Children and young people at risk of harm in Renfrewshire are significantly positively impacted by services in their area, according to a new report.
Inspectors from the Care Inspectorate, in partnership with Education Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, found major strengths in services for children and young people at risk of harm in the Renfrewshire community planning partnership.
Whilst developments are required to maximise the wellbeing and experiences of children and young people, the strengths identified clearly outweigh areas for improvement.
Inspectors noted that early help and prevention practices were improving the safety of children and young people. Dedicated staff were committed to working to address issues before they escalated.
Partners were responding to protection concerns. Inter-agency referral discussions were the mechanism for the consideration of all protection concerns.
Children and young people at risk of harm were also benefitting from supportive and caring relationships with staff. They were confident that their views were heard, and they felt listened to.
A range of initiatives were starting to help improve children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Children, young people, parents, and carers’ views were routinely considered and informed decisions about their daily life.
Independent advocacy services were well established and close collaboration between advocacy and other staff ensured children were successfully supported as early as possible.
Senior leaders maintained effective strategic oversight of services for children and young people at risk of harm. This oversight was supported by clear governance frameworks.
There was also a well-developed collaborative culture and staff, managers, and leaders worked positively together across agencies. Strong relationships and a commitment to keeping children’s views central were notable aspects of the partnership’s approach.
The partnership gathered extensive data, which enabled leaders to identify areas for improvement and plan required changes. However, partners had not yet fully established methods to consistently collect and report on the differences services made in the lives of children at risk of harm and their families.
Jackie Irvine, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, said: “The Care inspectorate and scrutiny partners are confident that the partnership in Renfrewshire has the capacity to make changes to service delivery in the areas that require further development.
“The Care Inspectorate will request a joint action plan that clearly details how the partnership will make improvements in the key areas identified by inspectors. We will continue to offer support for improvement and monitor progress through our linking arrangements.”
The full report can be read here. You can watch a video about the report here.