Agenda item

PORTFOLIO HOLDER UPDATE

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Children, Education and Families, Cllr Peter Fortune, attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Committee.  The Portfolio Holder gave a brief introduction highlighting the following:-

 

  • Children across the Borough had returned to schools and the Council had worked closely with schools to ensure that the return had been smooth.  The Committee were reassured that there was a constant flow of information between schools and the Local Authority.  The Portfolio Holder expressed his thanks to schools for all the work they had done and were continuing to do to do to ensure that schools could remain open and provide children with the best possible education.
  • In Bromley, supporting and safeguarding the most vulnerable children was a top priority. Ensuring that vulnerable families received appropriate care and support, both directly from Council services and from our partner agencies during term time and school holidays.  The Department was proud of its approach to supporting vulnerable families and providing early help, which had been recognised by Ofsted as a ‘significant strength’.
  • Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Bromley Council had prioritised disadvantaged and vulnerable families. From the start of lockdown, almost overnight, a shielding and assistance programme was established to ensure that isolated and vulnerable families had access to support and essentials, including food and medicines.
  • Those families known to the Local Authority, continued to be supported via support services and activities including through use of grant funding together with specific Government funding. This support continued throughout the year including holiday periods.
  • For any family that is experiencing hardship the LA would use its statutory power under Section 17 of the Children Act to provide financial assistance in terms of goods and services to safeguard and promote a child’s welfare, and to prevent children entering the care of the Local Authority. Support was provided as appropriate to each child’s needs in relation to essentials which although not exclusive to food could include it.
  • Food had also been provided to care leavers as well as funded activities to reduce their isolation whilst being Covid-19 safe.  Support had also been provided to foster carers and special guardians to support children in their care with their mental health and wellbeing - to prevent foster placements and special guardianship placements from breaking down during the current pandemic.
  • There had been an increase in demand for the in-house therapy service (THRIVE) which had provided extra practical equipment to support the sessions undertaken with children and their carers.
  • For many families who had children with complex behavioural needs including complex disabilities, activities and short breaks together with food had been provided. These families had not been able to access the usual respite care provided by Bromley Healthcare due to Covid-19 and the redeployment of health staff and it was clear that the DEFRA funding had made a substantial difference.
  • Grant funds had benefitted many families where parents had found themselves unemployed or furloughed. For many families this had made the difference to their resilience, supporting coping strategies and preventing a further increase in either the Council’s care population or the numbers of children subject to a child protection plan.
  • Those parents in need of extra support were encouraged to call the MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) helpline so their call could be screened to ensure they received the correct support.  The Portfolio Holder explained that individuals often rung for one thing when actually, in conversation with a qualified social worker, the reason was discovered to be different. For example, someone could ring the number asking for advice but actually trying to report abuse, domestic violence or mental health concerns. 
  • The Early Intervention and Family Support Service had continued to offer support to families throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Initially the 6 Children and Families Centres (CFC) closed for 2 weeks but had been open since and offered a broad range of services across the Borough. All work with families was arranged in advance by an appointment booking system. Some of the work offered and undertaken included:

§  Facebook and Instagram further developed and used to keep families in contact with a wide range of services, activities and support options.

§  Learn and Play developed to meet the Covid-19 safety requirements – operating in Covid- 19 safe ‘bubbles’ of families depending on the size of the space being used.

§  Healthy Early Years London Silver Awards have been achieved across all six CFCs during this period.

§  Introduction of Light Touch Assessment for Children and Family Centre Support Officers to better understand and support families on their caseloads to ensure better outcomes for families.

§  Family Support Parenting Practitioners (FSPP) had undertaken face to face visits with appropriate PPE; in the family home, the CFC, Schools and other community venues both inside and outside in accordance with COVID safe practice guidance.  FSPP undertook virtual visits when it was not deemed safe to undertake face to face visits and had developed creative ways to undertake direct work for virtual visits.

§  Domestic Violence Abuse Butterfly cards – 10,000 produced and circulated across wider partner workforce for giving to victims/survivors.

§  Parenting online developed – advertised by word of mouth and Facebook /Instagram and emails to colleagues and partner agencies.

§  Parenting Workshops online for our PRU school site at Midfield Way, Orpington.

§  Regular visits and support to Traveller Sites continued. This included ad- hoc door-stop drops of activity sets for children.

§  The CAF team continued to host / chair ‘Team Around the Child’ meetings both virtually and face to face with the use of PPE where schools have put in place Covid- 19 safety measures.

§  CAF team continuing to deliver training virtually.

§  In addition, Children and Family Centers had Issued Foodbank Vouchers, provided activities, resources and Healthy Start Vitamin door-stop drops;

  • The Council’s work with vulnerable children and families continued all year round and, whilst the Department was period of what it had already achieved, it was ambitious to improve.
  • The recent announcement from the Government concerning the provision of funding for meals during the holiday was welcomed and the Council awaited further details which would be relayed to the Committee when it was available along with plans concerning how the department would use the funding. This would further add to the existing package of support.
  • The Portfolio Holder thanked the community and partner agencies for the support that they had provided.

 

 

Cllr Fortune then responded to questions making the following comments:-

 

·  It was clear that going forward, there would be a whole set of new challenges for the Department to overcome and there was now a need to look forward and identify innovative ways of addressing these challenges.

·  The most important consideration was that vulnerable families were received the support they required and were treated as individual units. 

·  The funding received from DEFRA had been spent in line with the conditions of the grant.

·  The Council had a clear plan on how issues would be managed going forward.  Arrangements were in place that would facilitate close partnership working.  Vulnerable children and families were the key focus for the Department.

·  Throughout the pandemic schools had worked incredibly hard to support children.  During the summer holiday staff had worked tirelessly to ensure that buildings were Covid secure.  There was clear evidence that appropriate arrangements had been put in place and where there had been local outbreaks of Covid-19 these had been well managed.

 

The Committee thanked the Portfolio Holder for the update.