Agenda Document Pack - Scrutiny and Performance Committee - 20/11/2024
Perth and Kinross Council · 20 November 2024
Back to Scrutiny and Performance Committee — 20 November 2024 and its agenda
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Securing the future… • Improving services • Enhancing quality of life • Making the best use of public resources Council Building 2 High Street Perth PH1 5PH 14/11/2024 A hybrid meeting of the Scrutiny and Performance Committee will be held in the Council Chamber on Wednesday, 20 November 2024 at 09:30. If you have any queries please contact Committee Services on (01738) 475000 or email Committee@pkc.gov.uk. THOMAS GLEN Chief Executive Those attending the meeting are requested to ensure that all notifications are silent on their device and other devices are in silent mode. Please note that the meeting will be broadcast online and recorded. The recording will be publicly available on the Council’s website following the meeting. Members: Councillor Colin Stewart (Convener) Bailie Alasdair Bailey (Vice-Convener) Councillor Keith Allan Councillor Steven Carr Councillor Angus Forbes Councillor Michelle Frampton Councillor Ian Massie Councillor Willie Robertson Councillor Caroline Shiers Councillor Frank Smith Councillor Jack Welch Page 1 of 182
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Scrutiny and Performance Committee Wednesday, 20 November 2024 AGENDA MEMBERS ARE REMINDED OF THEIR OBLIGATION TO DECLARE ANY FINANCIAL OR NON-FINANCIAL INTEREST WHICH THEY MAY HAVE IN ANY ITEM ON THIS AGENDA IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COUNCILLORS’ CODE OF CONDUCT. 1 WELCOME AND APOLOGIES 2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST 3 MINUTE OF MEETING OF SCRUTINY AND PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE OF 18 SEPTEMBER 2024 FOR APPROVAL (copy herewith) 5 - 10 4 OUTSTANDING BUSINESS STATEMENT (copy herewith 24/311) 11 - 12 5 UPDATE FROM ARMS LENGTH EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS 5(i) CULTURE P&K 5(ii) LIVE ACTIVE LEISURE 5(iii) PERTH THEATRE AND CONCERT HALL 6 DATA PROTECTION COMPLIANCE 2023-24 Report by Data Protection Officer (copy herewith 24/312) 13 - 26 7 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION PERFORMANCE REPORT 2023- 24 Report by Strategic Lead - Legal and Governance (copy herewith 24/313) 27 - 34 8 COUNCIL COMPLAINTS PERFORMANCE REPORT FOR 2023- 24 Report by Strategic Lead - Finance and Business Support (copy herewith 24/314) 35 - 50 Page 3 of 182
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9 PERTH AND KINROSS CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE STANDARDS AND QUALITY REPORT 2023/24 Report Chief Social Work Officer (copy herewith 24/315) 51 - 166 10 PERTH AND KINROSS HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PARTNERSHIP (HSCP) CLINICAL AND CARE GOVERNANCE ASSURANCE REPORT Report by Chief Officer, Perth and Kinross HSCP (copy herewith 24/316) 167 - 182 11 SCRUTINY AND PERFORMANCE REVIEWS - CALL FOR TOPICS Page 4 of 182
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SCRUTINY AND PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE Minute of hybrid meeting of the Scrutiny and Performance Committee held in the Council Chambers, 2 High Street, Perth, on Wednesday 18 September 2024 at 09.30am. Present: Councillor C Stewart, Bailie A Bailey, Councillors K Allan, S Carr, A Forbes (from item 5 onwards), M Frampton (from item 5 onwards), I Massie, W Robertson, C Shiers, F Smith, and J Welch. In Attendance: T Glen, Chief Executive; C Mailer Depute, S Devlin, Strategic Lead – Learning and Families; A Singh, Strategic Lead – Children, Families and Justice; Chief Executive, D Littlejohn, Strategic Lead – Economy, Development and Planning; A Seggie and K Johnston (Economy, Development and Planning); G Boland, Strategic Lead – Strategic Planning, People and Performance; M Lynch (Strategic Planning, People and Performance); E Ritchie, Strategic Lead – Housing and Communities; A Clegg, D Stokoe (Housing and Communities); F Crofts, Strategic Lead – Environment and Infrastructure; R Haynes (Environment and Infrastructure); L Simpson, Strategic Lead – Legal and Governance; J Walker, K Molley, A Brown, and M Pasternak (Legal and Governance), J Pepper, Chief Officer HSCP; and C Jolly, HSCP. Also in attendance: A Flucker and V Fitzsimons (SEPA); P Farrer and G Steele (Scottish Water); and P Owen and J Maxton (SSE). Councillor C Stewart, Convener, Presiding. The Convener led discussion on Items 1-6 and the Vice-Convener led discussion on item 7 – 8. 1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES The Convener welcomed all those present to the meeting. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST No declarations of interest were made in terms of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. 3. MINUTE OF MEETING OF THE SCRUTINY AND PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE OF 12 JUNE 2024 The minute of meeting of the Scrutiny and Performance Committee of 12 June 2024 was submitted and approved as a correct record. 4. OUTSTANDING BUSINESS STATEMENT Resolved: The status of actions in the Outstanding Business Statement, be noted and completed actions removed accordingly. 3 Page 5 of 182
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5. PRESENTATION FROM EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS ON THEIR ROLE IN INCIDENT PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE AND RECOVERY (i) SEPA A Flucker and V Fitzsimons, SEPA, delivered a short slide-based presentation on SEPA’s role and responsibility in flooding. Members questions were answered. (ii) Scottish Water P Ferrer and G Steele, Scottish Water, delivered a short slide-based presentation on Scottish Water’s role and responsibility in flooding. Members questions were answered. (iii) SSE P Owen and J Maxton, SSE, delivered a short slide-based presentation on SSE’s role and responsibility in flooding. Members questions were answered. The Convener referred to the informative discussion around the operations of the organisations, the collaborative approach to resilience and severe weather response management, and the sharing of future plans. The Convener thanked the representatives from the three external organisations for their presentations and detailed answers. The representatives left the meeting. COUNCILLORS A FORBES AND M FRAMPTON ENTERED THE MEETING DURING THE ABOVE ITEM. THERE FOLLOWED A SHORT RECESS AND THE MEETING RECONVENED AT 11.50AM. 6. PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT 2023/24 There was a report submitted by Chief Executive (24/254) providing an overview of how the Council have performed against priorities, actions and associated key performance indicators in the period from April 2023 to March 2024, as set out within the Corporate Plan 2022-2027. The Vice-Convener queried the expected impact of the fourth bin and if the target of 60% of total household waste recycled / composted as % of all household waste would be achievable after a full year. F Crofts confirmed that the data in the report related to recycling figures prior to the roll out of the fourth bin. F Crofts added that the target of 60% would be a challenge but confirmed that the impact of the roll out of the fourth bin on overall performance would be monitored over time. In response to a question from Councillor A Forbes regarding child poverty, M Lynch advised that the figures of child poverty had remained static since 2017 in Perth and Kinross and across Scotland. M Lynch advised that due to events such as the Page 6 of 182
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covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis since 2017, the expectation had been for levels of child poverty to increase significantly. However, due to mitigating measures implemented by the Council and Scottish Government, figures had not majorly changed. In response to a supplementary question from Councillor A Forbes regarding the progress of the work of Anti-Poverty Task Force, M Lynch confirmed that the Anti- Poverty Task Force had a consultation with a wide range of different stakeholders. M Lynch added that the Tackling Poverty Strategy would be submitted to full Council on 30 October 2024. The strategy would highlight a broad collaboration across public and third sector partners with an emphasis on the shared responsibility of tackling poverty. C Mailer added that work with the Community Planning Partnership had been undertaken to reposition the priorities and to strengthen the alignment with key working groups such as the Anti-Poverty Task Force. C Mailer confirmed that Perth and Kinross Council had received additional funding to support poverty and locality work. Councillor K Allan queried the data around fleet that are electric vehicles. F Crofts confirmed that the specifics behind the figures would be reported back to members. F Crofts advised that in terms of the approach to decarbonise fleet, a further update on the AV Strategy would be reported in early 2025. F Crofts added that a trial of hydrogenated vegetable oil had been introduced for heavy vehicles and confirmed that the initiative had been a success with significant decarbonisation of some of the heavy fleet. Councillor W Robertson queried if the 353k to the Council for nature restoration projects from the Scottish Government nature restoration fund would now be at risk due to Government cutbacks. F Crofts confirmed that the Council had received funding from the nature restoration fund but await further confirmation from the Government on if there would be any clawback on the level of funding. In a follow-up question, Councillor W Robertson queried if the 2,512 trees that were planted on Council owned or managed open spaces would be managed or left to grow wild. A Clegg confirmed the that trees would be managed carefully within the resources available for the foreseeable future. Councillor K Allan referred to the 901 adult learners that were supported by PKC and Adult Learning Partnership to achieve a qualification and queried if the qualification had helped those gain employment. D Stokoe advised that the work had been undertaken by the Perth and Kinross Council Adult Learning Team and the Adult Learning Partnership to support vulnerable adults into employment. They support young learners into courses at UHI, offer other training or opportunities to volunteer to help them gain the skills, confidence and credited qualifications to achieve employment. In response to a question from Councillor A Forbes regarding funding of play parks in Perth and Kinross, A Clegg advised the money from the Scottish Government, PKC Capital Funding and money raised from the community are combined to deliver the whole play park programme each year and the total cost would depend on how many play parks are due to be upgraded per year. Councillor A Forbes also referred to the allocated funding of £1.741m from the Scottish Government Children’s Play Park Renewal Initiative to the Council over a 5-year period 2021/2022 – 2025/26 and if the Council had received the full funding. A Clegg confirmed that the Council receive a sum Page 7 of 182
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of the funding each year and then work out the plan of improvements based on the money available. In response to a further question from Councillor A Forbes, A Clegg confirmed that the average cost to renew a playpark would be £120k. The Vice-Convener suggested for the margins of error to be illustrated in future Annual Performance reports on areas where they are based on samples rather than the full data set. C Mailer confirmed that the suggestion would be taken on board and looked at for the reports that would be submitted to the Council meeting in October. In response to a question from Councillor A Forbes, K Johnston confirmed that the figures were just under 5,000 visitors for the opening weekend of Perth Museum. K Johnston added that the figures of the opening weekend could be removed, and the overall figures would still show a good increase year on year for various events in the library and different engagement events on the run up to the opening of Perth Museum. Councillor K Allan queried if the impact of Covid would have long lasting effects on the behaviour of young people. S Devlin confirmed that the impact of the pandemic could affect some children and young people for a generational cycle. S Devlin advised there would be a significant impact on children who were born during lockdown who may experience deficiencies to develop speech and language and struggle to socialise. S Devlin added that in relation to older young people, there had been increased levels of anxiety and an increase in the risk-taking behaviour of young people during and since the covid pandemic. S Devlin confirmed that services are working with families and communities to mitigate those behaviours but advised that there would be some long-lasting impacts from the pandemic. Following queries from the Convener and Councillor F Smith, the Chief Executive suggested that a paper be brought to a future committee on business support. Members thanked officers for their work in producing the Annual Performance Report. Resolved: (i) The Annual Performance Report for 2023/24 be scrutinised and feedback be provided to be incorporated into the report for Council. (ii) Areas of performance for further scrutiny at future committees, be identified. 7. INTEGRATION JOINT BOARD ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT 2023/24 There was submitted a report by Chief Officer of the Integration Joint Board (24/255) (1) setting out performance in relation to the National Core Suite of Integration Indicators and (2) providing an overview of progress in meeting the Integration Joint Board’s (IJB) strategic delivery plans focusing on the impact and the experiences of people who use health and care services. Councillor W Robertson raised concerns over dental services and the number of unregistered patients. J Pepper advised that public dental service that are delegated to the Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board are available to everyone across Tayside Page 8 of 182
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who would meet the criteria, with a focus on vulnerable patients and people of a certain age. J Pepper added that the wider provision of dental services would not be a matter for the Integration Joint Board but confirmed that concerns raised would be focus for discussions locally and nationally. In response to a question from Councillor C Shiers regarding feedback from people that use our services, and the methodology of the survey, C Jolly advised that the National Health and Care Experience Survey would be carried out every two years for populating the national indicators. C Jolly added the respondents are selected from GP lists at random and the survey would be sent postally. Public Health Scotland deliver the survey and the IJB are recipients of the results. In response to a supplementary question from Councillor C Shiers, C Jolly confirmed that there are other mechanisms in place such as Care Opinion where service users could share their story and provide feedback on a more localised basis. Councillor A Forbes highlighted the positive case studies outlined in the report but also queried why there had not been any negative case studies included where things may have not gone to plan. J Pepper advised that people are often more motivated to respond with their positive experience, but the system Care Opinion would not limit the option for service users to provide their negative experience. J Pepper added that further work would be undertaken to encourage people to share their experience whether it had been positive or negative. Councillor K Allan queried the main challenges faced by the Integration Joint Board. Firstly, J Pepper mentioned the increased ageing population and the level of need. J Pepper also referred to the issues of recruitment and the struggle to attract people to work in social care to help meet the level of need. Lastly, J Pepper raised concern over the ability to deliver services across such a large geographical area. The Convener also raised the issue of capacity for the Health and Social Care Partnership to be able to invest in early intervention and prevention in improving people’s overall general health at a younger age so the demand of services would not be as high as people grow older. Councillor A Forbes queried if the Scottish Government would provide constructive feedback on the Annual Performance Report. J Pepper advised that feedback would not necessarily be submitted but the Scottish Government had shown a level of interest in certain areas that work well such as the investment of supporting people with learning disabilities. J Pepper added that several initiatives taken forward are of national interest and many local authorities had been interested in Tayside’s delayed discharge performance. J Pepper advised that she had also requested for the report to be considered by NHS Tayside Board to look at best practice and shared challenges with Dundee and Angus. Members thanked officers for their work in producing the Annual Performance Report. Resolved: (i) The draft Annual Governance Statement for the financial year 2023/24, be scrutinised. (ii) The assurance provided as to the adequacy and effectiveness of the Council’s governance arrangements including the system of internal control, be noted. Page 9 of 182
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8. PERTH AND KINROSS HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE PARTNERSHIP (HSCP) CLINICAL AND CARE GOVERNANCE ASSURANCE REPORT There was submitted a report by Chief Social Work Officer (24/256) providing assurance to Perth & Kinross Council’s Scrutiny and Performance Committee on the Clinical Care and Professional Governance of the Perth and Kinross HSCP. Resolved: The Committee agreed to the level of Reasonable Assurance provided. The Committee agreed to defer all remaining items on the agenda to the next meeting scheduled on 20 November 2024. ~~~~~~ Page 10 of 182
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SCRUTINY AND PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE OUTSTANDING BUSINESS STATEMENT (OBS) (Report No. 24/311) No. Minute Reference Subject Title Outstanding Action Update Lead Officer /Service Action Due Action Expected 42. Scrutiny Review – Inclusive Focus in Schools Site visits of schools and partner organisations across Perth and Kinross be arranged for members to help gather evidence and develop understanding to inform the review. A workshop to be arranged on 13 November to explore the information gathered to inform the review of aspects of support for children and young people with additional support needs. COMPLETED Fiona MacKay/Lisa Simpson 20 November 2024 20 November 2024 43. 18 September 2024 Item 6 Perth and Kinross Council Annual Performance Report 2023/24 Specifics on the data of fleet vehicles that are electric to be shared with members. Email response was circulated to members. COMPLETED Fraser Crofts 20 November 2024 20 November 2024 4 Page 11 of 182
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44. 18 September 2024 Item 6 Perth and Kinross Council Annual Performance Report 2023/24 Information to be shared with members on the decline in percentage of people who feel that their health and social care support was easily accessible and well communicated. Jacquie Pepper 20 November 2024 20 November 2024 45. 18 September 2024 Item 6 Perth and Kinross Council Annual Performance Report 2023/24 A report to be brought to a future committee on Business Support. Serge Merone TBC TBC Page 12 of 182
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL Scrutiny and Performance Committee 20 November 2024 DATA PROTECTION COMPLIANCE 2023-24 Report by Data Protection Officer (DPO) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report is a professional assessment of the Council’s compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by the Data Protection Officer. This report relates to the year 2023-24. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: (i) Notes the DPO’s assessment of the Council’s compliance with the requirements of data protection legislation. (ii) Considers the Council’s performance in terms of compliance with the GDPR and provides constructive scrutiny and comment. (iii) Notes that the DPO is confident that a reasonable degree of compliance with data protection legislation has been achieved during 2023-24 and that progress towards increased compliance across all Services will continue during 2024-25 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background • Section 5: Data Breaches • Section 6: Data Subject requests • Section 7: Policy and Process • Section 8: Training • Section 9: Improvement Actions • Section 10: Conclusion 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 The UK General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) requires the Council, as a public authority, to appoint a Data Protection Officer (“DPO”) and defines tasks that the person must undertake. 6 Page 13 of 182
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These tasks include monitoring and reporting on compliance with the GDPR. The Council’s Data Protection Policy sets out that the DPO will present a report on the Council’s data protection compliance to the Scrutiny and Performance Committee annually or more frequently, if considered necessary. It is the role of the Scrutiny and Performance Committee to consider the DPO’s report in relation to the Council’s compliance and to provide appropriate constructive challenge and comment. Role of DPO 4.2 The role of the DPO is defined in the GDPR; the legislation places restrictions on both the DPO and the Council in terms of roles and responsibilities. The DPO, like the other Statutory Officers within the Council, has an independent and autonomous role and the Council cannot instruct the DPO how to undertake the role. It should be noted that legal responsibility for compliance with data protection law lies with the Council as a public body and not the DPO as an individual. The DPO does have a role in providing advice and guidance to support the Council in complying with the legislation and to monitor and report on its performance. Formal advice provided by the DPO, to support the organisation and ensure compliance, is generally accepted. 4.3 The DPO and the Information Rights Team sit within the wider Audit and Governance Team, with the DPO maintaining a separate and distinct reporting line to the Strategic Lead for Legal and Governance Services, who is also the SIRO (Senior Information Risk Owner) for the Council. Resources of DPO 4.4 The legislation also provides that adequate resources should be made available to the DPO to enable them to fulfil their role. 4.5 The Data Protection Officer function does not have a dedicated team but is supported by the Information Rights team and Information Security teams (referred to as the DPO’s team for the purposes of this report). In terms of skills and expertise, as well as the DPO, there are 2 officers (1.7 FTE) within the Information Rights team who have specialised data protection knowledge. Additional support is also provided by a solicitor from within the Council’s Legal service. 4.6 At present, almost all staff time is required to deal with increasing volumes of complex responsive work. This means that there is limited capacity for the proactive planning of work and wider provision of training. 4.7 A new case management system was introduced in August 2023, which is enabling information requests to be recorded, processed and reported. more efficiently. Page 14 of 182
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5. PERFORMANCE: DATA BREACHES 5.1 A data breach is defined as an incident involving “a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data”. The term ‘security’ refers to both technical measures and organisational measures such as policy, procedures and practice. 5.2 The Council is required to maintain a register of data breaches and, where appropriate, report them to the Information Commissioner’s office. 5.3 Between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, the Council recorded a total of 168 data breaches (compared to 95 during the previous year). This significant increase in the number of breaches recorded year-on-year may appear perturbing; however, it should be noted that the number of breaches reported in 2021-22 was 134, following 146 breaches in 2020-21. This pattern would appear to suggest that the much lower number recorded in 2022-23 was anomalous. Figure 1 – Number of recorded data breaches 5.4 Close examination of the breaches reported to the DPO would suggest that greater awareness of how to recognise data breaches, along with increased pressure and volume of work across the organisation, may have been contributory factors in the increase in reported breaches during 2023-24. 5.5 The DPO takes all data breaches seriously and continues to provide advice to Strategic Areas on how to improve processes to minimise the risk of data breaches. The number of recorded breaches needs to be considered in the context of the many millions of interactions and transactions involving the processing of personal information entailed in the delivery of all Council services in a year. 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 Number of recorded breaches Page 15 of 182
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5.6 Organisational change during 2023-24 means that it is not possible to provide statistics about breaches based on Strategic Areas of the Council. However, examination of individual cases indicates that, as expected, the areas of the organisation which have higher numbers of interactions involving personal information report greater numbers of breaches. 5.7 The nature of the data breaches was as follows: - Figure 2 – Nature of breaches 5.8 In relation to the data breaches which have been recorded, the DPO confirms that: - • almost all recorded breaches were reported promptly to the DPO and any remedial action which was requested was taken quickly • where breaches have been identified, the relevant service area has, without exception, been keen to engage with the DPO to amend and improve practice • of the recorded breaches, particularly those categorised as email error or unauthorised disclosure breaches, almost all appear to be attributable to human error, often because of reported pressures within the relevant service areas as opposed to any systemic failure of process or policy. 5.9 Of the 168 breaches, the DPO determined that 8 required to be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) following a risk-based assessment of the potential impact on the data subject. 5.10 All 8 of the breaches reported to the ICO all were due to the unauthorised disclosure of personal data. In all 8 cases the ICO was satisfied that the actions taken by the Council in response to the breaches were appropriate and did not require any further action. 133 1 33 1 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Unauthorised disclosure Unauthorised access Email error Data Loss Nature of breaches Page 16 of 182
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5.11 The DPO provides support and advice to services and teams when a data breach has occurred and, where necessary, provides additional staff training and written guidance. 5.12 Work is underway with colleagues in IT to identify possible technical solutions to some of the most common causes of data breaches, such as group emails being sent using the “CC” rather than “BCC” function. This work will continue during 2024-25. 5.13 Breaches will continue to be monitored and advice and training provided as appropriate. 6. PERFORMANCE: DATA SUBJECT REQUESTS 6.1 The GDPR gives data subjects a number of specific rights, such as accessing and receiving a copy of information held about them, and having inaccurate personal data rectified. Requests to exercise these rights must be responded to within 1 month (interpreted by the Council as 28 calendar days), unless the information requested is particularly complex in nature or the request is from an individual who has made multiple requests; in these cases, an additional two months to respond is permitted by the legislation. The DPO has responsibility for dealing with requests received by the Council. 6.2 There was a 9% increase in the number of subject access requests received during 2023-24 (229 requests received), compared to 2022-23 (211 requests received). This increase continues to be partly attributable to people seeking confirmation of their care experience, in order to apply to Scotland’s Redress Scheme for survivors of historical child abuse in care. As with other requests for social work records held by the Council, records processed in relation to this scheme may contain a very large volume of complex and highly sensitive information, which requires extensive preparation before release. 6.3 Between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, the Council received 229 requests for access to personal information, of which: - • 27 are on hold pending further information from the requester (this is sometimes never provided) or a decision on whether they wish to proceed with making a request. 6.4 Of the 229 requests received during 2023-24, 202 responses have been completed and responses issued. This represented a 31% increase on the previous year’s figures. Whilst a similar number (211) of requests were received in 2022-23, in 57 cases the requestors did not provide the required documentation or clarification; hence only 154 responses were issued. Page 17 of 182
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6.5 Of the 202 requests that were processed: - • 184 were completed within 28 days (91%). • 10 were fully responded to outwith the 28-day timescale, but within the additional two-month period permitted in certain circumstances e.g. particular complexity (5%). In most cases within this category, information was released to requestors in batches, with at least part of the information requested being supplied within the first 28 days. • 8 requests were responded to outwith the 28-day timescale where there were no circumstances which would allow for the extension period to be applied (4% of all responses issued). In almost all these cases, the delay in complying with the permitted timescale was due to difficulties experienced in obtaining information from providers in other areas of the organisation. 6.6 This demonstrates an overall compliance with statutory timescales of 96%, which is considered to be a very high rate of compliance. It should be noted that this compliance rate has been achieved against a background of a significantly increased number of valid requests for information, with no increase in resources. 6.7 Over and above the 229 data subject access requests referred to above, the Council received 3 other data subject requests during 2023-24: - • 1 request for erasure (individuals have the right to request their personal data is deleted, although this is only applicable in certain limited circumstances); • 1 request for rectification (individuals can request that inaccurate personal data is corrected); and • 1 objection to processing 6.8 In addition, the Council also received 37 information related complaints (one fewer than during 2022-23), either directly from the data subjects or via the ICO, about the way personal data had been handled. All these complaints have been responded to appropriately. 6.9 During 2023-24 the Information Rights team also processed 51 requests for information made under a provision in data protection legislation which permits authorities, such as Police and HMRC, to request personal information to assist with criminal investigations and the assessment and collection of taxes. This is a 19% increase on the number of similar requests made during 2022-23, when 43 requests were received. 6.10 The Council is sometimes unable to provide information requested by survivors of historical child abuse in care, usually because the person in question was placed in an institution not run by local government. Recognising the distress that this may cause applicants, the Information Rights team undertake research to help identify the location of records and work with other local authorities and educational establishments to ensure as comprehensive a response as possible can be provided to the requester. Page 18 of 182
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6.11 Where information held about requestors may cause distress, the Information Rights team provides advance warning of this before issuing their response. Individuals are appropriately signposted to organisations that can provide them with support going through their records. The Information Rights team is continuing to seek ways of providing as much assistance and information as possible to requestors. 6.12 The DPO is satisfied that data subject requests are being handled well, with a high rate of compliance with statutory timescales, against a background of rising demand and fixed staffing resources. 7. SURVEILLANCE & INTERCEPTION OF COMMUNICATIONS 7.1 The Council has powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act to undertake directed surveillance and to utilise covert human intelligence sources. The Council also has powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act to obtain information (‘intercept’) about electronic communications. 7.2 Council officers have a duty to report on the use of these powers to Elected Members. 7.3 During 2023/24, no directed surveillance was authorised, no covert human intelligence sources were used, and no electronic communications information was obtained. 7.4 The Council’s policy statement on the use of directed surveillance and the intercept of communications is attached as Appendix 1. 8. TRAINING 8.1 Throughout the year, the importance of data protection has been signposted to all staff through use of the Council’s intranet and Managers’ briefings, as well as reminders about data protection issues in staff communications, at the DPO’s request. 8.2 The DPO has also delivered targeted training sessions, particularly on how to recognise and prevent data breaches, to individual teams and groups of staff, on request, throughout the year. 8.3 Support, and advice is provided to councillors on an ongoing basis, as required. 8.4 It is acknowledged that the continually increasing workload of the small team has limited the ability to provide more systematic training throughout the year. However, new online data protection training was made available to all Council staff during August 2023. Page 19 of 182
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8.5 The DPO considers there to be a reasonable level of general awareness across the Council and notes that staff appear to be willing to seek advice and support from the DPO. 9. DATA PROTECTION POLICY AND PROCESS 9.1 The DPO is satisfied that the Council has a Data Protection Policy which complies with the requirements of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. 9.2 It is a statutory requirement that the Council be able to always provide evidence of its compliance with the legislation. Compliance is therefore documented and evidenced by the Council’s use of: - • Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) • Data Processing Agreements • Privacy Notices • Data Sharing Agreements (DSAs) 9.3 It is the responsibility of the Council to carry out DPIAs and ensure Data Processing Agreements and Privacy Notices are in place. The role of the DPO is to assist and advise in their creation and to maintain registers of the documentation. 9.4 The DPO is satisfied that there is some form of privacy notice in place in relation to all processing of personal information carried out by the Council. Processing may be covered by the General Privacy Notice which appears on the Council website, or by more specific short or detailed privacy notices. The DPO continues to monitor, review and provide advice to services as required. Privacy notices are required where we collect personal data. 9.5 Where personal information requires to be shared with other parties (e.g., Police, Health etc) best practice requires that Data Sharing Agreements should be put in place. These are specialised documents which tend to be lengthy and time-consuming pieces of work, often needing extensive consultation with the other organisations involved. The DPO is satisfied that appropriate Data Sharing Agreements are generally in place and that the importance of these arrangements is increasingly recognised. 9.6 The previous UK government began a consultation on proposed changes to data protection legislation in 2021. The draft Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, which was introduced in June 2022, amended rather than repealed existing legislation. After a period of consideration, this Bill was withdrawn, and the Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill was introduced to Parliament in March 2023. This Bill was expected to pass into law during 2024; however, with the dissolution of Parliament in May 2024, this Bill fell. There is now continuing uncertainty about the extent to which the new UK Government may seek to change data protection legislation; however, if they seek to do so, there will be a requirement once again to review Council policies and processes. Page 20 of 182
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9.7 The rapid advances in the capabilities and potential use within the Council of Artificial Intelligence places significant requirements on the organisation in terms of its obligations under data protection legislation. The DPO recognises the importance of providing the authority with advice that enables it to demonstrate its accountability with these obligations. Work with Information Security and Legal colleagues on a Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Policy, which will provide a framework for safe, accountable and legally compliant use of AI technologies, is now underway. 10. IMPROVEMENT ACTIONS In addition to the ongoing actions identified above, the following improvement actions have been identified; 10.1 Work to further streamline subject access request processes, particularly in relation to identifying information held by services which can be accessed and extracted directly by the Information Rights team. 10.2 For those requestors who are enquiring about their time in care, work to develop a care history form to better understand their knowledge of their time in care, in order to maximise the information which can be released to them. 10.3 Continue to raise awareness across the authority about how to identify and report data breaches, as well as providing support and training on how to avoid them. 10.4 Continue to work with colleagues in IT to identify technical solutions to reduce the likelihood of certain categories of data breaches. 11. CONCLUSION 11.1 Given the breadth of all local authorities’ activities and the millions of transactions involving personal data that are processed each year, no local authority can state categorically that it is fully compliant with data protection legislation. It is the opinion of the DPO, however, that the Council continues to achieve a reasonable and acceptable level of compliance. 11.2 The DPO is satisfied that the principles of GDPR compliance are understood and embedded as normal practice across the Council. When procedural failings involving data protection occur, these can almost always be attributed to human error as opposed to a systemic failure in terms of policy or process. 11.3 Whilst the Council would wish to avoid any data breach, given the volume and range of personal information which it processes, the number of reported breaches remains very low, with only a small percentage of these meeting the threshold requiring them to be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Author(s) Page 21 of 182
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Name Designation Contact Details Jillian Walker Data Protection Officer DPO@pkc.gov.uk Approved Name Designation Date Lisa Simpson Strategic Lead, Legal & Governance 3 September 2024 Clare Mailer Director (Strategy, People & Resources) 3 September2024 Page 22 of 182
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes / None Community Plan / Single Outcome Agreement n/a Corporate Plan n/a Resource Implications n/a Financial n/a Workforce n/a Asset Management (land, property, IST) n/a Assessments n/a Equality Impact Assessment n/a Strategic Environmental Assessment n/a Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) n/a Legal and Governance n/a Risk n/a Consultation n/a Internal n/a External n/a Communication n/a Communications Plan n/a 1. Strategic Implications Not applicable. 2. Resource Implications Not applicable. 3. Assessments • Equality Impact Assessment – not applicable • Strategic Environmental Assessment – not applicable • Sustainability – not applicable • Legal and Governance – not applicable • Risk – not applicable 4. Consultation Not applicable. 5. Communication Not applicable. Page 23 of 182
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2. BACKGROUND PAPERS None. 3. APPENDICES The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000 Policy Statement. Page 24 of 182
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL Scrutiny and Performance Committee 20 November 2024 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION PERFORMANCE REPORT 2023-24 Report by Strategic Lead - Legal and Governance (Report No. 24/313) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report provides assurance as to the performance of the Council in relation to its obligations under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIR) for the year 2023-24. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: i. Considers the content of this report and provides constructive comment and feedback ii. Notes that performance has continued to improve, against a background of organisational change iii. Notes that a new case management system has been introduced to manage information request handling iv. Notes that responses to FOI requests are now published in a Disclosure Log v. Notes that the number of requests for review remain a very small percentage of requests received, indicating good levels of customer satisfaction in terms of the quality of responses and the effectiveness of the process. 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Executive Summary • Section 5: Background/Main Issues • Section 5: Conclusion 4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4.1 1594 requests for information were received during 2023-24: an increase of 1.3% on the preceding year. 7 Page 27 of 182
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4.2 The Council’s internal target for responding to FOI requests within statutory timescales is 95%. In 2023-24, 97% of requests were responded to on time. This represents a 4% improvement in performance against what was achieved during 2022-23. 4.3 The number of requests for review represent 1.5% (compared to 2% of requests received in 2022/23) of the total number of requests received, which indicates good levels of customer satisfaction in terms of the quality of the Council’s responses and the effectiveness of our process. 4.4 A new case management system for managing information requests was introduced in August 2023. 4.5 The case management system which is now used has enabled the publication of responses to Freedom of Information requests in a Disclosure Log, improving the transparency and accountability of the Council. 4.6 Changes to the Council’s organisational structure, along with the implementation of the new case management system has meant that there have been substantial changes to internal processes for handling requests for information. 5. BACKGROUND/MAIN ISSUES Performance 5.1 During 2023-24, the Council received 1594 requests for information under FOISA. This is an increase of 1.3% on the number of requests received during 2022-23. Figure 1 – Number of requests for information under FOISA/EIRs 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 Number of Requests 1682 1569 1188 1365 1573 1594 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 Number of Requests Page 28 of 182
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5.2 Of the 1594 requests received • 28 were subsequently closed when no clarification was received from the requestor • 9 were withdrawn by the applicant • Responses were therefore issued to 1557 requests. 5.3 Of the 1594 requests received, 467 were processed under the EIRs 5.4 Due to the introduction of a new case management system for recording and processing information requests in August 2023, it is not possible to provide comparative statistics with previous years for all applicant types due to differences in categorisation. The following table illustrates the categories of requestors, and the number of requests received during 2023-24 FOI Requests 2023 -24 Applicant Type Number Individual 682 Media 223 Political 228 Organisation 135 Commercial 191 Solicitor 34 Research 33 Pressure Group 61 Public Sector 7 Total 1594 Figure 2 - Requestor categories 2023-24 5.5 Analysis of the requests received shows that the highest single group making requests are members of the general public, who made 682 requests (43% of those received). 5.6 During 2023-24, 228 (or 14%) of the requests received were from Elected Representatives; a similar trend to 2022-23 when there were 232 requests (or 15%). 5.7 2023-24 saw 223 (or 14%) of requests received coming from the media; a 21% increase on last years figures (185 requests). Performance Monitoring 5.8 The Council’s target for responding to requests within statutory timescales is 95%. During 2023-24, 97% of requests were completed within timescales. Page 29 of 182
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5.9 This represents a 4% improvement in the Council’s compliance, which has been achieved against a background of substantial alterations in the Council’s structure, accompanying Council-wide changes in internal processes for handling FOI requests and the introduction of a new case management system to handle information requests. 5.10 Of the 1557 valid requests for information processed by the Council during 2023-24: - • 505 (32%) requests were satisfied in full (all the information requested was held by the Council and could be released without redaction of e.g. personal information) • 608 (39%) requests were satisfied in part • 443 (29%) requests resulted in no information being issued. 5.11 Where information was not provided to requestors, 22 requests were refused completely or in part on the grounds of excessive cost, as permitted by the legislation. 5.12 In almost all other cases where no information was issued, this was because either the Council did not hold the information, it was publicly available (in which case the requestor is directed to where it can be obtained), its release was considered to be likely to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs or it consisted of personal information which cannot be released under Freedom of Information legislation. Reviews and Appeals 5.13 The Council received 24 requests to review its decision (complaints about the original response to FOI requests received during 2023-24), which represents less than 1% of the total requests received. A breakdown of the relevant review data is contained in Figure 3: - Figure 3 – Summary of request for reviews 0 10 20 30 Review requests Review Requests Total no. processed No. processed within 20 working days Original decision upheld Decision overturned Vexatious or withdrawn Page 30 of 182
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5.14 All requests for review were responded to within the statutory 20 working days deadline. 5.15 During 2023-24, one appeal was made to the Scottish Information Commissioner, following a review carried out by the Council during 2022-23. The applicant withdrew their appeal before a decision was issued by the Commissioner. There are currently no appeals under investigation by the Scottish Information Commissioner. 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 The number of requests in 2023-24 increased by 1.3% from the preceding year. 6.2 The Council’s performance in responding to information requests within statutory timescales improved by 4% to 97% during 2023-24, against a backdrop of significant organisational, system and process change. 6.3 The Information Rights team has successfully implemented a specialised case management system which has enabled the publication of responses to FOI requests, ensuring greater openness and transparency. 6.4 The number of requests for review remain a very small percentage of the total number information requests received, which would indicate good levels of customer satisfaction in terms of the quality the Council’s responses and the effectiveness of our process. 6.5 The number of appeals to the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner remains extremely low, with only one, subsequently withdrawn, appeal being made during 2023-24. 6.6 The Committee can therefore take assurance that our process for handling requests under the Freedom of Information legislation of robust and effective. Page 31 of 182
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Author(s) Name Designation Contact Details Jillian Walker Information Rights Manager/Data Protection Officer DPO@pkc.gov.uk Approved Name Designation Date Lisa Simpson Strategic Lead Legal & Governance Services 3 September 2024 Clare Mailer Director (Strategy, People & Resources) 3 September 2024 Page 32 of 182
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes / None Community Plan / Single Outcome Agreement n/a Corporate Plan n/a Resource Implications n/a Financial n/a Workforce n/a Asset Management (land, property, IST) n/a Assessments n/a Equality Impact Assessment n/a Strategic Environmental Assessment n/a Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) n/a Legal and Governance n/a Risk n/a Consultation n/a Internal n/a External n/a Communication n/a Communications Plan n/a 1. Strategic Implications Not applicable. 2. Resource Implications Not applicable. 3. Assessments • Equality Impact Assessment – not applicable • Strategic Environmental Assessment – not applicable • Sustainability – not applicable • Legal and Governance – not applicable • Risk – not applicable 4. Consultation Not applicable. 4. Communication Not applicable. Page 33 of 182
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2. BACKGROUND PAPERS None. 3. APPENDICES None. Page 34 of 182
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PERTH & KINROSS COUNCIL Scrutiny & Performance Committee 20 November 2024 COUNCIL COMPLAINTS PERFORMANCE REPORT FOR 2023-2024 Report by Strategic Lead - Finance and Business Support (Report No. 24/ 314) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide assurance that the Council has an adequate and effective Complaints Handling Procedure in place, and to advise the Committee of work undertaken to improve our performance in relation to the Council’s handling of and response to complaints. 1.2 This report also satisfies public performance reporting requirements in accordance with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s performance measures for local authorities. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Scrutiny and Performance Committee: (i) Considers and comments on this report; and (ii) Notes that the performance of the Complaints Handling Procedure will continue to be monitored and reviewed throughout the year. 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background/Main Issues • Section 5: Improvement Activity • Section 6: SPSO Performance • Section 7: Learning from Complaints • Section 8: Conclusion • Appendices 1-3 4. BACKGROUND / MAIN ISSUES 4.1 We are committed to providing high quality services but on occasions things can go wrong and residents are unhappy with our services. 8 Page 35 of 182
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4.2 A complaint is defined under the Complaints Handlers Procedure (CHP) as: “An expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public about the local authority's action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by or on behalf of the local authority.” 4.3 The CHP details our two-stage process in full, however, in brief. Stage One: We aim to resolve complaints quickly, and as close to where we provided the service. This could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong, and immediate action to resolve the problem. Stage Two: Investigations for escalated stage one complaints, dealing with those complaints that have not been resolved at Stage one. In addition, complaints that are complex in nature and require detailed investigation and therefore not suitable for stage one of the process. Where an individual remains dissatisfied with the outcome at Stage 2 then they have recourse to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). The Council’s CHP is considered to be appropriate and effective; its performance is within acceptable limits and is in line with the SPSO requirements for a complaints process. It is the same model which is in operation across all Scottish Local Authorities and other Public Bodies. The CHP can be viewed at this link Complaints Handling Procedure. 4.4 This report covers the reporting period 2023-2024. 4.5 During 2023-2024 there were 1,981 complaints recorded and processed at Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the CHP. This represents a slight increase on the 1,944 complaints recorded last year and which is in line with a general trend across Scotland. It should be noted that the number of complaints recorded in a year is greater than the number of those complaints actually processed and completed within the year, due to some cases being withdrawn or not being finalised within the reporting year. The number of complaints closed in 2023- 2024 was 1,834. 4.6 The average response times for the year have increased slightly at both Stage 1 and Stage 2 when compared to 2022-2023. Stage 1 average of 6.1 days (Scottish National Average 9.4 days). Stage 2 average of 28 days (Scottish National average 22.9 days). (See Appendix 1). An analysis of a sample of these cases indicates this can be due to the availability of staff and customers, increasing complexity of issues, and delays in agreeing with the customer the scope of the investigation. It should also be noted that across the organisation an increased demand in service requests have also been received. Page 36 of 182
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4.7 In summary, of the 1,981 complaints recorded in 2023-2024: • 1,764 (89%) complaints were handled at Stage 1. • 158 (8%) of complaints were escalated from Stage 1 to Stage 2. • 59 (3%) complaints were handled directly at Stage 2 in the first instance. • 66 complaints were withdrawn. • 81 complaints were still ongoing at the end of the reporting year (31 March 2024). • On average Stage 1 complaints were responded to within 6.1 working days. • On average, Stage 2 complaints were responded to in 28 working days. • The SPSO issued one decision notice for Perth & Kinross Council in relation to Stage 2 complaints which were referred to them for review in the period covered by this report. (See Section 5 and Appendix 2). 5. IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITY 5.1 The Corporate Complaints Group, which is made up of a number of staff who deal with complaints across the services continued to meet throughout the year. Monitoring of complaints activity, reporting and themes raised within complaints are carried out both at an organisational and Service level. 5.2 The Transformation & Change programme as it relates to complaints is complete leading to several planned improvements. From April 2024 there is now a central complaints team that carries out all Stage 2 investigations and leads on complaints work across the Council. This ensures that the Council has an efficient, consistent and resilient process to independently investigate and resolve complaints as swiftly as possible and this changed structure aims to ensure improved consistency and performance across the Council. 5.3 By consolidating complaints handling resources into a single functional area, efficiencies will be achieved in the time taken to investigate complaints, specifically stage 2 complaints, due to the specialist knowledge of these staff in the processes of handling these complaints and communicating with complainants. In addition, it creates a further opportunity to offer specialist support and guidance to front line, operational staff involved in complaints handling and resolution. 5.4 A key focus going forward will be trend analysis and reduction of repeat complaints. Strategic business intelligence reports are being developed for all service areas, offering summarised insights on complaint volumes and trends across different service areas. The reports aim to identify the most useful information and provide an insight into complaints received to help services target areas of concern and drive improvements in their respective areas. 5.5 When available, the performance from April to September 2024 will be published on our website. An Elected Member Briefing session will be arranged to communicate and discuss the 6-month performance. This will be based on the new organisational structure and will evidence some of the improvements noted above. Page 37 of 182
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5.6 A number of complaints handling improvements actions have been identified to enhance current performance and the plan is to take these forward through the coming year. These include: • Revised Training Programme for new staff. • Revised Refresher Training Programme for existing staff. • Creation of a new staff eLearning Module. 5.7 It should be noted that it may take some time for the above actions to impact positively on our performance. 6 SPSO PERFORMANCE INFORMATION 6.1 The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002 and the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 give the SPSO the authority, in defined circumstances, to investigate complaints about Scottish public authorities, including local authorities. This includes social work complaints and covers services delivered by the Health & Social Care Partnership on behalf of the Council. 6.2 The SPSO, in conjunction with all Scottish local authorities, has developed six quantitative performance indicators, against which authorities assess and monitor their complaints handling performance. The Council’s figures for these indicators for 2023-2024 are shown in Appendix 1. 6.3 The SPSO reports on complaint investigation decisions in two ways: • A Decision Report is issued for each complaint considered; these are published on the SPSO’s website. • If a complaint is considered of national significance, an Investigation Report is laid before the Scottish Parliament. The SPSO did not lay any reports regarding the Council before Parliament in 2023-2024. 6.4 In this reporting year there was one complaint that was investigated by the SPSO and which resulted in two recommendations being made, both recommendations were completed to the satisfaction of the SPSO. (The details of this case are at Appendix 2). 6.5 Despite receiving more Stage 2 complaints in the reporting year, we have seen a significant drop in customers escalating their concerns to the SPSO after receiving the organisations final position on the matters raised. SPSO Action in relation to Referrals about PKC Complaints 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 Provision of advice 10 15 9 Early resolution 15 32 13 Investigation 1 1 0 Total 26 48 22 Page 38 of 182
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6.6 A summary of the subject area of complaints received by the SPSO (as opposed to determined) in respect of the Council and across the sector is shown in Appendix 3. 6.7 Of the 15 cases considered by the SPSO under early resolution, 11 of these cases were not progressed by the SPSO as they concluded that the complaints response provided by Perth & Kinross Council was reasonable and the complainant hadn’t raised any issues that cast any doubt on that. This is evidence of good complaint handling. The balance were not taken forward for a variety of reasons such as being outwith jurisdiction, an alternative route available, or insufficient benefit would be achieved. 6.8 The complete SPSO statistics are available on their website. 7. LEARNING FROM COMPLAINTS 7.1 Continuous improvement is a key focus of our handling of complaints. Our Officers are able to make adjustments to processes when issues are raised. In general, no major policy or procedural changes were required in response to our complaints, however a number of changes or actions were taken to improve our services and the customers experience. 7.2 A sample of these are provided below. • Complaint about waiting times for Blue Badge reviews. Customers to be advised of expected timescales when they request a review. • Complaint about our procedures when we become aware of an abandoned tenancy. The procedure to be reviewed to ensure it covers all scenarios. • Complaint about the condition of bins on “A route” due to vandalism. We introduced a gradual replacement programme of bin housings that can be repaired/repainted after instances of vandalism. • Complaint about the schools process for selecting pupils at an out of school activity. We agreed to improve communication and ensure selection process is clear to parents. • Complaint about noise from a mechanical sweeper being used early in the morning. We agreed to alternate the days/times when the sweeper entered the street • Complaint about lack of call recording. Calls now handled within the Customer Service Centre and recorded. 8. CONCLUSION 8.1 The Council has an appropriate and effective Complaints Handling Procedure and will work to ensure that revisions are made in line with any further SPSO recommendations. Page 39 of 182
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8.2 Performance statistics from 2023-2024 demonstrate that our complaints handling is appropriate and effective although performance is slightly down on the previous year with regard to meeting timescales at both Stage 1 and, Stage 2. An anticipated benefit of the introduction of the central team of investigators is expected to improve performance especially at Stage 2 of the process. 8.3 Performance information and the subject matter of complaints received is considered and monitored to identify any particular trends, issues or service areas which require focussed improvement efforts. 8.4 The Central Complaints Team will review and identify areas where our performance can be improved with regard to meeting target timescales. Author(s) Name Designation Contact Details Joy Mayglothling Team Leader Corporate Complaints Jmayglothling@pkc.gov.uk 01738 476742 Approved Name Designation Date Scott Walker Strategic Lead (Finance and Business Support) 14 November 2024 APPENDICES Appendix 1 - SPSO Performance Indicators Appendix 2 - Recommendations made by the SPSO Appendix 3 - Local Authority complaints received by the SPSO Page 40 of 182
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes / None Community Plan / Single Outcome Agreement None Corporate Plan None Resource Implications Financial None Workforce None Asset Management (land, property, IST) None Assessments Equality Impact Assessment None Strategic Environmental Assessment None Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) None Legal and Governance None Risk None Consultation Internal None External None Communication Communications Plan None 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 N/A Corporate Plan 1.2 N/A 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 N/A Workforce 2.2 N/A 3. Assessments 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Page 41 of 182
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Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. The Equality Impact Assessment undertaken in relation to this report can be viewed clicking here. (i) Assessed as not relevant for the purposes of EqIA 3.2 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. However, no action is required as the Act does not apply to the matters presented in this report. This is because the Committee are requested to note the contents of the report only and the Committee are not being requested to approve, adopt or agree to an action or to set the framework for future decisions. Sustainability 3.3 N/A Legal and Governance 3.4 N/A 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 Service Complaints Co-ordinators were consulted in the preparation of this report. External 4.2 N/A 5. Communication N/A 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS None Page 42 of 182
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Appendix 1 SPSO Performance Indicators In these indicators, the term “closed” refers to a complaint to which a customer has had a response, or which they have chosen to withdraw. It should also be noted that the number of complaints recorded in a year is greater than the number of those complaints actually processed, i.e. completed, within the year. Indicator 1 – The total number of complaints received per 1000 of the population This indicator records the total number of complaints received by the Council. The mid-year estimate of the Council’s population was 153,810. Year Total number of complaints received Total number of complaints closed Number of complaints received per 1000 population 2023-24 1,981 1,834 12.8 2022-23 1,944 1,855 12.6 2021-22 1,784 1,676 11.7 Indicator 2 – Complaints closed at Stage 1 and Stage 2 as a percentage of all complaints closed Year Closed at Stage 1 Closed at Stage 2 Closed after escalation 2023-24 1,649 (90%) 56 (3%) 129 (7%) 2022-23 1,673(90%) 48 (3%) 134 (7%) 2021-22 1,425 (91%) 55 (3%) 98 (6%) Indicator 3 – The number of complaints upheld, partially upheld, not upheld or resolved Stage 1 complaints are more likely to have only one complaint point, whereas Stage 2 complaints typically have multiple complaint points. The SPSO’s guidance indicates that single complaint points can’t be “partially upheld”; a definite conclusion of “upheld” or “not upheld” must be reached for each one. Complaints can be classified as “partially upheld” if they contain multiple complaint points for which different conclusions are reached. Resolved is when both Perth & Kinross Council and the customer agree what action (if any) will be taken to provide a full and final resolution for the customer, without making a decision about whether the complaint is upheld or not upheld. 8 Page 43 of 182
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Complaints closed at Stage 1 Year Number of complaints closed Upheld Not upheld Partially upheld Resolved 2023-24 1,649 339 (21%) 56 (33%) 52 (3%) 702 (43%) 2022-23 1,673 362 (22%) 544 (32.5%) 60 (3.6%) 707 (42.3%) 2021-22 1,425 326 (22%) 419 (30%) 69 (5%) 611 (43%) Complaints closed at Stage 2 Year Number of complaints closed Upheld Not upheld Partially upheld Resolved 2023-24 56 2 (3.5%) 23 (41%) 31 (55%) 0 2022-23 48 4 (8.3%) 28 (48%) 16 (33.3%) 0 2021-22 55 6 (11%) 26 (47%) 23 (42%) 0 Complaints closed after escalation Year Number of complaints closed Upheld Not upheld Partially upheld Resolved 2023-24 129 15 (11.6%) 61 (47.2%) 52 (40.3%) 1 (0.7%) 2022-23 134 19 (13.4%) 58 (42.5%) 57(42.5%) 0 2021-22 98 5 (5%) 53 (54%) 40 (41%) 0 Indicator 4 – The average time, in working days, for a full response to be issued to complaints at each stage SPSO procedures specify that Stage 1 complaints should be resolved within 5 working days and Stage 2 complaints should be resolved within 20 working days. Year Average time Stage 1 complaints (working days) Average time Stage 2 complaints (working days) Average time escalated complaints (working days) 2023-24 6.1 days 30.9 days 25.5 days 2022-23 5.2 days 30.5 days 22.5 days 2021-22 5 days 30.7 days 26.3 days Indicator 5 – The percentage of complaints, at each stage, which were closed in full within the set timescales This indicator presents the number and percentage of complaints closed within 5 working days at Stage 1 and 20 working days at Stage 2. Page 44 of 182
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Year Stage 1 complaints closed within 5 working days Stage 2 complaints closed within 20 working days Escalated complaints closed within 20 working days 2023-24 63% 32% 47% 2022-23 71.7% 37.5% 56.7% 2021-22 71.4% 36.4% 23.5% Indicator 6 – The percentage of complaints, at each stage, where an extension to the 5 or 20 working days response timescales has been authorised The Council’s CHP allows for an extension to the timescales for response to be authorised in certain circumstances for example, when a customer is unavailable or unable to agree what is to be investigated, when a key member of staff is absent from work or during school holidays. Year % of Stage 1 complaints closed where an extension was authorised % of Stage 2 complaints closed where an extension was authorised % of escalated complaints closed where an extension was authorised 2023-24 36.9% 78% 53% 2022-23 28.3% 68.8% 50% 2021-22 28.6% 63.6 40.8% Learning from Complaints Category of Complaint by SPSO Themes % Service Provision 63.75% Employee 14% Communications 10% Policy & Procedure 8% Other 4% Equalities 0.25% Recurring Themes Provision of service - unhappy with service and/or information provided Communication – timescales or lack of response within customer service standards Service Provision - Expectations of customers not aligned with what we are able to provide Page 45 of 182
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Appendix 2 Recommendations made by the SPSO As indicated earlier in the report there was one Decision Report with recommendations made by the SPSO in relation to Perth & Kinross Council in 2023- 24. Decision Report 202110970 This complaint concerned entitlement to Free Personal Care. The complaint was upheld with two recommendations. Both recommendations were completed to the satisfaction of the SPSO. They related to • To apologise to complainant for failing to complete an adequate assessment of A's needs, for failing to work in partnership with A and their family and for stopping free personal care funding. • To provide financial redress for an amount equal to the payment of free personal care funding that A should have received between the dates specified in our decision notice. 8 Page 47 of 182
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Appendix 3 Local Authority complaints by subject received by the SPSO. 2023-24 2022-23 Subject PKC All LAs PKC All LAs Building Control 0 15 (1%) 0 10 Consumer Protection N/A N/A 0 7 Economic Development 0 1 (0.5%) 0 6 Education 2 (8%) 199 (14%) 5 (13%) 140 (13%) Environmental Health & Cleansing 1 (4%) 128 (9%) 4 (11%) 85 (8%) Finance 1 (4%) 76 (5%) 1 (3%) 77 (7%) Fire & Police Boards 0 1 (0.5%) 0 3 Housing 7 (27%) 354 (25%) 6 (16%) 250 (24%) Land & Property 0 20 (1.5%) 0 13 Legal & Admin 2 (8%) 63 (5%) 4 (11%) 57 (5%) National Park Authorities 0 5 (0.5%) 0 2 Other 0 5 (0.5%) 0 5 Personnel 0 5 (0.5%) 0 6 Planning 5 (19%) 147 (11%) 1 (3%) 115 (11%) Recreation & Leisure 0 21 (1.5%) 0 23 Roads & Transport 2 (8%) 145 (10%) 3 (8%) 79 (6%) Social Work 3 (12%) 137 (10%) 11 (29%) 124 (12%) Subject unknown or Out of Jurisdiction 3 (12 63 (5%) 3(8%) 43 (4%) Valuation Joint Boards 0 4 (0.5%) 0 3 Welfare Fund – Community Care Grants 0 2 (0.5%) 0 1 Welfare Fund - Crisis Grants 0 2 (0.5%) 0 2 Total 26 1393 38 1051 8 Page 49 of 182
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Perth and Kinross Council Scrutiny and Performance Committee 20 November 2024 Perth and Kinross Council 4 December 2024 PERTH AND KINROSS CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE STANDARDS AND QUALITY REPORT 2023/2024 Report by Chief Social Work Officer (Report No. 24/315) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC), in compliance with Scottish Government guidance, publishes an annual Standards and Quality (S&Q) report. This report is routinely presented to Elected Members on an annual basis. This S&Q report, for the academic year 2023/2024, provides an overview of the key activities and work of the CPC partners to protect children and young people from harm, abuse and exploitation. 1.2 This report describes the CPC’s achievements, key strengths, and areas for improvement. It also includes an update on the CPC’s new Improvement Plan, confirms that the CPC continues to focus on learning and improvement, and has in place, a comprehensive programme of improvement work for 2024/2025. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Scrutiny and Performance Committee: • Scrutinises and comments, as appropriate, on the Perth and Kinross CPC S&Q Report 2023/2024 (Appendix 1), the contents of the Perth and Kinross CPC Improvement Plan 1 April 2023 – 31 July 2026 (Update) (Appendix 2) and the Executive Summary of the CPC S&Q Report and Infographic 2023/2024 (Appendix 3). It is recommended that Council: • Notes the wide range of work being carried out by Perth and Kinross Council and their partners, through the CPC, to provide high quality services to protect children and young people, in particular, the high- level of commitment to continuous improvement through quality assurance and self-evaluation; and • Endorses the contents of this report, the Perth and Kinross CPC S&Q Report 2023/2024 (Appendix 1), the contents of the Perth and Kinross CPC Improvement Plan 1 April 2023 – 31 July 2026 (Update) (Appendix 2) and the Executive Summary of the CPC S&Q Report and Infographic 2023/2024 (Appendix 3). 9 Page 51 of 182
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3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background • Section 5: Analysis • Section 6: Conclusion • Appendices 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 Child Protection Committees in Scotland are encouraged to publish an annual report in compliance with the requirements described in protecting children and young people: Child Protection Committee and Chief Officer responsibilities (Scottish Government: February 2019). This S&Q report covers the work of the CPC for the academic year from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024. 4.2 The format of the S&Q report aligns with the Care Inspectorate’s Quality Framework For Children and Young People in need of Care and Protection (Care Inspectorate: Revised 2022). 4.3 The S&Q report presents an overview of performance in services to protect children and young people and is based on sound evidence, obtained through a range of single and multi-agency key performance indicators (data), quality assurance and self-evaluation activities. It describes achievements, key strengths, and areas for further improvement. Within Appendix 3, the Executive Summary of the CPC S&Q Report and Infographic 2023/2024, there is a high-level overview of the work of the CPC in 2023/2024 and an accompanying infographic which sets out the key points from the main report in a visual format. 5. ANALYSIS 5.1 As noted within the introduction by the Independent Chair of Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee to the S&Q report on page 4 (Appendix 1), there has been considerable changes in the membership of the CPC and a change of personnel with the Child Protection Interagency Coordinator retiring from their post in March 2024. A successor was appointed to the role in February 2024 and commenced their new position in April 2024. A period of transition has been underway since then, beginning with the CPC Development Day later that month in April 2024. This provided an opportunity for members to take stock of the changes and to reconfirm our shared goals and effective ways of working together to deliver them. 5.2 The S&Q report provides data and narrative regarding performance management information on key multi-agency child protection processes (pages 8-15 of Appendix 1). Page 52 of 182
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The emerging picture is encouraging with a slowing of the upward trend of the number of Child Concern Reports (CCRs)1 received and a decrease, for the second consecutive year, in the number of Interagency Referral Discussions (IRDs)2 held and the corresponding number of Child Protection Investigations3 undertaken. The number of unborn babies, babies, children and young people on the Child Protection Register has remained steady, having reached its lowest point, since 2013, in 2022/2023. The number of unborn babies referred also remained steady as a percentage of the overall number of recorded pregnancies within Perth and Kinross. 5.3 The reduction in the use of multi-agency child protection processes is explored on page 14 of the S&Q report. Three factors are identified: the realignment of services towards earlier intervention; multi-agency work to ensure that IRDs are consistently and proportionately convened; and the possibility that the figures are returning to more expected levels following the increases seen during the Covid pandemic. 5.4 From pages 16 to 23, the S&Q report outlines the major findings from its multi- agency and desktop audits. This audit activity provided reassurance that children and young people in need of care and protection received good immediate responses which were delivered through strong multi-agency working relationships and facilitated through effective information sharing. Identified areas for development included working towards more meaningful inclusion of children and young people in decision-making, SMARTer (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound, evaluation and review) use of Child and Young Person’s Plans and strengthening the use of chronologies in assessment. 5.5 The CPC has continued to support the implementation of collective and individual advocacy approaches for children and young people, promoting child and family-centred approaches, including the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) and the Bairns’ Hoose pilot project, as well as strengthening areas of practice through the introduction of new guidance. These areas are detailed on pages 32 to 45 of the S&Q report. 5.6 The importance of partnership working with our third and independent sector colleagues, including Barnardo’s, PKAVS Young Carers and NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), is highlighted, along with the essential role that volunteers play in supporting vulnerable children and young people, from pages 43 to 45 of the S&Q report. 1 Note: A Child Concern Report (CCR) is a mechanism by which any practitioner or manager across the public, private or third sector, or indeed, any member of the public, can raise any worry or concern they may have about a child or young person's health and/or wellbeing. 2 Note: An Inter-Agency Referral Discussion (IRD) is the start of the formal inter-agency process of information sharing, assessment, analysis and decision-making, following a reported concern about the abuse or neglect of a child or young person up to the age of 18 years; in relation to familial and non- familial concerns; and of siblings or other children within the same context. This includes any concern about an unborn baby that may be exposed to current or future risk. 3 Note: A Child Protection Investigation is carried out jointly by specially trained police officers and social workers. Such investigations are carried out where a Child Concern Report, including an Unborn Baby Referral, indicates that a child or young person is in need of care and protection from harm, abuse or neglect; or there is a likelihood or risk of significant harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation. Page 53 of 182
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5.7 The CPC child protection learning and development offer continues to be positively evaluated by participants in terms of increased knowledge and impact on practice. The CPC child protection learning and development officer has designed a programme of training which provides a range of opportunities for practitioners to stay current with new guidance, practice developments and legislation, as shown on pages 50 to 55 of the S&Q report. 5.8 An update on the CPC’s new Improvement Plan 1 April 2023 - 31 July 2026 is provided at Appendix 2. This plan co-ordinates the CPC’s three-year improvement work programme. However, the timescales within the original plan have proven to be somewhat ambitious in view of the changes in CPC membership, personnel, and the complexity of some of the tasks. These changes have provided an opportunity to refocus, refresh and streamline the plan. This will enable new practice, guidance, and legislative developments, anticipated within 2025/2026, to be incorporated within the plan and ensure alignment with the cross-cutting themes between our Public Protection partnerships. The updated Plan will be considered at the CPC meeting in December 2024. In the interim period, where tasks are under review in terms of timescales and actions, this is noted within the column named ‘Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024’. 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 The annual Perth and Kinross CPC S&Q Report 2023/2024 provides a comprehensive, high-level overview and analysis of the work carried out by the CPC, partner services and agencies to keep children and young people safe and protected. It sets out clearly, the work and priorities of the CPC to support the most vulnerable and at-risk children and young people. It demonstrates that the CPC has continued to be an effective multi-agency partnership which promotes continuous improvement, builds strategic connections, and seeks engagement and participation in line with its prescribed functions. Page 54 of 182
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Authors Name Designation Contact Details Julie Baker Bill Atkinson Child Protection Interagency Coordinator Independent Chair of the Perth and Kinross CPC FBSCommittee@pkc.gov.uk 01738 475000 Approved Name Designation Date Arun Singh Strategic Lead – Children, Families and Justice 7 November 2024 Page 55 of 182
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes/None Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement Yes Corporate Plan Yes Resource Implications Financial N/A Workforce N/A Asset Management (land, property, IST) N/A Assessments Equality Impact Assessment N/A Strategic Environmental Assessment N/A Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) N/A Legal and Governance N/A Risk N/A Consultation Internal Yes External Yes Communication Communications Plan N/A 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement in terms of the following priorities: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible, and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy, and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (i). Corporate Plan 1.2 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the achievement of the Council’s Corporate Plan Objectives: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible, and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy, and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. Page 56 of 182
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This report relates to Objective No. (i). 1.3 The report also links to the Education & Children’s Services Vision, Values and Priorities in respect of the following key Priority area: • Safe and Protected 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 There are no known financial resource implications at this time. Workforce 2.2 There are no known workforce resource implications at this time. Asset Management (land, property, IT) 2.3 There are no asset management resource implications at this time. 3. Assessments 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. 3.1.1 The proposals have been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment process (EqIA) with the following outcome: (i) Assessed as not relevant for the purposes of EqIA. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.2 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. 3.2.1 The proposals have been considered under the Act; however, no further action is required as it does not qualify as a PPS as defined by the Act and is therefore exempt. Page 57 of 182
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Sustainability 3.3 Under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, the Council has to discharge its duties in a way which contributes to the achievement of sustainable development. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Council also has a duty relating to climate change and, in exercising its functions must act: • In the way best calculated to delivery of the Act’s emissions reduction targets. • In the way best calculated to deliver any statutory adaption programmes. • In a way that it considers most sustainable. 3.3.1 The proposals have been assessed as not applicable. Legal and Governance 3.4 There are no associated risks at this time. 3.5 Not applicable. Risk 3.6 There are no associated risks at this time. 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 The Head of Legal and Governance Services; the Children, Young People and Families Partnership, Education and Learning Senior Management Team, Children, Families and Justice Senior Management Team and the CPC and their partners have been consulted in the preparation of this report. External 4.2 The CPC and their partners have been consulted in the preparation of this report – including NHS Tayside, Police Scotland – Tayside Division and the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA). 5. Communication 5.1 There are no communication issues at this time. 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS 2.1 No background papers, as defined by Section 50D of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (and not containing confidential or exempt information) were relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. Page 58 of 182
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3. APPENDICES 3.1 Appendix 1: Perth and Kinross CPC Standards and Quality Report 2023/2024 Appendix 2: Perth and Kinross CPC Improvement Plan 1 April 2023 – 31 July 2026 (Update) Appendix 3: Perth and Kinross Executive Summary of the CPC Standards and Quality Report and Infographic 2023/2024 Page 59 of 182
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0 Appendix 1 Protecting Children and Young People: It is Still Everyone’s Job Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee Standards and Quality Report 2023/2024 9 Page 61 of 182
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1 Contents Preface by the Public Protection Chief Officers Group ........................................ 3 Introduction by the Independent Chair of Perth and Kinross CPC ...................... 4 Our Local Context .................................................................................................... 5 Our Vision ................................................................................................................. 6 Management Information and Performance Outcomes ........................................ 7 How well do we meet the needs of our stakeholders? ....................................... 15 Introduction of Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) and Bairns’ Hoose in Perth and Kinross .................................................................................................. 24 Child Protection Planning Meetings (CPPMs): Continuing Improvement Work 29 Involvement, Engagement and Participation with Children, Young People and their Families .......................................................................................................... 31 How good is the delivery of our services for children, young people and families and our operational management? ........................................................ 55 Practice Guidance and Development ................................................................... 56 How good is our leadership? ................................................................................ 58 Perth and Kinross Public Protection Chief Officers’ Group (COG) ....................... 59 Perth and Kinross Protecting People Coordination Group (PPCG) ...................... 59 Perth and Kinross Children, Young People and Families Partnership (CYPFP) ... 60 Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) .......................................... 60 Central and North Scotland CPC Consortium ....................................................... 62 What is our capacity for improvement? ............................................................... 62 Key Abbreviations & Acronyms Used .................................................................. 64 Appendix 1 – Performance Management Graphs and Additional Details ......... 65 Page 62 of 182
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2 Guardian/Keeper: Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) Standards and Quality Report 2023/2024 Version Number: 1.0 Approved by CYPFP: Approved by CPC: Publication Date: October 2024 Effective From: October 2024 Review Date: N/A ECHR Compliant: Yes Diversity Compliant: Yes Data Protection / GDPR Compliant: Yes FOI Compliant: Yes Health & Safety Compliant: Yes Page 63 of 182
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3 Preface by the Public Protection Chief Officers Group The Chief Officers of the public sector organisations in Perth and Kinross, Elected Members of Perth and Kinross Council, Tayside NHS Board and the Command Team of Police Scotland’s Tayside Division, are once again pleased to support the Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) Standards and Quality Report 2023/2024 The Children, Young People and Families Partnership (CYPFP) continually strives for excellence in our children's services and continues to provide strong and robust collective leadership, governance, challenge and support to the work of the CPC. Our individual and collective commitment to the protection of unborn babies, babies, children and young people in Perth and Kinross is strong and consistent. It is our firm belief that safeguarding, supporting and promoting the wellbeing of all children and young people and protecting them from harm, abuse and exploitation is everyone’s job. We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to enabling all children and young people to be the best they can be and to achieving our shared, ambitious and compelling vision that our children and young people will have the best start in life and Tayside will be the best place in Scotland to grow up. We are committed to a whole of life, whole of family approach to Public Protection and we continue to strengthen and consolidate this approach to ensure that unborn babies, babies, children, young people and adults are supported to be as safe and well-cared for as possible. Bringing together our Public Protection Partnerships, to build on this approach, will be one of our priorities in 2024/25. This report demonstrates that our child protection services, across all our services and agencies, continue to strive for excellence in safeguarding. We are proud that we have a committed workforce who are dedicated to ensuring that families have every opportunity to thrive. In this digital age, there are new and emerging threats to the safety of children, young people and adults and there is no room for complacency. We will continue to work together to provide strong leadership and direction to ensure that our services and agencies continue to learn, improve and develop to meet the needs of our communities. We commend and endorse this CPC Standards and Quality Report for 2023/2024. pending approval from Thomas Glen Chief Executive Perth and Kinross Council pending approval from Dr Pamela Johnstone Medical Director NHS Tayside pending approval from Nicola Russell Chief Superintendent Police Scotland – Tayside Division pending approval from Lisa Sutherland Locality Reporter Manager Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration Page 64 of 182
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4 Introduction by the Independent Chair of Perth and Kinross CPC Welcome to our CPC Standards and Quality Report 2023/2024. This report covers the period from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024. This report presents a high-level overview of our multi-agency activity for the past year and reflects the work of services and agencies across our partnership to keep unborn babies, babies, children and young people as safe and protected from harm as possible. During 2023/2024, we have continued to work to fully embed and implement the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 – updated 2023 and supported the implementation of other new areas of practice, such as the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) and to establish the Bairns’ Hoose model in Tayside. The strong working relationships between services and agencies, fostered through the Child Protection Committee, have supported these initiatives. We have produced and published guidance documents to support vulnerable young people and continued to deliver on our improvement plan. It has been pleasing to see the impact of changes commenced in 2022 which offered a broader range of early intervention to families. Numbers of children on the Child Protection Register (CPR) remain comparatively low and as will be seen in the next section, the very significant increase in demand for services seen in 2022/2023 has not been replicated in 2023/2024. Nonetheless, levels of need have remained high. The Child Protection Committee has experienced a number of significant changes in its membership in 2023/2024 including the retirement of Ross Drummond, Child Protection Inter- agency Coordinator, after 14 years in the role. At our Development Day in April 2024, we considered these changes and the importance of ensuring we have a shared vision. It was important to take stock, acknowledge the impact of the changes and plan to move forward together. This has enabled the CPC to retain its focus on continuous improvement throughout this transition, promoting best practice and supporting our workforce to provide the best service possible for unborn babies, babies, children and young people. Going forward, the Child Protection Committee has an ambitious improvement plan in place for the continuous improvement of our services and to take forward learning from our self- evaluation and audit activity. We will continue to be alert to emerging threats for children, young people and their families through social media and digital technologies and to work with partners to reduce risk and minimise harm. Building on our strong existing relationships, we will continue to develop our role within Perth and Kinross’ Public Protection Partnership, with the intention of fully embedding a Whole Family Approach to care and protection for our communities. We look forward to working even more closely with all our multi-agency partners to this end. All members of the Child Protection Committee recognise the importance of the hard work, commitment and dedication of all our staff. On their behalf, I would like to recognise the continued determination and effort of first line staff and managers to ensure unborn babies, babies, children and young people are supported and kept safe and their families are supported. Bill Atkinson Independent Chair of Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) Date: 25 September 2024 Page 65 of 182
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5 Our Local Context Perth & Kinross covers a large geographical area with a mix of rural and urban communities. The map below illustrates the size and diversity of the county with suggest some of the challenges that are involved in delivering services in the area. Page 66 of 182
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6 Our Vision The Child Protection Committee has a clear vision for its work in Perth & Kinross, strongly aligned with the Tayside Plan for Infants, Children, Young People 2023 – 2026 and its five priorities: 1. Our children will have the best start in life 2. Our children, young people and families will achieve and make positive contributions to communities 3. Our children and young people will enjoy good physical and mental health 4. Our children and young people will have their rights protected and their voices heard 5. Our children and young people will be safe and loved National Context The care and protection of children and young people in Scotland is set within the wider policy context of Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC). An exciting development this year has been the incorporation the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scottish law on 16 July 2024, ensuring that the rights of babies, children and young people are now fully protected. The Independent Care Review: The Promise (2020) clearly set out Scotland’s Ambition for children and young people – we grow up loved, safe and respected so that we realise our full potential. The Promise: The Plan 2021 – 2024 set out the five priority areas – the right to a childhood; whole family support; supporting the workforce; planning and building capacity. The Promise Plan 24-30 continues to build on these areas and sets out five foundations: Family, Care, Scaffolding, Voice and People. Local Context It’s still everyone’s job… Within Perth and Kinross, safeguarding, supporting and promoting the wellbeing of all children and young people and protecting them from harm, abuse and exploitation is everyone’s job and everyone’s responsibility. We consider this to be a shared responsibility for all practitioners and managers working across the public, private and third sectors, in partnership with all our citizens and communities. Page 67 of 182
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7 Child Protection Committee (CPC) The work of the Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) in protecting children and young people from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation and in keeping them safe, is fundamental to realising our vision for improving wellbeing and ensuring better outcomes for our most vulnerable and at risk children and young people. The work of the CPC is articulated in CPC Improvement Plan 2023 – 2026, which is aligned with, and supports, the Tayside Plan for Infants, Children, Young People and Families 2023 - 2026. Management Information and Performance Outcomes The CPC has a pivotal role in gathering and analysing management information on the care and protection of unborn babies, babies, children and young people within Perth & Kinross. The intelligent use of data is key to recognising and responding to trends within our local area. A key function of the CPC is monitoring performance information in relation to Child Protection processes. The CPC’s subgroup, the Quality Assurance Working Group, has responsibility for interrogating the data relating to these processes. It meets 6 times per year and, each time, it reviews the data and highlights any issues of concern or interest for the full CPC meeting that follows. This year, we have presented our data differently, but the full data set of graphs, trends and further detailed information are appended to this report and can be accessed quickly by clicking the Control button and this link: Appendix 1 – Performance Management Graphs and Additional Details The following pages document the trends in our key child protection processes over the course of 2023/2024. A visual comparison is shown with 2022/2023’s statistics with an ‘Overall Trend’ section at the bottom of each setting out this year’s data in the context of the last five years. Page 68 of 182
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8 1. Child Concern Reports (CCRs) A CCR is generated when a service, agency, or individual contacts Children and Families Social Work to raise a concern or an issue regarding an unborn baby, baby, child, or young person. In 2023/24, 85% of CCRs received were from the statutory services of Police, Health and Education. Partner services and the Child Protection and Duty Team (CPDT) triage CCRs to ensure that Child Protection concerns are addressed without delay and action is taken to safeguard the baby, child or young person. For example, colleagues from the CPDT and Police Scotland have a discussion every morning regarding concerns that have come in overnight and need to be urgently progressed through the Inter-Agency Referral Discussion (IRD) process. As with previous years, the age groups of 5 -10 and 11 – 15 years are the largest in terms of CCRs received, with the latter age group continuing to increase and become more prominent in the data since 2020. Overall Trend: CCRs received have continued to increase year on year since 2019/20. However, this year has seen a slowing of the rate of increase, at 7% for the number of CCRs received and 6% number of children referred compared with increases of more than 20% for both indicators last year. This may indicate that the refocusing of resources and Service Level Agreements in 2022 towards early intervention is beginning to have an impact. 2. Inter-agency Referral Discussions (IRDs) The number of children and young people subject to IRDs has fallen again this year, and the number of IRD discussions taking place (which may involve more than one child or young person) shows similar trend. This may be linked to the implementation of earlier support for families as referenced above, preventing an escalation to child protection concerns. IRDs are recognised as good multi-agency Child Protection practice. A single IRD may consider more than one baby, child or young person. Equally, a baby, child or young person may be considered at more than one IRD in response to new or escalating risks. IRDs were the subject of the CPC multi-agency audit in 2022 and since this time, considerable improvement work has taken place to ensure our IRDs are robust and that our interim safety planning is effective. This is where a plan is put in place to safeguard the baby, child or young person whilst inquiries are made. Possible outcomes from IRDs include: • A single agency response to support the baby, child or young person • A joint child protection investigation in which social work and police work together to establish what has occurred. This may involve a joint investigative interview and/or a medical examination depending on the needs of the baby, child or young person. These are discussed in more depth below. • A referral to the Reporter to the Children’s Hearing to consider compulsory measures of supervision. Page 69 of 182
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9 • An application to Sheriff Court for an emergency Child Protection Order to ensure the immediate safety of the child. Overall Trend: IRDs have decreased over the last 2 years from a peak of 529 IRDs being held in 2021/2022. The figures are now roughly equivalent to those of 2019/2020. The peak in 2021 is believed to have been linked with the lockdown provisions of 2020 and 2021 and may also have been linked to the implementation of the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019 which came into force in November 2020. Considerable improvement work has been undertaken on a multi-agency basis to ensure that IRDs are being consistently and proportionately convened. 3. Child Protection Investigations (CPI) A CPI may be initiated at an IRD and as detailed above, may include a Joint Investigative Interview and/or a Medical Examination. CPIs require close multi-agency working and cooperation to ensure that the needs of the baby, child or young person are met, and they are safeguarded throughout the process. Overall Trend: In line with the decreasing number of IRDs, the number of CPIs continues its downward trend towards pre- pandemic levels, following significant increases in 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, when numbers peaked at 324 CPIs for 249 individual babies, children and young people. It is likely that the reasons behind the decrease will be in line with IRDs due to the direct correlation. 4. Joint Investigative Interviews (JII) A JII usually takes place as an action from an IRD – it is an interview of a child or young person conducted jointly within a trauma-informed environment by a police officer and social worker who are specially trained. The aim of a JII is to enable the child or young person to disclose concerns regarding any alleged harmful behaviour towards them. It also aims to achieve best evidence for the Justice system, if required, for children and young people who have been victims of crime. Overall Trend The number of children and young people who have been jointly interviewed has fallen again following the highest level in recent years being reached in 2021/22 at 272 children and young people and a decreasing number since. The current total of 136 children and young people is significantly lower than the 2019/2020 figure of 183 children and young people. Again, this decrease is in line with the decrease in IRDs and joint interviews and the reasons are likely to be similar. Page 70 of 182
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10 5. Child Protection Planning Meetings (CPPMs) CPPMs were previously known as Child Protection Case Conferences with their name being updated last year; as directed within the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 - updated 2023 CPPMs are multi-agency meetings which are only convened when it is believed that an unborn baby, baby, child, or young person has been significantly harmed or may be at risk of being significantly harmed. A CPPM is the mechanism through which an unborn baby, baby, child or young person’s name may be added to the Child Protection Register (CPR), which is discussed further below. A Child Protection Plan is put in place for any unborn baby, baby, child or young person whose name has been added to the CPR. The proportion of unborn babies, babies, children, and young people who are considered at CPPMs and go on to have their names added to the CPR remains high at 91% for babies, children and young people, and 93% for unborn babies. This high conversion rate offers reassurance that the decisions made to consider the circumstances of an unborn baby, baby, child, or young person at a CPPM are being made robustly. Importantly, it shows that the unborn baby, baby, child or young person and their families are not being referred to this intensive process unnecessarily. Overall Trend: The number of babies, children, and young people being considered at CPPMs continues to show a general downward trend, which has been consistent over the last five years. There has been a small increase this year in the number of unborn babies considered at a CPPM. 6. Child Protection Register (CPR) The Child Protection Register (CPR) is a register held securely by Police, Health and Social Work of all unborn babies, babies, children and young people who have Child Protection Plans in the local authority area. Access to the names on the Child Protection Register is strictly regulated to maintain the confidentiality of the families involved. On 31 July 2024, there were 45 unborn babies, babies, children and young people, on the CPR, a decrease of 8% from the same date last year. The number of new registrations on the CPR has also remained steady this year, which offers further reassurance that only those unborn babies, babies, children, and young people who are deemed to be at the highest level of risk of harm are having their names added to the CPR. This ensures that focus of can be retained on the small number of unborn babies, babies, children, and young people living with high levels of risk. All unborn babies, babies, children, and young people whose names have been added to the CPR become subject to a Child Protection Plan which is progressed to keep them safe, in Page 71 of 182
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11 partnership with their parents or carers. This is a multi-agency plan, coordinated by the Lead Professional, who will be a Children and Families Social Work. The Child Protection Plan is contributed to by all relevant partner agencies as well as the child, young person and their parents or caregivers. The Child Protection Plan will be in place until such time as risks have reduced and it is possible to remove the unborn baby, baby, child, or young person’s name from the CPR. For most unborn babies, babies, children and young people, the period of registration will be less than 12 months. As seen last year, the number of unborn babies, babies, children, and young people who are on the CPR for more than 12 months continues to gradually decrease. The increased vulnerability of unborn babies, babies, and toddlers to harm, means that the under-five age group is the most represented age-group on the CPR. Overall Trend: The number of unborn babies, babies, children and young people on the CPR has been decreasing over the last 5 years. The number on the CPR at 31 July 2024 is the lowest level since 2013, following a peak of 97 in 2020, which was COVID-19 related. This figure dropped to 66 in 2021, 51 in 2022 and 49 in 2023, so the number has been relatively steady over the last two years within the downward trend. The percentage of re- registrations has been reasonably consistent over the last five years, with a sharp dip in 2020/2021 correlating with the peak of registrations retained during the pandemic. The length of time that unborn babies, babies, children and young people’s names are on the child protection register has also decreased steadily since a peak in 2020/2021; again, this is aligned with the pandemic period. 7. Referrals regarding Unborn Babies Following a significant increase in 2022/23, the number of Unborn Baby referrals received this year has stabilised. The increase may have been due to the unique stresses on families because of the Covid pandemic and the challenges it presented for social connection, mental health and support from services. The birth rate has remained relatively stable over this period of time. Most Unborn Baby referrals continue to be made by NHS Tayside. Referrals regarding Unborn Babies can and should be made by any individual, agency or service who has concerns for an Unborn Baby. Consent is required from the mother or birthing parent to refer an Unborn Baby to Children and Families Social Work where concerns are at a wellbeing level. Child Protection concerns for an Unborn Baby do not require consent from the parent, but good practice is always that the parent/parents should be advised that a referral is being made and their views sought wherever possible. Overall Trend: Referrals regarding Unborn Babies remain fairly consistent as a percentage of the overall birth rate at 11.5%. There are variations year to year in terms of the actual numbers referred but the evenness of the rate as a percentage of the whole is steady. Page 72 of 182
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12 8. Referral to Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) and Legal Measures. All agencies and services try to work with unborn babies, babies, children, young people and their families on a voluntary basis, in accordance with the ‘no order’ principle of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011. However, where risks are significant and immediate or where statutory measures are indicated for the baby, child or young person’s care, protection and treatment legal orders are sought through either the Children’s Hearing or the Sheriff Court as the route depends on the urgency. This section considers the referrals made for such orders. 9. Referral to the Reporter Where any person considers that a baby, child or young person may need the care, protection and treatment of a Compulsory Supervision Order, they can make a referral to the Reporter to the Children’s Hearing. It is the Reporter’s decision whether a Hearing should be convened based on the information that they then request and assess. Referrals made by Services As the table shows, there has been a small increase of referrals to the Reporter of 3.9%. Of note is the increase in referrals from Education by almost 95% whilst Police and Children and Families Social Work referrals have decreased by 55.6% and 16.7% respectively. The Child Protection Committee will explore the reasons behind these relatively significant changes further through its Quality Assurance Working Group. Type of Referral This table shows that there has been a decrease of 6.6% in referrals to the Reporter overall and a drop of almost 27% for offence grounds. The majority of referrals to the Reporter are regarding a lack of parental care (S.67(2)(a) of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011). A note about data The data in the section is for the period 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024, which is a change from last year’s reporting period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. This makes discussion around trends more complicated but does align the SCRA data with the rest of the data in this report, ensuring more accurate comparisons in future years. Page 73 of 182
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13 10. Compulsory Supervision Orders (CSOs) These are orders made by the Children’s Hearing in respect of a baby, child or young person and cause the legal status of individual becomes ‘looked after’. This may be at home or away from home in kinship, foster, residential or secure care. Babies, children and young people who have CSOs are regularly visited by their Social Worker and their Child or Young Person’s Plans are reviewed at a minimum of a six-monthly basis to ensure their needs are being met. There has been a significant increase in children and young people who are the subject of Compulsory Supervision Orders – an increase of 77.8%. Some of this will be attributable to an increase in the number of larger sibling groups who have needed the care, protection and treatment provided by a CSO. Reviewing previous data (taken within the financial year), it appears that last year’s small number of CSOs made may have been anomalous. In 2019/2020, there were 51 new CSOs made, 38 made the following year and 50 made in 2021/2022. This year’s figure may therefore represent a return to a more ‘normal’ level. The increase is, however, not mirrored in Dundee and Angus in which the number of new CSOs made has reduced by 14% and 28.6% respectively. 11. Child Protection Orders (CPOs) A CPO is only sought where there is evidence of significant and immediate risk of harm to a baby, child or young person. An application is made to Sheriff Court and, if granted, an emergency order is made such that the baby, child or young person must be removed to a place of safety. The order must be reviewed by the Children’s Hearing on the second working day after it is granted. There has been a decrease of CPOs by 37.5%. This mirrors reductions across Tayside with Dundee’s use of CPOs reducing by 23.1%. Information from previous years, based on the financial year, indicates that there has been a general downward trend in CPO numbers since 2020/2021. It must also be borne in mind that the numbers of CPOs are small and therefore, percentage differences can seem much more significant than they might in terms of numbers. Page 74 of 182
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14 12. What is the data telling us? Our figures of Child Protection Registration, Re-Registration and rate of Children on the Register are closely aligned with national statistics. This table shows our local statistics against National benchmarks (source: CELCIS 11.09.2024). This provides reassurance that our processes and their outcomes are in line with other areas of Scotland. Overall, the data for 2023 – 2024, when compared with preceding years is encouraging. It may suggest that the re-focus of resources towards early intervention in 2022 is supporting what seems to be becoming a longer-term general downward trend in the numbers of babies, children and young people who require intervention at a child protection level. Close partnership working, delivered at an earlier point in families’ journeys of needing additional support, appears to be improving their wellbeing and safety through preventing escalation to higher levels of need and risk. However, further exploration of data and trends are needed to confirm this hypothesis, as it is likely that there will be a range of factors underpinning these downward trends. For example, it may be that after the exceptional events of 2020 and 2021, that figures are simply stabilising back towards pre-pandemic norms. The CPCs Quality Assurance Working Group will be considering the data contained within this report and whether further exploration or targeted audit activity is required. Page 75 of 182
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15 How well do we meet the needs of our stakeholders? This section describes the impact we are having on the wellbeing of children and young people; how we are striving to keep them safe from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation and the extent to which their lives and life chances have been enhanced. It describes the impact on families and the extent to which family wellbeing is being strengthened. It describes the impact on staff and recognises the extent of their motivation, involvement and contribution. It also considers the impact on the wider community. Quality Improvement Framework Quality Assurance and Self-Evaluation are central to continuous improvement and based on a model developed by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). The EFQM model is widely used across local authorities, other bodies and by CPCs. Quality Assurance and Self-Evaluation are neither bureaucratic nor mechanical processes; they are ongoing reflective processes to measure performance, improvement and outcomes. Underpinning the quality assurance and self-evaluation work of the CPC and its partners, are recognised quality improvement frameworks. Collectively, they continue to provide a framework of quality indicators to support quality assurance and self-evaluation which leads to improvement across services for children, young people and families. They place the child at the centre and are applicable to the full range of services which contribute to the wellbeing of all children, young people and their families. These frameworks are designed to provide a complementary approach to robust quality assurance, self-evaluation and independent scrutiny. Using the same set of quality indicators reinforces the partnership between internal and external evaluation of services. The current quality assurance framework, used by the Care Inspectorate, in terms of their external scrutiny and inspection role, is the Quality framework for children and young people in need of care and protection ( November 2022) and this underpins the CPC’s quality assurance, self-evaluation and improvement planning work. Page 76 of 182
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16 Impact on Children, Young People and Families Evaluation: We are listening carefully to, understand and respect children, young people and their families and we are helping them to keep themselves safe. A range of early intervention and family support services are improving children and family wellbeing. Quality Assurance Activity 2023/2024 One of the key functions of the CPC is continuous improvement. Audits are a key part of benchmarking the standards of practice across the partnership, identifying both strengths to promote and areas to develop. In a new approach this year, the Child Protection Inter-agency Coordinator (CPIC) has undertaken three desktop audits to explore different aspects of child protection work. The three audits are discussed in turn below: Desktop Audit 1 – Classification of Child Concern Reports as ‘Other’ Last year’s report noted that a high proportion of CCRs to Children and Families Social Work were being categorised as ‘ECS – CCR – Other’ rather than the specific reason for contact being made with the service regarding an unborn baby, baby, child or young person. This was not helpful as it obscured the actual reasons and their prevalence for unborn babies, babies, children and young people – for example, domestic abuse or neglect. This audit found that there were several reasons for this being the case, primarily a systemic issue in terms of how CCRs are logged on to the Children and Families Social Work CCM database. Children and Families Social Work is transitioning to a new database for recording – MOSAIC in the near future and it is envisaged that this will address some of these issues. The CPIC will repeat this audit in once the new system is established and operational to check the impact of the improvements that are in progress. Page 77 of 182
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17 Desktop Audit 2 – A Review of Cases Referred To MASH and their Outcomes. The Multi-Agency Screening Hub (MASH) is a weekly meeting hosted by Children and Families Social Work and attended by a range of agencies and services who can offer support and advice to families at an early or earlier stage. Currently, families in need of some additional support at a lower level still require to be referred into MASH through the CPDT in Children and Families Social Work Services. Work is underway through the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund Programme Manager to ensure that families can self-refer for lower- level support in the future, but this is likely to take some considerable time to develop; given the complexity involved. Some key strengths identified in the audit were that MASH is firmly embedded within a Whole Family Approach and GIRFEC principles, providing early and effective intervention for families. Areas for development included ensuring more consistent recording and involving children, young people and their families in the process. Children and Families Social Work are taking forward these improvement actions. Page 78 of 182
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18 Desktop Audit 3 – Child Protection Core Group Meetings and Child or Young Person’s Plans Child Protection Core Groups and Child Protection Plans are an integral part of keeping unborn babies, babies, children and young people safe after their names have been added to the CPR. Child Protection Core Groups are attended by the child or young person, if safe and appropriate, their parents or carers, their social worker, their allocated health worker and the relevant person from their school or nursery. Other professionals who are involved with the family, like Justice or Drug and Alcohol workers will also attend. Significant strengths were identified including a strong focus on the unborn baby, baby, child or young person during meetings, a rights-based approach with encouragement for parents or carers and children to access independent advocacy. There was good attendance at most meetings from different services or agencies and evidence of a wide range of supports being offered to support families. Page 79 of 182
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19 Areas for development included a need for tasks/actions to be in a SMARTer format, and for minuting of the meetings to be more consistent. The involvement of children in their plans requires to be further evidenced. Children and Families Social Work will be progressing improvement work in this area. As with Desktop 2, the implementation of MOSAIC will enable Child Protection Plans to be recorded differently and it is envisaged that this will be beneficial. Page 80 of 182
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20 Annual Multi-Agency Audit Due to the change in CPIC in April 2024, it was not possible to organise the multi-agency audit for May 2024 which is the usual time of year that this major audit activity takes place. Due to the imminent end of the 2023 – 2024 school session, it was agreed that the audit would be delayed until September 2024 but that it would review practice consistent with the timescales in the rest of this report – 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024. It had been identified through interrogation of data that a significant proportion of young people referred to Children and Families Social Work had been the subject of multiple CCRs, and it was important to explore why this was the case and whether the young people received an appropriate response which met their needs and kept them safe. Responses to Young People aged 11 -18 who were the subject of 3 or more Child Concern Reports in one calendar year. What is a Child Concern Report? A CCR is generated when a concern is received by Children and Families Social Work regarding a concern about the wellbeing or safety for an unborn baby, baby, child, or young person. The concern itself may be in a written format such as a report from Police Scotland may be received by telephone. 85% of CCRs are made by Police Scotland, NHS Tayside, or Education. 2% are internal referrals within Perth & Kinross Council and the remaining 13% are from members of the public and third sector and independent organisations. What case files were reviewed? This was a qualitative audit to consider the circumstances of young people to evaluate the response they received from services. A small sample was required to facilitate an in-depth review from a much larger group. 439 young people had been identified in the period as meeting the criteria for the audit and there were 2457 CCRs in respect of this group. Working on the premise of 4 pairs of reviewers, 16 files were selected at random to be reviewed, however, due to the complexity of some case files, only 14 Young People’s records could be reviewed in the time available. The number of CCRs for the 14 young people totalled 121, with the lowest number being 3 (the minimum for inclusion) and the highest number being 36. What form did the audit take? The audit took place over two days on 4 and 5 September 2024 at the Letham4All building and was undertaken by nine practitioners from the following services: • Police Scotland • Education • Children and Families Social Work • Justice Services • School Health Nursing • Integrated Drug and Alcohol Recovery Team Page 81 of 182
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21 How did the reviewers evaluate practice? The Care Inspectorate six-point scale was used to benchmark practice against the following Quality Indicators: • Quality Indicator 2.1: How well do we meet the needs of our stakeholders? Impact on Children and Young People • Quality Indicator 5.1: How good is our delivery of services for children, young people and families? Recognition and response to initial concerns. • Quality Indicator 5.2: How good is our delivery of services for children, young people and families? Assessing risk and need. • Quality indicator 5.3: How good is our delivery of services for children, young people and families? Care planning, managing risk and effective intervention • Quality indicator 5.4: How good is our delivery of services for children, young people and families? Involving individual children, young people and families. The Quality Indicators and the scale are contained within the Quality framework for children and young people in need of care and protection The scale ranges from 6 which is excellent down to 1 which is unsatisfactory. What did the Review team find? Overall, the practice in the 14 cases was graded at 4 on the six-point scale, which is Good: with important strengths, with some areas for improvement. There were areas of excellence and strong performance seen, particularly in the Quality Indicators concerned with immediate responses and information sharing. This evaluation activity provides reassurance that our partnership working arrangements are strong and positive, that partners work well together and communicate pro-actively with each other. What strengths were identified? Immediate Responses, Information Sharing and Relationship-based Work: As well as immediate responses ensuring safety and effective information sharing, noted above, there were good examples of relationship-based work, particularly with parents and caregivers, who were consulted and communicated with regularly. Record-keeping and Practice focused on Risk and Need: Records, for the most part, were commented on as being made contemporaneously and providing a good account of what was happening and why. Practice was widely considered to be focused on the young people’s needs and managing risks to them. IRDs, Safety Planning and Legal Measures: IRDs were seen as a crucial part of the coordination of ensuring young people were safe, bringing practitioners together to share information and plan to reduce immediate risks. Safety planning, both prior and subsequent to IRDs, was robust and flexible, moving to meet the young person's needs, and legal measures were taken, where needed, to secure young people’s care and protection. Summary: This self-evaluation exercise demonstrates that initial responses to concerns are strong, are undertaken collegiately as a multi-agency group and, as far as possible, are predicated on working cooperatively with young people and their families. Page 82 of 182
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22 What do we need to improve? Planning: Whilst immediate responses were deemed to be strong, what was seen was that longer-term planning and review for young people was not as robust, unless they were subject to legal orders or had had their names added to the CPR. A pattern noted throughout this audit was the need to strengthen our approach to having a child or young people’s plan in place timeously and recording this in the IT system. There were a few cases in which the frequency of involvement of workers, from across disciplines, was observed to not be particularly effective, so although multi-agency working would be described as positive, its impact was not. This links with the lack of an effective planning process – it was not clear that workers had a shared goal to work towards. This mirrors some of the findings from CPC Desktop Audit 3 (above) which looked at Child and Young Person’s Plans and noted several areas for development to ensure that the plans were focused, SMART and incorporated the voice of the child or young person. Earlier Intervention and Assessment. In a few instances, reviewers questioned whether what they were assessing in the period could be viewed as initial concerns as they occurred in the context of a much wider period of recurrent CCRs regarding the young people. There was a sense that chronic difficulties had not been prevented from becoming acute leading to intervention becoming necessary. Therefore, although the initial response to this year’s set of concerns was good, the reviewers questioned whether earlier involvement may have prevented escalation towards the intense intervention which was later required. The absence of chronologies was noted in both these cases and across several more and their important role in assessment was underlined. Meaningfully including young people. There was evidence of seeking of views of young people’s views, albeit these weren’t reflected in planning and decisions. Seeing young people and spending time with them to understand their lived and living experience is integral to assessments and needs to be prioritised. Losing focus on the young person: It was noted, in several cases, that the voice of the young person in records and processes was effectively silenced by the competing needs of the people around them, whether by a sibling or a parent. This risked losing the focus on young person and their needs. Page 83 of 182
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23 The infographic below shows a summary of the key points of the audit. Page 84 of 182
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24 Introduction of Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) and Bairns’ Hoose in Perth and Kinross An exciting development in the last year has been partnership work towards creating a Bairn’s Hoose within Perth and Kinross as part of wider Tayside arrangements and the implementation of the SCIM Team. This work is under the governance of the Tayside Regional Improvement Collaborative. What is the Bairns’ Hoose? The Bairns’ Hoose is a model for meeting the needs of children and young people who have been victims of, or witness to, abuse and for children under the age of criminal responsibility whose behaviour may have caused harm. The Bairns’ Hoose approach is based on the Icelandic ‘Barnahus’ model, with both names meaning the ‘Children’s House’. The Bairns’ Hoose prioritises supporting the child or young person’s recovery in a safe and trauma-informed environment. Bringing together Child Protection, Health, Justice and therapeutic services in one setting, a key aim of the Bairns’ Hoose is to prevent or reduce the need for the child or young person to have to tell and re-tell their story. This can be re- traumatising for children and young people. The Bairns’ Hoose standards set out the principles of the approach. In Tayside, Seymour House in Dundee has been designated as the main base for the Tayside’s Bairns’ Hoose – particularly for forensic medical examinations due to the specialised nature of the equipment needed. However, each authority has its own base, with Almondbank House being the location for Perth and Kinross. Physical alterations are underway to ensure that children and young people arriving there for a JII are immediately welcomed into a trauma-informed environment. Children and young people are at the heart of the Bairns’ Hoose. Here is an information leaflet provided to children and young people who need to use the service. Page 85 of 182
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25 What is SCIM? SCIM is part of the Bairns’ Hoose model, providing a trauma-informed, consent-based approach to interviewing children and young people who have been victims of, or witness to, abuse, neglect or exploitation. SCIM was developed in response to the recommendations within the Evidence and Procedure Review; Child and Vulnerable Witnesses Project (2015). The two main goals of SCIM are: - To remove the need for children to give evidence in Court and to instead have their JII used as ‘Evidence in Chief’ - To be trauma informed, reducing the risk of children being re-traumatised during the interview itself and during subsequent processes. SCIM aims to both provide the best opportunity for children and young people to tell their own story in their own words and to ensure that the best evidence is gathered for Justice purposes. If you would like to know more about SCIM, please click on here for a 7-minute briefing setting out the main aspects of the model. Every child who has been a victim of, or witness to, harm, is offered the opportunity to take part in a JII which is carried out by a Police Officer and a Social Worker who have been extensively trained in the model. A Tayside approach, through Police Scotland D Division, enables SCIM trained Social Workers and Police Officers from Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross to travel to support SCIM interviews across the region. SCIM has been live in Tayside since May 2024. One of the key parts of SCIM is Planning for the Interview. The allocated Police Officer and Social Worker will gather information from those who know the child or young person to ensure that their needs are met and kept central throughout the interview process. They will also consider the crime(s) that may be disclosed through the interview process, based on the information that led to a JII being arranged. Planning for breaks is an important aspect of interviewing, both for the comfort and wellbeing of the child or young person and to ensure that the interviewers have an opportunity to review what has been shared and determine what other questions may need to be asked or approaches may need to be used. Putting children, young people and families at the centre. A safe, warm and comfortable environment for the JII to take place is very important. The SCIM interviews take place in Almondbank House in a discrete wing, with a private waiting room for families with space to make hot drinks and snacks. This is particularly helpful for a parent or carer who may have other children with them. The Family Waiting Room Page 86 of 182
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26 Consent and Rights. SCIM is a consent-based model in line with a rights-based approach. Children and young people are given lots of information, and crucially, more time, to consider whether they want to give consent to being interviewed. They are informed of the possible outcomes from the interview process and therefore, if they choose to take part, they can give informed consent to the process. Second interviews are arranged if needed, but again, children and young people’s choices are paramount – they may wish to, as one young person has chosen recently – take a longer break between the interviews. Evaluation. SCIM is very new in Tayside and is in the process of formal evaluation. The team routinely seek feedback from each child or young person and their parents or carers following each interview. To date, children, young people and their families report feeling informed and supported during the planning process and interview. The workers undertaking SCIM report a qualitative difference from their experience of undertaking JIIs under the old model and that information gained is richer and more detailed. They are confident that there is a positive impact on children and young people who are being interviewed using SCIM because of better information, clear and informed consent and the environment in which SCIM is taking place. Impact on Children, Young People and Families Children and young people who have been harmed or witnessed harm are benefiting from a trauma-informed, child-centred approach. When a child, young person or adult has been subjected to, or witnessed, abuse, they can feel powerless. This is why making sure children and young people are given choices, their rights are respected and a welcoming, comfortable environment in which to share their story is vitally important. As evaluation progresses over the next year, we anticipate being able to share more fully the impact that SCIM and Bairns’ Hoose is having on children and young people who need this level of intervention in 2025. Working together to keep unborn babies, babies, children and young people safe and protected. Across our partnership, a range of professionals and volunteers work closely together to ensure the care and protection of unborn babies, babies, children and young people within our communities. This includes Housing Officers and Support Workers, Social Workers and An Interview Room Page 87 of 182
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27 Social Care Workers, Midwives, Health Visitors, School Health Nurses, Youth Workers, Community Link Workers, Teachers and other school staff, Police Officers, Community Safety Wardens and many others in diverse roles across our voluntary, third and independent sector organisations. What follows is a snapshot of the difference that volunteers make in our Child Protection Community. Aside from those highlighted below, there are many other organisations whose volunteers are making a significant difference to the lives of families and the CPC extends its thanks to them all. The Role of Volunteers Children’s Panel Members Many people are unaware that Children’s Hearings rely on volunteers who apply to become panel members. This is an important role in keeping babies, children and young people safe. Panel members make the decision about whether a legal order requires to be made to ensure a baby, child or young person receives the care, protection and treatment they need. Within Perth and Kinross, there are 46 Panel members from all walks of life with a range of suitable skills and experiences who are making life-changing decisions for Perth and Kinross’s children. Several of the local Panel community have been volunteering for over 15 years and one of Panel members has volunteered for over 30 years at the Perth Hearing centre. Whether Panel members are new or very experienced, their commitment and time they give up to help keep children safe is valued and appreciated. It is not an easy job to volunteer for but here is what some panel members say motivates them: • “I felt that I had a responsibility to use the skills and experience I've developed over the last 30 years, to really support children and families in the community.” • "I became a Panel Member in order to help support families be the best that they can be in challenging life circumstances." • “I was wanting to give something back to the local community I live in and knowing how my own family background as a child growing up made me want to help others.” Page 88 of 182
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28 Early intervention and support provided by a range of organisations and their volunteers can make all the difference to vulnerable families and prevent babies, children and young people from becoming involved with the child protection system. Within our partnership, we have numerous organisations who benefit from volunteers and the support they can give families. Here is an example: Barnardo’s Space4U service is funded by Perth and Kinross Children and Families Social Work services to provide Whole Family supports to children and families impacted by parental substance use, mental health, and domestic abuse. The service works to improve family wellbeing and reduce risk for children and young people to remain safe within their family. Space4U have recruited a small pool of trained volunteers as befrienders and parent/carer buddies who are supported by the volunteer co-ordinator. Volunteers often play a pivotal role in helping children, young people and parents/carers build confidence to access their community, try new activities or provide a listening ear. They can also help families build on and sustain the progress they have made following a period of support from workers. What is the impact on families? “I really like my befriender, she always turns up for me when she says she will, we do fun things like go to the park, go out for walk, draw, paint. She listens to me. She is great” Young Person “Volunteering with families and young people is essential! It is not only worthwhile and rewarding for me as a volunteer, it’s an opportunity to learn from young and inspiring children. Children who may have not had chances to grow and learn independently of schools, family or friends, and experience safe and engaging friendship. The growth that everyone gains is irreplaceable and for some, a lifeline. Nonjudgmental care linking those in need with additional support”. Eilidh Grant, Volunteer at Space4U “I got the impression over the last six months that the young person really valued our time together and I saw a growth in him in terms of confidence and maturity. It has been a great chance for him to have new experiences out with the family home and was fast becoming a thoughtful young man with many talents” Volunteer Befriender “What is also lovely to see is that not only do our children and young people benefit from the volunteer support, but the volunteers have a rewarding experience no matter why they are volunteering.” Volunteer Co-ordinator. Page 89 of 182
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29 Child Protection Planning Meetings (CPPMs): Continuing Improvement Work In 2023, the name of Child Protection Case Conferences was changed to Child Protection Planning Meetings (CPPMs) in accordance with the implementation of the National- Guidance-Child-Protection-Scotland-2021-updated-2023. CPPMs are a core feature of multi-agency working to protect unborn babies, babies, children and young people. CPPMs bring practitioners, services, agencies and families together to share information regarding risks and needs, as well as the family strengths and protective factors which may mitigate them. Staff from Children and Families Social Work arrange, chair and minute CPPMs on behalf of the partnership. CPPMs are non-statutory meetings and have no legal status. Legal orders to protect babies, children and young people can only be obtained through the Children’s Hearing or Sheriff Court. The primary purpose of CPPMs is to consider whether an unborn baby, child or young person is at risk of significant harm and if so, to determine whether, or not, their name should be added to the CPR. The CPR is a register of all unborn babies, babies, children and young people who have Child Protection Plans within a given local authority area. In Perth and Kinross, the CPR is held securely by designated individuals within Children and Families Social Work, Health and Police colleagues. Outside of normal working hours, the CPR can be accessed through the Out of Hours Social Work Service by professionals with an urgent need to know if an unborn baby, baby, child or young person has a Child Protection Plan. Child Protection Planning Meeting Coordinator Role In May 2021, Children and Families Social Work created a full-time, dedicated CPPM Coordinator position. This was achieved through temporary funding, initially for a period of two years until 2023. Given the success of the role, it has been further extended until 31 March 2025. This demonstrates a significant financial investment and commitment to the continuous improvement of our multi-agency child protection arrangements. What is the impact for unborn babies, babies, children and young people and their families? Children, young people, parents and carers frequently report that they prefer to have the same chair for meetings, such as CPPMs, in which highly confidential and sensitive information about their family is shared. Having a consistent Chair, through the CPPM Coordinator role, provides families with a known face - a person who already knows their family’s story and can track progress throughout the period of registration. From a trauma- informed perspective, this is essential – both people who use our services and research are clear that telling and re-telling their stories can be re-traumatising for children, young people and their parents or carers. Having the same, well-prepared Chair for each CPPM a family experiences means that families do not have to do this and appears to reduce levels of stress and distress. For example, no parent or carer has been asked to leave a CPPM due to aggressive or disruptive behaviour over the year. This is significant as it shows that the emotional containment created by a consistent Chair within the CPPM process is supporting families to take part and participate. The CPPM Coordinator works hard to create a safe and calm environment for all participants. Page 90 of 182
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30 The above information is taken from the CPPM Coordinator’s Annual Report. There was an improvement of 14% in 2023 – 2024 of CPPMs held within schedule, rising from 73% to 87%. Numbers of unborn babies, children and young people on the CPR have remained low. A combination of MS Teams, Hybrid and in-person meetings appear to support the attendance of professionals and parent(s) and carer(s). The CPPM Coordinator sought feedback from parents and carers, the majority of whom advised that they preferred to attend meetings via MS Teams as they did not have to travel, arrange for childcare or risk meeting the other parent, before, during or after the meeting. As planned last year, Easy Read Leaflets are now available for children, young people, parents and carers invited to attend a CPPM. What’s next? For 2024 – 2025, the coordinator will be exploring Easy Read Minutes for children, young people and families. This is because children, young people and their parents or carers need to fully understand the reasons that Child Protection Registration has been necessary and the steps they need to take, along with the professionals working with their families, to keep everyone safe and ensure that the period of registration is as short as possible. A short, accessible and easily understandable minute will help this process. Page 91 of 182
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31 Involvement, Engagement and Participation with Children, Young People and their Families The CPC, partner services and agencies, strive to involve and engage children, young people and their families in their work; ensure they can participate in our work; have their voices heard and influence service provisions and service design. The following is a high-level snapshot of only some of this ongoing work: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) “The UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world and sets out the specific rights that all children have to help fulfil their potential, including rights relating to health and education, leisure and play, fair and equal treatment, protection from exploitation and the right to be heard” (Scottish Government) The incorporation of the UNCRC into Scottish law on 16 July 2024 means that public bodies now have a legal obligation to act in a way which is compatible with UNCRC rights where the function comes from an Act of the Scottish Parliament. This places significant limits on the extent of the compatibility duty for local authorities as many functions are from UK, rather than Scottish, legislation. However, the incorporation should support a cultural shift which will encourage public bodies to take account of the needs and rights of babies, children and young people, in everything that they do. All public bodies should be working towards having a baby, child and young person’s rights-based approach in delivering their services. Preparations have been underway for some time both locally and across Scotland to ensure that staff were ready for the incorporation of UNCRC. Initiatives such as Rights Respecting Schools and the cascading of information to children and young people and across staff groups have been ongoing for several years. The CPC continues to work with partners on ensuring that the rights of babies, children and young people are fully respected and considered in all aspects of our work. As can be seen from the illustration on the following page, the rights of babies, children and young people to be protected from exploitation and sexual abuse are enshrined in the UNCRC, so it is absolutely fundamental to the work of the CPC and its partners in our single and multi- agency child protection processes and practices Listening to children and young people, hearing and respecting their voices, is an essential aspect of safeguarding. Page 92 of 182
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32 Why does Incorporation matter? Click on the link below to hear from present and former members of the Scottish Youth Parliament about the importance of the incorporation to them and what it means to Scotland’s children and young people and for the future. Scottish Youth Parliament Members & UNCRC Page 93 of 182
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33 Services for Children, Young People and Families – Promoting Participation In December 2023, Heather McKenzie took up her post as the Children’s Rights Officer for Perth and Kinross. Heather is based within Services for Children, Young People and Families and works predominantly with young people aged between 12-26. Heather’s role focuses on collective advocacy for young people as a means to ensure that their voices are heard, and their views are taken into account by decision-makers. Heather’s work is integral to developing the Youth Forum and Champions Boards as discussed below. She is also pivotal in training others about children and young people’s rights, the UNCRC and Perth and Kinross’ commitment to keeping The Promise. Page 94 of 182
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34 Perth and Kinross Youth Forum The Youth Forum was instituted two years ago but has taken some time to become fully operational due to changes in staffing, service restructure and young people moving on. Developing the Youth Forum has been, and continues to be, an iterative process which has needed dedicated time and attention from all involved. The inaugural meeting of the Youth Forum took place in February 2024 and a further four meetings have now taken place. Due to the size of Perth & Kinross and the different working and studying arrangements of the young people, finding suitable times and venues that work for them has been a matter of trial and error. The Team continues to work on recruitment to the Youth Forum and its accessibility for the young people – a mix of online and quarterly in- person sessions are being considered. What’s the aim of the Youth Forum? The Youth Forum allows for the voice of young people across Perth and Kinross to be heard and to influence the policy and practice direction of all our work. The Youth Forum reports directly to the Children, Young People and Families Partnership (CYPFP). This enables links to be developed and maintained with other strategic groups and partnerships. The Youth Forum aims to provide a way for services and agencies across Perth and Kinross to consult directly with young people. The Youth Forum will also focus on the Youth Strategy (discussed below) and have a key role in making sure that its actions are progressed. Who is on the Youth Forum? The Youth Forum has 25 members aged 12-26 from various organisations, including: CASA (Children Alone Seeking Asylum – PKC Services for YP), Champions Board of young people with Care Experience (PKC Youth Services), PKAVS Young Carers, PKAVS Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub, Perth Autism Support, KYTHE, LOGOS (Auchterarder and Crieff), AYP, CAYAG, YMCA and Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament. Breathe (Aberfeldy) and SKYD (Blairgowrie) will soon be joining the forum. To ensure wide representation and a feedback loop for the young people, an arrangement has been made that the representatives liaise between the Youth Forum and their local Voice Groups. This is important as the young people involved need to know that their voice is making a difference and to be kept informed about the impact of their interventions. The Youth Forum fully recognises the need to reflect the diversity of young people and of their lives. Efforts are ongoing to link with organisations that will enable the voices of a wide range of young people to be heard. These will include the LGBT Scotland’s local Youth group, Children’s Hospice Association Scotland in Kinross, Veterans First Point and young people from the travelling communities. The Youth Strategy At the first meeting of the Youth Forum in February 2024, Linda Richards, Service Manager for Resources, Children and Families Social Work, led a session on the soon-to-be published Youth Strategy. This consultation confirmed that the Youth Strategy and its key identified actions are relevant to the needs and wishes of young people. The Youth Strategy outlines the supports available to young people and sets out the vision to ensure that young people get the help and support they need, when they need it. Page 95 of 182
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35 You can read the Youth Strategy here: LINK TO YOUTH STRATEGY ONCE PUBLISHED Champions Boards In line with our commitment to keep The Promise, Heather McKenzie, Children and Young People’s Rights Officer, has been working closely with Youth Workers and supporting the development and co-ordination of the Champions Boards. What are Champions Boards? The Champions Boards support and empower care experienced young people to influence change and work alongside those who make decisions about the care system. They provide spaces for young people to be themselves, connect with others who have similar experiences, and receive support from a dedicated youth worker. The Champions Boards support skills development, promotes positive role modelling, wellbeing and inclusion, creating positive memories and access to a variety of opportunities. Perth and Kinross Council has supported a central Champions Board since 2015, known as the Fun Young Individuals (FYI). However, due to being held in central Perth, the group was not accessible for those living in rural communities. To address this, in October 2023, Champions Boards were set up in secondary schools and this model has proven to be successful. Each secondary school has a designated Youth Worker, who facilitates a weekly Champions Board over one school period. What are the aims of the Champions Boards? Having been in place for less than a year, it is pleasing that 9 out of 11 secondary schools have established Champions Boards and that more than one-third of young people with care experience in secondary schools are taking part. The young people have chosen to refer to themselves as ‘Champs’. To ensure that the Champions Boards retained a clear purpose and direction whilst enabling the fluidity and creativity of the group, there has been considerable work behind the scenes by Heather McKenzie and the team of Youth Workers within the schools. Young people are supported to take ownership of their group and are involved in all planning to ensure activities are meaningful to them. Therefore, each school Champions Board has selected different activities to raise the profile of care experience and of the role of Corporate Parents. In Blairgowrie, for example, the Champions Board created Promise Posters to present to their guidance teachers. In Perth Grammar and Perth High Schools, the Board members created quiz questions for all the school staff on Corporate Parenting. This piece of work was beneficial as it supported young people to learn about their rights and the responsibilities of corporate parents. Page 96 of 182
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36 Learning about The Promise – Poster made by the Champs Over the next academic year, the groups plan to build on these foundations and will be working on projects of their choosing in line with the Promise. This will include inviting Corporate Parents in to support this. Services for Children, Young People and Families plan to showcase and celebrate all the Champions Board projects. All the young people will receive certificates for their contributions and will be able to nominate Corporate Parents for awards too. What else have the Champs being doing? The Champs enjoyed a varied summer program which included a range of outings and activities from Go Karting, visiting the new Perth Museum, to visiting the Edinburgh Fringe and meeting at Scott Street for toasties or pizza. In partnership with Falkirk, Stirling and East Dunbartonshire, a Summer Champs event was put in place with lots of activities to try and take part in, from decorating cupcakes through to film-making. This was a special event as for many young people, as it was the first time they had been able to meet others with similar experiences outside of their immediate group. The Champs celebrated the end of summer with a trip to Dundee Tenpin Bowling and Lasertag. This was well attended with 34 young people attending from across 8 of the secondary schools, CASA and FYI. This was such a lovely event where young people were able to connect and enjoy themselves. This was incredibly special for some young people who were able to see other young people with whom they used to live in foster care with and others, who had moved school, had an opportunity to see their Champ friends. Champs were also supported to give their feedback on a variety of topic areas which will inform the new PKC Corporate Parenting Plan. The feedback has been shared with the PKC Promise Delivery Group. This will be drafted and shared with Champs to ensure the plan is designed in partnership and reflects their feedback accurately. What do the Champs tell us about their experience of being involved with the Champions Boards? Page 97 of 182
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37 • I felt heard when I was talking about my care experience and what was bad and what should be better • We’ve learned so many life skills that will help our future • It’s been great being able to come together to talk about our lives • Looking forward to the trips in the summer as I usually just spend the summer in my room Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) RRSA is an award, delivered by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), which recognises schools who can evidence that the UNCRC is placed at the heart of their policy, planning and service delivery. While schools can provide written evidence of their work, the focus of the assessment is on the impact on the child. RRSA was recognised as an effective way to work with and support schools to consider their current mechanisms for pupil voice, learner participation and individual advocacy and how these might be strengthened. In the last school session, a working group consisting of central and school staff, has drafted a Learner Participation Framework. This Framework will provide guidance and set clear expectations for incorporating UNCRC into a values-based approach in school. The Framework will be finalised and implemented this school session. Some key achievements since August 2023: 7 schools have achieved Bronze: Rights Committed, which means they have evidenced how they plan to embed the UNCRC into their practice; 6 schools have progressed to Silver: Rights Aware and 5 schools have achieved Gold: Rights Respecting status. We realise there are others who have had similar experiences, so we do not feel alone Page 98 of 182
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38 The Gannochy Trust Youth Panel In early 2023, The Gannochy Trust launched a new Youth Panel Fund for Perth and Kinross. Twelve young people, aged between 14-26 years of age, including care- experienced young people have been recruited to the Youth Panel (see photo below). The panel meets four times a year to assess and approve funding applications, of up to £10,000, from an annual funding pot of £120,000. The Gannochy Trust Youth Panel have designed the core aims and outcomes for the fund, which will include: Youth Activity – to provide learning-based activities and experiences for young people Youth Voice – empowering young people through projects that support their opinion being heard Youth Health and Wellbeing – helping young people develop independent living skills and activities that are focused on improving their wellbeing. The fund is open to registered charities that work in Perth and Kinross and can help in the delivery of these objectives. Page 99 of 182
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39 The Connecting Relationships Empowering Supporting Together (CREST) Team has two functions - independent Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) and Lifelong Links. Team members, who are referred to as FGDM and/or Lifelong Links Coordinators, work with children, young people, their families and the professionals who support them. They are independent from the child or young person’s social worker and have no statutory role with respect to the child or young person. CREST has been described as rights-based, inclusive and partnership working with families in action. Family Group Decision Making puts families at the heart of decision making for children and young people. It supports families to create their own Family Plan to keep their children and young people safe and cared for within their family group wherever safe and possible to do so. The families are supported by the FGDM Coordinator to do this. Lifelong Links Coordinators work closely with children and young people who are care experienced to identify family members and friends who can be part of their support network as they grow into adulthood. Here is a short video which explains what Lifelong Links are and why they are so important for children and young people who are care experienced. The CREST Team have had a successful year in 2023 – 2024 and are delighted to report that, after an in-depth assessment of their FGDM Service, they have been awarded service accreditation. This involved CREST policy and practice being matched against a set of high standards, drawn from current best practice and learning both in the UK and internationally. CREST Team now joins Edinburgh and Glasgow City Councils as an official accredited service in Scotland. What is the impact for unborn babies, babies, children and young people? The CREST Team is making a real difference to the lives of unborn babies, babies, children, young people and their families. Working with either part of the team is completely voluntary for children, young people and families so consent is actively sought, and options provided. Over 70% of the children and young people referred to Lifelong Links have gone on to engage with their coordinator to work towards creating a Lifelong Links plan. Similarly, over 70% of families referred to the FGDM part of the team have engaged with the coordinator and this has resulted in 33 Family Plans being created. Follow up at 3 months after the creation of the plan shows that the Family Plan is still working well for 30 of the families. Page 100 of 182
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40 Here is a snapshot of CREST’s work in 2023 - 2024 What’s next for CREST Team? CREST have been developing a Connections Toolkit and Plan and are planning to implement it in the year ahead. It is a tool that social work colleagues and foster carers can use to support children and young people identify, and stay connected with, people that are important to them, including siblings and sibling-type relationships. Grandparents, other family members, and important people within the child or young person’s community can play a significant part in offering ongoing love and support. Designed to be led by the child or young person, this tool can support social work staff and foster carers to better understand the child or young person’s world, the value of their relationships and how they change overtime. The tool can also be used for children and young people living at home who have social work involvement, are on the edge of care, and in kinship care. The team are planning to work on creating better processes to hear the voice of those who have been involved with the service and use that to further develop the service. Page 101 of 182
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41 Independent Advocacy Perth & Kinross Independent Advocacy Perth & Kinross (IAPK) continues to partner with children, young people and their parents or caregivers to provide independent advocacy services as they navigate Children’s Hearings and other important meetings such as Looked After Child Reviews and CPPMs. The service has three full-time advocates who provide a service to children and young people. The importance of independent advocacy for children, young people and their parents or caregivers in child protection or legal processes cannot be overstated. Families whose children become subject to CPR or to legal orders have consistently reported that having a trained, independent advocate with them through the process is supportive and helpful. Advocates can ensure that children, young people and their families understand what is going on and prepare them to take part in meetings or Children’s Hearings through the establishment of a trusting working relationship. The independence of the advocates is central to this as the child, young person and their parents and caregivers are more able to trust what the advocates are telling them as they know that they are in no way linked to Children and Family Social Work or other services. IAPK follow a code of practice which ensures that the independence is retained and refer to the child, young person or adult receiving services as their advocacy partner, reinforcing their collaborative approach to their work. The above table shows the number and type of meetings that independent advocates were involved with in 2023. The independent advocates now work with young people up until the age of 26, in line with continuing care legislation. As services change for young people from Page 102 of 182
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42 Children and Family Social Work to Through Care After-Care or Adult Care teams, the consistency of an advocate may be especially important in supporting transitions. The IAPK Team pictured with Tommy Whitelaw, Motivational Speaker, to discuss What Matters To You Parent of Young Person; “We would not be in the great position we are now if it had not been for the support Independent Advocacy has offered to my child.” “Wow, well if that wasn’t powerful enough to make the necessary change” (Having heard the views of the child) Children and Families Team Leader "Can you ask about the Hearing that is happening, I would like you to be there for me because you are good at passing on information to me in a way I understand.” - Child “I am so glad I was able to attend, thank you.” – Child “All the professionals sit up and listen to the advocate when they share what you have told them.” – Parent “Having advocacy there made a real difference, thank you so much.” – Parent “Great work, thank you.” – Parent The Impact of advocacy Independent advocacy improves, engagement and participation for those individuals and family members meeting are about. We are told frequently that where an independent advocate is present, what was previously adversarial or, there was non-engagement and little communication, there is now discussion, participation and a collective approach to talking and resolving risks to the child and family. As a result of improved communication and engagement, children can sometimes remain with family. Where they are away from family, advocacy can support in gaining views around family contact and share the creative ways to maintain relationships. Often, it’s the child with the answer. They can disclose to their advocate their experiences and how they are at this time. Where there is engagement and a joint approach to safety planning, there is more likely to have sustained change, and a successful outcome for the child and family. They are empowered to participate, chose, share. Participation and information are a right of the child and parents. We continue to work on having a rights-based approach to all meetings. What we observe is that those who use the support of an independent advocate learn how to participate and attend meetings, share their thoughts in various setting appropriately. This is a life skill, and we aim to empower our partners to attend meetings without advocacy. The team can then go on to support more children and families. Page 103 of 182
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43 A Young Carer is anyone under the age of eighteen, or over eighteen and still at school, who provides care or assistance to a family member, of any age, who has a disability, physical or mental long term health condition, or is affected by drug or alcohol misuse. Many young carers support their parents or caregivers to look after and meet the needs of a sister, brother or sibling with a disability. Children with disabilities are at higher risk of neglect and abuse. Providing safe spaces and support for young carers may strengthen the protective factors around these children. The PKAVS Young Carers provide a range of outreach and residential activities to support young carers in the community. The young carers workers are working hard to ensure that the voices of these children and young people are heard by decision-makers. The Young Carers Champion scheme in schools is raising the profile of young carers and raising awareness of their needs. Page 104 of 182
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44 The work of the young carers has been highlighted twice on national television through the Children in Need campaign. Please take a few moments below to watch the short videos which demonstrate the difference that the support provided can make to young people’s lives. Zuhair's story - How is life as a Young Carer? Jessica's story – Looking after my mum from the age of three. Page 105 of 182
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45 NSPCC Speak out Stay safe Perth and Kinross The NSPCC's Speak out Stay safe Programme, a national safeguarding programme for children aged 5- to 11-years-old, continues to be delivered in Perth and Kinross schools. NSPCC and Perth and Kinross Council have agreed a delivery plan so that every primary school is offered the virtual programme on a three-year cycle. The programme aims to help children to understand what abuse is and how to recognise the signs, their right to be safe and that abuse is never the victim’s fault. Details are also provided to children about where to get help and the sources of help available to them, including the Childline service. Linking directly to the Curriculum for Excellence, the programme helps reinforce key messages about abuse and neglect through: • Virtual assemblies for children aged 5-7 and 7-11, available in English, Welsh and BSL. • Follow on lesson plans with engaging activities and resources to help reinforce and embed key messages. • Face-to-face, volunteer led workshops for children aged 6-7 and 9-11 (these are offered to schools as NSPCC has volunteer capacity locally). NSPCC also offers an adapted six week Speak out Stay safe programme for children with Additional Support Needs (ASN). This programme supports schools to teach children about what abuse is and safe adults they can turn to for help. Everything schools need is provided, including session plans and films, alongside printable resources and props. These materials are intended for children with moderate learning disabilities, autism spectrum conditions or other additional learning needs and are available throughout the year. In the 2023-24 session, 24 schools delivered the virtual assembly content to pupils. In addition, 22 schools also had NSPCC volunteer-led, face-to-face workshops for P3, P6 & P7 pupils. The programme was also delivered at Craigclowan School. What is the impact for children? Ensuring that children understand what abuse is and that they have the right to be safe and protected is a foundation of promoting safety as children grow and develop. Providing content in British Sign Language and tailored to the needs of children with additional needs is vitally important as research indicates the greater vulnerability of these children to abuse and neglect. The programme is well-evaluated by local schools who have provided feedback such as: “…the two assemblies went very well. The teachers have also done follow up lessons in class.” “Parent/Carer letter was easy to adjust and share. Website information is clear and easy to navigate. Emails clearly provided all necessary information. Buddy provided a key, recognisable character they understood the purpose of and related to. Sam provided a relatable character and story. Pupils understood what different hurts are in an age-appropriate way” Page 106 of 182
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46 Impact on Staff Evaluation: We are continuing to support and develop a professionally curious, competent, confident and skilful multi-agency workforce. Our staff are highly motivated and committed to their own continuous professional development. We are empowering and supporting our staff with a wide range of evidenced-based multi-agency learning and development opportunities, which are evaluated highly and having a positive impact on practice. The content of these learning and development opportunities takes account of changing legislative, policy and practice developments and local challenges. Staff Learning and Development All CPC inter-agency child protection staff learning and development opportunities are continuously updated to ensure they are compliant with the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021; updated 2023 and the National Framework for Child Protection Learning and Development in Scotland 2024, which we have translated into our robust and dynamic CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Learning and Development Framework. This includes an updated Inter-Agency Child Protection Learning Pathway. Since the rapid technological changes in 2020 brought about by the pandemic, we have actively embraced new technology to create a flexible, blended approach to our inter-agency child protection learning and development programme. In response to staff needs and wishes, we increased our offer of in-person learning and development opportunities over 2023/2024. We also continued to deliver live webinars and maintain our range of interactive online learning resources, allowing busy practitioners to learn at a time, pace and place convenient to them. This ensured that the learning events on offer provided networking opportunities and met the updated knowledge, understanding and skills required of each workforce group specified within the National Framework for child protection learning and development 2024 Page 107 of 182
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47 A slide from CPC Child Protection Recognition and Response Course Extract from the P&K CPC Professional Curiosity and Challenge eLearning Resource CPC inter-agency child protection learning and development opportunities and resources continue to be delivered within the existing budget and free-of-charge at the point of delivery. We collate evaluation reports and are pleased that our training opportunities continue to be rated very highly. Some extracted examples are shown below. Figure X: On-the-day comments following attendance at a Child Protection Recognition and Response Course April 2024 Self-Reported perception of confidence before attending a Perth & Kinross CPC Child Protection Inter-Agency Learning & Development Course Page 108 of 182
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48 Self-Reported perception of confidence after attending a Perth & Kinross CPC Child Protection Inter-Agency Learning & Development Course In terms of impact, the following three tables show the wide range of child protection staff learning and development opportunities delivered from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024: by way of in-person, webinar and online learning resources: Staff Learning and Development Opportunities – OnLine E-Learning Modules (1 August 2023 – 31 July 2024) Title of Course Activity (Internal and External) 2022 / 2023 2023 / 2024 Child Protection OnLine Module 2,443 2,072 Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) OnLine Module 956 994 Adult Support and Protection OnLine Module 569 1,138 Total 3,963 4,204 CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection OnLine E-Learning Resources (New and Adapted) (1 August 2023 – 31 July 2024) Title of Learning Opportunity / Resource Completions Ten Minute Briefing: The Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019 749 Recognising and Responding to Child Neglect 730 Child Sexual Exploitation: Recognition and Response 292 Information Sharing, Confidentiality and Consent 105 Professional Curiosity & Challenge 139 Chronologies 119 Child Protection Inter-Agency Referral Discussions (IRDs) 332 Total 2,466 Page 109 of 182
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49 CPC and other CPC supported Inter-Agency Child Protection Learning and Development Events (1 August 2023 – 31 July 2024) Title of Learning Opportunity / Resource Learning Method Total Opportunities Total Attending CPC Child Protection: Recognition and Response Course (formerly CPC Basic Awareness Inter-Agency Child Protection) Webinars 8 (7 delivered) 68 CPC Child Protection: Recognition and Response Course via CPC (formerly CPC Basic Awareness Inter-Agency Child Protection) In-Person 8 (6 delivered) 95 ELC Child Protection Basic Awareness In-Person 5 (5 delivered) 47 ELC Exploring Childcare and Protection In-Person 1 3 CPC Effective Inter-Agency Practice Course In-Person 2 (2 delivered) 47 CPC Exploring Neglect Workshop In Peron 3 (1 delivered) 10 CPC Parental Engagement & Resistance Workshop In-Person 2 (1 delivered) 17 CPC Child Sexual Exploitation In-Person 3 (0 delivered) 0 CPC / ADP Children Affected by Parental Substance Use In-Person 1 (1 delivered) 24 New Child Protection Officers (CPO) (via Education Services) Webinar 3 70 Child Protection Officers (CPO) Networks (via Education Services) Webinar / In-Person 4 240 Total 40 621 The above table notes the number of learning and development course places available to book (opportunities) and records in brackets the number of courses delivered, along with the total number staff who attended the learning and development courses. Unfortunately, courses sometimes require to be cancelled due to very low take up of places. Any staff booked to attend these courses that require to be cancelled are encouraged to re-book for a later date. It should be noted that the updated Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), which came into effect in March 2019, to protect the privacy rights of website users, now limits our ability to provide accurate data in relation to online child protection learning and development opportunities and therefore the above are the minimum numbers of take-ups and completions. Page 110 of 182
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50 CPC Community of Practice The newly developed CPC Child Protection Community of Practice (CoP) aims to facilitate improved connections and share learning across our services and agencies to support the continued development of our child protection culture, ethos and day to day practice across Perth and Kinross. This will be achieved through the delivery of three in-person thematic inter-agency CoP reflective learning sessions per year, supported by thematic 7-minute briefings, a reflective learning account and an online learning network where conversations about good practice examples and resources can be shared between CoP members. Any local practitioner who has a professional interest in child welfare and protection can become part of this safe and supportive community. An introductory presentation provides more information on the community and details of how to join. Conclusion / Looking Forward Whilst there continues to be a good take-up rate of our online learning resources, the CPC recognises there are opportunities to promote these resources further and plans to do so throughout 2024/2025. The CPC have increased opportunities for in-person learning, however, take up of these courses have at times been poor due to pressures of work, as reported by frontline practitioners. We are currently exploring different ways to maximise in- person sign-up and attendance, including for example, locality training opportunities and bite-size learning for existing courses and an inter-agency training needs analysis in 2025. The CPC Learning and Development Officer is now back in post and has immediately instigated an increased programme of child protection recognition and response training opportunities; both webinars based and in-person and plans to scale-up that offer considerably during 2024/2025. We have also significantly improved our approach to post-event training evaluation through amendments to the on-the-day evaluation survey form, which prompts the learner to evaluate their perceived knowledge and confidence pre and post course. Page 111 of 182
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51 Safe &Together Training The CPC played a pivotal role in bringing the Safe & Together model to Perth and Kinross through partly funding its initial roll out in Children and Families Social Work in 2021. Further funding was sourced from the Scottish Government’s Delivering Equally Safe Fund in 2021 with a two- year programme of funding achieved. This funding was renewed in 2023 and 2024 and now amounts to an investment of circa £70 000. Safe & Together is based on partnering with the non-abusive parent to keep their children safely with them wherever possible and, through intervention with the abusive parent, it aims to reduce risk of harm to the other parent, children and young people. The Safe & Together model recognises that parents who are being subjected to domestic abuse are almost always working hard to keep their children safe and that they take a range of protective actions to do this. This recognition can reduce the shame that many victims and survivors of domestic abuse can feel and supports the establishment of partnership working. Safe & Together conceptualises abusive behaviour by a parent towards their partner, whether current or former, as a parenting choice as such behaviour is always harmful to the children and young people who, whether they are directly witness to incidents or not, are always subjected to the consequences of this kind of behaviour. To date, 135 practitioners and managers from Children and Families Social Work and from Justice Services have been trained in the full model (5 days training) and over 240 staff from across partner services and agencies have been trained in the overview model (one day’s training) A further 80 staff across Children and Families Social Work have taken additional training on Working with Men as Parents or Partnering with Survivors. The range of staff who have undertaken the Overview Training is a testament to the partnership arrangements in Perth and Kinross. It has included Elected Members and staff from Housing, Health, Education, Children’s Hearing Panel members, Reporters to the Children’s Hearing and a range of colleagues across the third sector. Feedback was very positive, and the training was evaluated highly. Implementing Safe & Together has changed the culture in Perth and Kinross and there is a far better understanding of the dynamics of domestic abuse both within social work staff and colleagues who have undertaken the training across the partnership. There has been a move away from a tendency for services to victim-blame towards perpetrator accountability. An audit is planned in 2024 – 2025 to evaluate the impact of Safe & Together on practice. A video discussing Perth and Kinross’ journey of implementation of Safe & Together will feature at the European & North America Safe & Together Conference in December 2024. Page 112 of 182
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52 Impact on the Community Evaluation: We are confident that the CPC remains transparent and public facing; that we are providing highly evaluated public information that is accurate, relevant and useful in terms of helping to keep children and young people safe. As a CPC, we plan to focus more strongly on engagement with the public in 2024 and to centre the voices of children and young people in our work. Public Information, Communication and Engagement Child Protection Website The CPC Child Protection Website, hosted on the Perth and Kinross Council website, remains fundamental to the CPC’s approach to public information, communication and engagement. This public-facing website ensures the work of the CPC remains open and transparent. Policies and guidance are published and available for practitioners, children and young people and their families to read. Easy read leaflets have been uploaded to the website for children and young people and their families about coming to CPPMs. Work will progress on the website in 2024/2025 to add more resources for children, young people and families. As reported last year, the introduction of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), which protects the privacy rights of website users and controls our ability to collect data cookies, limits our ability to provide accurate data. When given a choice, many people will decline non-essential data cookies and turn off tracking across websites to protect their privacy. It may be that, given the nature of our website, users may be even less willing for their activity to be tracked. This year’s figures for visitors to the website have dropped relative to the preceding two years which may relate to the PECR and the reluctance of the public to allow tracking or data cookie collection. As we are no longer able to produce accurate statistics for website visits and views, we will no longer be sharing these within our annual report. Social Media In partnership with staff from Perth and Kinross Council’s Corporate Communications Team, we have continued to make use of the main Perth and Kinross Council social media platforms (Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter) to extend the message reach of our key child protection partnership work. Page 113 of 182
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53 At 31 July 2024, the Perth and Kinross Council Corporate X Account had 23900 followers* and the Corporate Facebook page had 36,801 likes; compared with 23 217 Corporate Twitter followers and 31,813 Corporate Facebook page likes at the same date in 2023. *This is an estimate as X no longer gives access to analytics data without paid verification of the account. This cost cannot be justified given the present circumstances. Throughout the year, the CPC has actively supported several national campaigns including calls for new volunteers with Children's Hearings Scotland (September 2023) and the following Child Protection Committees Scotland’s (CPCScotland) campaigns: 1) #ItsOkayToAskForHelp to encourage parents/carers to seek support if they are struggling with the cost of living and this is affecting family life (November 2023) Social media activity associated with this campaign provided advice and guidance on where and how members of the community can seek financial support or advice on managing debt during the cost of living crisis. 2) #WhatIfYou’reRight with Barnardo's Scotland to encourage adults to take note of changes in a child's behaviour which could indicate signs of sexual abuse (February 2024) Centring the voices of survivors of child sexual abuse, this campaign powerfully highlights the changes in children and young people’s behaviour that adults should be mindful of and respond accordingly. Watch the video here - What if you're right? Additionally, at a local level, the CPC's work has also been supported via regular posts offering general information and advice about reporting concerns for a child or young person, the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people, and other relevant topics. Page 114 of 182
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54 In terms of impact, in the past year our CPC specific media posts on Facebook have achieved a total reach of 55,848 (a significant increase on 2022-2023, where the total reach was 43,261). Unfortunately, due to changes to access to analytics on X as outlined above, we are not able to provide a figure for impressions on X for 2023-2024 to compare to that of 2022-2023. The most popular post on Facebook was in relation to Children's Hearings Volunteers on 21 September 2023 with a total reach of 11,022, or around a fifth of the total reach for the year. As discussed earlier in this report, the importance of members of the community volunteering to be Panel Members for Children’s Hearings is an integral part of child protection work. This short video, highlighted by our social media posts, outlines the benefits it brings for babies, children and young people. https://youtu.be/qwyU-6BJLRs?feature=shared Looking forward, we intend to continue to promote both national and local messaging around child protection and to identify any additional opportunities to raise awareness that child protection is everyone's business. Page 115 of 182
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55 How good is the delivery of our services for children, young people and families and our operational management? This section describes how we are delivering our services and providing help and support to protect children, young people and families. It also describes recent improvement work, led by the CPC, to support and empower frontline practice. This work aims to support competent, confident and skilful multi-agency practitioners to make sound professional judgments when dealing with complex issues. Tayside Regional Improvement Collaborative (TRIC) Priority Group 5 (PG5): Safeguarding and Child Protection ‘We will continue to ensure that our children and young people are safe and protected from harm, at home, school and in the community.’ Tayside Regional Improvement Collaborative (TRIC) Perth and Kinross CPC and partner agencies continue to support the work of TRIC PG5. Much of the work TRIC PG5 has provided the CPC with added value; supported the work of the CPC and provided us with a shared opportunity across Tayside to design, develop, implement and to some extent, evaluate our work to improve day-to-day culture, ethos and child protection practice. However, due to a change in funding arrangements, discussions are ongoing about how the work of the TRIC may be sustained going forward. Evaluation: We are confident that our child protection services are robust, effective and focused on vulnerability, risk and need. We are working extremely hard to improve the life chances of children and young people. Practice is enabled by learning and by evidence-based policy, practice and planning improvements. Page 116 of 182
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56 Practice Guidance and Development In April 2024, the CPC was pleased to publish two key pieces of new practice guidance. The first was an interim joint protocol between the CPC and the Adult Protection Committee and is entitled: Guiding Principles For Safe Transition Between, Within and Across Children’s Services And Adult Services Including Young People Aged 16 To 18 Years This important document set out the ways in which services working with children and young people and services working with adults should better work together to ensure that vulnerable young people aged 16 to 18 are supported to safely transition between services. Historically, young people in this age range can find transition difficult as they are both considered a child within the law and therefore subject to child protection guidance, but they are also considered to be adults within certain parts of the law and therefore are subject to adult protection guidance and legislation also. When transitions are not managed well for vulnerable young people, they can be placed at serious risk of harm. ‘Remember My Name – A Significant Case Review into The Life of Margaret Fleming’ (2023) clearly illustrated these dangers. It is available here. The CPC continues to work with services towards operationalising these guiding principles. The second guidance document published was the: Care And Risk Management (CARM) Of Children and Young People Who Present a Risk of Serious Harm to Themselves and/or to Others. The CARM protocol is designed to ensure that the very small number of children and young people who present a risk of serious harm to themselves and/or to others receive the support and monitoring that they need to keep themselves and others safe from harm. It is envisaged that this protocol will mainly cover young people between the ages of 11 and 17. Serious harm is defined as an incident which is “life threatening and/or traumatic and from which recovery, whether physical or psychological can be expected to be ‘difficult or impossible’ (CYCJ definition). It will usually involve allegations of harmful sexual behaviour, allegations of violent behaviour or another high-level risk. The CPC recognises that young people who behave in harmful ways will usually have their own needs for care and protection and are likely to have been subjected to traumatic experiences within their own lives. The CARM protocol seeks to address these needs as well as mitigating the risks posed; whether to the young person themselves or others. The CPC is supporting agencies to fully operationalise the CARM protocol. Page 117 of 182
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57 Updating Policies The CPC is currently working with a small group of practitioners to update all its existing guidance and ensure that it is readily accessible and that practitioners can get the information they need quickly. The first guidance document to have been updated and made into an easily searchable webpage is the Practitioner’s Guide to Child Protection Planning Meetings. Here is a screenshot from our website which demonstrates the ease of use. Progressing the implementation of the National Guidance for Child Protection As reported in last year Standards and Quality Report, the CPC undertook a self-evaluation exercise in October 2023 to assess the extent to which the National Guidance had been implemented into practice within Perth and Kinross. In March 2024, the Scottish government published a comparison document of the self-evaluations of all CPCs in Scotland. An evaluative exercise was undertaken on this document, and it was clear that Perth and Kinross were ahead in some aspects of this work. There were only four areas in which Perth and Kinross was slightly behind. However, these areas had already been identified and the work was underway to address them. The Scottish government has said that it will not be asking CPCs complete this self-evaluation exercise again. To satisfy itself that the requisite progress has been made, the CPC will be undertaking the exercise again in 2025 on a unilateral basis. Undertaking this self-evaluation exercise has significantly contributed to our own quality assurance, self-evaluation and improvement planning work as we continue to confirm – How good we are now? How do we know? What we plan to do next? This has informed our CPC Improvement Plan 2023 – 2026 and our ongoing improvement programme. Therefore, re-visiting the self-evaluation exercise in the coming year will be beneficial in terms of tracking progress. Page 118 of 182
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58 Audit Activity The self-evaluation and audit activity, as described earlier in this report, through desktop and multi-agency audit work, supports the view that the services and agencies supporting unborn babies, babies, children, young people and their families within Perth and Kinross are making a real difference by providing support at the right time and when families need it. How good is our leadership? This section describes our collective approach to leadership, direction, support, challenge and scrutiny. It describes how we are promoting effective and collaborative partnership working to deliver the best possible outcomes for children and young people. It also describes our commitment to continuous improvement through quality assurance, self-evaluation and our capacity for further improvement across Perth and Kinross. Evaluation: We are continuing to strengthen our individual and collective approach to leadership, which is values-based, and which aims to empower and support staff across all services and agencies. Our partnership working remains effective and robust and our commitment to continuous improvement through quality assurance and self-evaluation aims to provide better outcomes for children and families across Perth and Kinross. Page 119 of 182
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59 Perth and Kinross Protecting People (Public Protection) Arrangements Perth and Kinross Public Protection Chief Officers’ Group (COG) The Perth and Kinross Public Protection Chief Officers’ Group (COG) brings together the Chief Officers of Perth and Kinross Council; NHS Tayside; Police Scotland – Tayside Division; the Chief Operating Officer of the Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership HSCP) and the Chief Social Work Officer (CSWO) for Perth and Kinross Council. Other key agency Chief Officers attend the COG and by invitation, Chairs and Lead Officers of the local public protection partnerships, are periodically invited to attend the COG, which has now adopted a thematic and exception reporting approach, in terms of our local public protection arrangements. This ensures that only significant issues are escalated to the Chief Officers to make best use of time and resources at COG. The COG continues to provide leadership, direction and scrutiny on the work of the Protecting People Coordination Group (PPCG), which brings together the various public protection partnerships, which now includes the includes the CPC, the Adult Protection Committee, the Suicide Prevention Steering Group, the Drug and Alcohol Partnership, the Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership and Community Safety. The COG has a key responsibility for CPC Learning Reviews1 providing the CPC with direction on both the commissioning and publication of Learning Reviews. The COG continues to monitor the CPC’s improvement work, including that originating from Learning Reviews. Terms of Reference (TOR) are in place, which continue to reflect National Guidance, describe and articulate the COG’s working arrangements. The COG meets four times per year at minimum and additionally, as required. Perth and Kinross Protecting People Coordination Group (PPCG) The PPCG has consolidated its coordinating role across the local public protection partnerships and has identify shared and cross-cutting public protection themes. The PPCG is exploring opportunities for shared learning and development opportunities for staff on public protection issues, how data from across the public protection partnerships can be used to ensure that themes are identified and responded to through a whole family, whole of life approach. The PPCG monitors the risk registers from the partnerships and where necessary, ensures that the COG is aware of high-level and / or shared partnership risks. 1 Note: National guidance for child protection committees undertaking learning reviews - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) (Scottish Government: July 2024). Page 120 of 182
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60 Perth and Kinross Children, Young People and Families Partnership (CYPFP) Elected Members and Chief Officers of the public, private and third sectors in Perth and Kinross continue to discharge their individual and collective responsibility for children's services, in particular, child protection services, through the Perth and Kinross Children, Young People and Families Partnership (CYPFP). The partnership continues to provide the CPC with strong leadership and direction. At its quarterly meetings, the partnership continues to scrutinise the quality assurance, self- evaluation and improvement planning work of the CPC and receives regular progress reports and updates on national and local child protection policy and practice developments. It also continues its thematic approach in relation to data; albeit key child protection performance indicators are included in all data reports. Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) is the local multi- agency child protection partnership; compliant to national standards; strongly committed to building an active child protection community and securing a culture where the care and protection of children and young people is at the heart of everyone’s job. The CPC drives forward a strong focus on continuous improvement; public information and communication; strategic planning and connections and annual reporting on the work of the CPC. Membership of the CPC remains intentionally wide and kept under constant review; to ensure it accurately reflects the local children's services landscape across the public, private and third sectors. This allows the CPC to take a whole-community approach to raising awareness of the key risks to children and young people. The CPC continues to nurture positive working relationships through a culture of mutual respect and understanding; involvement; participation; openness; transparency; support and challenge. The CPC meets six times per annum; all meetings are minuted and published on the public- facing Website. Much of the CPC’s work is taken forward via the CPC Practice Improvement Working Group (PIWG); the CPC Case Review Working Group (CRWG) and the CPC Quality Assurance Working Group (QAWG). Page 121 of 182
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61 The diagram below shows these groups within the governance structure for the CPC CPC Annual Development Session 2024 In April 2024, the CPC held an in-person development session The event took place at 2 High Street, Perth and a total of 20 (76%) out of a possible 26 CPC members (which included both attending and corresponding CPC members) attended this reflective event. The theme for the session was on change and considering a public protection approach. Bill Atkinson, Independent Chair, set the scene by explaining that the CPC had been through several significant changes in the preceding year. There had been a change of personnel with the retirements of Ross Drummond, Child Protection Interagency Coordinator, and Hazel Robertson, Head of Services for Children, Young People and Families. Members of the committee had changed, and new members were welcomed. The session provided an opportunity for members to discuss continuity and the opportunity for innovation. Grace Gilling, Associate Nurse Director, NHS Tayside, provided an input on Public Protection and committee members spend time discussing how the CPC could work more closely with its public protection partners going forward. Committee members were clear that it is important in 2024/2025 that the CPC raise its profile locally and focuses on engagement with communities, including children and young people. A report was collated on the discussions from the day which has been which has been developed into a plan, presented to the CPC in June 2024. This will remain under discussion at the CPC meetings throughout the year. Page 122 of 182
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62 Central and North Scotland CPC Consortium The Independent Chair of the CPC first established this Consortium back in 2009 and currently leads this Consortium, which has continued to expand. Membership of the Consortium now includes the CPC Chairs and CPC Lead Officers of Aberdeen City; Aberdeenshire; Angus; Clackmannanshire; Dundee City; Falkirk; Fife; Highland; Perth & Kinross; Moray; Orkney Islands; Shetland Islands; Stirling and the Western Isles Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) areas. The Consortium continues to meet 4 times per annum with meetings being held virtually, to accommodate all geographical partners. Throughout 2023/2024, members have continued to share and exchange learning and good practice in child protection and invited key speakers and members to provide inputs and presentations on developing child protection policy and practice developments. The theme of interest has been Contextual Safeguarding and how different CPCs are progressing this approach in their areas. What is our capacity for improvement? Perth and Kinross CPC is committed to continuous improvement through quality assurance, self-evaluation and continually strives for excellence. The CPC is a listening and learning CPC. We know how good we are now; how good we can be and our capacity for improvement remains very strong. Throughout 2023/2024, the CPC, working in partnership with its subgroups, the CPC Practice Improvement Working Group (PIWG); the CPC Case Review Working Group (CRWG); the CPC Quality Assurance Working Group (QAWG) and with the Perth and Kinross PPCG, has continued to make progress in implementing practice improvements and change. In April 2023, the CPC developed a new and ambitious CPC Improvement Plan 2023 – 2026. This Plan incorporated the various national and local drivers, including existing and emerging legislative and policy changes. It also takes cognisance of previous and existing improvement planning frameworks, existing and emerging scrutiny and inspection frameworks. It also takes cognisance of recent local quality assurance, self-evaluation and review activities and from the learning identified from Learning Reviews. Considerable progress has been made towards the stated goals of this plan which is updated regularly. We also recognise that the CPC Improvement Plan 2023 – 2026, is only one part of a much wider service and agency improvement planning framework; with similar ambitious improvement plans being progressed within and across our partner services, agencies and other public protection partnerships – all aimed at providing better outcomes for unborn babies, babies, children, young people and their families. Page 123 of 182
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63 Our Plan: Conclusion / Looking Forward As this report has demonstrated, the CPC is committed to continuous improvement. Whilst there is room to be assured about the current level of service provided to unborn babies, babies, children, young people and their families, there is no room for complacency. To that end, the CPC will be developing a three-year self-evaluation strategy and audit plan to ensure that progress is tracked, and we continue to keep improving the service we deliver to our communities. There have been a range of changes in legislation and guidance over the last year and with the Children’s Care and Justice (Scotland) Act 2024 making significant changes to the Children’s Hearing and Justice system for those under 18, it is important that the CPC ensures that its improvement plan reflects these important developments. To do this, the CPC will be refreshing and refocusing its improvement plan in late 2024. Finally, the CPC will be working closely with its public protection partners in Perth and Kinross - the Violence Against Women Partnership, Community Safety, Adult Protection Committee, Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) and Suicide Prevention – to ensure our already strong relationships are developed into workstreams on the cross-cutting themes that we share to further improve the service that we deliver to unborn babies, babies, children and young people, their families and the community. Thank you for your time in reading this report and for your interest in keeping our unborn babies, babies, children and young people safe and protected. If you would like to make contact with the Child Protection Committee to share suggestions for provide feedback on this report, please email us at: childprotectioncommittee@pkc.gov.uk. Page 124 of 182
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64 Key Abbreviations & Acronyms Used ADP Alcohol and Drug Partnership APC Adult Protection Committee CCR Child Concern Report COG Chief Officers’ Group CPC Child Protection Committee CPIC Child Protection Inter-agency Coordinator CPPM Child Protection Planning Meeting (Previously Child Protection Case Conference) CPO Child Protection Order CPP Community Planning Partnership CPR Child Protection Register CRWG Case Review Working Group CSO Compulsory Supervision Order CSWO Chief Social Work Officer CYPFP Children, Young People and Families Partnership CYRO Children and Youth Rights Officer EASYc Educational Attainment Service for Young Carers ECS Education and Children’s Services EFQM European Foundation for Quality Management GDPR General Data Protection Regulations GIRFEC Getting it Right for Every Child GLOW Scottish Schools National Internet IAPK Independent Advocacy Perth & Kinross ICPPM Initial Child Protection Planning Meeting IRDs Inter-Agency Referral Discussion KPI Key Performance Indicator MAAPA Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements MSYP Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament NHS National Health Service (Tayside) NSPCC National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children QAWG Quality Assurance Working Group P&K Perth and Kinross PIWG Practice Improvement Working Group PECR Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations PG5 Priority Group 5 PKAVS Perth and Kinross Association of Voluntary Service PKC Perth and Kinross Council RASAC PK Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Perth and Kinross RRSA Rights Respecting School Award SCRA Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration SLA Service Level Agreement SMARTer Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Realistic and Time-Limited TRIC Tayside Regional Improvement Collaborative UBB Unborn Baby UNCRC United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child YCC Young Carers Champion YMCA Young Men’s Christian Association Page 125 of 182
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65 Appendix 1 – Performance Management Graphs and Additional Details Figure 1: Child Concern Reports (CCRs) 2 3 The total number of Child Concern Reports (CCRs) shows a continued increase over the last five years, with an increase of 558 (7%) CCRs this year; whilst the number of children and young people subject to a CCR has also risen 6%. Many of these CCRs relate to concerns which are both multiple and complex in their nature. CCRs can relate to the same child or young person, particularly where there are multiple or repeated concerns about the same child or young person. CCRs are all subject to multi-agency screening arrangements and shared proportionately with key partners. Within police and social work services, escalation and trigger mechanisms are in place to monitor and review multiple and / or recurring CCRs. Following multi-agency screening arrangements there are several possible outcomes. Where the child or young person is known to social work and / or an open case to social work, the CCR is shared with the Lead Professional (almost always the Social Worker) for further investigation, assessment and follow-up; or for single or multi-agency assessment and support; or referral to The Reporter (Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration – SCRA) for compulsory measures of care; or referral to a Third Sector organisation for help and support. CCRs which are clearly of a child protection nature and / or which after multi-agency screening indicate the need for a child protection investigation are immediately fast-tracked, without delay, for an Inter-Agency Referral Discussion (IRD). Figure 2: Child Concern Reports by Age The proportion of children and young people with a CCR in most age groups has remained relatively steady; with the number in the 5-10 and 11-15 age groups remaining the largest groups. There has been a slight increase in the younger age groups of 0-4 and 5-10, with a slight decrease in the proportion of children and young people in the 11-15 age group. Figure 3: Child Concern Reports by Source The main source of CCRs continues to be Police Scotland, followed by Education Services and Health Services. Overall, these three source groups account for over 85% of all CCRs submitted. The number of CCRs submitted by Police Scotland has been continually increasing over the last 5 years. Any Police Officer can raise a CCR and these are coordinated and quality assured, prior to sharing, by Police Scotland’s Tayside Division’s Risk and Concern Hub. 2 Note: A Child Concern Report (CCR) is a mechanism by which any practitioner or manager across the public, private or third sector, or indeed, any member of the public, can raise any worry or concern they may have about a child or young person's health and / or wellbeing. 3 Note: Figures are accurate as at 31 July 2024, however, they may be updated in subsequent reporting periods due to retrospective data validation and quality assurance processes. Page 126 of 182
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66 Figure 3a: Child Concern Reports by Source – 2023/24 The originating source of all CCRs continues to be monitored by the CPC. This TreeMap diagram shows the % of CCRs from Police Scotland, Education Services (increasing) and Health Services during the last year, which account for over 85% of all CCRs submitted. CCRs relate to a wide range of child welfare, childcare and protection concerns and are all subject to multi- agency screening, initial assessment and decision- making arrangements. Overall, 31% of all CCRs relate to the Trio of Risks (Domestic Abuse 23%; Parental Mental Ill-Health 6%; Problematic Alcohol and Drug Use 2%). Figure 4: Inter-Agency Referral Discussions (IRDs) 4 The number of children and young people subject to Inter-Agency Referral Discussions (IRDs) has fallen again this year, and the number of IRD discussions taking place (which may involve more than one child or young person) shows similar trend. Following an IRD there are several possible outcomes; including the need for a joint child protection investigation (social work and police); a joint investigative interview (social work and police); a medical examination; referral to SCRA; further emergency legal measures and orders; or a single service or agency intervention and support. IRDs are recognised as good multi-agency child protection working practice and may be repeated several times for the same child or young person. Locally, a significant amount of improvement work has taken place in relation to IRDs and will continue to take place, to ensure our IRDs are robust, and our interim safety planning is effective. This is a positive and improving practice position and brings partner agencies together more quickly for key discussions and decision-making. Our established approach to IRDs is in keeping with the shift expected and with the good practice outlined in the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021). Figure 5: Child Protection Investigations 5 6 The number of Child Protection Investigations and the number of children and young people subject to an investigation has again this year, in line with the trend for IRDs. These are joint investigations between social work and police, decided upon and agreed at the IRD stage and carried out by specially trained joint investigative interviewers who are trauma aware. 4 Note: An IRD is a discussion between practitioners, services or agencies, where a child concern report and / or multi- agency screening arrangements have determined that a child or young person is in need of care and protection from harm, abuse or neglect; or there is a likelihood or risk of significant harm, abuse or neglect. 5 Note: A Child Protection Investigation is carried out jointly by specially trained police officers and social workers. Such investigations are carried out where a Child Concern Report, including an Unborn Baby Referral, indicates that a child or young person is in need of care and protection from harm, abuse or neglect; or there is a likelihood or risk of significant harm, abuse or neglect. 6 Note: Extracts from P&K CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2017 – Being refreshed in line with the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021. Page 127 of 182
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67 Figure 6a: Pre-Birth Child Protection Planning Meetings (Pre-Birth CPPMs) Of the 132 unborn baby referrals (see Figure 15) received this year, after multi-agency screening and assessment, 28 unborn babies were the subject of a multi-agency Pre-Birth CPPM. At the Pre-Birth CPPM, 26 (93%) out of the 28 unborn babies considered were registered on the Child Protection Register (CPR). All unborn babies registered on the CPR are subject to a multi-agency Child Protection Plan. These cases tend to be complex, and have multi-faceted areas of concern, vulnerability and needs. This continued high level of pre-birth registrations has also significantly changed the age profile of those placed on the CPR. Overall, unborn babies and young children under 5 now make up the majority of those currently registered on the CPR. The remaining unborn baby referrals, which did not proceed to a Pre-Birth CPPM, all received a variety of other supportive interventions and responses, having been screened at the Unborn Baby Multi-Agency Screening Group (UBB MASG), i.e. single service or agency support; multi-agency support; the pregnancy did not continue, or the mother moved out with the local authority area, with information being shared proportionately with the new local authority area. Figure 6b: Initial Child Protection Planning Meetings (Initial CPPMs) Despite the increasing numbers of CCRs, the number of children and young people being considered at a multi-agency Initial Child Protection Planning Meetings (Initial CPPMs) has remained relatively steady over the last four years. This indicates that alternative single and / or multi-agency supports had effectively been put in place at a much earlier stage in the child protection process. Multi-agency Child or Young Person’s Plans, which have been agreed early; provide much needed supports and help build positive relationships with the family; are coordinated by a Lead Professional (Social Worker). In many cases, this has negated the need for an Initial CPPM, having effectively reduced risks. Of the 55 children and young people being considered at an Initial CPPM, 50 (91%) had their names registered on the Child Protection Register (CPR). All were the subject of a multi-agency Child Protection Plan, coordinated by a Lead Professional (Social Worker). Those children and young people not registered on the CPR will also have benefited from ongoing support via a Child or Young Person’s Plan, again coordinated by a Lead Professional (Social Worker). Figure 7: Review Child Protection Case Conferences (Review CPPMs) Multi-Agency Review CPPMs reconsider the decision to place and retain a child or young person’s name on the CPR. These child protection meetings take place within standard timescales to monitor changes in circumstances and progress made to reduce and eliminate risk. Where sufficient progress has been made, the Review CPPM can decide to remove (de-register) an unborn baby, child or young person from the CPR. This is always a multi-agency decision. The number of children and young people considered at a multi-agency Review CPPM shows a general downward trend over the last four years, as does the proportion of continued registrations. Figure 8: New Registrations on the Child Protection Register (CPR) The number of new registrations on the Child Protection Register (CPR) has remained steady this year. This is closely related to the relatively similar numbers of Initial CPPMs taking place. The number of children and young people placed (new registrations) on the CPR has been decreasing for the last four years, following a sharp increase in 2018/19. This reduction since 2018/19 is a consequence of a significant investment made to secure consistent Chairing of CPPMs and increasing use of Child and Young Person’s Plans at a much earlier stage; thus, reducing the need to go to CPPM and CPR Registrations. New registrations include unborn babies and registrations following a Child Protection Planning Meeting These figures routinely include large family sibling groups of 5 and more. As previously described, this year the age profile of those placed on the CPR has significantly changed. Unborn babies and younger children currently make up the majority of those now placed (registered) on the CPR. Page 128 of 182
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68 Figure 9: Children on the Child Protection Register as at 31 July 2024 Following the previously described factors, which have resulted in a levelling off in the number of Initial CPPM and registrations taking place, this year there has been a continuing reduction in the number of children and young people’s names on the CPR at 31 July 2024. This reduction is also a consequence of the significant investment made to secure consistent Chairing of CPPMs and increasing use of Child and Young People’s Plans at a much earlier stage; thus, reducing the need to go to CPPM and CPR Registrations. The number of children and young people, whose names were on the CPR at 31 July 2024 has decreased to the lowest level since 2013, from a relatively high figure of 97 in 2020 (COVID-19 related). Figure 10: Length of Registration Most CPR registrations last less than a year, and the number of children and young people who remain on the CPR for 12 months or more remains low following an increase in 2020/21. Many of these children and young people have multiple and / or complex needs which require coordinated support. The number of children and young people whose names are included on the CPR for a period of less than 5 months can demonstrate that decisions are being made on the evidence of sustained progress and a greater likelihood that the changes made will lead to positive longer- term outcomes. The CPC closely monitors registration rates and in particular de-registrations, re-registrations and length of time children and young people remain on the CPR as part of its quality assurance work. Figure 11: Re-Registrations The number of children and young people that are re- registered (placed) on the CPR, having been previously removed from the CPR, has returned to previous levels, following a sharp decrease in 2020/21. Most of these children and young people had last been removed (de-registered) from the CPR more than two years previously, following a multi-agency robust assessment and review meeting agreement. Re-Registrations take place where the previous improvements in the child or young person’s circumstances have not been sustained and the risk of significant harm has returned. Areas of Concern 7 Whilst recognising that the number of new registrations on the CPR has continued to decrease over the last two years; the number of children and young people whose names are included on the CPR and who are affected by parental mental ill-health, domestic abuse, problematic parental drug and / or alcohol misuse (sometimes referred to as the trio of risk) remains significant, and in many such cases, there is an element of parental non-engagement. We continue to recognise that in the majority, if not all these cases, there will be an element of emotional abuse and neglect. The CPC continues to monitor these trends closely and concerns relating to neglect and poverty. 7 Note: Areas of Concern are the registration categories for placing a child or young person’s name on the CPR and these have been specified by Scottish Government. Children and young people can have more than one area of concern recorded. These are decided upon at the multi-agency CPCC and recorded by the Chair, after the CPCC has been concluded. Page 129 of 182
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69 Figure 12: Unborn Baby Referrals 8 The number of Unborn Baby referrals received this year has remained relatively steady following a significant increase in 2020/21. By far the majority of Unborn Baby referrals continue to come from NHS Tayside; albeit any practitioner, service or agency can raise such a referral. The number of Unborn Baby referrals, when measured against the number of women booking for pregnancy care, equates to around 11.5%, which remains similar to previous years. The areas of Unborn Baby vulnerability continue to be similar to the areas of concern for registration on the CPR, in particular those relating to the trio of risk. The impact on our multi-agency screening and assessment processes for these referrals remains very challenging and resource intensive and the level of child protection activity in relation to vulnerable pregnant women and unborn babies remains high (see Figure 6a). Figure 13: Joint Investigative Interviews (JIIs) Following an IRD and the decision that a joint police and social work child protection investigation is necessary, consideration will be given to the need for a Joint Investigative Interview (JII); carried out jointly by fully trained, trauma informed police and social work interviewers. The number of children and young people who have had a JII carried out has fallen again compared to last year which was the highest level in recent years. This is in keeping with the numbers of IRDs and child protection investigations and this remains a key component part of our child protection services. Figure 14: Joint Paediatric / Forensic Medical Examinations (JPFME) Following an IRD and the decision that a joint police and social work child protection investigation is necessary, depending on the nature of the concern, consideration may also be given to the need for a JPFME. The number of children and young people who have had a JPFME carried out shows considerable variation from year to year. 8 Note: Currently an Unborn Baby Referral is a mechanism by which any practitioner or manager across the public, private or third sectors, can raise any worry or concern they may have about an unborn baby's health and / or wellbeing; or in relation to whether or not that baby will be safe and / or in need of care and protection, pre-birth and / or after birth. Page 130 of 182
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1 CPC Improvement Plan 1 April 2023 – 31 July 2026 Initial Progress / Update Report @ 30 September 2024 Approved & Published by the CPC: 6 June 2023 Appendix 2 9 Page 131 of 182
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2 Introduction Welcome to the Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) Improvement Plan 1 April 2023 – 31 July 2026. This Three-Year Improvement Plan builds upon previous CPC Improvement Plans and our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement through single and multi-agency quality assurance and self-evaluation work; as we continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of our partnership work to protect children and young people. This CPC Improvement Plan is aligned with, and strongly supports, the Tayside Plan for Infants, Children, Young People and Families 2023 - 2026 and the Perth and Kinross Community Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan) 2022 – 2032. Perth and Kinross CPC and partners are committed to continuous improvement through quality assurance and self-evaluation; as demonstrated by this CPC Improvement Plan. This shared commitment is also demonstrated through our partnership CPC Business Model; CPC Quality Assurance and Self-Evaluation Framework; CPC Monthly Management Information and Performance Outcome Framework (CPC Monthly Dataset Reports); CPC Annual Self-Evaluation Programme; CPC Annual Development Days and our CPC Annual Standards and Quality Reports. National Context The Scottish Government wants Scotland to be the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up so that they become: successful learners; confident individuals; effective contributors and responsible citizens and where children are loved, safe and respected, so that they can reach their full potential. All children and young people (including unborn babies) have the right to be cared for and protected from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation and to grow up in a safe environment, in which their rights are respected, and their needs are met. Children and young people should get the right support; at the right time; from the right people and their safety is always paramount. The care and protection of children and young people in Scotland is set within the wider policy context of Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC); the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and within the findings from the Independent Care Review: The Promise (2020) which clearly advocates Scotland’s Ambition for children and young people – we grow up loved, safe and respected so that we realise our full potential. We also acknowledge The Plan 2021 – 2024 which sets out the current five priority areas and key milestones – the right to a childhood; whole family support; supporting the workforce; planning and building capacity. GIRFEC promotes action to improve the wellbeing of all children and young people across eight indicators of wellbeing. The GIRFEC approach has been tested and developed across Scotland since 2006. It is based on research evidence and the experiences of practitioners, families and children. The GIRFEC wellbeing indicators (SHANARRI) are designed to optimise wellbeing and guide staff working with children, young people and their families to ensure that they are as safe; healthy; achieving; nurtured; active; respected; responsible and included as they can be. Page 132 of 182
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3 Tayside Context Tayside Plan Within and across Tayside, the Tayside Plan for Infants, Children, Young People and Families 2023 - 2026 continues to be the shared / joint plan produced by the three Community Planning Partnership (CPP) areas of Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross. It reflects our shared leadership towards multi-agency, cross-border collaboration in the planning, management, commissioning, delivery, evaluation and improvement of services to children, young people and families. It also reflects a shared and longstanding commitment to implementing Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC). The Plan has been developed by the three Tayside Councils, NHS Tayside, Police Scotland, Health and Social Care Partnerships, the Third Sector and other organisations to ensure a consistent approach towards agreed priorities and an absolute focus on improving outcomes for all children, young people and families, regardless of their circumstances. Tayside Plan – Our Vision The Plan will achieve the Vision of ensuring that: “Our children and young people will have the best start in life and Tayside will be the best place in Scotland to grow up” Tayside Plan – Our Five Priorities 1. Our children will have the best start in life 2. Our children, young people and families will achieve and make positive contributions to communities 3. Our children and young people will enjoy good physical and mental health 4. Our children and young people will have their rights protected and their voices heard 5. Our children and young people will be safe and loved Tayside Plan – Our Guiding Principles • Rights based – this means that there is evidence that children’s rights are considered in everything we do and that rights are promoted or enhanced by what we are doing • Easily understood and accessible – we will make sure that we clearly say what we are doing and what difference it will make. We won’t use confusing or stigmatising language, acronyms or jargon to ensure everyone has the same understanding of what we want to do • Based on what people with lived experience tell us – this means asking, listening, and acting on the voice and experience of people who use services and have lived experience Page 133 of 182
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4 • Linked clearly to evidence – it will be clear what our evidence base shows and we will measure the difference we are making. This will include use of data measures and the views of those accessing services, staff working with families, national impact reports and local research etc • Making the best use of resources – the benefits of working together on a Tayside basis and across different agencies/services will be clearly stated Perth and Kinross Context Perth and Kinross Community Plan Within Perth and Kinross, the Perth and Kinross Community Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan) 2022 – 2032 clearly articulates an ambitious vision for the future of our area, our communities and our families. The Plan clearly describes how the Perth and Kinross Community Planning Partnership (CPP) will achieve our shared ambition for excellence. This is our Plan for positive outcomes for everyone in the area and in particular to tackle stubborn and persistent inequalities which can reduce life chances and opportunities for people. The Plan is about improving the lives and experiences of everyone who lives, works and visits here. Its development and delivery is overseen by the CPP comprising public, private and third sector bodies. Perth and Kinross Community Plan Vision The vision is simple and is: “Creating a confident, ambitious and fairer Perth and Kinross, for all who live and work here – for everyone to live life well, free from poverty and inequality” Perth and Kinross Community Plan Strategic Objectives The Plan contains five strategic objectives to deliver the vision: 1. Reducing poverty 2. Physical and mental wellbeing 3. Digital participation 4. Learning and development 5. Employability Page 134 of 182
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5 Work of the Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) The work of the Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee in protecting children and young people from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation and in keeping them safe, is fundamental to realising our vision for improving wellbeing and ensuring better outcomes for our most vulnerable and at risk children and young people. The work of the CPC is articulated in this CPC Improvement Plan, which is aligned with and supports both the Tayside Plan for Infants, Children, Young People and Families 2023 - 2026 and the Perth and Kinross Community Plan (Local Outcomes Improvement Plan) 2022 – 2032. The CPC supports the ethos that getting it right for every child is everyone’s job and that it is still everyone’s responsibility to keep children safe. Underpinning National Policy Documents Underpinning the work of the CPC are three key national child protection policy documents; namely National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 - updated 2023 (Scottish Government: 2021 and 2023); Protecting Children and Young People: Child Protection Committee and Chief Officer Responsibilities (Scottish Government: 2019) and A Quality Framework for Children and Young People in Need of Care and Protection (Care Inspectorate: November 2022). Protecting Children and Young People: Child Protection Committee and Chief Officer Responsibilities (Scottish Government: 2019) describes the functions of Child Protection Committees as: • Continuous improvement • Public information, engagement and participation • Strategic planning and connections • Annual reporting on the work of the CPC About this CPC Improvement Plan 1 April 2023 – 31 July 2026 This Three-Year CPC Improvement Plan has been published as an agreed statement of intent, which partners are jointly committed to deliver; confirming that our capacity for improvement remains very strong. It is both ambitious and comprehensive. It is our individual and collective continuous improvement programme for services to protect children and young people in Perth and Kinross. It describes and sets out our planned programme of improvements for 2023 – 2026. It is a dynamic Plan and further areas for development and / or improvement will be added as and when required. In developing this CPC Improvement Plan, we have taken cognisance of the various national and local drivers; including existing and emerging legislative and policy changes. It has taken cognisance of previous and existing improvement planning frameworks and existing and emerging scrutiny and inspection frameworks. It has also taken cognisance of recent local quality assurance, self-evaluation and review activities and from the learning identified from Learning Reviews. Page 135 of 182
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6 It has been structured in alignment with research work carried out across Tayside by Dr Sharon Vincent, Northumbria University, which identified key areas for practice improvement, which have been translated into 6 Priorities for Practice. These are: Relationship with Children and Families: 1. Focus on the Child 2. Engagement and Relationship Building 3. Assessment and Planning Working Together: 4. Early Intervention and Support (Right Help at Right Time) 5. Partnership Working 6. Empowerment, Supervision and Leadership This CPC Improvement Plan contains a number of Actions / Tasks; some of which are a priority and others which are ongoing and / or maintenance. These are presented in a way which is intended to be SMART: specific; measurable; achievable; realistic and time limited. Each Action / Task is aimed at keeping children and young people safe; protecting them from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation and at delivering better outcomes for children, young people and their families. Strategic Leads are identified for each of the Actions / Tasks. It includes indicative / flexible Timescales. A number of the Actions / Tasks, where possible, may be supported by staff learning and development opportunities and with follow-up quality assurance processes. Monitoring, Evaluation, Outcomes and Impact The CPC is the owner of this Improvement Plan. The Child Protection Inter-Agency Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating this Plan on behalf of the CPC. The CPC will work in partnership with the CPC Working Groups and Strategic Leads to ensure they understand the Plan; have a clear ownership for the respective Actions / Tasks in the Plan and will support them as they implement the Plan. The CPC will monitor, evaluate and review the Plan on a regular basis. The CPC and the CPC Quality Assurance Working Group will work in partnership to evaluate the impact of this Plan. The CPC will receive regular progress / update reports on each Action / Task and will, in turn, provide regular updates to the Perth and Kinross Children, Young People and Families Partnership (CYPFP); Chief Officers’ Group (COG) and to the Protecting People Coordination Group (PPCG). Page 136 of 182
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7 The CPC will produce an annual progress report on the Plan, which will form an appendix to the CPC’s Annual Standards and Quality Report, and this will be similarly reported the previously mentioned Groups, to partner agencies and will additionally be reported to Perth and Kinross Council Elected Members and shared with the Care Inspectorate for scrutiny purposes. Bill Atkinson Independent Chair Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee 1 April 2023 Page 137 of 182
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8 Our Plan on a Page: National Context GIRFEC UNCRC Independent Care Review: The Promise Tayside Context Aligned to priorities and guiding principles of the Tayside Plan for Infants, Children, Young People and Families 2023 – 2026 Priority 1: Our children will have the best start in life Priority 2: Our children, young people and their families will achieve and make positive contributions to communities Priority 3: Our children and young people will enjoy good physical and mental health Priority 4: Our children, and young people will have their rights protected and their voices heard Priority 5: Our children and young people are safe and loved Rights based Easily understood and accessible Based on what people with lived experience tell us Linked clearly to evidence Making the best use of resources Perth and Kinross Context Aligned with the Perth and Kinross Community Plan “Creating a confident, ambitious and fairer Perth and Kinross, for all who live and work here – for everyone to live life well, free from poverty and inequality” Reducing poverty Physical and mental wellbeing Digital participation Learning and development Employability Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) Continuous improvement Public information, engagement and participation Strategic planning and connections Annual reporting on the work of the CPC CPC Improvement Plan 1 April 2023 – 31 July 2023 This Three-Year CPC Improvement Plan has been published as an agreed statement of intent, which partners are jointly committed to deliver; confirming that our capacity for improvement remains very strong. It is outcome-focused and includes key performance indicator measures, to evidence the impact and outcomes of our shared work. It has been structured in alignment with recent research work, which identified key areas for practice improvement. These have been translated into 6 Priorities for Practice. The Plan contains a number of Actions / Tasks; some of which are being taken forward in partnership with the Tayside Regional Improvement Collaborative – Priority Group 5 (Safeguarding and Child Protection). A number of the Actions / Tasks will be supported by staff learning and development opportunities and with follow-up quality assurance processes. Relationships with Children and Families Working Together 1. Focus on the child 4. Early Intervention and Support (Right Help at Right Time) 2. Engagement and relationship building 5. Partnership Working 3. Assessment and planning 6. Empowerment, Supervision and Leadership Page 138 of 182
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9 Progress Check: Date Progress / Update Report Total Actions / Tasks Total Actions / Tasks Completed Total Actions / Tasks Added Total Actions / Tasks Ongoing 1 April 2023 Published 19 - - 19 31 October 2023 Initial Progress / Update Report 19 3 0 16 30 September 2024 Initial Progress / Update Report 19 5 0 14 RAG Legend – Red Amber Green: R RED: There are significant issues and / or risks that are impacting on the action / task right now = we are not delivering the action / task on time / scope / budget A AMBER: There are some issues and / or risks that are impacting on the action / task if not fixed = we are at risk of not delivering the action / task on time / scope / budget G GREEN: There are no issues and / or risks impacting on the action / task which is progressing according to plan = we are delivering the action / task on time / scope / budget Notes: • Plan was approved and published by the CPC on 6 June 2023; this is a three-year Plan, 1 April 2023 to 31 July 2026; • Actions / Tasks are only shown as Completed when fully Completed – Many, by their very nature, are multi-faceted and Ongoing; • Timescales are indicative / suggested and take cognisance of the CPC partner service / agency capacity to deliver; Page 139 of 182
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10 • The RAG used by the CPC has been slightly adapted to reflect there being significant issues, or some issues or no issues, in terms of their delivery, as opposed to the more traditional RAG of not being started, or in progress or completed. 1 Note: Children and Young People including Unborn Babies 2 Note: Parents and Carers No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G Priority 1: Relationship with Children and Families Outcome 1 – Focus on the Child We will keep the child1 at the centre of our work. We will see them, listen to them and focus on their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. We will see beyond their outward presentation and seek to understand their lived experience. We will actively seek and support them to express their views, when assessing their needs and any potential risks. We will always involve them in assessment, planning and decision-making. We will be inquisitive, curious and alert to parental disguised non-compliance. The risks of disproportionate optimism, in respect of the parent’s2 potential to improve, will be fully understood and resisted. The child’s welfare is always paramount. 1 1.1: Support and contribute to the development and implementation of the public health led work to develop a multi-agency inclusive practice approach to address suicide ideation and suicide contagion which: • promotes a public health risk based inclusive approach • is supported by multi-agency guidance and staff learning and development opportunities Public Health Consultant, NHS Tayside ECS Principal Educational Psychologist ECS Suicide Prevention Officer Child Protection Inter-Agency Coordinator By 31 March 2024 Planned end date extended to 31 March 2025 (see next column) • PKC ECS Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Coordinator appointed in March 2022; • The Coordinator devises and coordinates relevant national and local strategies, which will support children and young people in their mental health and wellbeing; • The Coordinator Post includes an operational function to deliver information, advice, guidance, consultation and training for all staff across ECS; • In May 2022, a Survey was carried out and completed across all PKC schools; which provided base line data for the number of mental health concerns, in relation to suicide ideation, as observed by school staff on children and young people; • Survey identified 256 concerns across all schools (1.4% of total school roll); • Survey also identified the need for a coherent system for managing the risks being presented by children and young people, regarding suicide ideation and related behaviour; G Page 140 of 182
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11 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G • In June 2022, the multi-agency Mental Health Delivery Group was established and developed and trialled a comprehensive Suicide Prevention Risk Management Resource for schools; this is now being utilised with an ongoing commitment to supporting staff with training, peer mentoring and on-going consultations. Staff report a reduction in stress at now knowing how to manage risk and the volume of mental health needs being expressed by children and young people; • Work is nearing completion (@ October 2024) in planning a Whole School Community Approach, which will include the participation of children, young people and their families in the development of suicide prevention support in school communities; • This work is also being integrated with other practice areas, including mental health / suicide prevention; child protection and trauma informed practice; all within the wider continuum of Getting It Right for Every Child; • Close partnership working with Public Health Scotland across Tayside is working towards improving inter- agency information sharing with the Named Person; allowing us to develop more robust safety plans, following suicide related behaviour, resulting in a medical intervention; • Updating of Critical Incident Guidance for schools is nearing completion (@ September 2024) and work is progressing well on a new practice model of compassionate family-centred support, following any death of child or young person on the school roll; • Work completed (@September 2024) by the Mental Health Delivery Group, which is currently reviewing the Page 141 of 182
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12 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G continuum of support available for children and young people to identify any possible gaps in service delivery; • ECS Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Coordinator is a key member of the CPC Practice Improvement Working Group and the P&K Independent Schools Child Protection Group and the related work is regularly shared with both these Groups and the CPC; • Further information, advice and guidance on mental health, suicide and self-harm is included in Part 4 of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), and in the refreshed Perth and Kinross CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2023 published on 8 September 2023; • Agreement to align this work within Perth and Kinross Suicide Prevention Plan ongoing @30 September 2024 • The complexity and sensitivity of the task has meant that the initial timescale has not been met but it is particularly important that time is taken to ensure that processes are right for children, young people and families. • ACTION / TASK ONGOING/NEARING COMPLETION 1.2: Support and contribute to the development and implementation of a multi-agency inclusive practice approach which promotes anti- bullying and which: • supports children and young people who are / have experienced bullying – online; in school and / or in the community • supports children and young people’s safe use of new CPC Practice Improvement Working Group By 31 March 2024 Expected completion by 31 October 2025 (see next column) . • PKC Anti-Bullying Strategy and Operational Guidance August 2023 (for PKC Schools) reviewed and refreshed – Final Draft @ October 2023; • Wide consultation carried across all PKC Schools, with parents and carers, with the CPC and partners services / agencies – Strategy and Guidance being finalised for publication and implementation early 2024; • Included as part of the Personal and Social Education Curriculum and the Health and Wellbeing Curriculum which includes information, advice, guidance and resources re OnLine Safety when making use of New Technologies and Social Media; G Page 142 of 182
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13 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G technologies and social media platforms • is supported by multi-agency guidance and staff learning and development opportunities • NSPCC Schools Programme Speak Out Stay Safe, is widely available across all PKC Primary Schools and promotes keeping safe, at home, at school, online and in the community; • CEOP Resources widely distributed and made available across all PKC Schools; L&D opportunities also available to all staff; specific inputs at Head Teacher Days and School CPO Days; • Further information, advice and guidance on bullying and keeping safe online is included in Part 4 of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), and in the refreshed Perth and Kinross CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2023 published on 8 September 2023; • This task and its timescale is under review due to the introduction of new Scottish Government Guidance around Mobile Phones and other practice developments which will require some additional work to ensure suitable guidance is in place @September 2024 • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. 1.3: Develop and implement an inclusive multi-agency LGBT+ practice approach; supported by a resource bank of materials which: • includes up-to-date research, practice guidance, learning and development opportunities in relation to working with LGBT+ children and young people • supports practitioners and managers working with LGBT+ children and young people to Child Protection Inter-Agency Coordinator ECS Principal Educational Psychologist By 31 March 2024 Expected date of completion amended to 31 October 2025 . • CPC Multi-Agency SLWG established early 2023; • Two senior representatives (ECS Education Inclusion Service and NHS Tayside CAMHS) attended an Edinburgh CPC hosted LGBT+ Multi-Agency Inclusive Practice OnLine Course on 10 May 2023 – Course was evaluated very highly; • Course included presentations; polls; child protection case study; discussions in breakout rooms; workshops; guidance, hints and tips for good inclusive practice; • Agreed this was a Good Entry-Level / Level 1 / Universal Course; • Discussions are continuing (@ October 2023) between P&K CPC and Edinburgh CPC to establish if this course A Page 143 of 182
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14 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G have confidence and skills in inclusive ways of practice could be delivered, as a one-off opportunity in P&K, with a view to training local trainers for future delivery in P&K; • Discussions are also continuing (@ October 2023) to ascertain whether as an alternative, P&K CPC can purchase this course and its related materials for local use in P&K; • Ongoing (@ October 2023) Discussions held with Scottish Government; Care Inspectorate; CPCScotland / CELCIS to explore further national learning and development opportunities; • P&K CPC has pulled together an electronic resource library of all available LGBT+ information and advice leaflets; websites and key publications from across Scotland, which is available to all practitioners, services and agencies as a supportive resource, when working with LGBT+ Young People; • Plans to purchase the course and materials were unfortunately unsuccessful (Summer 2024) • Task and timescale under review, with a plan to produce guidance relating to the specific vulnerabilities of LGBTi youth in terms of safeguarding (@September 2024) • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. Outcome 2 – Engagement and Relationship Building We will build and sustain constructive, positive and trusting relationships with children and families; which is both supportive and challenging. We will help parents to engage with services and agencies, as this is central to improving the child’s wellbeing and minimising the risk of harm. We will adopt a trauma informed practice approach and understand the role of fathers, partners and other significant adults in a child’s life. 2 2.1: Support and contribute to the development, implementation and embedding of a multi-agency, whole system, awareness and understanding of childhood trauma; support and contribute to the PKC Trauma Champion PKC Trauma Approach Coordinator By 31 January 2025 • PKC Trauma Approach Coordinator – In Place; • P&K Trauma Informed Multi-Agency Collaborative Working Group – Established; • Membership and Terms of Reference – Established; G Page 144 of 182
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15 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G development of trauma informed and responsive systems, organisations, policies and workforces which is alert to, can recognise, and respond to, the needs of children and young people affected by the impact of childhood trauma • P&K Trauma Informed Approached Initial Action Plan – Under Development; • CPC supporting the work of the P&K Trauma Informed Multi-Agency Collaborative Working Group; • Perth and Kinross Trauma Informed Level 1 eLearning Module in place and to be made available on a wider multi-agency basis from December 2023; • An online Perth and Kinross Trauma Informed Approaches Team Development Pack (encouraging team reflective learning sessions / taking a trauma informed lens to practice workshops) has been developed to build on Level 1 eLearning and will be available from December 2023; • NHS Education Scotland (NES) Level 2 Trauma Skilled eLearning modules circulated and highlighted for completion by relevant teams by December 2023; • 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 from January 2024; • 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 – under development – Ongoing @ October 2023; • On completion of the generic actions / tasks above the PKC Trauma Approach Coordinator will link in with the P&K Protecting People Coordination Group (PPCG) and seek to develop Trauma Informed Approaches training, briefings and events from January 2024; • Between October 2022 and April 2023, RASAC P&K delivered a total of 11 multi-agency Trauma Informed Practice Workshops (both in-person and online) and a Page 145 of 182
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16 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G total of 206 multi-agency staff attended; evaluated highly; • In addition, RASAC P&K delivered two follow-up Next Steps Trauma Informed Practice Workshops, and 36 multi-agency staff attended; evaluated highly; • In support a P&K Trauma Informed Practice Bulletin issued and cascaded widely; • Trauma Informed Practice information and advice events (stalls) held at REACH; @Scott Street and at Drumhar Health Centre; • This work has been delayed by a change in personnel, but a new Trauma Approach Coordinator is now in post and this work can progress (@September 2024) • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. 2.2: Develop, implement and embed a multi-agency, whole system, awareness and understanding of domestic abuse and coercive controlling behaviour; develop a domestic abuse informed workforce which is alert to, can recognise and respond to, the needs of children, young people and their families, affected by domestic abuse and coercive controlling behaviours and keep them safe and together Detective Chief Inspector – Police Scotland Tayside Division PPU ECS SCYPF Improvement Officer ECS Wellbeing and Inclusion Officer By 31 March 2024 This date has been extended to 31 December 2025 (due to new funding obtained) • Further work ongoing (@ October 2023) to coordinate existing learning and development opportunities and to explore a more joined-up approach to domestic abuse and coercive controlling behaviour; • Closely links with the P&K based Safe and Together work, reported upon in pages 33 to 34 of the CPC Standards and Quality Report 2022/2023; • P&K Multi-Agency Safe & Together Steering Group – Established; Work Plan developed in partnership with the Improvement Service; • To date, a total of 135 practitioners and managers have been trained in the Full Safe and Together Model and 240 multi-agency staff have been trained in the Overview Safe and Together Model; further Overview Training being proposed for February 2024; • Extracts from the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), relating to domestic abuse and coercive controlling behaviour G Page 146 of 182
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17 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G identified by the CPC Practice Improvement Working Group for future use in practice developments; • Further information, advice and guidance on domestic abuse and coercive controlling behaviour is included in Part 4 of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), and in the refreshed Perth and Kinross CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2023 published on 8 September 2023; • Further funding secured through Delivering Equally Safe Fund (April 2024) which has been used to: (1) train another 40 social work and other professionals from across the partnership (2) Train the L&D Coordinator to be a Trainer for the model. Once qualified in 2025, the L&D Coordinator will provide short briefings for a wide range of staff to increase awareness of the model. (@September 2024) • The planned completion date for this task has been extended due to the acquisition of further funding to enable training to be rolled out more widely in 2025. • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. 2.3: Develop, implement and embed a Perth and Kinross CPC multi- agency practice approach and guidance on the involvement and participation of fathers, partners and / or significant others in a child or young person’s life; which ensures they are actively involved and engaged in all assessment, planning and key decision-making processes CPC Practice Improvement Working Group By 31 March 2024 This date has been extended for completion by 31 March 2026 (see next column) • CPC Practice Improvement Working Group Multi- Agency SLWG established early 2023; • Extracts from the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), relating to the involvement and participation of Fathers etc identified by the SLWG for future use in practice developments; • Existing arrangements for involvement and participation of Fathers etc in place; Independent Advocacy provisions also in place for those children and families involved with children’s social work services; G Page 147 of 182
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18 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G • Working towards the development of complementary CPC multi-agency Guidance and Checklists and Easy Read Materials for the involvement and participation of Fathers etc, in all assessment, planning and key decision-making meetings and processes; • Exploring further options with the Fathers Network Scotland regarding an OnLine Module @ October 2023; • Also exploring a P&K CPC Dedicated Webpage for Fathers @ October 2023; • A Community of Practice event in working with Fathers, Male Carers and Social fathers was held in June 2024 by the CPIC and L&D Officer • A Guidance document of working with Fathers and Male Carers is scheduled for approval at CPC in December 2024. @September 2024 • Discussion at the PIWG and the full CPC in August 2024 clarified that this task requires a cultural and attitudinal shift which will take consistent reinforcement over an extended period of time. This task and timescale is under the review through QAWG. ACTION / TASK ONGOING. Outcome 3 – Assessment and Planning We will develop robust, dynamic assessments and plans which take a holistic view of the child’s wellbeing, their environment and the impact of parental issues and behaviours. We will identify and analyse patterns of risk, using shared tools and techniques, being alert to the impact of cumulative and escalating concerns. We will develop robust plans which support and meet need and risk by building on family strengths and resilience, ensuring plans are accurate, evidence based, outcome-focused and SMART. We will always respond flexibly to changing family circumstances, reviewing the assessment and plan to ensure the child is safe and supported. 3 3.1: Promote and embed into practice the Tayside Multi-Agency Practitioner’s Guidance: Inter- Agency Referral Discussions (IRDs) and IRD Recording Template, Detective Chief Inspector – Police Scotland Tayside Division PPU By 31 July 2023 • P&K CPC Led Quality Assurance Review of IRDs carried out in October / November 2022; • Full Evaluation Report presented to the CPC end of 2022 and a summary of the findings from this Review G Page 148 of 182
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19 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G across all service and agencies to improve day-to-day practice and to ensure there is a consistent and high quality approach to IRDs; particularly in relation to information sharing, safety planning, decision-making and recording practices; which is supported by staff learning and development opportunities; all of which is quality assured and self- evaluated CPC Quality Assurance Working Group have been reported upon in Pages 17 to 19 of the CPC Standards and Quality Report 2022/2023; • Tayside Multi-Agency Practitioner’s Guidance: Inter- Agency referral Discussions (IRDs) and IRD Template refreshed in June 2023, following this Review which remains compliant with national and local guidance; • Perth and Kinross CPC OnLine Module: Inter-Agency Referral Discussions (IRDs) developed, implemented and cascaded widely to key services and agencies; @ 31 October 2023; 140 multi-agency staff have now completed the IRD module; • Further information, advice and guidance on IRDs is included in the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), and in the refreshed Perth and Kinross CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2023 published on 8 September 2023; • Further Review of P&K IRDs planned for early 2024; • ACTION / TASK COMPLETED. 3.2: Review the existing single and multi-agency assessment frameworks (including parenting capacity assessments), checklists and toolkits and ensure that all services and agencies (whole system), including adult services, can and are able to contribute effectively to a joint holistic (whole family) assessment of risks and needs, which informs robust safety planning and decision- making processes, particularly in relation to children and young people affected by: CPC Practice Improvement Working Group By 31 July 2024 Expected completion date is 2025/2026 • CPC Practice Improvement Working Group currently (@ October 2023) examining this work on a multi-agency basis; • Further information, advice and guidance on Assessments is included in the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), and in the refreshed Perth and Kinross CPC Inter- Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2023 published on 8 September 2023; • All P&K single service / agency Assessment Frameworks; Templates; Checklists and related Guidance being collated together @ October 2023; G Page 149 of 182
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20 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G • domestic abuse • parental mental ill-health • parental problematic alcohol and drug use • learning disability • suicide ideation and suicide contagion • CPC Practice Improvement Working Group planning a Quality Assurance and Review Workshop for early 2024; • Existing single service / agency Assessment Frameworks reflect the National Child Protection Risk Assessment Toolkit and the GIRFEC Practice Model; • Single agencies have undertaken their own review of their assessment frameworks @ September 2024 • Discussion ongoing at PIWG about how this work is best progressed @September 2024. • This task and timescale is being reviewed through QAWG @September 2024 • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. 3.3: Develop and implement a Perth and Kinross CPC multi-agency Practice Guidance: Care and Risk Management for children and young people aged 12 – 18; in compliance with the Scottish Government’s Guidance: Framework for Risk Assessment Management and Evaluation (FRAME) for children aged 12 – 17 CPC Practice Improvement Working Group By 31 March 2024 • Scottish Government published Framework for Risk Assessment Management and Evaluation (FRAME) for children aged 12 – 17 (June 2021); • CPC Practice Improvement Working Group Multi- Agency SLWG established early 2023; • P&K CPC Joint Protocol: Care and Risk Management (CARM) – Under Development @ October 2023 for presentation to CPC early 2024; • Protocol relates to a small number of children and young people where parts of their behaviour may pose an imminent risk, of serious harm, or has caused serious harm to themselves and / or others; • Will link into existing well-established multi-agency child protection processes and procedures and will include a key data set for reporting to the CPC; • The CARM Protocol has been approved at CPC (March 2024) • CARM protocol operational guidance is complete @ September 2024, pending specialist training of relevant staff. G Page 150 of 182
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21 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G • ACTION COMPLETE 3.4: Develop and implement a Perth and Kinross multi-agency Vulnerable Young Person’s Support and Protection Framework, which includes a transition pathway across and between children’s services and adult services; particularly for vulnerable young people aged between 16 and 18, which ensures a whole system approach in relation to holistic (whole family) assessment of risks and needs and which informs robust safety planning and decision- making processes Child Protection Inter-Agency Coordinator APC Lead Officer By 31 March 2026 • CPC Practice Improvement Working Group Multi- Agency SLWG established early 2023; • Extracts from the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), relating to Transitions and 16 – 17 years identified by the SLWG for future use in practice developments; • P&K APC and CPC Lead Officers are members of the CPCScotland National Transitions Working Group – looking to develop national guidance / guiding principles; • Currently these young people are being managed by well-established existing adult protection and child protection procedures and arrangements; • P&K Joint Guidance & Guiding Principles: Transitions being drafted @ 31 October 2023; • Ongoing Discussions @ 31 October 2023, within P&K in relation to existing adult services and children’s services operational structures; • Joint Protocol between APC and CPC for Guiding Principles for Transition approved by CPC in March 2024. • This task and timescale is under review due to the planned implementation of the Care and Justice Act (2024) which will require significant work in terms of guidance and practice direction from both Children’s and Adult Social Work. • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. G Page 151 of 182
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22 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G 4 4.1: Support and contribute to the reinvigoration of the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) multi- agency practice approach within all services and agencies across Perth and Kinross, supported by multi- agency learning and development opportunities, in compliance with the refreshed Scottish Government GIRFEC Guidance; in particular the Practice Guidance 1 - 5: • Using the National Practice Model • Role of the Named Person • Role of the Lead Professional • Information Sharing (including the Charters) • Assessment of Wellbeing and the Child / Young Person’s Plan P&K GIRFEC Group CPC Ongoing 2023 – 2026 • On 30 September 2022, the Scottish Government published a range of refreshed GIRFEC Guidance: GIRFEC resources - Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot); • In June 2023, P&K Multi-Agency GIRFEC Steering Group established; reporting directly to the Community Planning Partnership (via the Children Young People and Families Partnership); • Terms of Reference – In Place; Three-Year Action Plan – In Place; three Sub-Groups – Guidance and Service Delivery; Training and Assessment and Planning – In Place; • @ October 2023, working towards P&K GIRFEC Guidance; Provision of GIRFEC Learning and Development Opportunities – Blended Approach and a review of Existing Assessment and Planning Frameworks; • GIRFEC is included in key CPC Multi-Agency Child Protection Learning and Development Opportunities; • GIRFEC refresh well under way through the GIRFEC group – guidance being drafted and tests of change considered @ September 2024 • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. G 4.2: Support, contribute and influence the work of the Perth and Kinross Child Poverty Working Group by continuing to raise multi- agency awareness and understanding of the impact of all Perth and Kinross Child Poverty Project Officer Ongoing 2023 – 2026 • Extracts from the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), relating to Poverty shared with the CPC and the Child Poverty Working Group; G Page 152 of 182
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23 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G types of poverty (both rural and urban) on children, young people and families across Perth and Kinross; supported by the development of a multi-agency social needs screening pathway to mitigate that impact Child Poverty Working Group CPC Practice Improvement Working Group • Joint CPC and Child Poverty Working Group Workshop to develop and agree multi-agency social needs screening questions arranged for 23 November 2023; • Planning to pilot the agreed social needs screening questions on a multi-agency basis across services and agencies – pilot / testing area to be confirmed; • Work continuing as @September 2024, Update provided to the CPC August 2024 regarding the planned testing of the social needs screening. • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. 4.3: Develop and disseminate a Perth and Kinross CPC multi-agency practice guidance on the definition, recognition and response to what constitutes harm, abuse and Non- Accidental Injuries (NAIs) in children and young people; in particular the safe handling of young babies who are non-mobile, all supported by a public health type messaging preventative approach Consultant Paediatrician Child Protection Inter-Agency Coordinator By 31 March 2024 This timescale has been revised to 31 March 2025 . • Refreshed Perth and Kinross CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2023 published on 8 September 2023, includes detailed information, advice and guidance on definitions of harm, abuse and neglect; how to recognise and how to respond to these concerns; • Also included in CPC Multi-Agency Child Protection Learning and Development Opportunities; • NHS Tayside Guidance for the Management of Bruising and Other Injuries in Non-Mobile Babies 2023 – In Place, widely cascaded and available across NHS Tayside; further consideration being given @ October 2023 to see if this can be developed into CPC multi- agency guidance; • Joint work between the CPC and NHS Tayside in relation to the recognition of harm, abuse and neglect and how to respond planned for December 2023 / January 2024; • Skeletal Survey Guidance in draft format to be considered at CPC @ September 2024 • Further joint work planned with NHS Tayside colleagues @September 2024 • This timescale has been extended to March 2025 due to the change in personnel of the CPIC G Page 153 of 182
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24 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. Outcome 5 – Partnership Working We will work in partnership across children services, adult services and geographical areas in the best interests of the child. We will have a clear understanding of each other’s roles, responsibilities and limitations and work flexibly in the best interests of the child. We will proportionately share and exchange relevant information as necessary. This will be enabled through reasoned, confident and accurate recording of what information is to be shared; why the information is to be shared; with whom the information is to be shared and the likely risks if the information is not shared. We will work together to resolve any disputes or disagreements and escalate concerns where appropriate. 5 5.1: Further develop and implement across all services and agencies a shared, consistent, multi-agency understanding and awareness of how to address neglect and enhance wellbeing; with a particular focus on early identification; agreed thresholds; high quality intervention and support mechanisms; including the Neglect Toolkit CPC Practice Improvement Working Group By 31 March 2024 • CPC Practice Improvement Working Group Multi- Agency SLWG established early 2023; • Extracts from the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), relating to neglect, identified by the CPC Practice Improvement Working Group for future use in practice developments; • CPCScotland Child Neglect in Scotland Framework – Published October 2021; • Neglect Toolkit being widely used across Services for Children, Young People and Families – modified, shared and rolled out to partners services and agencies in 2022; • OnLine E-Learning Module ‘Recognising and Responding to Child Neglect developed and made widely available in 2022; • Between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023, a total of 486 multi-agency staff have completed this OnLine Module Further information, advice and guidance on neglect included in the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023): • Refreshed Perth and Kinross CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2023 published on 8 September 2023 includes details information, advice and guidance G Page 154 of 182
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25 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G on neglect; how to recognise neglect and how to respond to neglect; • Neglect included in CPC Multi-Agency Child Protection Learning and Development Opportunities; • ACTION / TASK COMPLETED 5.2: Develop and implement a Perth and Kinross CPC multi-agency practice guidance on effective case recording which supports the assessment of risks and needs; informs robust safety planning and decision-making processes CPC Practice Improvement Working Group PKC Legal Services By 31 March 2024 This date has been extended to 2025/2026 pending further discussion at QAWG • CPC Practice Improvement Working Group Multi- Agency SLWG established early 2023; • Extracts from the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), relating to recording practices, identified by the CPC Practice Improvement Working Group for future use in practice developments; • Existing single service and agency case recording guidance being collated @ 31 October 2023; with a view to develop complementary CPC multi-agency guidance; • Task under review at PIWG due to the difficulties in creating a guidance which is significantly broad to cover a range of practice settings without becoming too generic to be of use to practitioners @ September 2024 • Task and Timescales under review by QAWG @September 2024 • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. G Outcome 6 – Empowerment, Supervision and Leadership We will be enabled and empowered by strong and effective collective leadership which is visible and accessible. We will be enabled by high quality supervision which promotes reflective and critical thinking, professional curiosity and confidence to challenge. We will have confidence to apply professional judgement. A culture of constructive support and challenge will be fostered, which embodies shared values and principles. Peer support will also be made available through networks of support and regular meetings. Clear guidance will support practice and checks, and balances put in place to test out staff understanding. Communication lines and processes will be put in place to listen to and understand staff concerns re workload; working conditions; emerging issues and professional concerns. We will have access to continuous professional development and single and multi-agency child protection learning and development opportunities. We will establish a positive learning culture across services and agencies which improves day-to-day child protection practice. Page 155 of 182
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26 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G 6 6.1: Implement and embed into the local child protection practice arrangements the Scottish Government’s refreshed National Guidance for Child Protection (Scottish Government: 2021); supported by the Perth and Kinross CPC refreshed Inter-Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2023 which focuses on definitions, recognition and response Child Protection Inter-Agency Coordinator CPC Practice Improvement Working Group By 21 September 2023 • National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023) – Published; • Two-year implementation period set by Scottish Government (2 September 2021 to 20 October 2023); • CPC led Gap Analysis (RAG) – carried out / completed by October 2021; • CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Learning and Development Courses and Materials – including OnLine; Webinars and In-Person Training reviewed and refreshed on an ongoing basis from 2021; • Agreed to review and refresh CPC Publications on an ongoing basis from 2021; • Agreed not to initially change our effective key inter- agency child protection processes and practices – incremental change timetable agreed; • Perth and Kinross CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2017 reviewed, refreshed and now focus on context; key definitions; recognition and response; • Updated Perth and Kinross CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Guidelines 2023 published on 8 September 2023; widely cascaded across Perth and Kinross; • All CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Learning and Development Courses and Materials – Updated by 8 September 2023; • New language, terminology, timescales, relating to inter- key inter-agency child protection processes and practices implemented from mid-August 2023 and now compliant with the National Guidance; • In June 2023, Scottish Government provided all CPCs with a multi-agency National Self-Evaluation Toolkit (with Optional Supporting Resources); for completion by 20 October 2023; G Page 156 of 182
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27 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G • CPC Self-Evaluation Submission made to Scottish Government on 12 October 2023; • Self-Evaluation Findings included in CPC Standards and Quality Report 2022/2023 (see pages 39 to 40); • ACTION / TASK COMPLETED. 6.2: Implement and embed into local child protection arrangements the Scottish Government’s National Guidance for Child Protection Committees: Undertaking Learning Reviews (Scottish Government: 2021); supported by the Perth and Kinross CPC Joint Protocol: Learning Reviews Child Protection Inter-Agency Coordinator CPC Case Review Working Group By 1 April 2023 • National Guidance for Child Protection Committees: Undertaking Learning Reviews (Scottish Government: 2021) published on 2 September 2021; • Perth and Kinross CPC Joint Protocol: Learning Reviews and Supporting Document Pack, approved and published by the CPC on 23 March 2023; • All CPC Learning Review since 2 September 2021 have / are compliant with both the national Guidance for Learning Reviews and the local CPC Joint Protocol; • Fully embedded by the CPC via the CPC case Review Working Group; • Refreshed Scottish Government National Guidance for Child Protection Committees: Undertaking Learning Reviews expected by end of December 2023; • ACTION / TASK COMPLETED. G 6.3: Develop and implement a shared multi-agency peer support and / or staff supervision model which promotes courageous conversations; critical thinking and reflective practice for child protection workers within all services and agencies across Perth and Kinross CPC Practice Improvement Working Group By 31 March 2024 This timescale has been extended to 31 March 2026 (see notes in next column) . • CPC Practice Improvement Working Group Multi- Agency SLWG established early 2023; • Extracts from the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (Scottish Government: 2 September 2021, updated again on 31 August 2023), relating to supervision, identified by the CPC Practice Improvement Working Group for future use in practice developments; • Existing single service and agency case recording guidance being collated @ 31 October 2023; with a view to develop complementary CPC multi-agency guidance; A Page 157 of 182
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28 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G • Progress has been affected by sickness absence and staff turnover within the leads for this piece of work @September 2024 • Two Tests of Change undertaken as @September 2024 and an analysis of learning to be shared at PIWG • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. 6.4: Implement the Tayside Child Protection Workforce Learning and Development Plan and embed the Priorities for Practice within all services and agencies across Perth and Kinross; using a co-production approach with frontline practitioner and managers to improve culture, ethos and day-to-day child protection practice ECS and CPC Child Protection Learning and Development Officer Ongoing 2023 – 2026 • CPC Inter-Agency Child Protection Learning and Development Framework – In Place • Priorities for Practice (PfP) underpin this Improvement Plan and all CPC Multi-Agency Child Protection Learning and Development Opportunities; PfP are: • Relationship with Children and Families: o Focus on the Child o Engagement and Relationship Building o Assessment and Planning • Working Together: o Early Intervention and Support (Right Help at Right Time) o Partnership Working o Empowerment, Supervision and Leadership • PfP integrated into key CPC inter-agency child protection learning and development courses; • Electronic links to PfP and PfP website issued to those attending CPC inter-agency child protection learning and development courses; • @ October 2023, establishing a PfP Community of Practice, supported by a multi-agency MS Resource Channel which will make the PfP available for practitioner reflective sharing / discussions / workshops; • Community of Practice Established @ September 2024 • Incorporation of National CP L&D Framework (2024) @September 2024 G Page 158 of 182
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29 No Action / Task Strategic Lead Timescale Initial Progress Report & Evidence @ 30 September 2024 R A G • ACTION / TASK ONGOING. Page 159 of 182
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30 Appendix 1 – Ongoing / Maintenance 2023 – 2026 No Ongoing / Maintenance – Actions / Tasks Expected Impact Timescale 1 Continue to support and promote the rights and articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and ensure that children’s rights are embedded in all our work with children and young people Children and young people’s rights are respected and embedded in all key child protection processes and practices Ongoing 2023 - 2026 2 Continue to support and promote the findings; the fundamentals and the priority areas from The Independent Care Review: The Promise and the Plan 21 - 24 Children and young people grow up loved, safe and respected and can realise their full potential Ongoing 2023 - 2026 3 Continue to develop the existing provisions for seeking children and young people’s views, including the views of their siblings and extended family; particularly those with lived experience, before, during and after key decision- making meetings; which ensures that they are listened to, understood and respected and that their views are taken into consideration in all single and multi-agency key decision- making processes Children and young people are kept safe; they are seen; their voices are actively sought and heard in all assessment, planning and key decision-making processes Ongoing 2023 - 2026 4 Continue to develop and strengthen the existing advocacy support provisions for children and young people; including the provisions for Independent Advocacy in key child protection meetings Children and young people are kept safe; they are seen; their voices are actively sought and heard in all assessment, planning and key decision-making processes Ongoing 2023 - 2026 5 Continue to promote and embed into practice the Tayside Multi-Agency Practitioner’s Guidance: Key Child Protection Meetings – Information for Practitioners across all service and agencies to improve day-to-day practice Children and young people are kept safe; they are seen; their voices are actively sought and heard in all assessment, planning and key decision-making processes Ongoing 2023 - 2026 6 Continue to promote and embed into practice the Tayside Multi-Agency Practitioner’s Guidance: Key Child Protection Meetings – Information for Children and Families across all service and agencies to improve day-to-day practice Children and young people are kept safe; they are seen; their voices are actively sought and heard in all assessment, planning and key decision-making processes Ongoing 2023 - 2026 7 Continue to promote and embed into practice the Perth and Kinross CPC Multi-Agency Practitioner’s Guide: Professional Curiosity across all service and agencies to improve day-to- day practice Practitioners are competent; confident; professionally inquisitive; curious; alert to and can skilfully respond to parental disguised non-compliance Ongoing 2023 - 2026 Page 160 of 182
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31 No Ongoing / Maintenance – Actions / Tasks Expected Impact Timescale 8 Continue to promote and embed into practice the Tayside Multi-Agency Practitioner’s Guidance: Concern for Unborn Babies (UBBs) across all service and agencies to improve day-to-day practice Vulnerable pregnant mothers and families get early help and highly effective support when there are concerns about their unborn baby (babies) Ongoing 2023 - 2026 9 Continue to promote and embed into practice the Tayside Multi-Agency Practitioner’s Guidance: Chronologies across all service and agencies to improve day-to-day practice Chronologies are used effectively to identify significant events, patterns of escalating risk and inform key multi- agency assessments of risk, robust safety planning and key decision-making processes Ongoing 2023 - 2026 10 Continue to promote and embed into practice the Perth and Kinross CPC Multi-Agency Practitioner’s Guide: Resolution and Escalation Arrangements across all service and agencies to improve day-to-day practice Practitioners have the confidence to challenge each other where necessary; know how to resolve any disputes or disagreements and know how and when to escalate concerns Ongoing 2023 - 2026 11 Continue to promote the Perth and Kinross Code of Practice: Information Sharing, Confidentiality and Consent (Refreshed 30 September 2020) Information is shared proportionately, legitimacy and only where necessary to safeguard, support and promote the welfare of children and young people Ongoing 2023 - 2026 12 Continue to develop multi-agency qualitative and quantitative key child protection performance management measures and indicators in compliance with the National Minimum Dataset for CPCs; the Tayside Shared Dataset for CPCs and the Perth and Kinross CPC Management Information and Performance Outcome Framework Use of multi-agency qualitative and quantitative key child protection performance management measures and indicators enables us to analyse patterns and trends over time and consider service delivery change and improvement Ongoing 2023 - 2026 13 Continue to support the Perth and Kinross Protecting People Chief Officers’ Group (COG) and the Protecting People Coordination Group (PPCG) in their collective work to protect vulnerable individuals and groups and to prevent the harm and abuse of those who may be at risk across Perth and Kinross Vulnerable people are protected from harm, abuse and exploitation by strong and effective leadership, direction and challenge and by the collective partnership working of constituent agencies of the public protection partnerships across Perth and Kinross Ongoing 2023 - 2026 14 Continue to promote the Perth and Kinross CPC Inter- Agency Child Protection Learning and Development Framework and Programme to improve culture, ethos and day-to-day child protection practice Practitioners and managers are competent, confident and skilful in their engagement and involvement with children, young people and families and their practice is of a consistently high quality Ongoing 2023 - 2026 Page 161 of 182
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1 Appendix 3 Protecting Children and Young People: It is Still Everyone’s Job Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee Standards and Quality Report 2023/2024 Executive Summary 9 Page 163 of 182
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2 Executive Summary Preface The Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) Standards and Quality Report for 2023/2024 is supported by the Chief Officers of public sector organisations in Perth and Kinross, including the Council, NHS Tayside, and Police Scotland. The report emphasises the collective commitment to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children and young people, ensuring they are protected from harm, abuse, and exploitation. Introduction The report covers the period from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024, providing an overview of multi-agency activities aimed at protecting unborn babies, babies, children and young people. Key initiatives include the implementation of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021, the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM), and the establishment of the Bairns’ Hoose model in Tayside. Local and National Context Perth and Kinross is a diverse area with both rural and urban communities. The CPC's vision aligns with the Tayside Plan for Infants, Children, Young People 2023 – 2026, focusing on five priorities: best start in life, positive contributions to communities, good physical and mental health, protection of rights, and safety. Nationally, the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scottish law in July 2024 is a significant development. Management Information and Performance Outcomes The CPC plays a crucial role in gathering and analysing data on child protection. Key trends include a steady increase in Child Concern Reports (CCRs), a decrease in Inter-Agency Referral Discussions (IRDs), and a downward trend in Child Protection Investigations (CPIs) and Joint Investigative Interviews (JIIs). The number of children on the Child Protection Register (CPR) has also decreased. The reasons for these decreases in numbers need further exploration but it is noted that they may be indicative of the realignment of resources towards early intervention which took place in 2022. The Quality Assurance Working Group will consider this issue in more depth in the coming months. Key Initiatives and Improvements • Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) and Bairns’ Hoose: These initiatives aim to provide a trauma- informed approach to interviewing children and young people who have been victims or witnesses of abuse and to provide coordinated support for them from across services. • Child Protection Planning Meetings (CPPMs): Continued improvement work has led to better coordination and support for families, with a focus on providing consistency and reducing re- traumatisation. Easy read information has been produced for families. • Participation: Youth Services are supporting young people’s participation through the Youth Forum and Champions Boards. These forums are ensuring that young people benefit from a collective advocacy approach to share their views on issues that are important to them. The Rights Respecting Schools initiative continues to ensure that children are informed about their rights and encouraged to use them. • Involvement in Decision Making: Efforts to involve children, young people and their families in decision-making processes continue to be strengthened. Independent Advocacy Perth and Kinross offer individual support to children, young people and their families to attend meetings and have their views represented. The Connecting Relationships Empowering Supporting Together (CREST) Team Page 164 of 182
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3 promotes the participation of children, young people and families through Family Group Decision Making and the creation of Family Plans. Quality Assurance and Self-Evaluation The CPC has undertaken various audits and evaluations to ensure continuous improvement. There have been three desktop audits and one full multi-agency audit undertaken. The areas covered in the desktop audits have been contacts recorded as ‘ECS – Other’, outcomes from the Multi-Agency Screening Hub and Child Protection Core Groups and Plans. The multi-agency audit looked at responses to young people aged 11 – 18 who had had more than 3 contacts made to Children and Families Social Work in one calendar year. Key strengths included the quality of immediate responses, good and pro-active information sharing, and relationship-based work with families. Areas for improvement include SMARTer (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound, evaluation and review) planning, earlier intervention, and meaningful inclusion of children and young people. Development of Practice Guidance and CPC Community of Practice The CPC has developed two new major guidance documents this year – Interim Joint Protocol: Guiding Principles for Safe Transition between, within and across Children’s Services and Adult Services which was produced in partnership with the Adult Support and Protection Committee and the P&K CPC Joint Protocol Care and Risk Management (CARM) for young people who pose a risk of serious harm to themselves or others. Both of these guidance documents are in the process of being operationalised. The CPC have begun updating their guidance documents and websites to become more accessible and user friendly. The CPC have instituted a Child Protection Community of Practice. Topics covered so far have been Professional Curiosity and Working with Fathers, Male Carers and Social Fathers. Here is an introduction to the Community of Practice. Impact on Staff and Community The CPC has provided a wide range of learning and development opportunities for staff, ensuring they are well- equipped to protect children and young people. Staff feedback regarding the CPC learning and development courses continues to be positive. The National Child Protection Learning and Development Framework (2024) has been fully incorporated into the CPC training offer. Public information and engagement efforts have been enhanced through social media and the CPC website. Leadership and Governance The CPC's governance structure supports effective partnership working and continuous improvement. The CPC, in collaboration with the Children, Young People and Families Partnership (CYPFP), the Perth and Kinross Protecting People Coordination Group (PPCG) and the Chief Officers’ Group (COG), continues to provide strong leadership and direction for the children’s services workforce. Conclusion and Future Plans The CPC remains committed to continuous improvement and will develop a three-year self-evaluation strategy and audit plan. The CPC will also focus on engaging with practitioners and communities. The CPC is committed to working as closely as possible with the other public protection partnerships in Perth and Kinross to ensure a whole family, whole of life approach to Public Protection. Page 165 of 182
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL Scrutiny and Performance Committee 20 November 2024 PERTH AND KINROSS HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE PARTNERSHIP (HSCP) CLINICAL AND CARE GOVERNANCE ASSURANCE REPORT Report by Chief Officer, Perth and Kinross HSCP (Report No.24/316) 1. PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1 This purpose of this report is to provide assurance to Perth & Kinross Council’s Scrutiny and Performance Committee on the Clinical Care and Professional Governance of the Perth and Kinross HSCP. 2. SITUATION 2.1 This report provides assurance on the clinical and care governance arrangements for services delegated within the Perth and Kinross Integration Scheme (approved June 2022) and delivered by the HSCP. The clinical and care governance arrangements adhere to the Getting It Right For Everyone (GIRFE) Framework. Clinical Governance is a statutory reporting requirement at NHS Board level and our integrated approach enables Perth & Kinross Council to be assured about the standards and quality of social work and social care services. 2.2 The Scrutiny and Performance Committee is asked to scrutinise this report and agree the level of assurance. The timescale for the data within this report are the four months between 1st July 2024 and 30 October 2024. 2.3 The recommended level of assurance is: Reasonable Assurance; due to the following factors: • Recent annual reports received in line with the agreed reporting framework demonstrated reasonable levels of assurance to the Care and Professional Governance Forum co-chaired by the Clinical Director for the HSCP and the Council’s Chief Social Work Officer. • Reporting and escalation of operational risks which have a bearing on clinical and care governance and associated mitigating actions and an established process for ensuring that the strategic risks to the Perth & Kinross Integration Joint Board take account of this where appropriate 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 The role of the Perth & Kinross Care and Professional Governance Forum is to provide assurance that there are effective and embedded systems for Clinical, Care and Professional Governance in all services within Perth & Kinross HSCP. 10 Page 167 of 182
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3.2 The GIRFE Framework is an agreed tool used by all three HSCPs to ensure consistency of approach between Local Authorities, Tayside NHS Board and the IJBs for the three HSCPs; quality assurance is assessed against an agreed, prioritised common data set for each of the governance domains as detailed below. A GIRFE Steering Group continues to meet, with representatives from each of the three Partnerships and part of its remit is to support additional common assurance measures and this template. 3.3 The six domains continue to evolve over time and must be adaptable and responsive to the changes in legislation and external support and monitoring. The domains reflect the principles set out in the Health and Social Care Standards, My support, My life; Scottish Government, 2018 and the Quality of Care Approach, HIS and Care Inspectorate, September 2018. The domains are: Information Governance Professional Regulation and Workforce Development Patient/Service user/Carer and Staff Safety Patient/Service user/Carer and Staff Experience Quality and effectiveness of care Promotion of Equality and Social Justice 4. ASSESSMENT 4.1 CLINICAL AND CARE RISK MANAGEMENT: The operational / team level risk registers for Adult Social Work and Social Care services are discussed monthly at the HSCP Care & Professional Governance Forum. 4.2 Managers of red risks provide a written update at every other meeting, and managers of amber risks are asked for update 6 monthly. 4.3 This supports assurances that the relevant risks are being regularly monitored; ensures measures are put in place to minimise the risk; what alternative mitigations plans and actions are in place to minimise the risk; that where the risk affects, or is impacted by, other parts of the health or social care system, or indeed other agency, we are assured that they are fully informed and engaged in the process. Page 168 of 182
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4.4 P&K HSCP Adult Social Work & Social Care red risks as at 4th November 2024: Risk Risk Exposure – No controls Current Risk Exposure Rating Risk Trend (↑/→/↓) Please include data from previous four reporting periods Nov 2023 Mar 2024 Jul 2024 Oct 2024 L C RER L C RER L C RER L C RER L C RER 4 4 5 20 - - - - - - 3 4 12 4 5 20 ↑ L = Likelihood C = Consequence RER = Risk Exposure Rating 4.5 Adult Social Work and Social Care Risk 1 – Social Worker capacity There is a risk of reduced social worker capacity which may lead to the team not being able to meet statutory requirements due to Social Worker resignations. This may result in increased waiting times for assessments to be completed resulting in increased delayed discharges. This will have an impact on staff morale, staff health & wellbeing, increased workload capacity for existing team and increased delays and reduced time to carry out person centred assessments. Mitigations: • ASP & AWIA discussions will continue to take place amongst all SW team leaders to share the flow where possible without causing wider pressures. • Access team are carrying out assessment for Ninewells hospital. • Locality teams have agreed to keep open cases when service admitted to hospital. • HDT manager & social work acting team leader to support staff daily and ensure health & wellbeing regularly discussed and monitored and workload/capacity is regularly reviewed. • Integrated working approach with discharge coordinators & ward staff to share assessment activities to offset pressures to carry out assessments & prioritise planned date of discharge and avoid delayed discharges at all costs. • 4.6 CLINICAL & CARE GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS: As per the Integration Scheme (June 2022) each HSCP in Tayside is a Lead Partner for a number of services that are better planned for and managed by one HSCP but provided for all communities across Tayside. These services report through to the Clinical Care and Professional Governance Forum for that HSCP. At the Clinical Care and Professional Governance Forum the Lead Partner Service reports receive the relevant level of scrutiny as other reports. 4.7 Systems and processes have been established to ensure that all three HSCPs receive copies of reports from other Lead Partner Services to support integration, and effective whole system working. 4.8 Full details of the Clinical & Care Governance Arrangements in P&K HSCP are provided within appendix 2. 4.9 Exception reports at recent CPGF meetings: Page 169 of 182
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All services/localities report exceptions on a two monthly basis, and all service localities reported to the CPGF during this time period. 4.10 Annual reports at recent CPGF meetings: The following services provided annual reports during the time period, and were given assurance levels as follows: • Podiatry (Jul 2024) o Reasonable Assurance • Psychiatry of Old Age Inpatients (Aug 2024) o Reasonable Assurance • Joint Equipment Loan Store (Aug 2024) o Reasonable Assurance • MHO Team (Sept 2024) o Reasonable Assurance • Adult CMHS, iDART, MH Physio & Therapeutics (Sept 2024) o Reasonable Assurance Page 170 of 182
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4.11 PKC COMPLAINT SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 2024: • Total number of complaints received in September 2024 = 6 • Stage 1 = 6 • 3 Stage 1 complaints progressed to Stage 2 in September. • Total number of complaints closed in September 2024 = 6 • % Stage 2 responded to within timescales = 100% • % Stage 2 not responded to within timescales = 0% • Services the complaints relate to as below o South Locality Kinross - 2 o SCOPE – 1 o North Locality Learning Disability Day Services - 1 o HART & HART+ - 2 • Top themes ▪ Overall (more than one theme can be applicable per complaint) • Service Provision - 2 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March Complaints Closed 2023 -2024 Stage 1 Stage 2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March Complaints Closed 2024-2025 Stage 1 Stage 2 Page 171 of 182
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• Employees - 4 • Paying for Care – 1 • Entitlement to Services – 1 • Communication - 1 Upheld or Partially Upheld complaints (more than one theme can be applicable per complaint) • Service provision • Communication 4.12 Actions taken from upheld/partially upheld stage 1 complaints following fact finding: Supervisory Fact Finding Conducted : Improvement measures have been implemented to create a robust and responsive scheduling system to avoid repeated occurrence and additional communication methods have been embedded to ensure the service provision and the service users are aware of changes to scheduling, but it has been acknowledged that this was a rapid unplanned change to the service delivery on the day. Additional note : Services that are registered with Care Opinion actively consider all forms of feedback, positive and negative, which influences lessons learned that we will embrace further. 4.13 Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Reports There have been no complaints referred to the SPSO during the time period. The last complaint which was referred to the SPSO was from December 2021, and SPSO found that the Boards complaint response was reasonable and decided not to investigate further. 4.14 External Reports & Inspections No Inspections during the time period. Page 172 of 182
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4.15 Adult Support & Protection Responding to concerns about adults at risk of harm is prioritised and, despite this increase in referrals, 97% of all concerns are screened within 24-hours. This indicator, together with the wider performance framework, is monitored at locality governance meetings, the Public Protection Group, Chief Officers Group and the Adult Protection Committee. MAT Standards Current RAG scores as at Oct 2024 are: Standard 1 Standard 2 Standard 3 Standard 4 Standard 5 Standard 6 Standard 7 Standard 8 Standard 9 Standard 10 RAG Score Standard 7 is currently on target 4.16 Quality/Patient Care There are a number of ongoing risks which, if not mitigated, pose a risk to the provision of safe care which is of high quality. The HSCP continues to manage these risks proactively. 4.17 Drug related deaths: Numbers of suspected drug related deaths are recorded across the three HSCP’s, and is used to inform learning and context within and across the HSCP’s. The following shows data regarding confirmed drug deaths in P&K as compared to across Scotland (please note the two y-axes): 0 50 100 150 200 250 9th March - 5th April 2023 6th April - 3rd May 2023 4th May - 31 May 2023 1st June - 28th June 2023 29th June - 26th July 2023 27th July - 23 Aug 2023 24 Aug - 20 Sept 2023 21 Sep - 18 Oct 2023 19 Oct - 15 Nov 2023 16th Nov - 13 Dec 2023 14 Dec 2024 - 10 Jan 2024 11 Jan - 7 Feb 2024 8 Feb - 6 Mar 2024 7 Mar - 3 Apr 2024 Number of individual ASP referrals over the last four weeks Number of adult concerns (from Police Scotland) over the last four weeks Page 173 of 182
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Local actions to mitigate risks in Perth and Kinross include: • Implementation of Medication Assistant Treatment (MAT) Standards • National Mission to reduce drug deaths funding utilised to increase IDART staff compliment to reduce waiting times and enhance service provision e.g. – provision of an OT service and the creation of a new psychology assistant post to provide low level psychological interventions. • Creation of a multiagency referral pathway for all new substance use referrals. • Creation of a near fatal overdose pathway and multiagency group to review all reported near fatal overdoses with funding provided to third sector partners to employ assertive outreach workers to actively engage with service users. • Creation of a residential rehabilitation pathway and funding panel to facilitate access to rehabilitation services for service users. 3 5 8 3 9 10 11 19 30 25 34 20 21485 584 581 527 614 706 868 934 1187 1280 1339 1330 1051 0 500 1000 1500 0 10 20 30 40 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Confirmed DD Year Confirmed Drug Deaths P&K Scotland Page 174 of 182
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4.18 Workforce • There are a number of ongoing risks regarding workforce challenges which, if not mitigated, pose a risk to the provision of safe care which is of high quality. The HSCP continues to manage these risks proactively. • Staffing RAG status for Adult Social Work Services during the time period is shown below: Financial The composition of the Senior Management Team allows for a discussion of any financial issues from the perspective of Care & Professional Governance. Risk Assessment/Management Key risks and risk assurance process is detailed within paragraphs 8-11. Equality and Diversity, including health inequalities Equality, diversity and health inequalities are core to the Getting it Right Framework and the domains within. Each service provides exception reports which include this aspect. Currently there are no exceptions requiring to be escalated to CGC. Other impacts N/A Communication, involvement, engagement and consultation All HSCP Staff have been invited to complete the latest iMatter survey, and teams will meet to discuss the results of these and create actions to take forward. The use of Care Opinion continues to expand within the HSCP, with the most recent addition being the Prison healthcare Service. During reporting this reporting period, we have continued to be the most active HSCP in Scotland and are ranked 18th within the top 35 most active Care Opinion subscriptions across the UK. There were 100 stories between Jul – Sept 2024, viewed a total of 4169 times. Page 175 of 182
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To date we have had 5 changes planned; these changes were promised before this reporting period and 2 of the changes have been made and 3 are being worked on and are yet to be completed. In the bar chart below, you can see month by month how many stories we received over the reporting period. Route to the Meeting This has been previously considered by the following groups as part of its development. The groups have either supported the content, or their feedback has informed the development of the content presented in this report. • P&K HSCP Care & Professional Governance Forum members • P&K HSCP Professional Leads and Heads of Service 5. RECOMMENDATION • This report is being presented for: • Reasonable Assurance As Lead Officer for Perth & Kinross HSCP I would suggest that the level of assurance provided is: Reasonable Assurance Page 176 of 182
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Level of Assurance System Adequacy Controls ✓ Substantial Assurance A sound system of governance, risk management and control exists, with internal controls operating effectively and being consistently applied to support the achievement of objectives in the area audited Controls are applied continuously or with only minor lapses. Reasonable Assurance There is a generally sound system of governance, risk management and control in place. Some issues, non- compliance or scope for improvement were identified which may put at risk the achievement of objectives in the area audited. Controls are applied frequently but with evidence of non-compliance. ✓ Limited Assurance Significant gaps, weaknesses or non- compliance were identified. Improvement is required to the system of governance, risk management and control to effectively manage risks to the achievement of objectives in the area audited. Controls are applied but with some significant lapses. No Assurance Immediate action is required to address fundamental gaps, weaknesses or non- compliance identified. The system of governance, risk management and control is inadequate to effectively manage risks to the achievement of objectives in the area audited. Significant breakdown in the application of controls. Page 177 of 182
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Appendix 1 – List of services within P&K HSCP The P&K HSCP works within a locality model to deliver the following delegated services and hosted services: Perth City Locality Community Nursing, Community Mental Health Teams (Adult and Older Peoples), Community Allied Health Profession Teams Integrated Drug & Alcohol Recovery Team, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Community Hospitals (x4), Community Care & Treatment Teams, Community Learning Disability Services, Adult Social Work Teams Respiratory Team Care Home Liaison (Mental Health) Access Team Mental Health Officer Team Wellbeing Team Hospital Discharge Team Discharge Hub Delegated North Locality Delegated South Locality Delegated Perth Royal Infirmary Stroke Ward Medicine for the Elderly Ward Discharge Liaison Team Allied Health Profession Team (Inpatients) Allied Health Professions (Outpatient Teams) Delegated Murray Royal Hospital 3 Older Peoples Mental Health Inpatient Wards Delegated Commissioned Services Care at Home, 42 Care Homes, Supported Accommodation Delegated Registered Services Dalweem & Parkdale Care Homes, Day Care, HART Delegated Equipment & TEC Joint Equipment Loan Store, Community Alarm Delegated Mental Health Officer Team Mental Health Officers across P&K Delegated Prison Healthcare Across 2 sites – HMP Perth and HMP Castle Huntly Pharmacy Team Primary Care Medical & Nursing Team Integrated Mental Health & Substance Misuse Team Occupational Therapy Team Physiotherapy Clinical Psychology In-reach Podiatry In-reach Dental In-reach Blood Borne Virus Hosted Public Dental Service Tayside wide Services Hosted Podiatry Tayside wide Services Hosted 10 Page 179 of 182
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Appendix 2– Clinical & Care Governance Arrangements The P&K Care & Professional Governance Forum (CPGF) has responsibility to ensure that there are effective and embedded systems for Clinical, Care & Professional Governance in all services within the partnership. This includes seeking assurances from all partnership localities and hosted services within the context of the six domains of Clinical, Care & Professional governance. Localities and Hosted Services have regular Governance Forums within their own services attended where appropriate by HSCP professional leads. The HSCP remain committed to improving Care & Professional Governance. Work is progressing to develop governance and performance dashboards to support Care Assurance across agreed professional standards. Although delayed due to the Covid response, work to progress this has now resumed and is being tested in one of the localities. Additionally, work is underway to improve availability of locality performance data. The HSCP has also commenced a Mental Health Clinical Care & Professional Governance Group, which reports directly to P&K CPGF and the Tayside Mental Health Quality & Performance Review. This will allow targeted improvement to improve Mental Health performance data, mitigation of Mental Health risks and to support scrutiny on progress made in respect of HIS Improvement Plan and Listen, Learn, Change work streams. Exception reporting is a mechanism for services to quickly and easily flag up where work or events vary significantly from that which would be expected. Exception reports were provided by all HSCP service grouping and localities (including hosted services) at each meeting of the previous bi-monthly Care & Professional Governance Forum (CPGF). Now that these meetings are occurring monthly such exception reports are now expected from half the services at each meeting, thus continuing the service reporting every 2-months. Wider governance arrangements: • Integrated Locality Care Governance Groups (bi monthly) • Prison Healthcare Medicines Management Governance Group (monthly) • Prison Healthcare Business & Governance Group (monthly) • Nursing and Allied Health Profession Forum (bi-monthly) to explore pertinent professional issues with CPTMs and other relevant colleagues. • Senior Nurses, AHP Professional Leads, and the Clinical & Professional Team Managers meet regularly on an individual 1:1 basis with the Lead Nurse and also the AHP Lead to discuss relevant professional and governance issues. • Mental Health Portfolio Lead contributes to the Mental Health QPR Forum • Partnership Short Life Working Group commenced to improve care governance for mental health services • Health Senior Management Team Huddle weekly to review Datix risks and red adverse events • Clinical Governance Coordinator supports locality groups to undertake Local Adverse Event Reviews (LAER’s) where required. All LAER’s are signed off by a senior manager. • Care Home Oversight Group meeting at times daily to monitor and provide support to Care Home resident and staff safety wellbeing. • The P&K CPGF co-chairs contribute to the NHST Getting It Right For Everyone (GIRFE) group. 10 Page 181 of 182
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• Adult Social Work and Social Care Forum (monthly) Page 182 of 182