17 year olds the council’s overall numbers remain less than that of similar councils and the England average. Actions taken to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies are closely linked to the council’s overall Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) programme. The council can demonstrate a wide range of support activities that include piloting Parentline Plus, the youth service running groups in different localities for boys and young men (including Bengali young men) through which sexual health issues are addressed and SRE training in 70 schools.

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Being healthy

There is good participation in the healthy schools programme with 71% (203) schools (a 58% increase since 2005) participating in the programme and working towards the new National Healthy School Status. The council is on target to meet the national key performance indicator to have 80% participation by December 2006. Eighty seven schools out of the 203 schools participating have achieved Level 3 of the national healthy school standards. All pupils in schools with healthy school status can access at least two hours a week of physical activity . The percentage of schools in the county achieving the School Sport Strategy target is increasing, supported by a grant of £200,000 from Sport England. The council can demonstrate the positive action it is taking in relation to childhood obesity and promoting healthy lifestyles via a range of support and activity programmes closely linked to the Healthy Schools Initiative. For example, the use of the new Caroline Walker

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Being healthy

Trust Standards and the transforming school meals guidelines for primary school menus has led to a 13% increase in uptake, work on weight management is being piloted in partnership with the PCT in one upper school and there are arrangements in place for the weighing and measuring of all Reception and Year 6 pupils during 2006. The results will be used as a benchmark against which future improvements can be measured.

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Being healthy

Access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is good with satisfactory systems in place for referrals for acute services. 100% of all referral target times for both acute and non-acute referrals were met. In June 2005 the council carried out an evaluation of the pilot CAMHS telephone advisory service. The outcome indicated that the service is well used by a range of professionals including general practitioners and schools and as a result the council is now making this a permanent service. A web service directory is well used with over 2,500 visits per week. The web site provides an extensive range of information suitable for parents, young people and professionals. Early intervention services are available through the successful Family Steps programme and are well used. The health needs of looked after children with learning and mental health difficulties are well served by a multi-disciplinary team from within specialist CAMHS

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Being healthy

There is an increasing number of schools providing a comprehensive drug education programme and a drug advice and counselling support worker has been appointed to work with those young people excluded from school and where necessary refer them via a fast track approach to specialist services. Performance indicators show that the council needs to improve the proportion of young people in substance misuse treatment programmes who are aged less than 18 and with partners improve their access to suitable treatment regimes within a young people’s service setting rather than an adult setting.

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Being healthy

There is very good and effective partnership working in relation to meeting the health care needs of looked after children. The council maintained very good performance during 2005 – 06 with 82% of the council’s looked after children and young people receiving health and dental checks during the year. In January 2006 a new process was put in place with health care partners to further improve the quality of health assessments for looked after children. In partnership with two neighbouring authorities there has been council investment to fund two new posts for the CAMHS young people’s team that has enhanced its capacity and skill mix. As a result access to the service for adopted children has significantly improved with 20 adopted children from Leicestershire being referred to the team in the first three months of 2006 thus providing them with a fast track service. A dedicated post to work with looked after children is having a positive impact by offering

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Being healthy

speedier assessments and interventions to young people who are subject to substance misuse. Those young people with more complex needs are fast-tracked to the drugs specialist service.

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Staying safe

The contribution the council’s services make to improving outcomes in this area is very good. Children and young people living in Leicestershire are provided with a safe environment to which they are entitled. The council’s policies accord with those of the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and recognise what constitutes a safe environment. Their implementation is consistently and robustly monitored via independent audit arrangements. There are very well embedded arrangements in place between the council and partner agencies to ensure that all issues relating to child protection are fully shared and acted upon. The LSCB has developed a ‘Parents and Carers’ Guide’ on safe care and a leaflet about private tutors, which has been distributed to all children and their carers via schools.

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Staying safe

There are clear referral systems in place; families and children at risk are identified in a timely manner and the quality of preventative support is good. Timescales for initial assessments have shown a 15% improvement since the APA in 2005 and the council’s performance is now in line with that of similar councils. The council has maintained its very good performance of 88% of core assessments completed within 35 working days and its performance is significantly above that of similar councils. All assessments are checked against service plans and monitored during the supervision process.

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Staying safe

All child protection reviews have been carried out within the required timescales and conducted by an independent chair. The council’s performance in all aspects relating to registration, deregistration and the time that children remain on the register is satisfactory to good in all instances. All children and young people whose names are on the Child Protection Register are allocated to a qualified social worker.

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Staying safe

The key performance indicator relating to the stability of placement of looked after children has shown a dip in performance during 2005 – 06 with only 47% of children who have been looked after continuously by the council for at least four years having been in the same foster placement for at least two years. The council’s performance with regard to the placing of children for adoption within one year of that decision having been made is much better than that of similar councils and continues to be very good with 91% of children being placed within the year.

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Staying safe

Ofsted inspections of Leicestershire schools during 2005 and 2006 found that arrangements for learners to adopt safe practices were mainly good.

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Staying safe

In drawing up the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) the council undertook a needs analysis. As part of this activity it consulted with a range of children and young people who identified bullying as one of the areas of greatest concern to them. They identified what they most wanted and included leaflets and information on anti-bullying to be placed in the local library; more police or community support officers linked to schools with regular visits; bullying / suggestion boxes in the community; more facilities to stop gangs hanging around; better safety in local parks and on school buses and more general information on wider dangers. In response the council’s anti-bullying team has developed a comprehensive three-year strategy involving extensive user involvement. Actions taken have included: ensuring improved safety features on school buses, using CCTV where specific behavioural and bullying issues have been identified; ensuring more schools had developed a school travel

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Staying safe

plan, by March 2006 this had risen to 117 schools from 77 in 2005 with a further 36 schools due to complete in 2006; commitment from all district councils to maintain and upgrade their children’s play areas and ensure that new facilities are sited in safe locations; the carrying out of compulsory health and safety audits of schools which include specific safeguarding questions; working with housing departments across district council areas to reduce homelessness in young people; and by developing a range of peer group activities and information sessions for use within school settings that relate to staying safe.

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Staying safe

Findings from school surveys undertaken by the council during 2005 – 06 concluded that overall bullying had fallen by 15% in primary schools and 16% in secondary schools. There is a low incidence of permanent exclusion overall. Attendance is rigorously monitored to ensure children and young people are not at risk of participating in anti-social activities or placing themselves in high-risk situations due to their unauthorised absence from school.

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Staying safe

The council has a good record in establishing the identity and whereabouts of children and young people with clear and robust arrangements in place. The Tracking of Pupils out of School system quickly identifies any children not in school and allows for swift follow up action to be taken. The system also triggers notifications to be made to other authorities when children move to another area both in and out of Leicestershire. The hard-to-place protocol for children out of, or at risk of falling out of education is administered via recently established area placement and support panels that have resources to allocate to meet a child’s specific support needs. Special arrangements exist for tracking unaccompanied asylum seeking children and ensuring that those caring for them are suitable.

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Staying safe

There is a well established children’s rights and advocacy service for looked after children as well as a specific service for children with disabilities. The number of children in residential placements outside the council area remains low but all children and young people in such placements are visited by the children’s rights officer and have full access to the complaints procedure. Placements in special school settings are subject to the East Midlands regional special educational needs partnership monitoring arrangements. Placement agreement meetings ensure that carers quickly receive all the necessary information to care safely for a child.

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Staying safe

For children with disabilities or special needs the council provides a full and varied range of respite and support services to enable children to stay within the family home wherever possible. Resources provided include evening, weekend and holiday day care (including overnight care in a child’s own home), as well as residential and fostering respite care. A new respite foster care scheme for children with disabilities and with extremely challenging behaviour (Short Breaks Extra) is being launched. A new dedicated unit with two inpatient beds and an active outpatient team has been successfully piloted for Leicestershire and is helping to greatly reduce the need for out of area placements. Over 90% of children with disabilities, aged over 14 have a transition plan to support their move from children’s to adult services.

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Enjoying and achieving

The contribution the council’s services make to improving outcomes in this area is adequate. Standards of attainment are at least in line with similar areas, with the exception of Key Stage 3 where they are above the averages for statistical neighbours and well above national averages. Pupils make progress that is broadly in line with that expected at most key stages in their education, except at Key Stage 4 where pupils’ rate of progress from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4 is well below the national average. Pupils’ rates of absence from school and levels of exclusion are broadly in line with national averages. Ofsted school inspection reports show generally good outcomes in terms of pupils’ attitudes and in enjoying their education. Proportionately few schools require special measures. The numbers of schools causing concern are reducing as a result of effective monitoring and well focused intervention and support.

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Enjoying and achieving

Early Years support for schools and the private and voluntary sector has ensured that outcomes from Ofsted inspections are satisfactory or better. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils make generally good progress in the Foundation Stage. Standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1 were above national averages in 2005. Standards of attainment at Key Stage 2 were in line with national averages in English and mathematics. In science, standards were below those for similar areas and those attained nationally. At Key Stage 3 standards in all three subjects were well above national averages and above those in similar areas. At Key Stage 4 standards are above national and similar area averages. However, standards at Key Stage 4 have been generally static in 2003 and 2004 and the rate of improvement in 2005 was just below the national rate. Pupils’ progress is good from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 and just

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Enjoying and achieving

adequate from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4. Pupils’ progress from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4 is not as strong and is well below the national average in terms of value added measures.

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Enjoying and achieving

The authority recognises the need to improve pupils’ progress at Key Stage 4 and has a range of robust strategies in place to address this issue. For example, there is a proportionate level of challenge and support for schools, based on a rigorous analysis of progress data. There is a strategy and identified actions in place to improve performance and there is evidence of engagement between the council and headteachers to achieve better outcomes for young people. It will take at least two years for significant improvements to become apparent.

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Enjoying and achieving

The authority has a well developed system for identifying and supporting schools causing concern. Although there were more schools requiring significant improvement since January 2003 than nationally or similar areas, a significant reduction has been made over the last year, particularly in relation to schools judged by Ofsted inspections to require special measures. The improvement is a direct result of targeting support to secure leadership and management, improving the quality of teaching and implementing national strategies. There are sufficient, suitable and accessible school places. Attendance figures have improved from the previous year and are now in line with national and similar area averages. However, the unauthorised rate for secondary schools is above these averages. In both primary and secondary schools fixed period and permanent exclusions are in line with national and similar area averages.

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Enjoying and achieving

During 2005 – 06, 76% of young offenders supervised by the youth offending team (YOT) were in education, training or employment. Although still below the national target of 90% the council’s performance has shown a year on year improvement and is better than that of similar councils. The council has obtained funding from the European Social Fund to deliver basic skills training and qualifications to young people known to YOT.

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Enjoying and achieving

Parents and carers receive effective support through both targeted and universal services. Partnerships with parents are good. There is early identification and assessment of the needs of vulnerable groups, especially children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The range of alternative and flexible provision for pupils educated other than at school (ETOAS) meet the needs of most learners and enables them to make satisfactory progress. However, the overall achievement and standards of attainment of looked after children in 2005 were well below national figures.

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Enjoying and achieving

The council has a vibrant Leicestershire Arts in Education provision with central support for music, dance and drama for which there is a high take up. On offer also are a broad range of recreational, leisure and cultural facilities that are used well by many children and young people, including the hard to reach groups. In 2005 – 06 the youth service exceeded the targets set for participation rates.

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Enjoying and achieving

Inspection evidence indicates that the overall effectiveness of most nursery, primary, secondary and special schools and the progress made by their pupils is at least satisfactory. Outcomes in the most recent inspections since September 2005 are generally good. The responses of children and young people indicate that they feel life in school is at least quite enjoyable and that they are happy with their education.

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Making a positive contribution

The contribution the council’s services make to improving outcomes in this area is very good. The council actively encourages children and young people to make a positive contribution. It has good strategies and systems in place to enable participation activities to include those children and young people who traditionally have been considered hard to reach. Increasing the opportunities for children and young people to make a positive contribution is underpinned by the council’s Vision for Children and Young People’s Services in Leicestershire (CYPP, page 15) and the Working Together Agreement, developed by young people, that sets out the rights and expectations that children and young people have of service providers. The CYPP itself was informed by consultation with groups of school-aged children through two major planning events held in October 2005 and January 2006. The council directly involved some young people in the appointment of

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Making a positive contribution

the Director of Children’s Services (DCS). The council’s youth service has specialist staff working closely to support young people in setting up town and village youth councils across the county and with district councils to support local youth fora in each district. The fora have been involved in local consultations, organising youth conferences and electing district youth champions. These local fora send representatives to a county youth council Leicestershire (CYCLe).

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Making a positive contribution

At a planning conference in late 2005, CYCLe members presented their views on involving young people in the new children and young people's service in Leicestershire and have been very active in commenting on national policy developments such as youth matters. CYCLe organised a Vox Pop event in the Council chamber that brought together over 100 young people from across the county to meet and raise issues with elected members and providers of services to young people.

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Making a positive contribution

The youth service provides a variety of opportunities for young people to undertake voluntary work. For example, engaging as senior members and helping run activities for other young people; volunteering to represent other young people on youth councils and fora, and undertaking community based volunteering projects as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

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Making a positive contribution

In 2005 the APA commented that the council should act upon the recommendations of the joint inspectorate inspection of the YOT, particularly in relation to expanding interventions for young people from minority ethnic communities and the youth inclusion and support panels (YISP) identifying the needs of ethnic minority groups. The council has demonstrated that it has taken action to address these issues.

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Making a positive contribution

The YOT has consulted on the needs of young people from black and minority ethnic communities (BME) and has formed a working group to improve practice. Actions have included specifically amending the parenting programme to meet the needs of minority ethnic families, providing additional staff training, ensuring young people from BME communities are offered a choice of workers from amongst a diverse group, ensuring a proportionate percentage of reparations placements that are specifically in BME projects is 6 – 7%, this reflects the general BME population of Leicestershire and undertaking work with offenders to specifically address racially motivated offending.

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Making a positive contribution

YISPs are now operating in each district, supported by other targeted prevention services such as the next level youth cafe. Since the 2005 APA the YISP has exceeded its target of working with 200 young people to prevent offending.

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Making a positive contribution

For children and young people who are looked after in public care there are very good additional arrangements for including their views through them participating in their individual care reviews, meetings with the children’s rights officer and elected members. Looked after children who participate in the Time 2 Change (T2C) group meet every six months with the corporate parenting steering group and senior managers from Children’s Services where they can raise and discuss issues of concern. This group of young people are also actively involved in a range of service planning and development issues. The group have control of a budget and decision-making powers from which they can make payments to support additional social and leisure activities for looked after children. During 2005 the group sent a questionnaire to all workers, carers and young people to improve the rules governing their funding scheme.

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Making a positive contribution

In addition to this core work, T2C work to an annual work plan. In 2005 – 06 this has included work on challenging teachers’ perceptions of looked after children through a poster campaign. Their work is also being used nationally through Aim Higher. T2C have also produced a poster of tips for social workers to improve their practice with children and young people and have audited young people’s experience of the use of estate agent sheets, previously developed by the group to give to looked after children when moving placements. As a result of their feedback the council has committed itself to improve consistency in usage in 2006 – 07.

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Making a positive contribution

A new consultation group of care leavers began in 2005 and has completely revised the information provided to those leaving care. The council’s ‘arms length’ children’s rights service is available to all looked after children and in 2005 – 06 responded to 125 requests for representation, assistance to make complaints and general support or advice (an increase of 30 requests from the previous year). The revised procedure for secure accommodation reviews gives the children’s rights officer a specific role to ensure that the views of young people are central to the meetings.

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Making a positive contribution

The 2005 APA identified that there were insufficient opportunities for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to participate in consultation exercises. During 2005 – 06 the council has sought to improve this position by ensuring that the views of individual children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and young people are fully represented in individual planning and decision-making meetings that are conducted to facilitate the participation of children with learning disabilities. Progress files and Person Centred Reviews have been piloted in a special school and a college with a view to them becoming standard practice. The views of children and young people with disabilities were incorporated into the CYPP. Independent support and advocacy systems are provided for disabled children to make individual complaints about social care or education services. The annual pupil survey has been amended to ensure the participation of disabled pupils.

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Making a positive contribution

A service for traveller children and their families, working with one targeted secondary school and feeder primary school has been very successful in engaging children and their parents and encouraging a more positive approach to education.

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Achieving economic well-being

The contribution the council’s services make to improving outcomes in this area is good. The council works with the Local learning and Skills Council (LLSC) and Connexions to ensure that children and young people, including children in care and care leavers, have sound advice and guidance at key transition points. The quality and range of advice to children and young people is evaluated and the range of opportunities is extended accordingly to ensure that services reflect the diversity of need.

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Achieving economic well-being

The 2004 – 05 APA identified the absence of an established 14–19 Strategy as an area for improvement for the council. Throughout 2005 – 06 the council has made good progress in addressing this issue by drawing up plans to better coordinate the planning and delivery of education across the 13–19 age range. A needs analysis has been completed and a new strategic alliance has been established to drive the 14–19 Strategy forward that includes commitment from some headteachers. There is a much improved and developing collaboration across the LLSC, Leicester local authority and other partners to develop vocational provision. There is a suitable emphasis on developing the Key Stage 4 curriculum so that opportunities are widened for vocational choice and coherent pathways for young people. In addition, there are vocational tasters on offer to Year 8 and 9 pupils though this is not yet in every school. Student participation in 14–19 vocational provision

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Achieving economic well-being

has increased by some 2.5% from the previous year. Almost all schools inspected since September 2005 have been judged satisfactory or better in developing workplace and other skills that will contribute to the future economic well-being of young people. Inspections of schools sixth forms also judge curriculum provision as being satisfactory or better.

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Achieving economic well-being

Partnership working has led to measurable improvement. Effective action is taken to support families in maximising their economic well-being both through seeking improvements to educational provision and with a number of targeted initiatives and strategies. There is a well coordinated approach to supporting families through such partnership arrangements. For example, the Early Years and childcare service has held joint road shows with the revenue and customs service where the childcare element of the working families tax credit was promoted and in partnership with Sure Start, planning for childcare places has been properly coordinated and developed to meet the needs of children and families. The council met its target date of March 2006 for the opening of three new children’s centres and are well on track with plans to deliver a further 24 by 2008.

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Achieving economic well-being

A further example of work undertaken by the council to promote the economic well-being of young people was the successful pilot project in North-West Leicestershire. The council worked together with the district / borough housing officers and the supporting people team to negotiate with young people and their families, provide support and successfully reduce the number of potentially homeless young people thus providing them with improved stability and better life chances. The success of this project has led to plans being put in place to now extend the pilot across all county areas during 2006 – 07. This will support action to maximise the proportion of children and young people living in homes that meet the Decent Homes Standard. The percentage of care leavers at age 19 who are living in suitable accommodation is now reported by the council to be 100% which is better than that of similar councils.

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including its capacity to improve them further

The council and its partners across all sectors provide effective leadership for children’s services across the area. Although the DCS took up his post as DCS (designate) during 2005 he did not formally become the DCS until 1 April 2006. He has a very clear vision of what a good children’s services directorate should look like and has been able to demonstrate this during 2005 – 06. Strong leadership is evident and he is able to demonstrate improvements that have taken place during his tenure. The council’s children’s services senior management structure has now been finalised with clear roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability defined.

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including its capacity to improve them further

The services for children and young people in Leicester have been developed through a strong tradition of partnership across all sectors and with an active focus on the involvement of service users, including parents and carers. The development of the CYPP was completed through wide ranging consultation on need, priorities for action, and joint- agency working arrangements. This was in order to secure performance improvement, create efficient and seamless services and achieve value for money. Within the CYPP there is very strong evidence of the active participation of children and young people. Both at a strategic level and operationally there are strong partnership arrangements that focus upon a shared understanding of the action required to improve outcomes across all five Every Child Matters areas. The CYPP, the medium term corporate strategy and the local area agreement all clearly identify the council’s direction of travel and identify common

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including its capacity to improve them further

priorities and targets to drive forward service improvements.

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including its capacity to improve them further

Services for looked after children and other vulnerable groups are good. Performance indicators and the findings from regulatory inspections support the fact that the outcomes across all five areas are good but with further room for improvement from the YOT. A conflicting criminal justice board target of offences brought to justice has meant that some young people who would previously have been dealt with outside the formal offending system have now come into it with the result that offending rates are showing an increase. The council is undertaking further discussions with the youth justice board.

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including its capacity to improve them further

Forward planning and performance management systems are well developed and used to inform practice. The council uses benchmarking and comparisons to improve its self- awareness, efficiency and performance. Staff retention and recruitment is good with low vacancy and sickness levels. Training is invested in, often jointly with other partner agencies.

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including its capacity to improve them further

To ensure that services provided reflect the diverse make up of the council area it has made very good progress in undertaking equality impact assessments across a range of children’s services. The outcomes from the reviews have resulted in some changes being made to policies, procedures and practices although it is too soon for the impact to be known.

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including its capacity to improve them further

The budget settlement has reflected the importance that the council gives to its children’s services. The council’s medium term financial plan demonstrates its financial capacity to deliver its identified priorities by investment in preventative services. It can demonstrate improvements in value for money in some areas and has taken an 'invest to save' approach in others by increasing spending to secure longer-term gains. A joint commissioning strategy is being developed with partner agencies and proposed commissioning arrangements will be linked to the value for money review currently being undertaken by the council.

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including its capacity to improve them further

During the 2005/06 year the council has faced considerable challenge in ensuring it maintained its delivery of services without detriment to service users whilst it restructured and created the new children’s services directorate. It successfully maintained good service delivery whilst achieving improved outcomes across most areas and has demonstrated excellent capacity for further improvement.

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Key strengths and areas for improvement

Being healthy: • there is effective promotion of healthy lifestyles in schools • there have been significant improvements in many of the key indicators over the past year with evidence of some innovative schemes to support national and local targets • the health needs of looked after children are assessed, met and reviewed within the required timescales. Being healthy: • improve the proportion of young people in substance misuse treatment programmes in children’s services settings who are aged less than 18.

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Key strengths and areas for improvement

Staying safe: • there are robust safeguarding procedures and practices in place to ensure that children and young people are safe • key performance indicators relating to staying safe show continued good performance • effective systems for consulting with children and young people on staying safe and strong evidence of acting on the outcomes e.g. combating bullying. Staying safe: • continue to reduce permanent and temporary school exclusions and unauthorised absences • improve placement stability for children looked after.

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Key strengths and areas for improvement

Enjoying and achieving: • results at Key Stages 1 and 3 • reduction of schools in a formal category • good support for schools causing concern; a Behaviour and Attendance Strategy has targeted vulnerable schools and networked centres of excellence • a vibrant Leicestershire arts in education provision with central support for music, dance and drama. Enjoying and achieving: • target action and support to improve educational attainment at Key Stage 4 including that of looked after children • improve school attendance including looked after children • improve the value added measure from Key Stage 3 to 4. Making a positive contribution: • the council has been effective in engaging the traditionally hard to reach groups • very strong evidence of the real involvement of children and young people in drawing up the CYPP, in service planning and having a voice with elected members • the range of activities some looked after children were engaged in to

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Key strengths and areas for improvement

improve services for other looked after children via the Time 2 Change group. Making a positive contribution: • continue improving provision and access to recreation through cross- service and partnership initiatives • reduce final warnings, reprimands and convictions of looked after children.

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Key strengths and areas for improvement

Achieving economic well-being: • partnership working includes voluntary and private providers and has led to some measurable improvement. Achieving economic well-being: • coordinate planning and delivery of good quality education for 13 – 19 year olds • raise standards of attainment and reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training.

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Key strengths and areas for improvement

Management of children’s services • the council and its partners, across all sectors, provide effective leadership for children’s services • the council can demonstrate an active focus on the involvement of children, young people and their carers • there are clear governance arrangements in place and good support for children’s services from elected members. Management of children’s services • improve the outcomes and effectiveness of the youth offending team in respect of first time entrants, re-offending rates and young people in education, training and employment • complete work on the joint commissioning strategy and value for money review.

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Aspects for focus in a future joint area review or the next APA

• Effective action is taken to further improve achievement and enjoyment by raising the value added measure from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4. • Progress in implementing the 13 – 19 Strategy across the county.

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Aspects for focus in a future joint area review or the next APA

We confirm that the children’s services grade will provide the score for the children and young people service block in the comprehensive performance assessment and will be published to the Audit Commission. The social care judgement is for CSCI information only.

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FLO HADLEY

Divisional Manager Office for Standards in Education

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JONATHAN PHILLIPS

Director – Quality, Performance and Methods Commission for Social Care Inspection

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