Council approves Children’s Services Recovery plan

A robust recovery plan for the delivery of Children’s Service of The Highland Council has been approved by Members of the Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee.

The Plan provides reassurance as it outlines the delivery of service improvements that will also have a positive financial impact, it is not about making cuts to service.

The plan aims to assist in addressing the overall Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Service overspend over the next 3 to 5 years while focussing on the need to keep children and young people within their homes and communities and the return of children and young people accommodated outwith Highland to a placement closer to home.

Chair of the Health Social Care and Wellbeing Committee, Cllr David Fraser said: “The recovery plan has at its heart achieving the best outcomes for the most vulnerable children in our community and doing so in such a way that our limited resources go as far as is possible.

“The plan is driven by the need to address the current budgetary pressures and to do this in a way that does not impact negatively on the quality of care and protection afforded to children.

He added: “In terms of placements, the Service has recognised that whilst it was commendable that so many children and young people were returned to Highland from out of region, the reality is that many children continue to be placed out-with Highland for want of a placement within Highland. This is why Children’s Services have shifted the emphasis from Home to Highland to Home in Highland.

“When you compare our data with that of other local authorities, we are aware that we could significantly increase the number of children in kinship placements, the most cost effective of all placements, at the same time kinship generally provides the best outcomes.

“Additional resources, through the Family First investment have been directed towards kinship care. The Service is committed to speeding up the assessment and approval of kinship carers and providing them with additional, ongoing support.

“We accept that we will continue to have children placed in residential and foster placements, but we aspire to having fewer of these placements out-with Highland. Alongside developing additional residential and fostering capacity within Highland, we also need to ensure commissioned placements are achieving best value and the right outcomes.”

The Children’s Services Recovery Plan will focus on the following key areas:

• Respite provision and associated Self Directed Support delivery.
• Out of area costs and associated costs returning children to Highland.
• Expansion of Fostering and Kinship options.
• Educational provision for children and young people returning to Highland and those unable to access mainstream provision.

The Plan can be viewed here at appendix 2.