APPENDIX 1
SUMMARY CONTENT
OF THE
AUDIT COMMISSION
CHILDREN'S
SERVICES DIAGNOSTIC
The diagnostic takes 11 areas of focus. It assesses
them developmentally, against the overall framework and timescales
of the Children Act requirements. Throughout the diagnostic there
is a sustained challenge to local authorities to demonstrate how
their proposals will have an impact on children's and young people's
lives, and how they will engage service users. The areas of focus
are set out below with a summary of their content:
Managing transition
Whether the local authority and partners have
adequately resourced and established project management to deliver
transition successfully; whether action has been taken to avoid
or reduce risk of failure in key areas of delivery eg children's
wellbeing and safety, finance, workforce, partnerships, as well
as achieving the DfES timescales.
Local needs assessment
How effectively local authorities and partners
have set up their needs assessment work; what the involvement
of children, young people and their families and carers has been;
involvement of other stakeholders and staff; robustness of data;
methods of assessing gaps and underperformance.
Creating a shared strategic plan
Whether there is agreement with other partners
and with children and young people, about what children's and
young people's lives and experiences should look like locally;
whether there has been a sustained focus on outcomes for children
and young people which informs and shapes the plan, and an understanding
as to how this will make a difference to young people and children.
Working in partnership
How effectively partnership governance has been
set up and supported, and how effectively issues of cultural difference
are addressed; membership of the board; how well the partnership
board functions and members work together.
Governance and leadership
Whether there is clarity of leadership through
the lead member, Director of Children's Services and partners;
the involvement and support of other councillors; whether the
partnership board has clear and agreed terms of reference and
objectives; the extent to which the importance of children and
young people's services is recognised and understood by stakeholders.
Accountability and decision making
Whether partnership roles, responsibilities
and accountabilities are clearly defined and decision-making processes
are appropriate and transparent; whether accountability for resources
and services is clear.
Workforce development
Whether workforce planning and skills mapping
is in hand, together with appropriate training to address skills
gaps; whether terms and conditions have been reviewed and it is
clear how they will be developed and how staff will be supported
to deliver integrated working.
Integrated working
Whether there are robust plans in place for
joint commissioning, and the extent to which it addresses service
integration and redesign, impact on users and the five outcomes,
as well as value for money issues.
Whether the local authority and partners are
making adequate and timely progress on implementing the Common
Assessment Framework and information sharing, and information
governance.
Pooling budgets and resources
The clarity of purpose of any budget and resource
pooling proposals; whether adequate financial arrangements have
been made and processes amended; the impact on other budgets,
staffing and resources; use of suitable protocols for ensuring
sound financial management and probity.
Performance management
Whether a clear and suitable framework has been
developed, which is linked to local and national targets, who
has responsibility for overseeing performance; and most importantly,
whether performance management is driving the delivery of the
five outcomes.
New structures
Whether the local authority and partners are
appointing a lead member for Children and Young People and a Director
of Children's Service in a timely way, and whether their roles
have been fully agreed by relevant stakeholders, and are widely
understood; whether sufficient progress is being made on setting
up Local Safeguarding Children's Boards to meet Government timescales.
November 2004
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