Joint area review

Durham Children’s Services Authority Area

Review of services for children and young people

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Durham Children’s Services Authority Area

Audit Commission Healthcare Commission HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate HM Inspectorate of Constabulary HM Inspectorate of Prisons HM Inspectorate of Probation Ofsted

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Durham Children’s Services Authority Area

Age group: All Published: 21 December 2007 Reference no: 840 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Durham Children’s Services Authority Area

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the local authority or at www.ofsted.gov.uk Durham joint area review of children’s services 1

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Areas for investigation through fieldwork during the joint area review

1. Safeguarding 6 2. Looked after children and young people 9 3. Children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities 12 4. Additional investigations 15 5. Service management 23 6. Capacity to improve 23

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assessment arrangements 29

Durham joint area review of children’s services 2

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Introduction

1. The 2006 annual performance assessment (APA) for Durham judged the council’s children’s services as good, and its capacity to improve as good.

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Introduction

2. This report assesses the contribution of local services in ensuring the following for children and young people:

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Introduction

• effective care for those at risk or requiring safeguarding

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Introduction

• the best possible outcomes for those who are looked after

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Introduction

• the best possible outcomes for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Introduction

3. The following investigations were also carried out:

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Introduction

• the quality of service provided and the outcomes achieved by children and young people using child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

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Introduction

• the quality of the 14–19 strategy and provision and its impact in raising standards of attainment

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Introduction

• the quality of support and challenge for school improvement.

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Context

4. County Durham is an average size county situated in the north east of England. The total population is just under 500,000, with 22% in the 0–19 age group. The overall population has been declining over the past 30 years and the county’s age profile is changing significantly with a rise in older people and a fall in the number of children and young people. Most of the county is rural with settlement patterns centred on 12 major towns and over 300 other small towns and villages, many of them former mining villages. The minority ethnic population is 1% of the total, with a slight increase in the number of migrant workers from eastern European countries in recent years. Traveller families are the largest ethnic minority group. Many parts of the county have significant levels of deprivation and high unemployment rates. It is the most deprived English county and among the most deprived quarter of all districts nationally.

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Context

5. Children’s social care services are provided through 182 foster carers, 11 children’s residential homes and 15 field social work teams, including 12 Children in Need teams and three county-wide teams. The council operates a call centre, Social Care Direct, which handles calls about both adults and children. There is one secure children’s home, one privately run secure training centre, one combined closed female prison and young offender institution and one training prison for 18-21 year olds in the area. The County Durham Youth Engagement Durham joint area review of children’s services 3

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Context

Service is the youth offending team. There are 222 children on the child protection register and 406 looked after children and young people.

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Context

• 256 private or voluntary early years settings • 32 children’s centres • 12 nursery schools • 236 primary schools • 36 secondary schools: 26 of these are for pupils aged up to 16 and 10 have sixth forms • 10 special schools • one pupil referral unit.

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Context

7. Post-16 education and training is provided by:

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Context

• 10 secondary schools with sixth forms • two special schools with sixth forms • four further education colleges • 25 local work-based learning providers, in addition to national providers.

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Context

8. Entry to employment provision is managed by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), a local consortium controlling 187 places at present. Adult and community learning, including family learning, are provided by Education in the Community, which is funded by the LSC.

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Context

9. Educational and recreational leisure time activities, including youth work, are provided through Durham County Council and the seven district councils.

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Context

10. Primary care is provided by County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT), covering the whole of County Durham as of October 2006. Prior to this there were five PCTs covering five areas: Durham and Chester Le Street, Sedgefield, Derwentside, Durham Dales and Easington. Hospital services are provided by County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust. North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust also provides some services to the Easington area. Mental health services are provided by Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust.

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Main findings

11. The main findings for this joint area review are as follows:

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Main findings

ƒ arrangements for safeguarding children and young people are good. The Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB)discharges its responsibilities effectively and collaboration between agencies to prevent abuse and neglect is good Durham joint area review of children’s services 4

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Main findings

ƒ investment in high quality preventative work and family support services has reduced the number of children on the child protection register and the number of looked after children.

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Main findings

ƒ the quality of social care assessments is improving with more robust systems in place to tackle inconsistencies

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Main findings

ƒ services make a good contribution to improving outcomes for looked after children and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Some practice is outstanding

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Main findings

ƒ good progress has been made in developing and establishing a comprehensive CAMHS across the county, which is improving outcomes for most children and young people although some gaps remain in provision for looked after children

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Main findings

ƒ support for school improvement is outstanding. Very effective monitoring, challenge and support to schools has brought about improved educational outcomes for children and young people in primary and secondary schools

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Main findings

ƒ the strategy for educating and training young people aged 14–19 is good. There is a cohesive and inclusive 14–16 curriculum and educational achievement of 14–16 year olds compares well with national averages. There are good localised initiatives for 16–19 year olds but these have not had time to impact at a county-wide level and the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training is above average

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Main findings

ƒ the youth service is good and, in conjunction with partners, delivers consistently high standards in a wide range of provision

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Main findings

ƒ directors and managers of local services have good knowledge of strengths and weaknesses in provision and prioritise effectively. They have a good and, at times, outstanding track record of improvement on many outcomes. The capacity for further improvement is good. Durham joint area review of children’s services 5

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For immediate action

ƒ ensure that an appropriate way is found to successfully disseminate the findings of this report to children and young people in the area

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For immediate action

ƒ ensure that children in need cases are not closed too quickly.

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For action over the next six months

ƒ Ensure that social work assessments are of consistently high quality across all social care teams.

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For action in the longer term

ƒ Develop a strategic approach to provide attractive education and training options for all young people aged 16–19 across the county.

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For action in the longer term

ƒ Improve access and level of provision of therapy services across the county.

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Equality and diversity

12. Services are effective in ensuring that most children and young people achieve their full potential. The Children and Young People’s Plan was based on an audit of needs across the county and included extensive engagement to seek the views of children and young people. Managers have actively encouraged the Durham joint area review of children’s services 6

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Equality and diversity

participation of children and young people in planning provision across a range of services, including the youth service. Participation by looked after children and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in planning provision is good. The vast majority of placements for looked after children are appropriate. The choice of placement for children of minority ethnic origin is limited due to difficulties recruiting foster carers from ethnically diverse backgrounds but the council is developing more placement choice and training in partnership with other local authorities. The council has issued equality schemes for race, disability and gender; all services prepare equality impact assessments when undertaking policy or service development. The council has effective procedures for capturing, analysing and acting upon reports of racist or homophobic incidents in schools. Services for Traveller children and young people are very

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X

13. The contribution of local services to improving outcomes for children and young people at risk or requiring safeguarding is good. There are some outstanding features. Children and young people spoken to during the inspection and those recently surveyed by the council’s children and young people’s services say they feel safe. They know who to turn to if they have a problem about their safety and think that their concerns are listened to and responded to promptly. The most vulnerable generally receive good quality service to meet their needs.

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X

14. The 2006 APA stated that the authority makes an excellent contribution towards ensuring the safety of children and young people. Strengths included: the establishment of an effective LSCB; well-developed child protection arrangements across agencies; and good planning to support children when they have been removed from the child protection register. Significant improvement was evident in the proportion of social care initial assessments undertaken promptly, and the number of core assessments undertaken on time was judged to be good. The APA also referred to the recent development of an impressive system of file auditing by managers to ensure the consistency of the quality of work.

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X

15. The good practice identified in the APA has been maintained. Action taken to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect is good. All child protection cases are allocated promptly to qualified social workers. The county-wide initial assessment team has been effective in ensuring that initial and core assessments are completed on time. In the last year, the proportion completed on time has almost doubled to 84%, which is a very high level. The percentage of referrals of children in need that led to initial assessments has improved and is close to the Durham joint area review of children’s services 7

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X

national average, although the number of core assessments of children in need is below the national average. The number of repeated referrals is above the national average. This is partly because some enquiries through Social Care Direct may have been mistakenly logged as referrals. However, a few cases have been closed too quickly and some assessments have lacked sufficient depth and analysis of need. The council is taking effective steps to redistribute resources into an integrated service approach to ensure that children in need cases are effectively dealt with at an early stage. The robust quality assurance procedures now in place are beginning to improve the consistency of assessment.

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X

16. The collaboration between agencies to prevent abuse and neglect is good, as is the quality of multi-agency partnership working. The number of children on the child protection register has reduced and decisions made at child protection conferences are clearly recorded. Support for parents involved in these conferences is also good. The work of the LSCB is good; lessons learned from serious case reviews are taken on board quickly and the implementation of any recommendations monitored carefully. Staff across all agencies are provided with high quality training in safeguarding, although the new child protection policy and procedures have not yet been widely distributed and implemented.

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X

17. Children and young people are provided with a safe environment and generally feel safe in their schools and in the community. The Anti-Bullying Service provides excellent support to schools in the development of anti-bullying policies. Most schools now have peer mentoring and ‘buddy’ schemes which are highly valued by young people. Some children and young people who responded to the council’s children and young people’s services survey report having been bullied in school at some time. They are nevertheless extremely positive about the way their teachers try to eliminate bullying; they feel the situation has improved and they feel well supported. Partners are making good use of this survey; it informs service planning so that resources are deployed effectively and efficiently. The council has good arrangements to safeguard children and young people using transport to school. All drivers and escorts have enhanced Criminal

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X

18. There are some good multi-agency initiatives to raise awareness and promote safety in the community. The Investing in Children programme has provided very good support to Traveller children and young people, aimed at keeping them safe on their residential sites and enhancing their key skills. Young people have made good contributions, for example through video production, to inform others of the dangers of substance misuse and of ways in which they can access support if they experience domestic violence. A good range of family support resources is available to support children and young people where it has been identified that they are experiencing domestic abuse. Such initiatives provide models of excellent practice but these projects are not yet implemented on a county-wide basis. Durham joint area review of children’s services 8

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X

19. Services are good in establishing the identity and whereabouts of all children and young people aged 0–16. There is a wide range of provision for pupils who are unable to attend school and provision is well matched to their needs. All young people of compulsory school age are on the roll of a school or the pupil referral unit except those whose parents elect to educate them at home. A relatively small number of children and young people are educated at home and the council systematically monitors the quality of education offered.

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X

20. Healthy lifestyles are promoted well. Most schools have achieved the Healthy School Standard and there is very good quality work to promote social and emotional well-being. A successful pilot project at Tow Law has had an impressive impact on children’s behaviour and attendance at school and has improved the learning outcomes of participants. The youth service promotes healthy lifestyles well and its work is being enhanced by the development of a Healthy Youth Work Standard in partnership with the County Durham PCT. Young people are developing good awareness of sexual health issues through involvement in sex and relationship education sessions in schools and through the youth service.

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X

21. The action taken to reduce anti-social behaviour and to prevent offending and reduce re-offending is good. Young people are making good personal gains through their contact with the youth service. Targeted intervention by the Youth Engagement Service, such as the provision of positive activities and youth inclusion programmes in known trouble spots, has led to a reduction in anti- social behaviour. The number of first time entrants to the youth justice system has reduced and is broadly in line with statistical neighbours.

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X

22. Safe recruitment practices are good and CRB and List 99 checks have been completed. There are some centrally based clerical staff who have not yet been vetted, as CRB guidance precludes the completion of such checks. Durham County Council does not agree with this, in the light of information that these people may have access to, and have agreed to check all centrally-based staff who have access to sensitive information. Although education and social care databases are run separately, they are integrated and accessible to both education and social care managers. Transport services use and are integrated into the same database. Clear advice is given to schools about the expectations they should have in terms of staff vetting in organisations from whom they commission services. Youth service CRB checks are up to date.

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Major strengths Important weaknesses

Strong leadership and management and effective tackling of weaknesses. High quality professional training in safeguarding across agencies. Effective multi-agency partnership working. Some cases are closed too quickly leading to an above- average levels of repeated referrals. Durham joint area review of children’s services 9

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Major strengths Important weaknesses

Excellent support to schools by the Anti-Bullying Service. Good impact of actions taken to reduce anti-social behaviour and youth crime. Good participation by children and young people in raising awareness of safeguarding issues

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X

23. The contribution of local services to improving outcomes for

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

outstanding features . Looked after children and young people benefit from stable placements in both residential and foster care, and the proportion of them placed for adoption is one of the best in the country. The educational attainment of looked after children is improving, with good results at Key Stage 4 in 2006, which are better than statistical neighbours for the first time. The dedicated health service for children and young people in care is outstanding, offering prompt and effective individual care and a good tracking system to ensure that health deficits on admission to care are remedied. Nearly 87 percent of looked after children had their teeth checked and an annual health assessment during the previous 12 months, which is above national figures and better than statistical neighbours. The service is very well organised with three dedicated nurses and paediatric oversight and excellent tracking systems in place.

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

24. The 2006 APA identified a fall in the numbers of looked after children. A high percentage of looked after children were cared for in family placements, including family and friends carers, with good systems of support and training helping to sustain secure and safe placements. The APA also identified good systems in place to keep track of the high numbers of children looked after by other councils that are placed in County Durham. The rate of participation by looked after children in their reviews was very good and all reviews were held to required timescales. Securing the long-term stability of placements for looked after children was identified as a key area for improvement.

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

25. The improvements identified in the APA have been sustained. The number of looked after children has fallen by approximately 20% in three years from 504 in 2004 to 406 now. This is mainly attributed to the good range of preventative services available. Improved multi-agency care planning processes, better permanency planning and high rates of adoption have also contributed to the fall Durham joint area review of children’s services 10

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

in numbers. Good short break services and the community support team provide a flexible response to family crises, and decisions about entry to the looked after system are made appropriately at a senior management level.

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

26. The educational attainment of looked after children has been a key priority in recent years. The council has produced good clear guidance on roles and responsibilities for staff and carers in supporting children’s education. The access service provides extensive support for schools and carefully coordinates support for all looked after children of school age through a system of education key workers. The quality of personal education plans is good. A mentoring scheme in partnership with Durham University is highly valued and effective in helping looked after children to make progress at school.

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

27. Attendance of looked after children at school is in line with the national average for looked after children. Key Stage 4 results improved significantly in 2006 and are amongst the best in the country. Nearly 21 percent of looked after children achieved five A*–C grades at GCSE compared with 8.5% nationally for this group, 69% achieved at least five A*–G grades and nearly 90 percent achieved at least one grade A*–G. There are early indications that the access service is achieving improved results, although the caseloads of key workers are high. Many looked after children are in education, employment and training after the age of 16 and are benefiting, along with others, from improved services for all children within this age group across the county.

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

28. Looked after children appear safe. They are all allocated to qualified social workers and have care plans that are reviewed regularly. The independent reviewing officer service has good systems to avoid drift and delay in the implementation of plans. The council’s good Invest to Save approach in relation to placements for looked after children has resulted in very few children being placed out of area; this has enabled stability of school placements, better safety monitoring and easier contact with children’s families. A teenage fostering scheme and a treatment foster care scheme effectively support some very troubled young people to remain in family settings. In a recent inspection, the fostering service received an excellent rating. Managers are taking appropriate action to improve the breadth of and support for fostering placements for children of minority ethnic origin, although choice is currently limited.

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

29. The residential care service is good, with homes generally meeting national minimum standards and very good collaboration with the fostering service to ensure appropriate placement choices. Short to mid-term stability of placements is good. There has been some improvement in longer-term stability, particularly in the residential sector, but there is further work to do to reduce the rate of disruptions of long-term foster placements. An excellent restorative justice scheme is being rolled out across all homes under the management of the Multi- Agency Looked After Partnership Board. There are early indications that this is a good foundation from which to reduce the offending rate for looked after children, which is above that of statistical neighbours and England. Durham joint area review of children’s services 11

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

30. Looked after children are positively encouraged to participate in reviews and are regularly consulted on procedures and the provision of services. The Independent Advocacy Service, provided by the National Youth Advocacy Service is a good proactive service that is highly valued by young people. It has a strong emphasis on keeping children safe and good links with placement services. Good arrangements are made to keep looked after children in contact with their families. There is a good young carers’ service provided by a local voluntary organisation, although funding limits the project’s capacity to work continuously with all schools.

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

31. The STEPS service provides good therapeutic input for looked after children from specialist social workers. However, CAMHS are not provided in a consistent way across the county. The partnership has externally evaluated current provision and agreed a development plan which is currently being implemented. CAMHS support for looked after children and for placements at risk of breakdown is judged to be adequate and the needs of the looked after service have fed into the review of the CAMHS strategy.

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

32. Management of services for looked after children is strong with a clear sense of direction. The Multi-Agency Looked After Partnership demonstrates a clear commitment from key agencies to deliver improved outcomes for looked after children. There is a well-established reference group of looked after young people who work with the Partnership to feed in the views of their peers, disseminate information and keep a ‘critical eye’ on service development.

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

33. The corporate parenting panel works well to raise the profile of services for looked after children across the council and improve outcomes. It is very aware of its safeguarding responsibilities. However, there are insufficient regular structured opportunities for interaction with some looked after children who are in foster care.

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looked after children and young people is good. There are some

34. The Young People’s Service for care leavers has developed well in the two years since its launch. There is good performance on pathway planning and the proportion of care leavers in education, training and employment is very good and above the average of statistical neighbours and England. The council has recently introduced a good ‘Staying On’ policy to encourage young people to remain in care until age 18. Healthcare input for the Young People’s Service is age appropriate and of good quality, but is insufficiently resourced to meet the healthcare needs of all young people leaving care. The Supported Lodgings scheme is providing high quality accommodation and support for its users. However, young people and frontline staff reported a shortage of suitable accommodation for a few care leavers with complex needs.

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Major strengths Important weaknesses

Strong leadership of the Multi-Agency Looked After Partnership. Lack of consistent CAMHS for looked after children across the county. Durham joint area review of children’s services 12

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Major strengths Important weaknesses

Excellent dedicated health service for looked after children and very good health outcomes for those in care. Good quality of the adoption service and excellent rate of placement for adoption. Good participation of children and young people in service development. Good access service providing support for the education of looked after children. Flexible residential and fostering placement services.

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X

35. The contribution of local services to improving outcomes for

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

is good. There are some outstanding features. Children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are safe and achieve well as a result of the good support and opportunities provided for them. Services work effectively to improve outcomes for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, providing a prompt and responsive service. Although the formal arrangements for the joint commissioning of services are at an early stage, strong partnership arrangements exist through the partnership board, which has been endorsed as the joint commissioning forum for children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

36. Children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities benefit from research on High Needs Complex Cases, which has effectively informed the county’s partnership work and approach to commissioning of services. Invest to Save projects have informed the decision to reduce out-of- county placements and meet needs closer to home. The number of statements of special educational need has been reducing since 2004 and has been under regular review as part of a five-year Special Educational Needs Strategy. There is a relatively larger number of children in special school settings in the county than in other authorities but the dramatic reduction in the number of children placed out of the county has required maintaining this level of provision. At the same time, there is demonstrable success in including children with learning difficulties Durham joint area review of children’s services 13

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

and/or disabilities, including those with the most complex needs, in mainstream school: the numbers increased from 159 in 2004 to 307 in 2006.

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

37. The Disability Pathfinder’s review of therapy services, some growth in the disabled children’s team and imaginative short break provision are all improving services for disabled children. All disabled children over 14 have a transition plan to support their move from children’s to adult services. Services have developed a good system of quality standards to ensure that best practice is consistently followed and transition plans meet the needs of young people.

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

38. The needs of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are identified early through the five child development teams. A multi-agency programme of support is provided to ensure that children are able to maximise their potential and to access learning. When they are required, statements of special educational need are produced on time and their high quality results in effective packages of support for learners. Many children are well supported through direct school intervention. School inspections indicate that most children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress in their learning. The quality and range of learning support services available is outstanding and schools have a good understanding of, and commitment to, the inclusion agenda. New opportunities for post-16 learners are being developed with the LSC and Connexions through improving capacity within the local colleges to

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

develop and adapt the curriculum and to provide additional support.

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

39. Many children, particularly those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, have benefited from local initiatives, including integrated multi-agency working through some schools, and plans are in place to extend multi-agency working across the county. Good collaborative working between school clusters, the 14 Communities of Learning and health services has resulted in the appointment of many additional staff to support speech and language therapy. This has improved children’s development and their access to learning in some areas of the county. However, there is not yet a consistent pattern of good access to speech and language, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy services across the county.

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

40. CAMHS and the health-based learning disability service provide a range of support for children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and their parents and carers. Plans and protocols are in place for further improvement and the need for improved service development is acknowledged and planned. There are good transition procedures in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities transferring from primary to secondary school. Activities and support programmes have enabled them to settle quickly in new schools; they are well supported socially and emotionally and there is now a low level of exclusion from school. The home and hospital team ensures that any child who cannot attend school for medical or emotional reasons is provided with a good range of flexible learning opportunities. Durham joint area review of children’s services 14

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

41. The support needs of most parents and carers of disabled children are assessed well and this results in good provision, for example for siblings of disabled children. A significant number of children and their families receive direct payments. There are a small number of unallocated cases in the disabled children’s team. These are being effectively monitored and prioritised and two additional social worker posts have been created to tackle demand. A good range of short breaks is provided for children and young people with further plans for increasing the level and range of provision available particularly for those with more challenging behaviour.

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

42. Children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are able to contribute their views about their own learning and care plans and also about strategic planning through involvement in the production of the county’s Children and Young People’s Plan. The Children’s Network is in contact with more than 800 disabled children and regularly provides good information for parents, carers, children and young people. The annual fun days are popular with young people and their families. Natural Allies and the national Youth Advocacy Service provide effective advocacy and support services for children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Parents have been encouraged to play an active part in decision-making through ‘Contact a Family’ which specialises in work with families to ensure their voices are heard and through voluntary organisations such as the County Durham Autism Group. However a

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

few parents who were spoken to during the inspection expressed concern that they have not been fully involved in service development.

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children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

43. There is a good range of leisure opportunities and activities for children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Some special schools are providing innovative and exciting activities after school and also throughout the school holidays. Many young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good personal gains through targeted work within the youth service, which gives them opportunities to make new friends and discuss sensitive issues in a safe, non-judgemental environment. However, children with the most complex needs have more limited opportunities and it is difficult for those living in the more remote parts of the county to access evening activities.

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Major strengths Important weaknesses

Effective early identification and service provision for children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Excellent learning support services for children and young people at school. Excellent joint working between therapy services, learning support services and schools. Inconsistency in access and level of provision of therapy services across the county. Further development of CAMHS for children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Durham joint area review of children’s services 15

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Major strengths Important weaknesses

Good management of transitions for children and young people across key stages and particularly between primary and secondary schools. Good system for providing information and for involving children and young people in their own and service planning. Good transition planning to support the move from children’s to adult services.

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health services

44. The quality of service provided and the outcomes achieved by

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

services (CAMHS) are good . The CAMHS commissioning group and the CAMHS strategy implementation partnership are providing clear and strong leadership in updating and delivering a high quality multi-agency strategy that is based on an up-to-date and accurate assessment of need. There is good emphasis on promoting children’s psychological well-being, which is very well addressed through education. Schools rate local services as excellent in meeting the mental health needs of children and young people. Local agencies and teams work well together to provide a prompt and responsive service to children and young people. Improved waiting times for specialist services are resulting in more children and young people being seen within acceptable time-frames. Use of adult wards is being eliminated for all but a few older adolescents who identify more readily with young adults. Mental health professionals are providing more

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

effective services, which are flexible about where children, young people and their families are treated, with many good examples where engagement is becoming easier through the use of dedicated CAMHS workers, primary mental health workers and school nurses.

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

1 CAMHS delivers services to a national 4-tier framework. Most children and young people experiencing mental health problems will be seen at Tier 1. This level of service is provided by practitioners who are not mental health specialists such as GPs, health visitors, school nurses, teachers. At tier 2, practitioners tend to be CAMHS specialists such as primary care workers, psychologists and counsellors. At tier 3 practitioners are specialised workers such as community health workers child psychologists or psychiatry out patient services for more sever and complex and persistent disorders . Tier 4 services are provided for young people with the most serious problems through for example highly specialised out- patient and in-patient units. Durham joint area review of children’s services 16

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

45. The 2006 APA identified the following weaknesses in CAMHS provision: access to CAMHS; securing services for children and young people with severe cognitive impairment associated with acute mental illness; patchy progress towards a comprehensive CAMHS; coverage of services to children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities; and inconsistent provision for children and young people with severe behavioural and mental health needs. Access to CAMHS, inconsistent provision and the need for joined up assessments and interventions for young offenders were also identified as weaknesses in the Youth Offending Team Contextual Report 2006. These weaknesses led to CAMHS being identified for investigation in the joint area review.

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

46. Since the last APA there has been good progress in developing and establishing a comprehensive CAMHS across the county. Services are developing a good range of services for children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, although further development is necessary. Protocols are in place to develop services further. Similarly, there are good therapeutic social work services in place for children and young people who are looked after but mental health services for these young people are not yet provided in a consistent way across the county. Partnership working is improved for children and young people with complex, persistent and severe behavioural and mental health needs. However, the complexity of some diagnoses such as personality and eating disorders has identified gaps between the more specialised services. All of these issues have been identified as priorities for development and have

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

fed into the review of the CAMHS strategy. The time from referral to CAMHS assessment for young offenders has reduced substantially. Specialised support to the youth offending team is improving with good links established between that team, the XS team (which provides support for children and young people misusing substances) and CAMHS.

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

47. There is good and improving access to CAMHS for most children and young people. Arrangements are now in place to ensure children and young people with urgent mental health needs have access to a 24 hour service and for a specialist mental health assessment to be undertaken within one day. Positive partnership working has significantly improved access for both acute and non-acute mental health assessments for young people with mental health problems who offend. Mental health provision for these young people has much improved, particularly in the north area of the county. More generally services for 16 and 17 year olds are now in place through the transition service and this is an improvement on previous years. Partners and other agencies hold the CAMHS transition service in high regard. This service ensures consistent county-wide provision for young people from 16 years of age up to 18 years of age. The transition service takes

p.18

children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

all new referrals from across the county and works very well with the crisis team based within adult mental health and the adult liaison team based within the acute hospital. Waiting times for specialist mental health services are improving, with more cases being seen within acceptable time frames. Currently the specialist CAMHS is meeting the national 11 week waiting list target. Durham joint area review of children’s services 17

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

48. Use of adult wards is being eliminated for all but a few older adolescents who identify more readily with young adults. Most children and young people have appropriate access to CAMHS in-patient facilities; however, accessing CAMHS wards for children and young people under 16 years of age outside normal working hours is problematic. This issue has been recognised both locally within County Durham and within the north east region. Whilst long-term solutions are agreed and implemented, a ward in the West Park Hospital, Darlington, has been identified as a short-term solution. This is not ideal but it offers a safe option in the interim. The ward is rarely used and ward staff are trained in promoting child and adolescent mental health and safeguarding procedures. Whilst on this ward CAMHS staff manage the care of these children and young people well. Families and young people using these facilities are

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

satisfied with the arrangements made. Links between the CAMHS and accident and emergency and paediatric services within the acute trust are very good. Paediatric services occasionally admit children and young people who have self- harmed or have an eating disorder to a general ward. CAMHS staff are flexible in their deployment; they can be sent promptly to the ward if required and provide a very good service. A care pathway for children who self-harm is in place and works well, with CAMHS assessments carried out within 24 hours.

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

49. Good emphasis is being placed on delivering mental health promotion and early intervention within primary level services (tier 1) and specialist individual services within primary care (tier 2). However, some specialist multi-disciplinary services (tier 3) are feeling stretched, with some at this level receiving referrals that should be seen by individual professionals at primary care level. The challenge facing the service is to ensure service provision is balanced so that all levels, especially tier 2, are cohesive.

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

50. Schools and other support services provide good mental health support. The Behaviour Improvement Programme, counselling in 12 secondary schools, and ‘Listening Matters’, where staff in schools are being trained to promote the emotional well-being of children, are all helping to ensure effective mental health support is in place for children and young people. There is excellent provision for children and young people with behavioural/anxiety problems and those who are at risk of exclusion through a number of initiatives such as the Webster Stratton and Getting Along programmes, the Dinosaur School, and the Group for Anxious Pupils (GAP). GAP takes Year 11 students who ‘can’t go’ to school rather than ‘won’t go’. The group is making a significant impact on those pupils attending. A number of them achieve very good grades, which are in line with or better than the predicted grades made by their schools based on previous performance.

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

Children are positive about the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme and the Healthy Schools programme, which is on track to be fully implemented by 2009. The ‘Place2Be’ programme provides excellent art and play therapy for children with behavioural problems and is used very successfully. This programme has been developed locally to include ‘Place2Talk’ and ‘Place4Parents’. Durham joint area review of children’s services 18

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children and young people using child and adolescent mental health

51. There are good opportunities for children and young people and their families to participate in developing services. For example, children and young people were involved in developing the Emotional Well-being Strategy and have developed their own version. Parents’ events are held by the mental health trust. Parents are happy with many areas of the CAMHS such as quick access following referral by their GP, outreach work to suit individual needs, family therapy work and the very good support provided by specialist staff. Where parents have expressed a concern, such as more flexible times for appointments and being more flexible for those young people who may not be ready for adult services, mental health services have listened and are addressing the issues or have identified them within their Specialist CAMHS Strategy.

p.20

Major strengths Important weaknesses

Good progress in developing and establishing a comprehensive CAMHS across the county and improving access to such services. Clear and strong leadership with good partnership working at all levels. Good promotion of children’s psychological and emotional well- being. Improved timescales for supporting young offenders. Availability of out of hours in-patient provision.

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

52. The council and its partners’ strategy for education and training for children and young people aged 14–19 is good. The area advisory groups have increased the amount of local cooperation and planning and all parties work together very effectively. Educational outcomes have continued to improve at a greater than national rate and are now in line with national averages. The number of young people aged over 16 who are not in employment, education or training or have an unknown education, employment or training status has continued to reduce at a steady rate but remains above average.

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

53. The most recent APA in 2006 reported that effective action had been taken to develop the 14–19 strategy and that local area advisory groups were steering developments effectively. It highlighted the improving quality of post-16 education, very effective partnership work, 14–19 curriculum planning and innovative 14–19 projects as key strengths. It also noted that standards attained in some small sixth forms were too low, and although the number of young people not in education, employment or training was reducing, there was still much to do to improve the below average performance. Durham joint area review of children’s services 19

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

54. The improvements noted in the APA have been sustained. The council and its partners have achieved a sustained improvement in the proportion of young people achieving the equivalent of five GCSEs at grades A*–C at age 16. It has risen from 42% in 2003–04 to 57% in 2005–06. These results are on a par with most of Durham’s statistical neighbours and are now in line with national averages. The proportion of young people who achieve just under the five A*–C threshold at 16 by obtaining, for example, three or more GCSEs at grades A*–C, has remained constant, indicating that achievement rates are improving across the ability range as individual young people move through the achievement thresholds at age 16. Collectively, the further education colleges, work-based learning providers and school sixth forms provide suitable opportunities for motivated young people who do not achieve five grade A*–C GCSEs or their

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

equivalent by age 16 to do so in the years immediately after they finish compulsory education.

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

55. There is a similar improving trend in the proportion of young people achieving the equivalent of two A levels by age 19, but performance here still lags behind national averages. Jointly, the council and the LSC have suitable plans in place to improve both the availability and quality of level three courses across the post-16 sector education and training sector.

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

56. There is good collaboration on the 14–19 strategy. The main parties work together effectively at all levels of management and delivery. There is a clear county-wide strategic direction which is coordinated and communicated very well through the four area advisory groups. These provide good opportunities to share intelligence and bring greater cohesion to decision-making. In turn, this area-based work is supported by good cooperation between local clusters or federations of schools, colleges and training providers and joint curriculum planning groups. There has been good progress in providing a cohesive and inclusive 14–16 curriculum with increasing opportunities for vocational training and support mechanisms for vulnerable young people and those at risk of not achieving in line with their abilities at by age 16. For example the Durham 1,000 project provides effective mentoring and learning support for 1,000 young people

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

identified by their schools as needing personal support to keep them motivated. The Impact programme provides a challenging and meaningful alternative to mainstream schools for young people whose behaviour would otherwise put them at risk of permanent exclusion from school.

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

57. There is good engagement with employers. All young people have access to ample work experience and there is a small scale but valuable and effective project to provide additional work experience opportunities for looked after children in Years 10 and 11. There are good links between schools and colleges and with local employers. These include links with representative organisations such as the Education Business Partnership and Business in the Community. These links are used well to provide enrichment activities such as the Fit for Employment and the Derwentside Engineering Challenge. There is good cooperation and partnership working to share teaching and training skills across the school, further education and work-based learning sectors. The Young Durham joint area review of children’s services 20

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

Apprenticeship programme has been well managed, building on the skills of different partners and it is growing steadily. Preparatory work and planning for the new diplomas is also well underway.

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

58. The Connexions service has undertaken some good work to contact and support particularly vulnerable young people in the 16–19 age range, such as those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. It has succeeded, through good partnership work, in setting an improving trend for their participation in post-16 education, training or employment. Indeed there are currently no young people without education, employment or training after leaving special schools in summer 2006.

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

59. Across the county, the proportion of all young people not in education, employment or training or whose employment education or training status is unknown is high; in March 2007, just under one in five young people aged 16–18 fell into these categories. There is an improving trend and the gap between Durham and the national average is narrowing, which is indicative of the positive impact of localised initiatives designed to retain the interests and motivation of these young people. However, many of these initiatives are relatively new and have not had time to impact significantly on a county-wide level. The strong aspects of the cohesive and strategic approach to education and training which brings benefits to young people in the 14–16 age range are not yet fully extending to 16–19 year olds. The council and its partners recognise the need to provide an attractive range of courses, support packages and employment

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

opportunities to break down the social barriers which many young people aged 16–19 in Durham face. Plans to extend opportunities for 16–19 year olds are in place, for example the development of innovative vocational centres and increased opportunities for work-based learning.

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Effectiveness of the 14–19 education and training strategy

60. There is good pathway planning to meet young care leavers’ education, employment or training needs. The voluntary sector, such as the Moving On project, provides some very good support for care leavers and previously homeless young people to sustain independent living as they move to adulthood. However, this is hampered by a shortage of suitable housing options for these young people. Care leavers complain bitterly that the council does not provide them with sufficiently easy access to decent accommodation for independent living in locations where they can easily pursue economic or social aspects of their lives. Durham joint area review of children’s services 21

p.22

Major strengths Important weaknesses

Sustained improvement in the proportion of young people achieving a full level 2 qualification. Good and clear strategic direction Good collaboration over the 14–16 curriculum. Some well-designed county-wide and local improvement projects for young people aged 14–16. Well above average numbers of young people aged 16–19 not in education, employment or training.

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The quality of support and challenge for school improvement

61. The quality of support and challenge for school improvement is outstanding . The strong performance reported in the 2006 APA that included effective early years provision, improved GCSE results and strong achievement by boys at Key Stage 2 has been sustained. Weaker areas identified, such as achievement at GCSE by looked after children and progress made by young people generally at Key Stage 4, have also improved.

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The quality of support and challenge for school improvement

62. Excellent relationships between schools and the local authority have been built on a solid foundation of trust and respect and high mutual expectation. Durham judiciously reshaped its strategy for school improvement and its success is underpinned by a new Achievement Service formed from inspection services, school and governor support and information technology support. The achievement service is praised by headteachers for its strong vision and willingness to take the lead. Leadership and management of the service are excellent at all levels and a culture of thoughtful reflection and continuous improvement permeates its work.

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The quality of support and challenge for school improvement

63. There is a clear focus on capacity building in schools. Headteachers and subject leaders are encouraged to challenge expectations of what children and young people can achieve. Schools have also been challenged and supported to develop the curriculum so that it promotes wider engagement and more enjoyment. Effectively targeted early intervention prevents failure and contributes positively to the promotion of higher standards. The impact of this has been the better than average increase in results in national tests. Headteachers describe ‘a trajectory upwards’ when talking about these results. They link this to the appointment of senior managers with responsibility for standards and better access to, and effective use of, achievement data. Durham was made a Beacon Council in 2006 for its work in improving schools. Durham joint area review of children’s services 22

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The quality of support and challenge for school improvement

64. The service has acted promptly and decisively to strengthen the way it reviews the timeliness and impact of intervention in its schools. During the last year, two schools have been placed in special measures. While the school improvement service knew about both, and were challenging and supporting them, intervention was not as quick or substantial as it might have been. The service quickly learnt from this experience and modified its approach to good effect. Within the same period, three primary schools and one secondary school have been removed from Ofsted categories of concern. The number of schools currently judged to be in a category of concern by Ofsted is small. Ofsted’s monitoring of schools currently causing concern shows generally good progress.

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The quality of support and challenge for school improvement

65. There is a clear and effective Monitoring and Intervention for Improvement Strategy underpinned by extensive data analysis and supported school self review. Variation in the performance of schools is closely monitored and services are responding rapidly to challenge and support underperforming schools. Information is shared and resources are effectively deployed through the cross- departmental team for school standards and improvement. The role of the link inspector and school improvement partner is well defined and central to the effectiveness of the process.

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The quality of support and challenge for school improvement

66. Disseminating good practice across a wider audience in primary and secondary schools has been an important and effective part of the school improvement service’s strategy. Initiatives like the Beyond Expectations Transformation Team have been particularly successful in improving teaching and learning. Less strong is the evaluation of the impact of different facets of the service’s work and of how different activities and projects inform each other. While performance management is closely related to service development, it is not tightly focused on targets for outcomes for service users.

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The quality of support and challenge for school improvement

67. Very good attention is paid to support the outcomes for vulnerable groups in schools. The service has a broad and clear view of how the curriculum can support enjoyment and achievement, as well as the personal, social and emotional development of children and young people. Schools are expected to take responsibility for vulnerable groups of pupils, and as funding is transferred to schools more are personalising the curriculum. Careful and regular interpretation of data about different groups is changing people’s understanding of inclusion, and is helping them to support children to achieve more. An outstanding piece of work is underway with four schools that have a large numbers of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children. The relevance of this to all vulnerable groups is being understood and explored. The programme shows significant gains in building staff and parents’ capacity to work with a group of

p.24

The quality of support and challenge for school improvement

children with very specific needs, and has resulted in considerable improvement in literacy and attendance.

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The quality of support and challenge for school improvement

68. The service has shifted from being the provider of services to adopting a more critical and consultative role. An example of this is the Communities of Learning initiative, developed with schools, to help local services meet the needs of those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Other examples of highly Durham joint area review of children’s services 23

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The quality of support and challenge for school improvement

effective, innovative and multi-agency work, supporting children and young people at risk of exclusion or who do not attend school, are the Crisis Response Initiative, the You Can Centre and the Broom Cottages Centre (the pupil referral unit). In each case, both school and the child or young person is supported so that learning is uninterrupted, respective needs are met and the return to mainstream education accelerated.

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Major strengths Important weaknesses

Excellent relationship between school improvement services and schools. Strong leadership and management of school improvement. Reducing number of schools deemed weak by Ofsted. Excellent collection, analysis and use of data to support the monitoring and challenge function.

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X

69. The management of services for children and young people is good. Capacity to improve further is good. There is a well-established partnership recently formalised as a Children’s Trust, which has issued a Children and Young People’s Plan with clear, well-founded priorities. Sound strategies are in place for service delivery and improvement and are being implemented. Directors and managers of local services are competent and experienced; there is a good track record of service improvement and attention to value for money. The annual performance assessment judged capacity to improve as good. Since that assessment the organisation of the council’s children and young people’s service has developed, the five PCTs covering Durham have merged and the Children’s Trust Board has gone live. Durham joint area review of children’s services 24

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X

70. The ambition of the local partnership is good. The Corporate Plan and the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) contain clear targets and specific objectives. The action plan for the CYPP contains a wide range of numerical targets, though few relating to the diversity of the population. Many of the measures used are novel and innovative and so baseline figures did not exist when the plan was first published in 2006. The 2007 revision of the plan will have targets for all but one measure. Some of the original targets are now seen to be unchallenging in the light of achievements in 2006–07 and targets are being revised in the light of new performance information. The community strategy contains a strategic vision for County Durham in 2023 with broad aims and aspirations although some targets have already been surpassed. A revision of the strategy and its targets is underway. Councillors play only a limited role in

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X

71. The council, the PCT and other partners in the Children’s Trust have shown excellent leadership in mapping out the strategic direction across the county. They have established a framework within which the five local boards can set their own priorities, despite the hiatus in the functioning of the County Durham Strategic Partnership.

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X

72. The council has clear, annually reviewed corporate priorities. In the council as a whole, and within the children and young people’s service , budgets are adjusted in the light of changes in priorities; for 2006–07 £5.1 million was reallocated in 13 CYPS budget areas. Consultation with residents and other stakeholders informed the 2007–08 budget-setting process.

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X

73. Prioritisation by the partners is excellent. The CYPP was based on extensive audit of needs and services, conducted in each of the localities served by a Local Children’s Planning Group, enabling local, as well as county-wide, needs to be captured. The views of children and young people were extensively canvassed. Partners made a good choice in determining transport as one of the cross-cutting priorities, recognising the barrier that poor transport creates for young people accessing educational establishments, jobs, training and leisure opportunities.

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X

74. A range of good strategies is in place to give effect to the priorities including those for CAMHS, 14–19 services, the multi-agency looked after strategy and those for school improvement and for homelessness. These and other strategies are being implemented effectively, with a good emphasis on preventative measures. Young people have been involved in policy-making, for example in relation to post-16 provision. The council has issued equality schemes for race, disability and gender; all services, including CYPS, prepare equality impact assessments when undertaking developments. The council has effective procedures for dealing with racist or homophobic incidents in schools.

p.26

X

75. The capacity of local services is good. There is excellent partnership working in the Children’s Trust – encapsulated in the phrase ‘Your targets are my targets’ – and with schools and the Communities of Learning set up to support the education of children with disabilities. The merger of the five PCTs has Durham joint area review of children’s services 25

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X

enhanced capacity and the capacity of the council is being strengthened by the ongoing development of children and young people’s service. The district councils contribute significantly through their membership of the Children’s Trust Board local boards and the delivery of leisure services.

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X

76. Local children’s services benefit from significant external grant aid; however, there is some lack of clarity over contingency arrangements when these funds come to an end. There are adequate numbers of well-trained staff in most disciplines. Demand outstrips provision in the council’s youth service, with the result that fewer young people are reached. The council has a good workforce development strategy corporately, but there is neither a service-wide strategy nor an action plan to implement the corporate strategy. The Trust approved a draft partnership workforce development strategy only in May 2007 and forty trainers have been trained on a multi agency basis. However, some frontline staff have not yet received training in multi-agency working and the role of the lead professional is not fully implemented.

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X

77. Careful consideration is given to value for money. The council has invested well in a number of measures to improve outcomes and reduce costs for vulnerable children and young people. Better foster care is available for teenagers and fewer children and young people are placed far from home outside the county boundaries, both enhancing their quality of life and reducing costs. The youth service makes imaginative use of its limited resources. However, the council has high levels of surplus places in schools, often due to the rural nature of the community, and there are high levels of sickness absence amongst social care staff.

p.27

X

78. Joint commissioning of services is under-developed. Frameworks for commissioning at both strategic and service levels have been agreed and capacity to support joint commissioning has been created in the children and young people’s service through the creation of a Strategic Commissioning function. A strategy is being developed linked to key improvement priorities but is not yet fully in place. The PCT is committed to joint commissioning, but has not yet filled the relevant posts or allocated the budget for 2007–08. The current degree of joint commissioning and pooled or aligned budgets restricts opportunities to achieve better outcomes for children at lower overall cost.

p.27

X

79. Integrated working is developing at a pace to meet the needs of children and young people. Professionals from different disciplines and different employers such as the youth offending team and the multi-agency looked after panel work well to meet the needs of individuals. The establishment of over 30 Children’s Centres is supporting the development of effective locality based integrated team working. However, training on the Common Assessment Framework is at an early stage of development. . The family support strategy has been agreed and is being rolled out although holistic support for families of vulnerable children is not yet available throughout the county. Durham joint area review of children’s services 26

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X

80. Performance management in the partnership and in the council is good. At partnership level, Outcome Leads review progress quarterly and challenge under- performance before their report is submitted to the Executive Board. The software system used by the council is used for reporting on partners’ progress; measures are prioritised, with a focus on what matters most.

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X

81. There is a good culture of performance management in some services. Where it is most effective, there is an enthusiasm for continuous improvement and this is translated into appropriate team and personal targets. However, this is not universal. In social care, there is a very thorough quarterly ‘performance day’ clinic that calls for action plans where performance is slipping. Former education services have good tools for tracking projects, but less effective use of performance measures. There are many examples of performance management leading to improved performance, including health-checks for looked after children, Key Stage 4 low attainers and adoptions of looked after children.

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X

82. Overview and scrutiny committees make a good contribution through their investigations: mental health services for 16 to 25-year-olds, educational attainment of looked after children and pre-school child health have all been studied in recent years, leading to service improvements. However, councillors’ contribution to performance challenge and decision-making is more limited.

p.28

X

83. Good use is made of the views of children and young people in managing performance: annual surveys, user questionnaires, and ongoing engagement through Investing in Children are all used. The council is good at learning by benchmarking with others, for example in helping raise the attainment of looked after children. However, the council’s programme of service reviews is limited in extent.

p.28

X

84. Local services’ directors have a clear vision and competent, experienced managers support them. There is a good and at times outstanding track record of improvement on many outcomes. Key Stage 4 results and school attendance have significantly improved and the proportion of looked after children placed for adoption is one of the best in the country. There has been a steady reduction in teenage conceptions, homelessness amongst young people, and the number and cost of out-of-county placements. However, the number of young people known to be in education, employment or training, although improving, is below the national average. The rankings achieved in the 2006 Audit Commission survey of schools is evidence of the excellent partnership between the council and schools. Durham joint area review of children’s services 27

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Major strengths Important weaknesses

Good involvement of children and young people in service design and evaluation. Excellent prioritisation in partnership. Good partnership working with main agencies and with schools. Good capacity in staff numbers and qualifications. Good performance management in the council and the partnership. Strong leadership by senior managers Track record of improvement in performance. Workforce development across the partnership is only now getting underway. Joint commissioning is under developed. Durham joint area review of children’s services 28

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S ummary

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

p.30

S ummary

Durham County Council delivers above minimum requirements for children and young people. There are some highly effective services which make a clear difference to young people. There has been close working with partners in district councils, health and the wider community to develop agreed objectives for the future across organisations. The Children and Young People’s Plan was developed through a wide-ranging consultative process and includes a realistic assessment of needs. The weaker areas identified in last year’s APA have been subject to targeted action which has led to improvement, in some cases developing them into strengths. Most social care services are outstanding and performance in education services is improving. The council is clear about its future priorities and staff are well trained. It has good capacity to improve its services.

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S ummary

The full annual performance assessment can be found at:

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S ummary

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/pdf/?inspectionNumber=288982&providerCate goryID=0&fileName=\\APA\\apa_2006_840.pdf Durham joint area review of children’s services 29

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ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS

1. This joint area review was conducted using the arrangements required under section 20 of the Children Act 2004. It was carried out by a multi- disciplinary team of inspectors from Ofsted, the Healthcare Commission and the Audit Commission. The review was undertaken according to the requirements of the Framework for the Inspection of Children’s Services.

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ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS

2. The review was linked to the corporate assessment of the local council by the Audit Commission (originally to be contemporaneous with the review, but now postponed until October 2007) and these findings, plus aspects of the most recent annual performance assessment, will be represented in the relevant part of the corporate assessment report. The joint area review was informed by an extended youth service inspection carried out at the same time.

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ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS

3. This review describes the outcomes achieved by children and young people growing up in Durham and evaluates the way local services, taken together, contribute to their well-being. Together with the annual performance assessment of children’s services, joint area reviews focus on the extent to which children and young people are healthy, safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, and are well prepared to secure economic well-being. This review explores these issues by focusing on children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, children who are looked after and children at risk or requiring safeguarding, and a few additional investigations. It evaluates the collective contribution made by all relevant children’s services to outcomes for these children and young people.

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ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS

4. The review took place in two stages consisting of an analysis stage (where recorded evidence was scrutinised) and a two-week fieldwork stage (where inspectors met children and young people and those who deliver services for them).

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