Joint area review

Joint area review Report for children and young people in Derby City

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Report for children and young people about the services they receive in Derby City Derby City children and young people’s report 1

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Why should I read this?

The law says that inspectors must look at and then report on how well local services serve children and young people in an area. This is called a “review”. Inspectors visited your area recently. You might like to read this, or the full report which you can find on Ofsted’s website, to find out what they had to say.

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What did the inspectors do?

Seven inspectors visited Derby City in September and October 2007 so that they could get a feel of what life is like for children and young people in the area. They:

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What did the inspectors do?

™ talked and listened to a number of children and young people ™ talked with adults working with children and young people (such as social workers, headteachers and school staff, youth workers, nurses, doctors and councillors) ™ spoke to parents and other people caring for children ™ met with school councils’ representatives and other representative groups of young people ™ heard from the council and other agencies about what they think about the services they provide for children ™ attended a celebration evening organised for and by children who had produced DVDS on different issues that concerned them ™ read many reports; and ™ visited a number of neighbourhoods and projects in the area.

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What did the inspectors do?

The inspectors looked at how well services make sure that children and young people are properly safeguarded. They looked at specific services for children who are being looked after by the local authority and those for children and young people with a learning difficulty and/or disability. They also looked at how good services are for children and young people who have emotional or mental health needs.

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How well are children and young people safeguarded in Derby City?

Local agencies work well together to make sure that children and young people are safe. Children and young people whose safety is at risk are given help and support when they need it. Young people have many excellent opportunities to influence the way in which services are provided for them. For example, they take part in panels for appointing social care workers, teachers and other Derby City children and young people’s report 2

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How well are children and young people safeguarded in Derby City?

staff and, through the Shadow Board, are able to influence the decisions made by councillors and senior officers.

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the council in Derby City?

The support for looked after children and young people is good and helps to make a real difference to their lives. Services provided for young people when they leave care are particularly good. The council is looking at how more children in care can have a qualified social worker.. However, those people working with children and young people in care do a good job of providing help and support for them.

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learning difficulty and/or a disability in Derby City?

Local services do a great deal to make sure that children and young people who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities get the support that they need and are able to take part in a full range of activities, both in school and in their local communities. There are excellent opportunities for them to join in leisure activities in the city. There are not enough opportunities for them to take part in work-based learning.

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How good are local sexual health services for children and young people?

The council and its partners have introduced a wide range of projects to inform young people about sexual health but they have not tested out whether or not these are leading to improvement. At the moment, the rate of teenage pregnancy in Derby is higher than in other parts of the country.

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young people?

The council offers suitable accommodation to meet the needs of most children and young people in Derby. However, there is not enough accommodation to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable groups, such as families who have been made homeless. Derby City children and young people’s report 3

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How well are local services led and managed?

The council and its partners are working very well together to put into practice their good ideas and very ambitious plans. Therefore, the chances of making things even better for all children and young people in Derby in the future look good.

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Things that need doing straight away

Find ways of telling all children and young people in the area about this report.

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Things that need doing straight away

Make sure that all agencies working with children and young people share information and have a common system for identifying any missing children.

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Things that need doing straight away

Make sure that all plans show clearly who should do what, by when and who should check that they have done it; also what money and other resources are needed to make the plans work.

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Things that need doing over the next six months

Make sure that all children in care have a qualified social worker to support them.

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Things that need doing over the next six months

Make better use of the existing information to decide how well children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are progressing and to help them make further progress in school and in their daily lives.

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Things that need doing over the next six months

Make sure there are clear ways to see whether the advice and support on reducing teenage pregnancy and improving sexual health are having an effect.

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Things that need doing over the next six months

Make sure that the accommodation young people live in suits their needs.

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For action in the longer term

Make sure that there are more flexible college programmes and a wider range of work-based learning opportunities for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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