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1240/5/1(7)
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY J.A. HILTON OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 17th JANUARY 2017
Question
Will the Minister inform Members how many recommendations of An Inquiry into Child Protection in Jersey' (the Williamson Report') have been implemented in full; what outcomes have been achieved from those recommendations; and, where recommendations have not been implemented in full, will he give the reasons why this has happened and explain any alternative actions taken to address those recommendations?
Answer
On 4th February 2009, the then HSSD Minister presented the Williamson Report - Implementation Plan - Approval and Funding' (R.8/2009) to the States. Since then, the HSSD Minister of the time has reported to the Assembly on several occasions in relation to progress, including a detailed answer to a written question (9147) tabled by the Member on 19 January 2016. It is important to stress that the work in relation to the Williamson recommendations (which included other departments as well as Health and Social Services) was largely complete by 2013 when the associated funding ended as agreed.
While the services set out in the response to question 9147 remain in place and are incorporated into business as usual, the agenda has moved on. The Children's Improvement Board (set up in 2015 and chaired by the Chief Minister) was established to oversee a comprehensive improvement programme for Children's Services subsuming all existing and new issues affecting the service, with new funding made available. By the end of March 2017, the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry is due to report requiring the States to respond and to formulate and implement an appropriate action plan involving those who work with children across the whole system.
The outcomes from the Williamson implementation plan include:
- Senior political oversight for vulnerable children and young people, with the HSSD Minister having lead responsibility for vulnerable children and young people
- An understanding of the performance of services and impact on children and young people following external scrutiny; an understanding of what's working well and what requires improvement.
- Independent scrutiny applied to care planning for children with opportunity provided for children and young people to speak/meet the Independent Review Officer.
- Children and young people provided with independent external parties to advocate on their behalf, share views and contribute to safeguarding arrangements.
- Looked After Children stay on-island wherever possible.
- Concerns can be raised by staff in a safe manner without fear of repercussion.
- Children and young people can raise complaints
- A strategic framework in place to support partnership working which sets out to improve outcomes
for children and young people.
- Emergency out of hours service in place to respond to vulnerable or at risk children and young people.