Agenda Item
No.
HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
CHILDREN’S SERVICES CABINET PANEL
11 SEPTEMBER 2014 AT 2.00 P.M.
5
STRATEGY FOR REDUCING THE NUMBER OF HERTFORDSHIRE CHILDREN
LOOKED AFTER
Report of the Director Children’s Services
Author:
Marion Ingram, Operations Director (Specialist Services)
(Tel: 01992 588620)
Executive Member:- Richard Roberts, Children’s Services
1.
Purpose of report
1.1
To present to Panel the work that has been undertaken to with regard to the
Strategy for reducing the number of Hertfordshire Children Looked After (CLA).
2.
Summary
2.1
Good progress has been made since the introduction of the 2010 Children Looked
After Strategy in reducing the numbers of children looked after in Hertfordshire. The
strategy has now been updated to reflect the current context and establish a
framework for further reductions over the next three years.
3.
Recommendation
3.1
Panel is asked to:
Note and comment on the analysis and proposed actions as set out in Appendix A
to the report; and
endorse the steps taken and framework that has been developed for reducing the
numbers of Children who are Looked After.
4.
Background
4.1
Hertfordshire’s current Children Looked After (CLA) Strategy was developed in
2010. The Strategy was developed in order to respond to the significant increase in
the number of children becoming looked after as a result of being provided with
accommodation by the County Council under the Children Act 1989, with an
associated increase in financial pressures to cover placement costs, legal fees,
contact arrangements, and social care staffing.
4.2
The resultant actions within the Strategy have contributed to reductions in the
number of Looked After Children in Hertfordshire from 1193 in July 2010 to 1032 in
July 2014, set against a context of national and neighbouring local authorities’
increases in their children looked after numbers.
4.3
The forecasts originally developed in 2010 have been subsequently adjusted to
reflect changes associated with demographic pressures and targets agreed for
reductions through to March 2015.
4.4
The development of an updated strategy has taken place to reflect changes in
national and local context since 2010 and to establish a framework for future activity
to reduce the overall population of Looked After Children in Hertfordshire so that
children are cared for by the County Council only when it is absolutely appropriate
in order to meet their needs. A summary of this analysis is set out in Appendix A to
the report.
4.5
This strategy is not intended to capture and reflect all of the work of the County
Council and its partners relating to services relating to Looked After Children.
However, it seeks to complement and is complemented by a range of other
strategies and initiatives either already in place or in development including:
 The Children Looked After Commissioning Strategy;
 Ther Corporate Parenting Strategy;
http://www.hertsdirect.org/mm/15646747/15744572/item8appachildserv071112.
pdf
 strategies around outcomes for CLA and Care Leavers, including the activity of
the Virtual School and the health of CLA;
http://www.thegrid.org.uk/virtual%20school

The wider development of the family-focus transformation programme.
4.
Financial Implications
4.1
The analysis at Appendix A to the report sets out the budgets and expenditure
relating to Children Looked After for the financial years 2011/12 to 2013/14. The
information illustrates that financial pressures relate both to the overall numbers of
that population and the balance of placements across the ‘care continuum’ within
the in-house and purchased care sectors.
4.2
The next stage of strategy development will include detailed financial modelling to
understand the impact of this strategy alongside associated work through the
Council’s Children Looked After commissioning strategy and wider initiatives.
5.
Equalities Implications
5.1
When considering proposals placed before Members it is important that they are
fully aware of, and have themselves rigorously considered the equality implications
of the decision that they are making.
5.2
Rigorous consideration will ensure that proper appreciation of any potential impact
of that decision on the County Council’s statutory obligations under the Public
Sector Equality Duty. As a minimum this requires decision makers to read and
carefully consider the content of any Equalities Impact Assessment (EQiA)
produced by officers.
5.3
The Equality Act 2010 requires the County Council when exercising its functions to
have due regard to the need to (a) eliminate discrimination, harassment,
victimisation and other conduct prohibited under the Act; (b) advance equality of
opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and
persons who do not share it and (c) foster good relations between persons who
share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. The
protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 are age; disability; gender
reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race;
religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation.
5.6
Children looked after are one of the most vulnerable groups in society, with
significant gaps in health and educational outcomes and life chances between these
children and young people and their peers. Narrowing the gap for children looked
after remains a key priority for children’s services in Hertfordshire. Children from
black and minority ethnic groups, and children with special educational needs and
disabilities continue to be overrepresented among children and young people who
are looked after and on the edge of care. These differences are monitored regularly,
and action is taken where appropriate to ensure that the needs of different groups
are met.
5.7
The impact of key developments proposed in this strategy will be individually
assessed to understand their effect on particularly vulnerable groups within these
cohorts.
5.8
An Equalities Impact Assessment will be carried out as part of the Children Looked
After Commissioning Strategy, which is currently being undertaken.
Background Information
As per the hyperlinks in the report.