Appendix 2 - Our Action Plan 2021-2024
Perth and Kinross Council · 11 March 2024
Back to Learning and Families Committee — 11 March 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1 Appendix 2 Our Action Plan 2021-2024 (Progress Update - November 2023) Whilst we have completed all the above, we still have work to do to make sure that each and every child with care experience can thrive. Below is what we will do in the next 3 years in line with the Promise Plan 2021-2024. Actions will be overseen by the Promise Delivery Group and reported to the Corporate Parenting Board. A Good Childhood Children who have been removed from their family of origin and live in and around the ‘care system’ will have a good, loving childhood. Progress to date 09/11/23 High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service Children and young people with care experience have all they need to thrive at school. 1 Review and develop alternatives to exclusion. January 2024 Education & Learning Following the implementation of updated guidance to all schools on reducing exclusion in our schools, overall exclusion numbers are at their lowest level in the last 10 years. So far in this session no children or young person who were currently looked after were formally excluded. Exclusion data is monitored monthly and termly by senior managers. 2 Ensure all children with care experience have been considered for a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP) which identifies their needs and actions taken to meet them by statutory partners. ongoing Education & Learning Further work to be done in this area via the raising attainment sub-group. 3 Ensure each and every child in our community has the same opportunities to thrive – continue to reduce the attainment gap between those from the most and least disadvantaged backgrounds. ongoing Education & Learning A range of SAC funded interventions and activity are part of our overall Raising Attainment Strategy to close the poverty related attainment gap. These are now beginning to have a
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2 A Good Childhood Children who have been removed from their family of origin and live in and around the ‘care system’ will have a good, loving childhood. Progress to date 09/11/23 High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service positive impact across all stages as evidenced in the recent Raising Attainment Report. For example, CEYP have access to 1-1 virtual tutoring at key transition points. Children and Young People are supported to strengthen relationships and spend time with those who are important to them. 4 Create a Connections Plan for every child who is currently cared for. This will detail arrangements for contacting and spending time with people most important to them. June 2024 SCYPF A connections plan has been developed by the CREST team. A short life working group has been established which will oversee the introduction of the new tool and also the effectiveness. 5 Foster and Kinship carers will receive training and support to encourage them to strengthen connections between the child they care for and those most important to them. June 2024 SCYPF The above tool and therefore the discussions around importance of sibling relationships will be rolled out over the next few months. 6 Extend the use of lifelong links so that all young people with care experience have the chance to build on the stable, support network around them. June 2024 SCYPF Lifelong links continues to be promoted. Unfortunately, the additional funding for a post was not continued past April. Alternative funding sources are being looked at on an ongoing basis.
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3 A Good Childhood Children who have been removed from their family of origin and live in and around the ‘care system’ will have a good, loving childhood. Progress to date 09/11/23 High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service Brothers and sisters will live together. 7 Where living with their parents is not possible, children must live with their brothers and sisters where safe to do so. June 2024 SCYPF Overall, 73% of Brothers and sisters living away from home who are with at least one brother or sister, down from 81% last quarter. There are 14 sibling groups where a child is not living with any of their brothers or sisters. This is an extra four sibling groups compared to the previous quarter. This indicator does not include any brother or sister groups where they are all Looked After at home. Does include brother and sister groups where there are some children cared for at home and some children cared for away from home. 40% of sibling groups are all in same placement. 25% of sibling groups where at least one child is with another sibling. 35% of sibling groups where child is with no other siblings. Young people are provided with 8 Strengthen joint working between Children’s services and Criminal justice services to expand June 2024 SCYPF This diversionary approach has been very positive for the young
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4 A Good Childhood Children who have been removed from their family of origin and live in and around the ‘care system’ will have a good, loving childhood. Progress to date 09/11/23 High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service community based alternatives to custody. programmes in the community to prevent and divert young people away from offending behaviour. people involved with support as positive outcomes towards employability, understanding self, health and wellbeing, housing, drugs, and alcohol support being evidenced. 22-23 – 79 young people engaged. 9 Co-design flexible supports with young people currently in custody which can prevent other young people becoming in conflict with the law. January 2024 SCYPF Feedback from young people involved in bail supervision informs that the above approach in terms of aspirations, confidence and skill building could have helped prevent their involvement in offending. Further investment in the universal youth offer and more structured employability offer will support this approach. Children, Young People, and their families voice is heard and amplified. 10 Using an opt-in model, independent advocacy will be provided to all children aged 5+ alongside information of how to be supported by Child's Rights Lawyers. June 2024 SCYPF IAPK continue to support all care experienced children and young people aged 5 +. Work is ongoing on how to provide advocacy for those children and young people 5 and under.
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5 A Good Childhood Children who have been removed from their family of origin and live in and around the ‘care system’ will have a good, loving childhood. Progress to date 09/11/23 High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service 11 Using an opt-in model, independent advocacy will be provided to families with children under the age of five alongside information of how to engage with Child’s Rights Lawyers. June 2024 SCYPF As above. 12 Expand the reach of our young people with care experience through the FYI group by developing further groups across localities. June 2024 SCYPF All 11 secondary schools have groups running. Mixed responses from young people with some groups having more young people interested than others. All care experienced young people who are attending the school have been made aware of the groups and have the opportunity to attend. Young people who want to leave care have stable, flexible options to support them moving on. 13 Young people are encouraged to stay with their carers but if they choose not to are prioritised for housing and supported accommodation. June 2024 SCYPF • Working with schools – key contact for schools who will raise any concern around housing. • Our work with the Promise as we are included in the group to look at the impact of this and what we can do to ensure that those children that have been looked after are
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6 A Good Childhood Children who have been removed from their family of origin and live in and around the ‘care system’ will have a good, loving childhood. Progress to date 09/11/23 High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service assessed correctly/appropriate for housing in a managed approach again to minimise disruption to them. • Our Housing Support Team – focus on early intervention and prevention, ensuring access to services to help keep the home safe and secure. • Resettlement Work – providing advice, support and to help families make a housing into a home. • Housing on line – we have recently introduced a housing on line service which means that any person can go on line to look at the advice that is available to them in terms
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7 A Good Childhood Children who have been removed from their family of origin and live in and around the ‘care system’ will have a good, loving childhood. Progress to date 09/11/23 High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service of housing rather than a 9-5pm service. 14 All young people with care experience are set up to thrive after leaving school and can go on to education, work or training. June 2024 Skills Development Scotland Following the success of a bid to the Local Employability Partnership funding for 5 locality workers was secured. The staff are aligned with the 5 localities operated by youth services and will work with other partners to target those young people who are at risk of a negative destination. A new Youth Employability sub-group has been established which will ensure that there is a focus on the most vulnerable and those with care experience. 15 Develop initial tenancy package to include painting and decorating and DIY chores. January 2024 Communities Still being developed. Joint working between TCAC and Youth Services. Whole Family Support All families need support at different times of their lives and family support is a crucial emphasis for 21-24.
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8 High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service Progress to date Increased opportunities for families in rough waters to be supported in their own homes and communities. 16 Provide support to families with children and young people before they need to enter the care system. June 2024 SCYPF A directory of services supporting families across Perth & Kinross has been collated and we are currently in the process of developing a webpage within the Council website for practitioners and families to use. This work was also aligned with a mapping initiative being carried out by PKAVS looking to map third sector provision more widely across the local authority area. Further consultation with practitioners and families is planned to identify other mechanisms of increasing awareness of available support. Further funding opportunities are being considered and prioritised by the Steering group, based on the outcomes of consultation activities with practitioners. The allocation from Scottish Government for 2024-25 and 2025-26 has yet to be confirmed and any further funding and/or commissioning of services will be dependent on the availability of these funds. 17 Co-design a range of safe harbours - early intervention and prevention supports - with June 2024 SCYPF The funding allocated through this fund has seen an extension to the Families
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9 families who have lived experience and through the families empowering community's project. Empowering Communities project to four areas, expansion of the COPE team to ensure that support is available to families outwith office hours and a range of third sector partnerships. 18 Increase capacity of Family Group Decision Making team. June 2024 SCYPF Following the loss of funding the team continue to deliver FGDM but have been unable to increase capacity. This remains a priority for future funding allocations. 19 Monitor and map the supports from 3rd sector partners. June 2024 SCYPF This will be encompassed within the WFWF project. Supporting the Workforce Children experience the ‘care system’ through people. Over Plan 21-24, support for people who care and continue to care if times get tough, will improve. High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service update A confident and competent workforce that provides the right support at the right time for children and families 20 Further develop our workforce from Trauma Informed to Trauma Enhanced. March 2023 SCYPF • Perth and Kinross Trauma Informed Level 1 eLearning Module in place and to be made available on a multi-agency basis; • An online Perth and Kinross Trauma Informed Approaches Team Development Pack (encouraging team reflective learning sessions / taking a trauma informed lens to practice
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10 Supporting the Workforce Children experience the ‘care system’ through people. Over Plan 21-24, support for people who care and continue to care if times get tough, will improve. High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service update workshops) has been developed to build on Level 1 eLearning; • NHS Education Scotland (NES) Level 2 Trauma Skilled eLearning modules circulated and highlighted for completion by relevant teams; • Perth and Kinross Council website to host a Trauma Informed Approaches webpage; collating relevant materials in one place, including examples of good TIP within P&K and highlight any future events; • Level 1 and Level 2 In-Person Trauma Informed Approaches training to be developed and offered to multi-agency staff through the CPC and ASP channels. • Trauma Enhanced Level training for social work teams is being explored and is hoped to be delivered via the new ‘Trauma Responsive Social Work Services Team’ who are tasked with delivering this nationally and based in Scottish Government.
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11 Supporting the Workforce Children experience the ‘care system’ through people. Over Plan 21-24, support for people who care and continue to care if times get tough, will improve. High Level Outcome No. Action Timescale Lead Service update Lifelong connections and relationships between SCYPF staff and children are supported and valued. 21 Promote the importance of maintaining stable, supportive relationships whilst ensuring safety of every person involved. Staff and people with lived experience to explore how this can be delivered in a way that is manageable and appropriate. June 2024 SCYPF LR and human resources to develop a policy. A confident and competent workforce that are skilled in clearing the path to education for all children and young people. 22 Increase understanding of the additional support needs which children and young people with care experience may have in an educational context. June 2024 SCYPF and Education A multi-agency piece of training is being developed which will look at sharing understanding and experience as well as resource. Shifting attitudes around young people with care experience to improve their life chances. 23 In conjunction with FYI build on initial training materials to create a workshop influenced by the research undertaken by Each and Every Child. June 2024 SCYPF and FYI The promise delivery group has had a presentation from Each and Every Child and next step is to develop a wider staff training. The other two priorities Planning and building capacity have actions which will be directed by national policy and be implemented in due course.