Item 9c - Nurtured DIG
West Dunbartonshire Council · 17 November 2022
Back to Community Planning West Dunbartonshire Management Board — 17 November 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Report by the Chief Education Officer Management Group: 17 November 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Subject: Nurtured DIG Update 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this report is to: • update members on the work of the Nurtured Delivery and Improvement Group (DIG). 2. Recommendations 2.1 Community Planning West Dunbartonshire is asked to: • note progress and focus of work. 3. Background 3.1 Through multi-agency planning, the Nurtured DIG aims to ensure: • all West Dunbartonshire children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed; • families are supported in accessing education, learning and attainment opportunities and • ensure improved life chances for all children, young people and families. 3.2 The Nurtured DIG aims reflect the ambitions of the Council’s Integrated Children’s Services Plan (ICSP) 2021-23. 3.3 Since March 2020 all Nurtured DIG engagement has been remote. This has proven effective and ensured the range of stakeholders has been able to attend. 3.4 Our Plan embeds the principles of Getting It Right for Every Child and ensures the United Nations Convention of Children's Rights is central to the development of our supports, services and engagement with all stakeholders. 3.5 Findings of the recent Care Inspectorate Inspection of children and risk of harm and National developments and policies are reflected in the ICSP and subsequent N.DIG Plan for 2022-23. ITEM 9c
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4. Main Issues 4.1 The Nurtured DIG Plan for session ’22-’23 focusses on progressing our ICSP and recent developments nationally and locally. Outcomes identified address five main work streams: supporting mental health and wellbeing, the Getting It Right for Every Child refresh, the implementation of The Promise ’21-24, Whole Family Wellbeing and Child Poverty plans. Members of the DIG lead these work stream groups consisting of a range of partnership staff. 4.2 The Nurtured DIG continues to play a significant role in contributing to the required action and monitoring emanating from the Joint Inspection of children at risk of harm. A draft action plan has been devised and involves input and support from a range of DIG members. A series of Improvement Planning Sessions with the Care Inspectorate were undertaken and staff are using knowledge gained to implement collective improvements to systems and processes. In addition a series of further professional learning session will take place from Nov’22- Jan’23, led by WDC and HSCP staff; focussing on developing our shared vision and means of ensuring quality of service delivery. 4.3 A calendar of Quality Improvement and Self-Evaluation has been produced and is being implemented, which will lead all Nurtured DIG partners in evaluating How Good Is Our Family Support. This process will support partners over a three year cycle, to consider the four themes of family support and outcomes of this will inform developments and improvements to service delivery. In addition and reflecting the need for improved and increased opportunities for multi-agency training and planning, a series of staff Even Better If (EBI) sessions will be implemented focussing on themes and needs emerging from the evaluative processes. 4.4 A survey of children, young people, parents and staff is being finalised and due to be undertaken during November. The aim of this is to seek views on services which support families; informing what works, what doesn’t and what is needed. This information will be analysed with a report due late December and informing Whole Family Wellbeing Planning. 4.5 A priority of Children and Young People's Mental Health Community Supports and Services group is to establish a new service for young people experiencing emotional distress with the aim of "ask once get help fast". The new service 'West Dunbartonshire Distress Brief Intervention Associate Programme for young people aged 16yrs to 24yrs (26yrs for care experienced young people)' is specifically aimed at supporting young people who are experiencing 'emotional distress' and not requiring clinical interventions. Training of staff in the remaining three mainstream high schools to be trained is under way and will result in all being trained by the end of the school year. 4.6 The range of additional mental health and wellbeing supports noted in the February 2022 Partnership report continues to be developed and progressed.
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4.7 Following phase 2 of CYP Community Mental Health Supports & Services Review , exploring young people’s experiences of accessing mental health support, mental health information, and their understanding of the resources within the local area, production of an electronic means of promoting and accessing supports in being undertaken. 4.8 A “Keeping the Promise” sub-group has been created that reports to the Nurtured DIG. This group has multi-agency representation (social work, health, education, Working4U, SCRA, CHS, Health Improvement Team, Who Cares Scotland?, Y-Sort It, Partners in Advocacy, The Promise Scotland). This group has been working to identify priorities within West Dunbartonshire and The Promise Plan 21-24. A Promise Implementation plan is now in the stages of being created which will help steer our work and ensure accountability to this work. There have been a number of Engagement Sessions on The Promise taking place across the Council, attended by 150 individuals. These have focussed on sharing information on The Promise and ensuring people know how it is relevant to their role, as well as facilitating discussions around the areas of strengths and difficulties for us as a local authority. In October two half day training sessions focussed on the importance of brothers and sisters relationships within care. This was co-delivered with social work, Children’s Hearings Scotland, Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration, Partners in Advocacy and the Champions Board, with two young people with care experience contributing to the training. This was attended by approximately 100 individuals representing social work, Panel members and Reporters. Further training in November will focus on Language and Reframing the narrative around care experience to be delivered to a multiagency audience by Each and Every Child. 4.9 Parenting Central to the work to support parents is a focus on providing evidence based interventions to develop parents’ skills and confidence in promoting positive adult-child relationships. Outreach Workers have been utilising the ideas and skills they have developed through training in Solihull Approach and Connecting with Parent’s Motivation training to support carers through building trusting relationships with them, developing a partnership approach, so that carers are empowered to make changes in their parenting approaches. Parents can be offered either one-to-one support or the opportunity to be part of an Incredible Years Parenting group, with face to face support now in place following lifting of previous restrictions.
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Support offered to families ranges in intensity and length, from short term support providing practical advice, e.g. financial advice, and long term emotional support with very specific goals as agreed through team around the child discussion. Two further online Incredible Years groups are planned with a further two face-face groups at the beginning of 2023. 4.10 GIRFEC Refresh A multiagency working group has been established to take forward the new and updated policy and practice aspects of GIRFEC refresh. Focusing first on establishing what is working well across WDC in our GIRFEC practice, the group is seeking to highlight areas of good practice while at the same time identifying areas for improvement. Training will be developed and planned based on the outcome of these multiagency discussions with a key focus on ensuring that children and families are met with a consistent approach across all agencies. The emphasis in the training will be on clear assessment of need with children and families at the centre of decisions making and formulation of plans. 4.11 Working 4U continues to address the underlying causes and symptoms of poverty. Activities centre on delivery of specialist services (Work, Learn, Money) with support for families, children and young people reflected in their contribution to the local child poverty action report. Recent key activities have included the development of youth outreach delivering diversionary activities and programmes for young people across the council; including summer holiday programmes. 5. People Implications 5.1 There are no people implications as a result of this report. However, it is essential that partners re-align resource allocation and priorities to meet the needs of children, young people and families at this time. 6. Financial Implications 6.1 There are no direct financial implications for Community Planning West Dunbartonshire resulting from this report. All activities related to the implementation of these interventions are contained within service Budgets. 7. Risk Analysis 7.1 If the Council is unable to ensure positive outcomes for children, we will not be meeting their needs (Children and Young People Act 2014) (Equalities Act 2010). 7.2 If the Council is unable to meet the needs of children, young people and families this could result in reputational damage. 8. Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA)
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8.1 The supports and guidance planned enhance the quality of the service provided to all children, young people and families, therefore it can be seen to have a positive impact in terms of the equalities 9. Consultation 9.1 Legal Services and the Section 95 Officer have been consulted in relation to the content of this report. 10. Strategic Assessment 10.1 This report reflects the Council’s aspiration to reduce inequalities for the people of West Dunbartonshire. Person to Contact: Claire Cusick Senior Education Officer Background Papers: CPD Nurtured DIG Report February 2022 Wards Affected: All