Decision Maker: Director of Learning, Opportunities and Skills
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
has necessitated the establishment of a Children’s Resilience
and Recovery Programme, which in turn has impacted on
resources, in particular, front line staff to work directly with
children, young people and their families.
The current pandemic has simultaneously increased the strain on
families and reduced school capacity to manage early help cases, in
particular step-downs from social care.
This places a risk in the system for vulnerable children and young
people, especially any not in an educational setting. These often
end up in a re-referral into Social Care,
placing greater pressure on an already stretched front door.
Therefore, providing extra Early Help Officers in the form of
Family Lead Practitioners means that educational settings will be
better supported. In effect, the officers can catch the step-downs
and ensure support is provided in a timely and appropriate
manner.
Due to the above, this ODR seeks to establish the following
posts:
? 7 FTE Family Lead Practitioners (Grade 7) temporary for 12
months
? 1 FTE Technical Business Support (Grade 6) temporary for 12
months
The Family Lead Practitioners will be managed within the Early
Intervention and Localities Service.
Recruit seven temporary Family Lead
Practitioners to support schools to manage children and young
people who are stepped down from social care, in particular into
educational settings, many of whom have Social, Emotional and
Mental Health needs, with direct early help support.
Recruit one temporary Business Support Officer (Technical) to
support the on-going development of the service.
Allocate funding of £216k from the Children’s
Partnership Recovery and Resilience Programme approved by Cabinet
on 26th January 2021.
Do Nothing – The impact of doing nothing
is not a viable option, as this will result in some vulnerable
children and young people not being supported and, ultimately,
the
likelihood of them being re-referred into Social Care. It places
added pressure into educational settings, which are advising that
they are not able to provide the support they normally would due to
the current circumstances.
Publication date: 11/06/2021
Date of decision: 11/03/2021
Accompanying Documents: