Growth and development.pdf

HighlandHighland Council has had 2 new community school pilot projects (at Inverness and Alness)designed to bring together education, social work and health services under an IntegrationManager. The projects have enabled staff to train together, improved focus on individual pupilsand their parents and addressed the needs of the wider communities served by the schools.There is commitment to a major initiative in adopting the New Community School approach inall Highland Schools and this is aligned to a Family support Policy aimed at early interventionwith families and young people. This programme is the key mechanism for delivery of anintegrated service to children and families on a multi-agency basis and significant effort hasbeen expended towards that aim.The Council’s action plan for the new arrangements for care leavers is implemented andco-ordinated by the social work department. A joint working group of Council departments andexternal agencies is:• designing a system to operate and monitor new payment arrangements;• organising a programme of joint staff training; and• preparing a pooled budget in anticipation of Scottish Executive guidance on resourcetransfer.A senior social worker for Throughcare and Aftercare has been appointed with the aim ofdeveloping the infrastructure for Throughcare and Aftercare services throughout Highland.The council is currently supporting four young people who were looked after through HigherEducation.A Committee on Children and Young People, representing key public and voluntary sectoragencies, has the responsibility for integrating services. The Committee’s 2001-2004 planoutlines objectives for improving services, including roll out of the New Community SchoolApproach. Each of Highland’s 8 areas has a Children’s Services Forum, which bring together areamanagers from education, social work and health, provide means of integrating assessment,care planning and use of resources.4. Performance: Criminal JusticeKey ActivitiesNumber of social enquiry reports submitted to the courts 874 953 65.8 3during the yearNumber of community service orders made during the year 226 221 15.2 3The proportion of social enquiry reports reported to courtwithin target time2000-2001 QuartileProportion of social enquiry reports submitted to the courts 98.2 2by due dateThe time taken to complete community service orders1999-20002000-2001Average length of community service (hours) for orders 159 2completed during the yearAverage hours completed per week 3.7 32000-2001per 10,000Quartile147