On 13 December 2011, Tim Loughton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families gave an update to Parliament on progress being made across the range of commitments in the Government response to the Munro Review, published in July. The update was given in reply to a written Parliamentary Question.
The Minster’s full answer reiterates the important message that implementing Professor Munro’s recommendations requires a shift in mindset. The Government response to the Munro Review was not intended to be a one-off set of recommended solutions imposed from the centre, but a joint venture between central Government, local agencies, local authorities and professionals. Our reforms are designed to shift the focus of the child protection system on to the things that matter most: the views and experiences of children and young people.
The following progress has been made on the Government's commitments.
- Government has worked with professionals to inform the consultation on Working Together to Safeguard Children (Working Together) and the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families, which will take place early next year.
- Local child safeguarding performance information has been developed by the Government, Ofsted, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) and a range of other partners. National performance information will be consulted on in the new year.
- Ofsted has consulted on child-centred inspection, and relevant inspectorates have agreed to update on a joint inspection model by May 2012.
- The Government has published a work programme, Safeguarding Children in the reformed NHS. This will be followed by a stakeholder consultation in January 2012 on a draft Accountabilities Framework, prepared by the Chief Nursing Officer.
- Following work with partners, the Government has decided that a new statutory duty on delivering a transparent and coordinated offer of early help is not needed, as there is sufficient existing legislation to deliver Professor Munro’s vision for children and families. In the meantime, local areas are encouraged to continue to work to provide early help for the reasons articulated by Professor Munro.
- Eight local authorities are trialling more flexible approaches to assessment and emerging evidence is encouraging, and suggests that replacing nationally prescribed timescales for assessment with timely, professional judgments can have the positive impact on practice envisaged by Professor Munro. To gather further evidence, trials have been extended until 31 March 2012 and flexibilities will be consulted on as part of the broader Working Together to Safeguard Children and the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families early next year.
- Following a consultation and a market sounding exercise, it has been decided that the National electronic Common Assessment Framework system (National eCAF) will be decommissioned. This is consistent with Professor Munro’s view that the constraints to local innovation and professional judgment created by prescribing approaches (such as national IT systems) should be removed. Government will work with current users of the system to ensure a smooth transition and consider options to secure value out of the Government owned assets will be considered.
- To support the local redesigning of child and family social work, the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and the College of Social Work are supporting local authorities in designating a Principal Child and Family Social Worker in every local area. Child protection reforms are underpinned by workforce reform for social workers, being led by the Social Work Reform Board and the College of Social Work.
- The Government has been making preparations for the appointment of a Chief Social Worker and is confident that they will be in post in 2012.
- A consultation on new guidance for Directors of Children’s Services and Lead Members is currently underway, to clarify their roles. Discussions with groups of Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) Chairs about how to strengthen their central role have also taken place. Further options will be explored with stakeholders.
- Following Professor Munro’s recommendation to use systems methodologies for Serious Case Reviews (SCR), the Government and partners are considering how the Social Care Institute for Excellence’s (SCIE) Learning Together model can be developed further for use. Coventry LSCB and Lancashire LSCB are piloting the SCIE model on SCRs. Approaches to learning in other sectors, such as aviation and health, are also being explored.
- In response to Professor Munro’s recommendation to end Ofsted’s evaluation of SCRs, the Government and Ofsted have developed transitional arrangements. From January 2012, Ofsted evaluations of SCRs will be more streamlined, with a greater focus on identifying and embedding learning.
- Ofsted wrote to LSCB Chairs and DCSs on 14 December to set out how the transitional arrangements will operate......read more.