Growth and development.pdf

3. Performance: Children and FamiliesBalance of care – Looked afterchildren (aged 0-17)At home 150 6.6 1 121 5.4 1With friends/relatives/other community 8 0.4 4 18 0.8 3With foster carers/prospective adopters 68 3.0 2 65 2.9 2In residential accommodation 63 2.8 1 58 2.6 1Total 289 12.8 1 262 11.6 1Key performance indicators1999-2000actual1998-1999actual1999-2000per 1,0001998-1999per 1,000QuartileQuartile2000-2001actual1999-2000actual2000-2001per 1,0001999-2000per 1,000QuartileQuartileChild protection (CP) referrals 221 10.9 2 102 5.1 3(aged 0-15)Children subject to a CP case 87 4.4 1 54 2.7 2conference (aged 0-15)Children placed on CP register 42 2.1 3 29 1.4 3(aged 0-15)Adoption applications in year 6 0.3 4 6 0.3 3(aged 0-17)Stranger adopter applications 3 0.1 3 4 0.2 3(aged 0-17)The rate of looked after children, though reduced between 1999 and 2001, remains higher thanin most other authorities. The rate of looked after children living in residential accommodationremains high despite a drop in numbers between 1999 and 2001. The rate of children in fostercare is relatively high. The rate of children in foster care where addiction (drugs or alcohol)misuse is a contributing factor is about 70%. A relatively low rate of looked after children liveswith friends or relatives but the number is increasing.The number of child protection referrals in 1999-2000 was less than half the number in 1998-1999 and the rate is now relatively low. The number of children subject to a case conferenceand the number on the child protection register also decreased between 1998 and 2000. Therate of adoption applications is relatively low.Efforts to enhance the support to children focus on:• the development of a children with disabilities team, to achieve equity and uniformity ofresources across West Dunbartonshire; it will have its first “Transitions” worker responsiblefor working with children through to the age of 19 and adult services; and• following a recent study of the mental health of looked after children which found over halfthe children suffering from a range of distressing and disabling emotional and behaviouralproblems, closer links between residential staff and the children and mental health teams.Progress in meeting the recommendations of Learning with Care includes:• monitoring of the educational attainment of looked after children for the past three years,which identifies variable outcomes year on year;• steps to provide an educationally rich environment for those children;• engaging actively with parents through its “In from the Edge” training pack;262