To ensure transition planning for children with complex needs commences at 16 or before and involves partnership working with the adult services. 3.6 Provide a robust commissioning framework which is effectively responding to the sufficiency challenges and driving up standards. Key priorities To work in close partnership with local providers to re-shape the market and increase the availability of all placement types for Tower Hamlets children at the point Council’s of need. To improve the commissioning and contract monitoring of all care placements with bespoke packages, which may include education, therapy and drug and alcohol intervention, developed through joint or tri funding partnerships. To work with residential care providers to improve standards of care, and ensure that Tower Hamlets provision maintains a or better OFSTED rating. Council’s ‘Good’ To work with health partners and providers to develop a range of appropriate services that ensures that the emotional and mental health needs of children and young people are met appropriately. 3.7 Improve the overall data capture and data management of looked after children to better inform this strategy and improve accurate responses to sufficiency challenges. Key priorities Further analysis is required to understand underlying contributory factors driving looked after children admissions and any trends therein, for example links with deprivation and housing issues, along with the development of early help, intervention and edge of care services working across the partnerships, to support families and safely reduce numbers of children coming into / remaining in care. Further analysis of these trends is ongoing including benchmarking with and learning from evidence informed best practice to effectively target early intervention, prevention, and edge of care services to safely reduce the numbers of children coming into / remaining in care. A continuing drive to improve the quality of case recording to improve the completeness and accuracy of management information that informs our understanding of sufficiency challenges, issues and developments. To continue with a programme of and ‘deep dive’ to gain a better understanding of the experience of children and ‘dip sample’ audits families behind the data. For example the reasons for the high number of older children entering care and our high use of secure care provision. 3.8 Raise our aspirations for educational attainment and other outcomes for looked after children.
To ensure transition planning for children with complex needs commences at 16 or before and involves partnership working with the adult services. 3.6 Provide a robust commissioning framework which is effectively responding to the sufficiency challenges and driving up standards. Key priorities To work in close partnership with local providers to re-shape the market and increase the availability of all placement types for Tower Hamlets Council’s children at the point of need. To improve the commissioning and contract monitoring of all care placements with bespoke packages, which may include education, therapy and drug and alcohol intervention, developed through joint or tri funding partnerships. To work with residential care providers to improve standards of care, and ensure that Tower Hamlets Council’s provision maintains a ‘Good’ or better OFSTED rating. To work with health partners and providers to develop a range of appropriate services that ensures that the emotional and mental health needs of children and young people are met appropriately. 3.7 Improve the overall data capture and data management of looked after children to better inform this strategy and improve accurate responses to sufficiency challenges. Key priorities Further analysis is required to understand underlying contributory factors driving looked after children admissions and any trends therein, for example links with deprivation and housing issues, along with the development of early help, intervention and edge of care services working across the partnerships, to support families and safely reduce numbers of children coming into / remaining in care. Further analysis of these trends is ongoing including benchmarking with and learning from evidence informed best practice to effectively target early intervention, prevention, and edge of care services to safely reduce the numbers of children coming into / remaining in care. A continuing drive to improve the quality of case recording to improve the completeness and accuracy of management information that informs our understanding of sufficiency challenges, issues and developments. To continue with a programme of ‘deep dive’ and ‘dip sample’ audits to gain a better understanding of the experience of children and families behind the data. For example the reasons for the high number of older children entering care and our high use of secure care provision. 3.8 Raise our aspirations for educational attainment and other outcomes for looked after children.