Growth and development.pdf

3. Performance: Children and FamiliesBalance of care – Looked afterchildren (aged 0-17)At home 62 3.1 3 54 2.7 3With friends/relatives/other community 0 0.0 4 0 0.0 4With foster carers/prospective adopters 66 3.3 1 65 3.3 2In residential accommodation 14 0.7 4 12 0.6 4Total 142 7.1 3 131 6.6 3Key performance indicators1999-2000actual1998-1999actual1999-2000per 1,0001998-1999per 1,000QuartileQuartile2000-2001actual1999-2000actual2000-2001per 1,0001999-2000per 1,000QuartileQuartileChild protection (CP) referrals 205 11.5 1 166 9.4 1(aged 0-15)Children subject to a CP case 53 3 2 34 1.9 3conference (aged 0-15)Children placed on CP register 53 3 1 20 1.1 4(aged 0-15)Adoption applications in year 15 0.7 1 15 0.8 1(aged 0-17)Stranger adopter applications 3 0.2 3 7 0.4 1(aged 0-17)The rate of looked after children is relatively low. The rate of children living in residentialaccommodation is low; a relatively high rate lives with foster carers, assisted by the developmentof specialised foster schemes. None of the looked after children live with friends or relatives.Moray has a high rate of child protection referrals but only a small rate of referrals reach a caseconference. The rate of children on the child protection register is lower than in most otherauthorities, having dropped between 1998 and 2000. The rate of stranger adoption applicationsis high; the number of applications more than doubled between 1998 and 2000.Since 1998 there has been extensive development of preventive, locally based services,particularly for pre-school children, and children with a disability.While the number of parents (and children) misusing drugs in Moray is small, the impact of drugand substance misuse on childcare has been significant. The addition of a full-time workerdedicated to working with parents and children misusing drugs has been complemented bysupport for a drugs and alcohol counsellor, based in the voluntary sector, to work with youngpeople.The Council has issued joint policy and practice guidelines on the education of looked afterchildren, but recommendations still to be addressed are:• joint training on the implementation of the guidelines, scheduled for later in 2002-2003; and• collation of statistical returns on the school progress of looked after children.Joint working between education and community services staff has included the developmentof procedures for joint assessment and care planning, which has a significant impact in reducingthe number of pupils excluded from Moray schools, through improved support.172