in Highland

Bill AlexanderDirector of Care and Learning

June 2014

• Vision and Plan

• Highland Practice Model

• Integration

• Preventative and Early Years Services

Highland Demographics

• 11,363 0- 4 year olds

• 29,623 5-15 year olds = 46,465 children &

• 5,479 16-17 year olds young people (22.2%pop)

• 468 looked after children (1%)

• 1,608 school aged children with level 3 or 4 ASN (5%)

• 4,361 children entitled to free school meals (14%)

• 11,954 living in very remote rural areas (24%)

Our vision is that all of Highland’s children have the best possible start in life; enjoy being young; and are supported to develop as confident, capable and resilient, to fully maximise their potential.

We want our children to be safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected & responsible and included.

Highland Practice Model(Getting it right for every child)

• Pathway through services - clarity about the roles of professionals and agencies

• Common language

• Engage and empower children and families

• Named person and lead professional roles

• Assessment framework, that builds from birth

• Assessment determines plan and service delivery

• Single Child’s Plan

• Fewer meetings, and single Child’s Plan meeting

community

family

child

Child’s Plan consideredat Liaison Meeting

Level One

Level Two

Level Three

Implementation involvedextensive change management

• Implementation Plan

• Transformational change in each agency and across children’s services

• Support from dedicated team and change management structures

• Training programmes…. continuing

• Comprehensive and integrated practice guidance

• Some new posts and structures

New Posts

• Integrated Services Officer- joining universal and targeted services

• Early Years Practitioner - additional SW support in early years

• Children’s Services Worker- additional SW support in school years

District Manager

District involves

adjacent Associated

School Groups

Evaluations

• Self evaluation

• Views of children and parents from Highland Children’s Forum

• Edinburgh University evaluation

• Child Protection Inspection

• Children’s Services Inspection

• The real experiences of children, parents and practitioners

Improved Processes

• More systematic information sharing between agencies

• More holistic assessment of children.

• Reduced bureaucracy means staff have more time for direct work with children and families

• Faster decision making

• Less cumbersome processes for children and families

• Families like the single team approach. They say they know what is intended and when it will happen.

• Duplication in paperwork significantly reduced, but reliance on paper documents will remain time consuming until electronic information sharing is introduced

Improved outcomes for a majority of children

• Higher levels of early intervention and support, for more children

• Examination of Child’s Plans evidenced improved outcomes for most children

• Lower rates of looked after children

• Lower numbers of children at risk of significant harm, and fewer being re-registered within one year

• Fewer children smoking, using alcohol and drugs

• Continued low persistent offending rates

Care Inspectorate Joint Inspection Report (April 2014)

• Services in Highland perform strongly in a number of important areas. This strong performance is founded upon the strength and clarity of vision for services for children and young people which is underpinned by a culture of creativity and innovation.

• Successful implementation of Getting it right for every child in Highland has resulted in effective and improving early intervention for vulnerable children and young people. It has also been instrumental in bringing together a highly committed group of staff, guided by the values and principles of the Highland practice model.

• The commitment to joint self-evaluation and performance management across children’s services is making a strong contribution to service improvement and achieving better outcomes for children. This is reinforced by highly effective involvement of children and young people in policy and service planning.

Care Inspectorate Joint Inspection Report (April 2014)

Our vision is that all of Highland’s children have the best possible start in life; enjoy being young; and are supported to develop as confident, capable and resilient, to fully maximise their potential.

We want our children to be safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected & responsible and included.