Troubled child services team ‘fragile’
Powys County Council’s troubled children’s services teams is still suffering from high staff turnover and sickness, according to a new report.
A new children’s services performance report is set to be assessed by the council’s health care and housing scrutiny committee this week.
The report says absences remain high and that there is a need to recruit a new interim team manager in Newtown.
However, it also says that it is hoped 15 more foster parents will be trained and ready to give children homes by the end of the year.
The report was put together back in June, and examines the progress made since the Care Inspectorate Wales issued a damning report into the service last year.
The CIW had found that the authority had put children at serious risk of harm.
In total around £6 million is going to be spent on the service to put things right.
The latest report explains which departments are working well, what they are concerned about and what action needs taking.
According to the report, having a quality assurance manager in post to improve quality of practice is something that ‘works well’.
Assessment
The report adds that a worry is that the workforce remains fragile with a turnover of staff and sickness rates high.
Other concerns within the report are around pressure to record information on children’s files as the high number of children undergoing assessment at the time the report was written. Measures that need to be taken include developing and implementing Powys Looked After Children’s Strategy’.
The report states: “Stabilise the workforce by recruiting permanent staff, this will be supported by the finalisation and implementation of our future structure and workforce strategy.
“Continue to recruit in-house foster carers to have a net increase of 15 by December 18.” An independent investigation is under way looking at the service and who knew what before the damning report came out.
It is set to be completed next month.
