Growth and development.pdf

East LothianThe Council and its partners have a good infrastructure and relationships on which to build theJoint Future agenda, but all Lothian issues can complicate reaching conclusions. The Counciland its partners are to appoint a Joint Future implementation/change manager to lead progress.On single shared assessment, the partners have decided on Carenap E as the assessment tool,and Lothian-wide systems are now being developed to apply it. Information sharing is part ofthis development. Having progressed towards, rather than met, the Bottom Line, implementingsingle shared assessment across all community care will require firm planning.On joint resourcing and joint management, the partners had made considerable progresstowards but had not met the Bottom Line. The Joint Future steering group has yet to agree themanagement structure and resources pot. Budgets will initially be aligned. Single managementin local care teams will need to be harmonised with higher level integrated service management.The Council and partners envisage extending joint resourcing and joint management to allcommunity care services by 2004.Services for people with sensory impairments are under review, which should lead to futureimprovements. All assessments and services are commissioned from voluntary organisations:Visual Impairment Services South East Scotland and Edinburgh and East of Scotland DeafSociety. Health staff take the lead on future needs assessment – which is also being reviewed.3. Performance: Children and familiesBalance of care – Looked afterchildren (aged 0-17)1999-2000actual1999-2000per 1,000Quartile2000-2001actual2000-2001per 1,000QuartileAt home 67 3.3 3 58 2.9 3With friends/relatives/other community 3 0.2 4 0 0.0 4With foster carers/prospective adopters 65 3.2 2 79 3.9 1In residential accommodation 18 0.9 3 21 1.0 3Total 153 7.6 3 158 7.8 3Key performance indicators1998-1999actual1998-1999per 1,000Quartile1999-2000actual1999-2000per 1,000QuartileChild protection (CP) referrals 183 10.1 2 150 8.3 2(aged 0-15)Children subject to a CP case 52 2.9 2 55 3.0 2conference (aged 0-15)Children placed on CP register 38 2.1 2 46 2.5 1(aged 0-15)Adoption applications in year 11 0.5 1 9 0.5 2(aged 0-17)Stranger adopter applications 5 0.3 1 6 0.3 1(aged 0-17)The Council has a fairly low rate of looked after children and currently none live with friends orrelatives. A high rate of looked after children live with foster carers and a relatively low rate arein residential accommodation.The two six-bedded residential units have been refurbished with single rooms. The service toyoung people extends to independent flats, aftercare and outreach work, and benefits fromongoing consultancy from external organisations, Who Cares? Scotland and Children 1st.81