Submission - Minister for Children and Housing re Government Plan - 9 October 2019

Appendix 1: Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel Government Plan Review Written Questions

NB: Please note that reference is made within this document to page numbers within R.91/2019 and any corresponding project number.

Supporting and Protecting Children

1. Policy/Legislation

3. – Family Law (P.8, R.91/2019)

1. How does this work link in to the work that is ongoing to bring forward a new legal aid system?

The Access to Justice (Jersey) Law 201- has been adopted by the Assembly and is awaiting Royal assent. That Law establishes the Legal Aid Guidelines Advisory Committee, which is responsible for recommending to the Chief Minister the criteria for access to legal aid in Jersey. Based on the draft legal aid scheme, as developed by Law Society and appended to P23/2019, it is anticipated that legal aid will be available to people who meet the scheme criteria, who are getting divorced and who have dependent children.

Legal aid relates to the legal costs associated with divorce. It does not necessary include costs associated with any mediation or alternative dispute resolution that the couple may engage in prior to, or during the process of, divorce or associated proceedings.

2. Would the changes to family law be supported by the legal aid scheme when in place?

The changes to divorce proceedings would apply to all couples getting divorced/dissolving their civil partnership, including those who meet the criteria for legal aid and have dependent children (subject to the Legal Aid Guidelines Advisory Committee's recommendations being adopted as set out above).

3. Within the legal aid office project (P.124 R.91/2019) reference is made to an alternative dispute service. Is there any cross over with this policy development?

The monies referenced on Page 8 (£100k in 2020 – 2022) would provide for the establishment of a mediation services as a form of alternative dispute resolution for divorcing couples, to which the Legal Aid office may divert couples. It is envisaged that after a period of time that service would be self-financing.

4. – Youth Justice (P.8, R.91/2019)

4. Please explain the need for the increased funding allocation in 2021 compared to the other two years?

The bid is primarily for additional time-limited staff resources to carry out the necessary data gathering, research, policy development work and implementation. 2021 is the only year in which all staff are engaged for the full year period – hence the funding level is highest.

At the time of drafting SPPP was aware that that, if successful, funds could not be allocated before Q4 2019. We saw little likelihood of engaging staff until at least end Q1 2020. Therefore, staff will be appointed in succession though 2020, reducing the 2020 commitment.

5. Is it intended for the new policy to be implemented by 2023?

Delivery of a youth and adult criminal justice policy is scheduled for end 2021. Some components of the policy, particularly the practical changes to the operation of restorative justice and the need to embed the concept and practice of data collection within the local criminal justice system, will run into 2022, so staff will be and staggered out' during that period. Thus the phased approach to staff engagement will allow standard 2-year contracts to be used for all staff.

6. How does this policy development fit in with the review of the probation and after care service?

The project is intended to meet several recommending arising from the Youth Justice Review, and so pre-dates the proposal for the JPACS review. A criminal justice policy will need to take account of the outcome of the JPACS review but can accommodate any changes (or none) in the location and/or operation of JPACS. Any advances in practice arising from the JPACS review will be of great interest to SPPP and reflected in the policy.

6. – Safeguarding Partnership Board (P.9, R.91/2019)
   7. In what year do you anticipate the legislation to be brought forward that puts the SPB on a statutory footing?

This is scheduled for Phase 2 of the Children's Legislation Transformation Programme. It is therefore anticipated that work on scoping the legislation will start in late 2020, with proposed legislation being brought forward in 2021.

The monies provided via the Government Plan (£180k per year 2020 – 2023) will enable the Safeguarding Partnership Boards (SPB) to: deliver an enhanced training and advice service; increase public awareness of safeguarding issues and strengthen assurance and accountability in accordance with the 2018 independent review of the Board (as published on gov.je).

2. Children's Change Programme

2. – Baby Steps (p.11 R.91/2019)

8. Why have other ante-natal programmes stopped as a result of this programme?

The extension of the Baby Steps programme as a universal offer for all expectant parents meets the need that was previously met by the three-session antenatal run by the Community Midwifery Service.

9. What is the advantage of this arrangement over the previous antenatal programmes?

Baby Steps is an evidence-based programme developed by the NSPCC. It covers traditional antenatal education issues including birth, breastfeeding, and practical baby care but also aims to strengthen known protective factors in the perinatal period which include:

• Strengthening parent-infant relationships

• Strengthening couple relationships

• Building strong support networks

• Improving feelings of self-confidence as well as levels of low mood and worry

• Helping parents understand baby's development

The Baby Steps Programme consists of a nine-session group programme for expectant mothers and partners/support. The programme begins with a home visit when the expectant mother is around 26 weeks pregnant by a Baby Steps trained Practitioner, Midwife or Health Visitor. Following this, she and her partner or support will attend six group sessions with a group of other families before the baby is born, followed by three other sessions after birth.

10. Is the programme now available to all expectant and new parents?

The programme is available to all expectant parents. Midwives introduce the offer at the 12 week booking appointment and revisit it at the 16 – 18 week contact.

11. How does this programme affect the role of midwives?

Two part-time midwives are seconded to Family Nursing and Home Care to support the delivery of the programme, working alongside Health Visitors and Baby Steps Facilitators. The content of the programme supports the work of Midwives in the preparation of expectant mothers and partners/support for birth.

12. What assurance is there of training for this programme?

Family Nursing and Home Care who are commissioned to deliver the Baby Steps Programme have worked closely with NSPCC to ensure programme fidelity. All staff in Jersey who are delivering the programme have completed NSPCC training in delivery of the programme and Family Nursing and Home Care have met the requirements for a licence to deliver the programme. NSPCC undertake regular quality assurance visits and an annual audit and licence review process which ensures that groups are being run with high quality and fidelity to the benefit of local families.

13. How does this service link to other services, i.e. community nurses?

Delivery of the Baby Steps Programme by Family Nursing and Home Care who also provide the Community Health Visitor Service provides effective joined up working and complements the joint protocol in place between Midwives, Health Visitors, GPs and Social Work. The Baby Steps Programme offers strong foundations for the support offered to new parents and also helps early identification of expectant mothers who may benefit from a higher level of support, including through the Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting Programme offered by Family Nursing and Home Care.

3. – Jersey Youth Service Growth (p.11 R.91/2019)

14. Can you please elaborate on how this funding relates to that in 2.6 on p.12 or R.91/2019?

2.6 is the current funds and delivery that is taking place and 2.3 is to increase funding for the LGBT and Young Carers posts from half-time to full-time, create a new post to support the Youth Service capacity to support the Early Help and preventative work it carries out with some of the Islands most vulnerable young people and engage them in relevant programmes and also to increase support available from the Youth Enquiry Service and reduce any waiting times for counselling.

Currently the Youth Service is a projects worker short as they have used the funds from this post on a temporary basis to back fill to support the LGBTQ and Young Carers work

15. How will this work be increased throughout the four years (i.e. more staff, facilities etc.)?

Over the past 2 years the above projects have developed, discovered & flagged yet further issues that our children and young people are currently facing - to provide children and young people with the required level of support/service there is a need to build capacity with 4 further developments:

• Increase the Young carers post by 0.5 to full-time post (additional 0.5fte)

• Increase the LGBTQ post from 0.5 to full-time (additional 0.5fte)

• Increase JYS offer and capacity as part of a Corporate parent & Early Help offer (0.5fte)

• To increase support to the YES projects providing Information, Advice and counselling service

This bid is designed to fund the following 2020 ongoing:

• Assistant Youth Worker - Young Carers 0.5fte increase £22,700

• Assistant Youth Worker - LGBTQ 0.5fte increase £22,700

• Corporate parent & Early Help offer (0.5fte) £22,700

• Youth Enquiry Service Support £25,000

Please note: there is another complimentary bid to maintain the current LGBT & Young Carers posts – this bid increases the posts to full-time to extend capacity as the work, as already noted, is significantly greater than at first anticipated

New JYS Early Help Worker 1FTE & 1 HC

Additional counselling post(s), yet to be determined weather full-time of part-time

4. – Children's Change Programme (Community and Constitutional Affairs) (p.11 R.91/2019)

16. How many officer posts will this funding maintain?

The sum referred to in 2.4 Children's Change Programme concerns continuation funding for two posts that were initially created in 2016 in response to the IJCI report. These two posts form the core of the Children's Policy Team. Over the Government Plan period, tasks will include – as stated in R.91/2019 – strategic planning of the children's policy agenda, taking forward incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and progressing the children's agenda – this latter task including ongoing policy support to the Minister for Children.

(Continuation funding for the wider policy team brought in to help deliver the children's legislation transformation programme is shown at 3.6, and supports 4.4 FTE).

17. Can you clarify how the amounts in each of the four years are apportionedbetween the various work streams being undertaken by the officers?

5. – Family Support Workers (p.11 R.91/2019)

18. How many roles does this funding create?  6

19. How many staff are full time and how many are part time?

3 fulltime family support workers

3 term time family support workers (2 at 30 hours and 1 at 37 hours)

20. What is the anticipated caseload for each of the members of staff?

Tend to work with between 8-12 families at any one time, plus delivery of Triple P groups and Parent Consultation (Pop In) sessions at schools and early years settings.

The team worked with 112 new families in the academic year 2018/19

During the same time period they were the lead worker for 58 children and young people (where a child/ family needs multi agency support a lead worker is identified to co-ordinate support, make sure the family don't have to repeat lots of information and have a clear plan in place.

6. – Maintenance of Care Inquiry funding Youth Service Cat 1 (p.12 R.91/2019)

21. How is the funding in each year broken down by the individual projects listed?

LGBT AYW   £25,000 Young Carer AYW  £25,000 YES Counsellor  £60,000 Projects/CIST SYW   £60,000 Total   £170,000

7. – Youth Enquiry Service (YES) and Projects Cat 2 (p.13 R.91/2019)

22. As above, how is the funding in each year broken down by the individual projects? Original budget allocation not actual spend amounts

YES AYW  £45,000 Projects/CIST AYW   £50,000 Total   £95,000

8. – Nursery Special Needs (p.13 R.91/2019)

23. Are there Job Descriptions the Panel can see for the new roles? With regards the 0.4FTE it is split into two areas.

One part is for the Outreach Service from Bel Royal School termed the Learning Inclusion Team'. There are no specific Job descriptions. The staff delivering the service are already Teachers or Lead Keyworkers at Bel Royal's Additionally Resourced Centre with specific specialist skills and experience. Half of this money pays for backfill within Bel Royal so the most experienced staff can go and deliver outreach to schools on request.

The remainder of this money is used to increase a Portage Worker from a term time only role to an all year around role to be able to deliver a pure portage model to children with the most complex needs. The job description for the portage worker is attached.

24. This role will undertake a huge range of actions. How will the role work on the basis of X1 0.8 FTE and x1 0.4FTE?

Requests for outreach support can be made in respect of children and young people with complex learning needs who may be viewed as requiring support above ordinarily available support. This may include pupils with for example;

• moderate or severe learning difficulties who are likely to have severe developmental delay, impaired ability to communicate and interact with the environment, and regressive conditions in some instances;

• severe and long term sensory and/or physical difficulties who have restricted mobility which require an adapted educational environment and specialist equipment and where staff who support them require moving and handling training;

Requests for portage can be made from any agency for children age 0 – 5. Portage runs as an outreach service for parents and children at home for pre-statutory school children with additional needs. The Portage team also run regular Stay and Play' groups for pre-school children and their parents.

25. What are the expected outcomes of creating this role?

Mainstream schools are upskilled in providing arrangements to meet the needs of children with complex learnings needs in line with Jersey Education Law.

Support from the LIT service includes;

• Providing advice and support for ILP's, RoN and multi-agency working.

• Assistance with assessment and moderation of pupil's attainment levels/curriculum access/needs (P Levels / B Squared / other specific strategies etc.)

• Providing advice on curriculum access/differentiation and empower staff to provide for pupils individual needs within their current setting

• Providing advice on, loan and/or modelling the use of a range of resources. This can range from teaching materials to specialist equipment including assistive technology.

• Learning Walks' and/or in-reach visits to Bel Royal for staff of referred pupils to observe practice within Bel Royal

• Providing advice on strategies to foster independence/promote self-esteem, resilience and develop social skills and friendships and independence

• Providing advice on interventions

• Providing specialist advice/information to staff and parents about pupil's special educational needs, strategies to support these and further specialist assistance

• Supporting liaison/signposting on to other agencies for parents to facilitate future planning

• Providing advice on the organisation of the learning environment and physical accessibility issues

• Bespoke training sessions to address particular needs;

• Observations of pupils and suggested interventions

• Observation and feedback to teachers and support staff;

• Advice for adapted PE curriculum

• Supporting the development of individual care plans;

• Supporting the development of risk assessments

• Delivering training/coaching to school staff, developing skills in a wide range of areas including; communication, developing early literacy skills, behaviour and physical intervention, moving and handling/physical management, curriculum support for lower levels of Jersey Curriculum, using ICT to support all areas – Clicker 5, symbol programmes

• Providing notes/reports detailing observations, advice and evaluations of strategies

• Providing advice for transition from primary to secondary education

Support from Portage may consist of:

• Delivery of Portage Home visiting service

• Stay and play groups

• Supporting planning for change and transitions

• Supporting parents and settings to understand their child's Special Educational Needs (SEN) and advising on possible strategies to meet pupils' identified needs, relating to curriculum access, to include physical, learning, social, behaviour and emotional development

• Sharing and modelling good evidenced-based practice

• Liaison with other early year's professionals

• Recommending/monitoring/reviewing arrangements to support identified needs

26. This post is predicated on an increase in babies with profound needs. What statistics are there to evidence this increase?

The Early years learning Inclusion team's caseload has continued to increase as illustrated below:

27. How many families do you estimate will require this support?

There were 10 Request for Involvements of the LIT service from mainstream schools. These cases require continued regular involvement over the year.

There were 53 new referrals for Portage last academic year. This was in addition to the existing caseload from the previous year.

28. How many hours of support per family does this funding translate to?

Portage delivered 650 hours of home visits and 120 hours of stay and play groups throughout the year.

The LIT provides hours relevant to the specific need. In some cases, this is monthly visits.

3. Independent Jersey Care Inquiry

3.1 – Parent/Infant/Psychotherapy service

29. How many people is it intended for this service to impact?

This funding is to allow the continuation of the parent infant psychotherapy post which is currently being piloted. It comprises a highly specialised psychotherapist who is able to offer therapeutic work to support the relationships of infants with their parents or carers.

30. How is this service targeted and how is need for it identified?

Approximately 1000 babies are born in Jersey each year and we anticipate that the post holder will be working with those children whose families are presenting with the highest level of need. It is well evidenced that mothers with young children are vulnerable to developing a range of mental health difficulties such as post-natal depression or post- traumatic stress disorder and this impacts upon the parent's ability to develop their relationship with their child.

31. How is this service promoted to those that it targets?

To reach those families that need it the most the postholder works in collaboration with health visitors and the Bridge to ensure that parents who are most at need can access the psychotherapist. The post holder has the capacity to work with a caseload of twenty families at a time.

3.4 – Sustainable Workforce: Multi Agency Specialist Safeguarding training (p.15 R.91/2019)

32. Please can you outline how this funding is different to the funding at 1.6 (p.9 R.91/2019)?

Funding at 1.6 is for policy and legislative development such as having a statutory duty for agencies to co-operate to safeguard children. This money is for training which is for staff to develop and enhance skills and knowledge in safeguarding.

33. Can you clarify exactly what training will be offered as a result of this funding?

The training will and should vary according to need for example there may be a need to improve competence and capability of staff in assessing neglect or presenting evidence to court in court proceedings. The training provided will change over time. It will also be tiered in approach i.e. awareness raising, training from managers, supervision, skills-based training for practitioners.

8. – Children's Voice: Develop a looked after children's advocacy worker (p.17 R.91/2019)

34. Can you supply a copy of the job description for the role?

This is the continuation of the previous resources allocated through contingency funding subsequent to the publication of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry in July 2017. The funding was originally identified and used to purchase participation and advocacy support from a third sector organisation. It is proposed that this money is now used towards funding the new Jersey Cares organisation.

35. How is this post different to the Children's Rights Officer post?

The Children's Rights Officer's post is a post internal to the Department reporting to the Director General to ensure that any issues can be resolved without fear or favour'. The post will ensure the department has standards in place for advocacy and participation for looked after children for example frequency of meetings with children and young people along with ensuring that any child being considered for secure care is spoken to in advance of placement. The Children's Rights Officer has a remit for all looked after children. Jersey Cares is an external independent organisation seeking charitable status and will seek to raise funds in order to become a self-funded independent organisation. Jersey Cares intends to also have a campaigning' remit.

36. How does this post relate to the work of Jersey Cares? This is part of the funds for Jersey Cares.
37. Is it intended for this role to be involved with the project outlined on p.29 of R.91/2019 (Advocacy for children in need and children in the child protection system)? If not, what is the difference between the two projects?

Jersey Cares will focus on looked after children, care leavers and those who have experienced care previously. It has no remit for children in need or those in the child protection system.

9. – Children's Voice: Develop a new Children's Rights Service plus MOMO app (p.18 R.91/2019)

38. How does this work link to the funding for the offer for children in care (1.2 on p.8 of R.91/2019)?

The offer for children in care links to this section as the Children's Rights Officer will be able to assist children and young people to ensure that the Minister provides the entitlement and offer. The Children's Rights Officer will also be able to lobby' at a senior management level on behalf of looked after children and care leavers.

39. How will the roles of Children's Rights Assistants be advertised if you are seeking care experienced persons to apply for them?

Jersey will not be the first jurisdiction to engage care experienced individuals in similar roles so will use the learning gained elsewhere. Advertising will be done in the most appropriate way such as social media with support offered through recruitment processes and within the roles.

40. What proportion of the funding will be used to integrate the MOMO app?

The percentage of funding for MOMO is relatively small with an early investment of £20,000 per annum

10. – Inspection of Services: Practice Improvement, performance and quality (p.18 R.91/2019)

41. Can you please explain the purpose of the practice improvement officer posts?

Practice Improvement Officers are posts within children's services whose role is to support and develop improving practice. They have a role in ensuring that lessons from reviews, inspections and best practice elsewhere are learned and influence practice and service delivery in Jersey. They will be credible, experienced knowledgeable practitioners able to coach and direct practice to support improved outcomes. They will become an integral part of the quality assurance system in the service.

42. How will these posts support and link to the ongoing inspection process by OFSTED?

These posts are likely to be significant in linking to Ofsted or any other scrutiny body and will take on a link role within an inspection process in terms of preparing documents and the service along with practically leading action following inspection findings.

43. At what grade will these posts sit? What management responsibility is it expected for the posts to have?

These posts are graded at the same level as senior practitioner. It is not planned the posts have management responsibility. The posts report to the Head of Quality in Children's Services.

11. – IJCI – Enhanced MASH Resourcing (p.18 R.91/2019)

44. Please clarify how this funding is broken down between the two posts.

This funding was used to ensure that there was sufficient cover at MASH throughout business hours, the posts had not been full time until this funding was made available meaning potential delays in information sharing and impacting on decision-making about appropriate action. The majority of the resource was spent on the nursing post.

4. P82 Children's Services Early Intervention (p.19 R.91/2019)

4.1 Early Intervention/Support in the Community (p.20 R.91/2019)

45. How is the funding split between the three projects?

The funding split is for £129,000 per annum for the ante-natal support for the term of the government plan with the remainder split across the other two areas of complex needs and mental health and wellbeing. This is to ensure that where possible we use the funds as flexibly as possible to ensure the best value and most cost-effective use of funds. We understand that importance of early support in support families where children and young people have a range of needs rather than one need, this allows a holistic approach to be taken to support.

46. Is there a distinct department leading on each of the three projects?

The Children, Young People, Education and Skills Department is leading on this area of work as it builds on existing services provided by those based at the Child Development and Therapies Centre, CAMHS, Psychology and Wellbeing and Early Help.

11. – Support to children with complex needs (p.20 R.91/2019)

47. What support is available at present for children with complex needs?

There is a number of services available for children with complex needs both delivered and commissioned by the Health and Community Services and Children's Young People, Education and Skills Departments ranging from educational psychology and community short breaks to speech and language and paediatric physio therapies. It has been recognised that there is an increasing number of children with complex needs including those on the autistic spectrum and those with lifelong conditions (as a result of advances in medical treatment).

48. How does this additional funding increase and strengthen that support?

The investment in this area considers the increasing numbers of children and the fact that some children have to wait too long for assessment and treatment. The investment will focus on recruiting staff who can offer specialist support to children to enhance their quality of life and potential such as more therapists and therapy assistants along with family support workers. We will also continue to expand the community short break service and options to provide respite for parents. We will also use the funding for these very small numbers of children who require a large individual bespoke package of care to support them at home with their families.

12. – Mental Health and Wellbeing (p.20 R.91/2019)

49. Please provide detail about how the funding will be spent to achieve the aims stated? (i.e. does this apply to staffing, training etc.)

The funding will support the redesign of the CAMHS service which has recently started. This redesign will consider support across the whole system not only specialist CAMHS, the focus will be on getting support upstream, in an effort to identify children and young people who begin to struggle with their emotional wellbeing and get support in place for them and their families at an early stage. Work is taking place to determine the most appropriate types of roles to deliver this support – this is likely to include: parent partnership workers, counsellors, coaches, therapists such as family therapists and psychologists.

13. – Antenatal support (p.20 R.91/2019)

50. Please explain how this funding is different to that in 2.2 (p.11 R.91/2019)??

This funding is linked to that in 2.2 as the programme moves from a targeted programme as previously delivered to that of a universal programme. We also aim to supplement the programme by delivering addition to targeted groups.

51. Have additional staff been employed to deliver this programme?

The programme is delivered by Family Nursing and Home Care (FNHC) who have seconded staff for this purpose.

52. Is this funding additional to the existing contract between the Government and FNHC?

This was additional funding provided through contingency funding as part of the 1001 days initiative. This funding along with that outlined in 2.2 (p.11 R.91/2019) is necessary for the ante natal offer to be offered universally.

4.2 Support to Looked After Children (p.20 R.91/2019)  

53. As above, please explain how this funding is split between the five projects

The budget is lower in year 1 as some of the posts are not expected to be filled for 12 months.

54. This funding appears to cross over with the Children in Need policy development. Can you explain how this funding is separate to that proposed on p.8 of R.91/2019?

This is a separate development to the children in need development although that does raise the Government's responsibilities as a corporate parent and then sets out the entitlement for care leavers. This is about looked after children i.e. those children in the care of the State and for whom the Government (The Minister) has or shares parental responsibilities.

4.21 – Small therapeutic unit on island

55. Does this link to the capital project to review Greenfields on pg.146 of R.91/2019?

It is proposed that Greenfields reduces the secure accommodation on the island and redevelops the services that could be delivered on the existing site. Greenfields does need to be remodelled so that it is a child centred facility rather than one that has taken the penal system as its model. The development of a small therapeutic unit on island could link with this work however, it may be developed elsewhere.

56. If it is linked to the review of Greenfields (no money has been applied to this project until 2022), what is the money in 2020 and 2021 allocated to?

The funds allocated to the residential unit are to develop an appropriate specialist service on island and to staff it accordingly, (there will be higher staff to child ratio than in other on island units, enhance with specialist staff such as a CAMHS worker, and will have funds to purchase bespoke therapeutic support for children and if appropriate their families).

57. Please provide further details on the services that the unit will be delivering.

Children and young people who require the services of a small therapeutic unit will be those who have experienced the most traumatic of experiences in their life this may include severe neglect, abuse or other trauma which requires careful, sustained, specialist care in an order to assist them to understand their experiences, deal with them and go on to thrive in the future. This is something that to date no service in Jersey has been able to provide. It is likely that the maximum number of children in such a unit at any one time will be three but may be less depending on the needs of the children. Staff will require to be resilient and well trained and understand and be skilled at working with the effects of trauma. Children are likely to require medium to long term specialist support in the form of therapy perhaps with a counsellor, or psychologist, psychiatrist or play therapist and the funding allows for a budget for this support. Children may have gaps in their education and require support before they go to school or during their school day to help them participate as fully as possible. Children may also have particular gaps in the development or health issues which will need to be addressed and supported.

58. What support will be provided to those children that are still placed off island?

Children off island are placed in fostering or residential specialist placements. When placing children off island consideration is given to how the placement will meet the child's needs. Some placements have on site education, while others offer a therapeutic team around the child approach with out of hours support to carers. The support requirements of children off island are considered in two places: the looked after child review and if there is a significant resource requirement – the individual Placement Panel (IPP).

59. When is the service expected to be live?

The first tranche of work on this service through much of 2020 will to specify the service and staffing complement in detail and to identify premises, followed by making the service ready and then identifying the children who will live in the house.

23. – Transition to adulthood/throughcare/care leavers (p.20 R.91/2019)

60. The summary business case mentions a lack of policy and legislation. What is required to address this and when is it intended for this legislation to be brought forward?

This is part of the Children's Legislation Transformation Programme which was published by the Children's Minister in December 2018. The programme sets out three phases of children's policy priorities for the government term.

The new Government Department Strategic Policy Planning and Performance will lead the implementation of the programme with support from other government stakeholders.

Key areas of policy for the first phase of the programme includes an Omnibus amendment to the Children's Law (including Corporate parenting, Children in Need, Care Leavers entitlement and Duty to Cooperate). As well as primary law on incorporation of the UNCRC and a review of the Education Law.

Public Consultation and engagement is scheduled for late 2019 and intention to draft law for the Omnibus amendment to the Children's Law and Incorporation of UNCRC is planned for early 2020 with a view to lodging at the end of the same year.

61. Where will the development of this policy and legislation be funded within this plan (we note this particular funding stream is for a dedicated staffing team)?

The funding for the policy and legislation development is included elsewhere in this plan and was part of the earlier funding in the children's change programme and subsequent policy support funded by contingency monies released to prepare and respond to the report of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry.

62. Please provide further details of the proposed semi supported independent living accommodation – how many young people would this be for/what is the estimated cost of this provision? a) Is it expected that this will require additional capital funding to progress? b) If so, where is this funding situated within the Government Plan?

 Accommodation to support children leaving care is currently limited in terms of numbers available and range of provision. This resource is to develop the range and number of options for young people making the transition from care to independence living. It is anticipated that we will work with social housing providers, consider existing accommodation and work with partner providers to develop services, it is not anticipated that capital funding is required.

24. – Corporate Parenting (p.21 R.91/2019)

63. Please explain how this project is different to the funding described at 1.2 (p.8 R.91/2019)?

Funding at 1.2 is for care leavers this is funding for looked after children in the care of the Minister.

64. How is the entitlement of £2000 per child calculated?

The figure of £2,000 is based on benchmarking elsewhere and on professional judgement based on experience of the need of looked after children elsewhere. This sets out the government's responsibilities and removes the reliance on charities to appropriately provide for its children.

65. Please give examples of amounts that are given to children in other jurisdictions? (not limited to just the UK)

In some areas it is difficult to identify how much is spent on looked after children as the resource may be spread across a range of areas often linked to legislative provision (which Jersey does not have). However, where information has been available amounts have varied from under £500 to £3,000.

66. It mentions that funding will be utilised to offer therapeutic support. How is this support different to that requested in 4.21 (p.20 R.91/2019)?

This is further funding to provide therapeutic support to the wider range of looked after children, there are approximately 90 children looked after at any one time many of whom would benefit from a level of therapeutic support to support them to thrive and achieve positive outcomes. Professional therapeutic support can be required for a sustained period of time for some children at significant cost.

4.3 – Workforce development (p.21, R.91/2019)

67. As above, please outline how the funding split up between the three projects?

31. – Workforce development and training

68. How is this funding different to that requested in 1.1 (p.7 R.91/2019) and 3.3 (p.15 R.91/2019)?

This funding is to continue the posts associated with the training and implementation roll out across all the children's workforce and appropriate parts of those working with adults of the Jersey practice framework – Jersey Children First. This provides an additional 18 months to the programme and should ensure that there is total coverage.

32. – Case management system

69. How can this system be further developed to support effective management of performance and as a contributor to quality assurance?

The case management system has significant potential for business and performance reporting and requires additional funding to ensure the ongoing maintenance and development of the system along with ensuring its reporting functionality. This funding allows for development capacity and an appropriate level of application staff to be in place. Good data and analysis are an important component of the quality assurance process.

70. What feedback have staff given in relation to the new system?

Feedback by staff about the system has been overwhelmingly positive both from longer serving staff (who had to endure the difficulties of the previous poor system) and more recent staff. Managers are keen to see the development of the business and performance reporting facility along with the development of the portal which will allow a level of integration.

33. – Recruitment and Retention/HR Support

71. Please explain the difference between this funding and that set out at 3.3 (p.15 R.91/2019)?

This is to support the recruitment and retention of social work staff including the additional post that is associated with the Let's be Honest campaign, along with funding to attend and participate in recruitment events and fund advertising. The post of dedicate d HR support mentioned earlier is to support the service in HR operational business.

72. How is this role different to the role described in 3.3 (p.15 R.91/2019)?

This post is to support recruitment co-ordinating practical arrangements and provides a single point for candidates to establish a relationship with the service and answer any queries and provide information and advice. The officer is also a single point of contact for internal stakeholders such as managers within the service and the people hub.

Putting Children First – Involving and engaging children (p.29 R.91/2019)

Youth Voice (p.29 R.91/2019)

73. How is it intended for this funding to create a world class youth voice process?

It will provide adequate face to face & admin staff to support young people to be recruited, trained and run their own inclusive, representative and independent youth assembly modelled on the current adult assembly – incorporating the existing areas of good practice into the new Assembly structure - it will also provide the resources for a fit-for-purpose social media presence for the new assembly, the training of Youth Assembly members to fulfil their duties and the ongoing costs of running the assembly meetings and business

To employ staff to achieve the following:

1. The formation of, development and ongoing support of an identifiable and representative group of young people (12 to 18 years)
2. A sustainable resource that can provide meaningful input to policy and legislative development as well as enabling young people's voices to be heard via the States of Jersey scrutiny process
3. Development of procedures and processes by which the States of Jersey are required to involve young people regarding any issues that will have an impact on them as part of the policy-making process.
4. The development of procedures and processes by which the States Assembly involves young people in the scrutiny of ministers and their policy/legislative proposals
5. Development of and support of open and inclusive events, organised and designed to enable any young person within Jersey to raise issues that are important to them
6. The provision of training, support and governance for young people-led involvement in active and effective engagement across the Island's decision-making processes
7. Development of more effective political education of young people, supporting and developing their understanding of democracy
8. Support for the personal development, skills and confidence of the Island's young people
9. Increase the number of people generally actively engaged in community decision making and political processes

74. How does this link to the work being done to indirectly incorporate the UNCRC?

It focuses directly on Article 12 rights to explicitly give YP an identifiable forum to express their views and opinions and underpins many of the other rights that are being addressed across GOJ by other department functions.

Only by listening to children's experiences of growing up in Jersey will their achievements and challenges be understood. Not all children in Jersey enjoy the same opportunities and life chances due to a variety of circumstances. Jersey has now committed to the incorporation of the United Nations Charter on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law, meaning that all children should enjoy the same rights. A rights-based approach will inform how disadvantage in its variety of forms can be overcome and equality of opportunity for all achieved in Jersey.

Both the UNCRC Art 12 and Outcome 4.1 of the Care Enquiry Report call for young people to be heard, the former through rights enshrined in legislation and the latter specifically through the vehicle of an Island-wide Forum. This project has been designed to enable both.

75. What has been achieved with the pilot funding in 2019?

The pilot has received a reduced amount in recognition that the Youth Assembly is due to be debated within the Government plan 2020-23 during November and that some background work could be completed that would enable face to face work with young people to begin during early 2020

By end of 2019:

• Research and visit to the most recent successful Youth Assembly model – the Welsh Youth Assembly

• Identified the need for a discrete GOJ department consultation workstream to protect the integrity and independence of the Initial Youth Assembly

• Approach and/or Engagement of relevant stakeholders to establish how best to ensure a sustainable Youth Voice process of which the Youth Assembly is a key element

• Agreed communication process between the SOJ Assembly & new Youth Assembly

• Agreed terms of reference for the new Youth Assembly support & governance body

• Agreed initial structure/representation model for the first' Youth Assembly's term of office

The pilot funding for 2019 has been used to employ a project manager who has been working on some of the governance and background work required

Funding moving forward would be for frontline workers to work with young people

76. Is this funding requirement the same amount as identified in the pilot?

The funding ongoing would be more than received during 2019 but would be at the level in the original business case to cover the operation of an active Youth Assembly

2019 funding was for one year and only to help with the costs of the Project Manager to help prepare relevant paperwork and hold various discussions with people.

Children's Commissioner (p.30 R.91/2019)

77. Can you provide a breakdown of how this funding will be apportioned within the Commissioner's office? I.e. staffing, marketing costs etc.

The total number of individuals employed to work for the office of the Children's Commissioner currently stands at 4 full time and 3 part time staff. This is the equivalent of 5.8 FTE (full time equivalent). Additionally, there is one secondment for 0.2 FTE for a time limited period. There is currently a vacant post.

Total Annual Cost £426,980.00

The total annual cost of office accommodation for the Children's commissioner and the staff working in the Commissioner's office;

Cost of Office Accommodation £ 40,644.60

In July 2017 the then Chief Minister consulted with the Council of Ministers and requested that the Treasury and Resources Minister approve an allocation of £1,463,000 to come from Central Contingency funding to establish and support the Children's Commissioner and the Office of the Children's Commissioner for three years – 2017, 2018 and 2019. This was approved through a Ministerial decision). It was proposed that the £1.4m be drawn down in 2017, 2018 and 2019 but that the amount for each year may vary without exceeding the total amount over the three years. The indicative allocation was £283K in 2017, and up to £590K in each of the years 2018 and 2019. The Council of Ministers agreed that the increase in funding and staffing levels would be the subject of a growth bid for 2020 and beyond through the Medium-Term Financial Plan. In August 2018 the Commissioner submitted a summary business case for additional funding for £185,000 for 2019. The increased funding will allow the Commissioner to deliver on her strategic priorities and deliver her mandate and functions as set out in the forthcoming legislation

The Children's Commissioner's website was launched in early July 2019 where the Commissioner will be publishing an annual report to include annual accounts.

Appendix 2: Capital Projects

Question relating to Capital Project Children's Residential Homes CSP1.1 (p.134 R.91/2019)

Redirected question from the Education Minister Children's Residential Homes CSP1.1 (p.134 R.91/2019)

The Business case details identified improvements/projects for 2019/2020 which are not funded. It goes on to state that detailed feasibility studies on some of the identified projects is required and £150k per annum has been identified as the costs based on recent minor capital projects such as Casa Mia, Maple House, Fieldview and Vue de l'Ecole. Please explain precisely what the £150k pa is for – is it to come feasibility studies or is it to carry out identified improvements/projects" which are not funded"?

The 150k pa is required to carry out feasibility studies (e.g. Architects fees, planning and bylaws etc) and initiate improvements/projects (e.g. new kitchens, internal refurbishment and external play areas) to the residential care provision across the property portfolio, which includes respite care at Oakwell and Eden House. These works will include recommended improvements following external inspections to ensure we are registered and meet all mandatory and statutory requirements (e.g. fire regulation and certification). The continued investment is vital to assist with the review of the properties to ensure the services provided for looked after children are fit for purpose. It is essential to ensure facilities are able to meet the needs of those children who are unable to live in family settings and it is envisaged that these properties will require significant maintenance, upkeep and improvements over the next three to five years in order to sustain the required standards.

Appendix 3: Written responses to questions raised during hearing on the 3rd October.

7. Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC).

Timeline for the Children's House Model to be implemented – Kate Briden

At this stage no design work has been undertaken. Officers have prepared a schedule of accommodation which has been based on analysis of other SARCs/Child House and the knowledge of the spatial requirements needed to support specific areas of activity, such as office needs and Forensic requirements. To develop part of the building into a child house we will be supported by a project team, including NCPCC who have experience in developing equivalent in London.

When a child or young person disclosed sexual abuse, they often have to navigate the system by themselves and will have to re-tell their disclosure to number of professionals. We hope to bring all the services needed; medical, social care, advocacy, police and therapeutic support, will be housed under one roof. We hope to follow a model known as the Barnahus (Child House), pioneered in Iceland 20 years ago then launched Sweden, Norway, Greenland and Denmark. The system is recognised as international best practice because it is child-centric and achieves the most effective results.

2.1 Increase capacity family/children's section. Breakdown of FTE and where they are based.

The costs relate to 1 Legal Adviser, an Assistant Legal Adviser and an Admin Assistant in the Safeguarding Team and 1 Legal Adviser in the Advice Team (to work on children's legislation).

3.2 Sustainable workforce: Accredited Training

What qualification do staff receive and who delivers the training?

The systemic accredited training was delivered By the Centre for Systemic Social Work based in London. The centre is a collaboration of the what was the tri-burgh arrangements with Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Hammersmith. The qualification is an accredited qualification as a level one in systemic practice.

3.5 Sustainable workforce: On Island Social Work Training How many students are attending the course?

12 students have commenced the course.

Appendix 4: Job Descriptions

(2.5) Job Description Early Intervention Family Support Worker (2.8) Job Description Portage

Bel Royal Agreement re Outreach.

These are attached to the email.