Joint area review

Joint area review of Report for children and young people Brighton and Hove

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Report for children and young people about the services they receive in Brighton and Hove

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• Being healthy • Staying safe • Enjoying and doing well at school and as they grow up • Making a positive contribution to society • Being successful in whatever they choose to do when they are adults Brighton and Hove children and young people’s report 2

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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?

Ten inspectors visited Brighton and Hove in June 2006 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/listened to a number of children and young people they met from across the city and in particular from the Moulsecoomb area ™ talked with adults working with children and young people (like social workers, teachers, youth workers, nurses, doctors, police officers and councillors) ™ spoke to parents and other people caring for children ™ met with school councils’ representatives and members of the Youth Council Steering Group ™ heard from the council and other agencies what it thinks about the services it provides for children ™ read a lot of reports; and ™ visited city wide services and specifically some in Moulsecoomb to see things for themselves.

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What did the inspectors do?

The inspectors also looked at how well particular children are doing, like those children in council care or those who have a learning difficulty or disability.

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How well are children and young people doing in Brighton and Hove?

™ The majority of young people are healthy. ™ Children and young people do not have to wait long to see a specialist if they are emotionally or mentally unwell. ™ Children and young people who are most likely to be at risk are recognised quickly and helped to stay safe. ™ The educational standards achieved by most children and young people are good. ™ The educational achievement of children and young people who are looked after by the council is satisfactory. Brighton and Hove children and young people’s report 3

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How well are children and young people doing in Brighton and Hove?

™ Children and young people behave responsibly and make a good contribution to their schools and the area in which they live. ™ Young people are prepared well for working life. ™ The number of young people who are homeless is reducing and is lower than in other parts of the country.

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Inspectors also found that:

™ the quality of children and young peoples health varies across the city and that they are less healthy in areas of poverty ™ there are high rates of drug and alcohol misuse among young people ™ some children and young people are not being assessed and receiving social care services quickly enough ™ there are very high numbers of children and young people in care and a significant number of them do not have a qualified social worker to support them ™ the number of pupils in primary and secondary schools who are excluded for fixed time periods is high ™ the number of young people involved in crime re-offend more than those in other parts of the country ™ the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training is higher than that found in other parts of the country; and ™ the number of young people going on to universities or colleges is lower than in other parts of the country.

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your area?

™ Young people appreciated the efforts being made to find out what their views are but thought more could be done to feed back the outcome of consultations. ™ Although a lot is being done to reduce bullying, some children and young people told us that they do not feel safe, particularly in their own neighbourhoods or the city more generally. ™ A number of young people with caring responsibilities spoke positively about the support they have received through the Young Carers Service and their own support group. ™ Some young people told us they were dissatisfied with the level of support they received from the Leaving Care team, particularly the effects of not having a named worker. Brighton and Hove children and young people’s report 4

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in my area?

™ The way that services work together in helping children and young people to be healthy and encourage a healthy lifestyle. ™ The way that agencies work together to safeguard those children and people most at risk of abuse and exploitation. ™ The way in which children and young people enjoy school and are provided with a wide range of recreational and leisure opportunities. ™ The opportunities available to children and young people to become involved in school and community activities. ™ The way in which young people are provided with advice and support from Connexions and other agencies to prepare for adult life. ™ The way that services work together to help children and young people with learning difficulties and disabilities to achieve and manage changes in their lives.

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What things are not so good for children and young people?

™ Children’s social care services should ensure that children and young people and their families do not have delays in assessing and meeting their needs or having named social care staff allocated to them. ™ More help and support needs to be provided earlier to families to reduce the high numbers of children and young people looked after. ™ More suitable foster and other care placements need to be provided to stop children and young people moving around unnecessarily in care. ™ When young people leave school they should have better opportunities to get the right education, job or training. This is particularly an issue for those with learning difficulties or disabilities and those young people over 16 who offend.

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