JOINT AREA REVIEW

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• JOINT AREA REVIEW
• OF CHILDRENS SERVICES
• ISIS Day, 11 July 2006

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What is the Cheshire Joint Area Review?

• A comprehensive review of the outcomes for
  children and young people in Cheshire.
• Incorporating the inspection of Youth Services.
• Aligned with the inspection of the Youth
  Offending Team undertaken by HMI Probation.
• Carried out at the same time as the Audit
  Commissions corporate assessment of the Council
  the JAR informs children and young peoples
  block of the corporate assessment (CA).

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Joint Area Review

• Focus on the five outcomes for children and young
  people. The Children Young Peoples Plan
  in action / impact.
• Evaluate the collective contribution made to the
  outcomes for children and young people by
  relevant services in the area impact.
• Make specific judgements about the quality of
  management and leadership. Includes use of
  resources/value for money.
• Report on the well-being of all children and
  young people in the local area focus on
  safeguarding.
• Examine how local services gather and respond to
  the views of users, parents and carers and ensure
  they involve children and young people.

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Scope of Joint Area Review (JAR)

• All children and young people in
• Cheshire.
• Universal, preventive and targeted services.
• Children and young people who are vulnerable to
  poor outcomes.
• Children and young people who are looked after by
  the Council.
• Children and young people with learning
  difficulties and /or disabilities.

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Joint Area Review Inspection Team
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JAR Team

• Pixley Clarke Lead (CSCI)
• Marie McGuiness Deputy (Ofsted)
• Glenys Johnson CSCI
• Mary Varley CSCI
• Carol Long Health Care Commission
• Ken Jones (6 days) Ofsted
• Bryan Davies Adult Learning Inspectorate
• Phil Whittaker Early Years Inspection
• Pat Johnson Joint inspector Audit Commission
• Jane Attwood HMIP YOT inspection

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JAR Timeframe

• Set up meeting, 7 July 2006
• Self Assessment, 8 September 2006
• Analysis week on site, 25 - 29 September 2006
• Fieldwork on site, 9 - 20 October
• Provisional feedback end of fieldwork 20th
  October
• Draft reports issued to senior officers 29th
  November
• Local area return comments 13th December
• Final report to area 12th January
• Final feedback meetings 16th January
• Publication 5th February 2007

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Joint Area Review

• 9 20 October 2006 Fieldwork
• JAR neighbourhood study and case tracking in
  first fieldwork week, with interviews and focus
  groups mainly in second week
• Gathering evidence directly from children, young
  people, their parents and carers, front-line
  workers, service and senior managers, elected
  members and the councils partners.
• Some joint interviews involving inspectors from
  both CA and JAR teams e.g. crime/disorder
• Case files relating to the more vulnerable
  children in the area.

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Key Judgements for Fieldwork

• 1.4 Action is taken to promote children and
  young peoples mental health
• 1.6 The health needs of children with learning
  difficulties and/or disabilities are addressed
• 2.3 The incidence of child abuse and neglect is
  minimised
• 3.3 Action is taken to ensure that educational
  provision 5-16 is of good quality
• 3.4 Children and young people are enabled and
  encouraged to attend and enjoy school and to
  achieve highly

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Key Judgements for Fieldwork

• 3.7 Children and young people who are looked
  after are helped to enjoy and achieve
• 4.6 Children and young people who are looked
  after are helped to make a positive contribution
• 4.7 Children and young people with learning
  difficulties and/disabilities are helped to make
  a positive contribution
• 5.3 Action is taken to ensure that 14 19
  education is planned and delivered in a
  coordinated way, and to ensure that education is
  of good quality

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Specific Issues - JAR Initial Analysis

• Being Healthy
• Impact of CAMHS developments particularly at
  tiers 1 and 2.
• Impact of work around teenage pregnancy
  variations in some areas
• Access to health visiting for under fives
• Access in A E qualified childrens nurses
• Impact of Treatment services for substance misuse
  impact on hospital admissions.
• Consistency of approach and provision across 4
  PCTs

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Specific Issues - JAR Initial Analysis

• Staying Safe
• Progress on the strategy regarding the
  re-provision of residential services including
  the respite unit and the secure unit.
• Allocation of LAC to qualified staff.
• Re-offending rates LAC.
• Transitional plans for LDD

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Specific Issues - JAR Initial Analysis

• Enjoying and Achieving
• The effectiveness of support to improve the
  attainment of more able pupils, particularly at
  KS2 3 and attainment and progress of pupils at
  GCSE level.
• Strategy for intervention and support for schools
  causing concern.
• Attendance and exclusion of secondary school
  pupils and the relatively high numbers of
  children with LDD who are excluded from special
  schools. The effectiveness and availability of
  provision for those pupils who do not attend
  school.

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Specific Issues - JAR Initial Analysis

• Enjoying and Achieving
• Attendance of LAC
• Progress made by children with a learning
  difficulty/and or disability who attend
  mainstream schools.

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Specific Issues - JAR Initial Analysis

• Making a Positive Contribution
• Support and guidance to looked after children who
  offend.
• How looked after children and those with a
  learning difficulty / and or disability are
  supported in making a positive contribution to
  their own care planning and the wider community.

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Specific Issues - JAR Initial Analysis

• Economic wellbeing
• The coordination of 14 19 education and
  training - Strategy to improve range and quality
  of provision across the county. Progress on
  implementing the area inspection action plan.
• Success rates and Achievement of LDD and
  participation in WBL
• Participation rates in WBL of ethnic minorities

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Specific Issues - JAR Initial Analysis

• Service Management
• Strategy for residential care reducing the
  agency budget
• Workforce recruitment and retention of social
  care staff and educational psychologists impact
  of strategies
• Equality and diversity agenda
• Resourcing the childrens agenda
• Strategic planning and commissioning with health
  partners to meet local needs particular at a time
  of change for4 PCTs. Level of commitment and
  resources.
• Engagement with voluntary sector.

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Neighbourhood Study

• Criteria for selection of neighbourhood
• well-defined local area e.g. housing estate, ward
  or rural community
• percentage of CYP (0-19) broadly in line with
  average for local authority (LA) area
• outcomes for C YP in one or more of the five
  areas are significantly below average for LA area.

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Neighbourhood Study

• CREWE West End area
• May still visit
• Westminster, Ellesmere Port (which includes both
  Grange and Central wards)
• Over, Winsford

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Case Tracking

• Local authorities are asked to provide the Lead
  Inspector with a list of 100 cases, to include
• 35 looked after children or young people
• 35 children or young people on the child
  protection (CP) register
• 30 children or young people not looked after or
  on the CP register, but considered to be in need

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How does all this involve schools?

• JAR will judge the contribution of services
  provided by schools (including Ofsted
  inspections)
• Judgements will be made on the extent to which
  schools are engaged with other partners in
  decisions about strategic development of
  provision/outcomes
• How far appropriate action has been taken to
  build on the capacity of service providers -
  including the voluntary and community sectors, to
  provide high quality services that offer value
  for money
• Case tracking
• Neighbourhood studies

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The Joint Area Review Framework

• Websites
• www.cheshireschildren.co.uk
• www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/index.cfm?fuseactio
  npubs.displayfileid3765typedoc