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Strategic Schools Forum
Wednesday 9 July 2008 9.00am, Four Oaks PDC
Present
Dr John Visser CV Higher Education Institution Representative & Chairperson
Cllr Jan Barber V Chair Children & Young People's Services Policy and Scrutiny Panel
Ruth Newton V Bath & Wells Diocese
Neil Foster V Representative Teacher’s Professional Associations
Becky Kingsley-Jones V Early Years
Anthony Murray (rep Dr V 14-19
Paul Phillips)
Vacancy V Secondary Headteacher
Louisa Munton V Headteacher, Sandford Primary School
Adam Matthews V Headteacher, Bournville Junior School
Vacancy V Primary Headteacher
Philippa Clark V Headteacher, Ravenswood Special School
Vacancy V Secondary Governor
Arthur Hacking V LEA Governor, St Andrew's CE Junior School
Claire Body V Parent Governor, Hannah More Infant School
John Wiltshire V LEA Governor Herons’ Moor Primary School
Graham Found V Community Governor, Westhaven Special School
Councillor Jeremy Blatchford Of Executive Member for Children & Young People’s Services
Louise Malik Of Education LMS Manager
Vacancy Of Assistant Director Personalised Learning
Craig Bolt Of Assistant Director Strategy, Commissioning and Performance
Jenie Eastman Of Childcare, Learning and Play Manager
Paul Jacobs Of Senior Advisor
Helen Jones Of Strategy Officer
Richard Blows Of Extended Schools Co-ordinator
John Pinkett Ob Schools Finance
Stephen Hogarth-Jeans Ob Parent Governor Rep. on the Policy and Scrutiny Panel
CV = Casting Vote, V = Vote, Ob = Observer non-voting, Of =
Officer or elected member attending
Item Issue Action
1. Apologies
John Visser welcomed colleagues to the meeting. Apologies were
received from Colin Diamond, Sara Marshall, Paul Phillips (rep
Anthony Murray), Andy Russell and Mike Lyall.
2. Minutes of the previous meeting
JV thanked GF for chairing the previous meeting and the Minutes of
7 May were agreed with no change.
Communication Sheet Summary.
The Summary Sheet was approved.
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3. Matters arising
Pg 4 Item 10 – Funding modernisation to come to the October
Meeting
Pg 2 Item 7 - LMu raised the issue that the FMSiS inspection and
the 2-2½ week timescale to allow schools to make any
improvements before the revisit, is putting extra pressure on heads.
The request is for there to be longer timescales where there are
more recommendations.
PJ stated Audit had attended PHANS and will review and feedback
the responses and proposed follow-up in their newsletters. PHANS
is to ensure heads use the formal feedback mechanism as failure to
do so is leading to inaccurate monitoring of the service.
LM stated the next tranche of Governor training on FMSiS will take
place in September/October.
Audit to attend PHANS again to try and resolve this situation. LMu and PJ to
arrange
In view of recent news reports, AH questioned whether NS sets
targets to raise literacy standards.
PJ responded stating that one of the key strands in the excellence
cluster was to improve communications skills and JE stated that the
focus of the EY Foundation Stage was communications.
Notification of AOB
Issues around pupil funding in Nailsea.
4. Chair’s Business
JV is Chair of the Children’s Trust Management Board (CTMB) and
requested that members do some reading and feed back on the
paper on Workforce Reforms attached at Appendix A and Service
Specifications
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/conDetails.cfm?consultationId=1568
Schools are encouraged to feed back especially as Children’s
Trusts and Schools Forums are likely to become more closely
linked.
If this is the case, CTMB papers will have more impact on SFs.
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/
http://www.n-
somerset.gov.uk/Education/School+management/Strategicschoolsforum/
5. SSF Constitution 2008 (0708-1)
JV stated that the Constitution (Appendix B) was due for a review
SSF accepted the
but that as already discussed, it was likely that SSF’s role would
paper.
soon change. In the meantime, the proposals were not
controversial.
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He expressed a view that the option to extend membership beyond
heads should be treated with caution as in North Somerset’s case,
the School’s Forum was Strategic and addresses issues other than
funding.
Feedback mechanisms would also be unclear if deputies and
bursars were to attend instead of heads.
SSF agreed
With regard to substitution of members Option one was chosen.
Head’s groups
JV noted the lack of secondary head representation at the meeting (HANS, PHANS,
and that there was still one primary head vacancy, soon to be two. SHINS) to provide
the clerk with their
nomination and
election
procedures for
SSF members and
ensure vacancies
are filled.
6. Spending Plans for the extended schools grant (0708-
2)
RB spoke to the tabled report.
LM mentioned that at 6d extending the school day for disabled,
Special heads felt that the proposed funding was not sufficient to
permit the full offer.
JE felt that the funding should reach those Primary and Secondary
children who need it most and that this will be helped by
recommendations given to schools. LM & FRWG asked
to revisit the
PC was concerned that this formula in its current form might raise
funding formula for
unrealistic expectations among parents. Special Schools
and report back to
GF requested that elected members try and match budget timescale SSF in October.
commitments on funding within and outside the ring-fence to enable
3-year planning.
CB agreed that area-based grant was an issue but there have been
no indications that it’s likely to be top-sliced to resolve budget
issues. SSF’s determination of what needs to be done with the
money, informs budget discussions.
SSF noted the
report
JV proposed the funding be broken down by locality in future.
7. Funding arrangements for the application of Sure Start
and Early Years Grant (0708-3)
JE spoke to the report detailing the principal revenue funding
streams that make up the Sure Start Early Years & Childcare Grant
2008-2011.
She explained that the funding was complex and DCSF was very
prescriptive.
Every LA has been charged with having a graduate in every single
Early Years setting by 2015 but it is hard to retain such qualified
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staff on the existing pay levels.
By 2011, NS will have 15 Children’s Centres.
Furthermore, from 2010 each 3 year old will be entitled to 3 hours
early years funding per day. We will also need to be able to support
3 year olds in Springboard. Currently, we would not be able to
achieve these requirements and most training takes place in staff’s
own spare time.
GF asked whether the LA was able to ensure provision was equal
across the LA. JE responded that we are required to carry out an
annual Childcare Sufficiency Audit. BK-J stated we were at a SSF noted the
difficult stage as the qualification requirements of providers are report
being increased but the funding isn’t there to support them yet. JV
stated this qualifications requirement is the case for youth workers
too.
8. School balances benchmarking data 2006-07 (0708-5)
LM presented the report which gave the national and local details
on schools balances.
She confirmed benchmarking data was readily available and
accessible for schools in terms of expenditure and income rather
than balances.
SSF was asked to note the report and take into account the SSF noted the
information when considering the restrictions on school balances report
contained within the Changes to Schemes paper (0708-7)
9. 2007-08 Outturn report (0708-6)
LM spoke to the report to inform SSF of the outturn for 2007-08, end SSF noted the
report and level of
of year school balances and any implications for 2008-09.
balances and
agreed the Report
10. Restrictions on school balances (0708-7)
JV remained concerned that revenue money given to schools to be
spent on children in a given year was being retained.
LM spoke to the report and explained that any decisions taken on
the criteria for holding school balances would provide clearer
direction to schools on SSF’s expectations.
GF expressed concern that by looking at a one-year snapshot SSF
would be unable to detect trends.
He also felt 8% would be far too high a balance and that the
consultation would review taking money but could not include any
indication of how and where it would be re-allocated.
LM responded that the intention of the paper is to make schools
spend the money so we would not have to bring it back to SSF to
be re-allocated. SSF will look at this on an annual basis but taking
into consideration the 3-year budget period. Evidence gathering
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will be tightened up at the end of this year and from 2009-10
revenue standards allowances will be considered as part of a
school’s balance for claw back. Any decision to claw-back or not
will come to SSF.
There followed wide ranging discussion amongst members of SSF
as to:
Weak strategic planning by schools
A lack of security on the part of Heads about the new three-
year budgets.
Sec schools seem to be better and they have qualified
bursars.
Ensuring a clarity of message to schools as to who had
control of their budget
Reinforcing the message that this was a revenue stream and
not for capital projects.
Criteria for balances should be clear and schools held
accountable.
That compared to national averages, North Somerset
balances are extremely high and in one of the least-well
funded authorities for schools to be able to achieve such
balances is worrying.
Work with schools that have deficit balances has proved
extremely valuable
LM requested that
JV summarised the discussion emphasising that we were schools convey to
encouraging schools to plan strategically and be open about their their communities
balances. that strategic
GF requested that Heads and Governors should receive the same training is
levels of training. available for new
Heads.
SSF was asked to:
a. Agree to consult with schools over potential changes
to the restriction of school balances in the Scheme
for Financing Schools during the Autumn/Winter
2008 as detailed below:
i. Remove the wording which enables prior year
commitments to be considered before applying
restrictions to each schools balance
ii. Include revenue standards funds in the
calculation of allowable balances before
applying the restriction
iii. Maintain the allowable balance as 8% of in year Consultation to go
funding allocations or £30,000 (whichever is the ahead with
Schools as to the
greater) for Primary and Special Schools and
criteria to be set
5% of in year funding allocations for Secondary for retention of
Schools balances over
iv. Agree the proposed new wording for the agreed limit,
Scheme for Financing Schools as provided in results to come
Annex C back to SSF in
v. Agree the guidance and evidence criteria as October
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provided in Annex D
b. Agree to consult schools on implementing the new
arrangements with items (a. i to a.iv) applying for the
first time to balances at the end of the 2009-10
financial year and item (a.v) applying to balances at SSF agreed the
report
the end of the 2008-09 financial year.
11. Actual 2008-09 DSG (0708-8)
LM spoke to the report designed to inform SSF the final DSG
funding available for 2008-09 and any implications on the budget
set.
SSF was asked:
a) To note the final DSG SSF noted
b) To adjust the contingency budget to reflect the final DSG SSF agreed
12. Contingency Monitoring (0708-9)
LM spoke to the paper detailing the spending to date against the
agreed headings in the schools specific contingencies budget.
SSF was asked to note the allocations made to date and the SSF noted
estimated outturn position.
15. AOB
JBa enquired as to the reason for the different levels of funding per
pupil in the various Nailsea schools. A review of primary provision
had come to scrutiny panel which highlighted a difference of £843
per pupil.
LM explained that one Nailsea school gets £5,000 deprivation
funding but that it is the funding formula relating to aspects such as
lump sum and small school support which has an even greater
impact. JBa requested the FRWG review the formula in the light of
the differences highlighted. JV stated this would be a part of FRWG
task when the formula is considered for the next three year budget
round in 2011.
16. Date of Next Meeting
Wednesday 1 October 2008
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Agenda Item 4 – appendix A
Every Child Really Does Matter
A
Workforce Strategy and Plan for
Services for Children and Young
People in North Somerset
2008-2011
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CONTENTS
Workforce Strategic Context
S1. Executive Summary
S2. Introduction
S3. Local Context
S4. Values
S5. Principles
S6. Strategic Goals
S7. Strategic Priorities
S8. Workforce Strategic Plan Framework
S9. Children’s Trust Management Board’s Commitments
Workforce Strategic Plan
P1. Introduction
P.2 Workforce Strategic Plan Aims
P.3 Strategic Actions
P.4 Management and Organisations
P.5 Resources
P.6 Impact and Evaluation
Appendices
A1. Glossary
A2. Risks
A3. What sort of workforce do we want?
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Part One
The Strategic Context
S1. Executive Summary
1.1 This Workforce Strategy 2008-2011 is organised in two main parts, the
Workforce Strategic Context and the Workforce Strategic Plan. There is
also an Appendix that offers additional supporting information.
1.2 It represents the conclusions drawn from the development of the Draft
Workforce Strategy 2008-2011 (April 2008) and the subsequent
consultation.
1.3 The Strategy has been developed to support the entire workforce working
within the context of North Somerset services for children and young
people*, as represented in the membership of the Children’s Trust
Management Board and partners in the Single Plan for children and young
people.
1.4 It puts children and young people* are at the heart of workforce
development. Children and young people had active involvement in the
development of this Workforce Strategy.
1.5 It provides a strategic framework outlining the local workforce context, the
values and principles that will underpin effective workforce development,
strategic goals that define local expectations about the long term
outcomes of this Strategy, local priorities for action, and the commitments
of the Children’s Trust Management Board to the workforce agenda.
1.6 With regard to securing a sustainable workforce for the future, the draft
Workforce Strategy identified three strategic options:
i. Option 1: Invest in packages that enable the recruitment and
retention of the highest performing leaders and managers to ensure
leadership and management can drive forward service quality and
sustainability through management systems and approaches.
ii. Option 2: Invest in staff with ‘potential’ and have an extensive and
high quality career and professional development programme that
enable staff to improve and develop.
iii. Option 3: Invest in a ‘grow your own’ approach. Develop North
Somerset as an ‘academy’ which enables the supply of the
workforce to be generated from within the area, including school
leavers and other potential workforce supply sources, e.g. parents
returning to work, voluntary sector workers developing career paths
in to other parts of the workforce, etc.
The Children’s Trust Management Board agreed that …….to be added
following the CTMB meeting
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1.7 There are five main strategic local priorities which are:
i. Integrated Working
ii. Leadership and Management
iii. Induction
iv. Supply, Recruitment and Retention
v. Infra-structural and Workforce Processes Improvement
1.8 To address these priorities and to achieve the strategic goals the
Workforce Strategic Plan is organised under five heading, which are:
i. Achieving Success through Effective Strategic Workforce
Planning
ii. Achieving Success through Effective Integrated Working
iii. Achieving Success through Effective High Quality Staff
iv. Achieving Success through Effective Leadership, Management
and Supervision
v. Achieving Success through being Effective Learning
Organisations
1.9 These headings provide a framework for stating the Children’s Trust
Management Board commitments to workforce development and for
outlining the strategic actions which are described in the Workforce
Strategic Plan. The Workforce Strategic Plan will be implemented through
an annual implementation action plan.
1.10 In addition to the strategic actions, the Workforce Strategic Plan
provides clarity about how workforce development will be lead, managed,
organised and evaluated, and considers issues associated with resources.
1.11 To provide a unified, coherent and sustainable approach to workforce
development this Strategy identifies the need to implement the multi-
agency commitments by ‘pooling’ human, physical and financial resources
for the greater benefit for all and to ensure that greater efficiencies will be
realised.
1.12 An Appendix provides additional information, including a glossary of
terms used in this Strategy, the risk associated with not implementing this
Strategy, and descriptors of the workforce we want, created through multi-
agency workforce strategy development work and through the
engagement of children and young people.
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S2. Introduction
2.1 This Strategy is built on the premise that all children and young people in
North Somerset are entitled to access universal services and that some
children and young people will require additional and specialist services.
Therefore the workforce of the universal services, which includes staff in
schools and extended services, children’s centres, some youth provision,
some health service provision and the wide range of diverse and quality
provision offered within the private, voluntary and independent sector, has
the crucial role in helping children and young people achieve the five
outcomes defined in Every Child Matters. These staff also have a role in
identifying children and young people who may need additional support
that cannot be met by the single agency they are accessing and who
require assessments to enable them to access other services in a ‘team
around the child’ approach or specialist services for more complex issues.
2.2 Crucial to effective outcomes for children are the ‘frontline’ practitioners
who through their knowledge, skills and expertise, facilitate and support
child development in a holistic way (i.e. to achieve the five ECM
outcomes). To fulfil their duties effectively, ‘frontline’ practitioners need
and deserve effective leadership and management, excellent support
services and high quality professional development.
2.3 The Government, in their Workforce Strategy, suggests that workforce
development has a number of processes that contribute to an overall
approach to achieving an effective workforce at a local level. These
processes are:
i. Workforce data collection and analysis
ii. Workforce supply
iii. Recruitment and retention
iv. Induction
v. Career and professional pathways
vi. Continuing professional development
vii. Leadership, management and supervision
viii. Local accountability and evaluation linked to workforce
ix. Local workforce development priorities
x. Local workforce development strategies
2.4 At a local level North Somerset wishes to ensure it has a high quality
workforce that is secure and sustainable and this Strategy provides the
framework and actions that show how these workforce processes will
achieve this aim.
2.5 In clarifying local actions, the Children’s Plan, which sets out Government
ambitions for improving children and young people’s lives over the next
decade, has helped shape this Strategy. The main elements of the
Children’s Plan, namely, happy and healthy; safe and sound; excellence
and equity; leadership and collaboration; staying on; on the right track; and
making it happen, have been used as a framework to evaluate the extent
to which this Strategy contributes to this national agenda and the
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outcomes of this evaluation has informed improvements to the draft
Workforce Strategy 2008-2011 (April 2008).
2.6 It is important to ensure this Strategy is reality which is implemented and
not just rhetoric. The following key points outline how we will ensure this
Strategy has an impact on systemic workforce development and effective
outcomes for children and young people*.
i. Firstly, we will further develop services based on organisation
and job design that have the needs of children and young
people* as their foundation. The actions identified in the
Workforce Strategy will ensure we achieve this approach.
ii. Secondly, our ambition is to achieve ‘team around the child /
young person’ approach and this cannot be successfully
implemented using historical hierarchical and Service Area
structures for our organisational planning. We will further
develop a team approach, which in many cases will be multi-
agency and multi-professional teams, and this Workforce
Strategy is the main driver and supporter of these changes
and developments.
iii. Thirdly we will achieve greater flexibility in individual and team
working and ensure all teams are able to work interactively
with each other to provide a ‘joined up’ approach.
Implementation of these ‘joined up’ approaches will be
supported though implementation programmes of professional
development and support.
iv. Fourthly, this Strategy is the main vehicle for implementing the
Change for Children programme. This Strategy will support the
implementation of: a) improved experiences of children and
young people* requiring multi-agency support, b) Common
Assessment Framework (CAF) and e-CAF, c) greater use of
ICT, d) improvements in the deployment and supervision of
‘front-line’ practitioners by working in a multi-agency / multi-
professional way, e) reducing the levels of management, by
creating a flatter team structure style of management and
accountability, and f) the role of Lead Professional who will
bring a very different way of organising and co-ordinating ‘case
work’, including ‘team around the child’ approach.
v. Fifthly, we will reinforce the application of our values and
desired working practices by continue to build a culture that is
child and young person* centric and moves away from a
Service centric way of thinking, planning and providing.
Eventually ‘it will be the way we do things around here’ as the
everyday way of working for the entire workforce.
vi. Sixthly, our programmes of professional learning and
development will be needs-led, based on effective needs
analysis and we will be accessed through a range of learning
and development methods linked where appropriate to
accreditation.
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vii. Seventhly, we will build in effective monitoring, evaluation and
review procedures which enable a good evidence base on
which to measure progress and impact, providing support and
intervention when necessary.
S3. Local Context
3.1 North Somerset is a unitary authority that sits between Somerset County
Council area to the South, Bristol Unitary Authority area to the North, Bath
and North East Somerset Unitary Authority area to the East, and the
Bristol Channel to the West. It’s geographical location and demographic
features are crucial factors in considering a workforce strategy. North
Somerset’s ability to recruit and retain the quality of staff required to meet
statutory duties and achieve positive outcomes for children and young
people will be crucial in the competition for, and availability of, staff across
this ‘travel to work’ sub-region.
3.2 North Somerset has a population of 201,000 and this is expected to
increase to 229,000 by 2026, 26% of the population is over 60 and 22% of
the population is aged under 19 – both of these figures are above the
national average. The average age of the population of North Somerset is
41.5 years. The average life expectancy for the residents of North
Somerset is 79.96 years. However there are great inequalities between
the most deprived and affluent areas with a difference of 15 years in life
expectancy. Of the 134,132 people of working age in the district, 68.4%
are economically active and 31.6% are economically inactive. Nationally
66.5% of working age people are economically active and 33.5% are
economically inactive. A significant number of people residing in North
Somerset travel out of the district to gain employment. 19.2% of the
working age population of North Somerset are qualified to degree level or
above. 23.5% of the working age population do not have any formal
qualifications. Unemployment is low and the majority of the district
comparatively prosperous. However, there are significant pockets of
deprivation with two Weston-super-Mare wards being classified as being
amongst the most deprived wards in England. North Somerset Council is
the largest single employer in the district with over 7000 employees, of
which about 4,000 staff are employed in schools.
3.3 The overall children’s and young people’s workforce is estimated at about
7000 and this includes Council, North Somerset PCT, Weston Area Health
Trust, Connexions, and the Private, Voluntary and Independent sector
staff. The workforce incorporates many professional and occupational
groups within the broad areas of health, social care and education. The
majority of the workforce focus on working with children and young people
within the 0 – 19 age range, each having a role within or across age range
bands, e.g. 0 – 5, 5 – 11, 11 – 16, 11 – 19, etc.
3.4 Currently (June 2008) the services working with children and young
people* are mainly single agency services with some examples of multi-
agency and multi-professional working on specific elements of work, e.g.
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Children’s Centre’s, Youth Offending Team (YOT), Behaviour
Improvement Programme (BIP).
3.5 Services are currently managed by single agencies that are partners in the
Children’s Trust Management Board, namely North Somerset Council,
including schools (local management of schools); North Somerset PCT;
Weston Area Health Trust; Connexions; Police; and the management
arrangements found across the Private, Voluntary and Independent sector.
Other partners that contribute to the management of services include the
Diocesan Boards and other Foundation Boards.
3.6 As workforce development impacts on the performance of the whole of the
children and young people’s workforce the legal and strategic context is
extensive. The main driver for workforce development and reform is The
Children Act 2004 and subsequent Government initiated programmes
including Every Child Matters: Change for Children and Youth Matters:
Next Steps. The Children’s Plan provides an insight into national thinking
and national expectations about the needs of children and young people*
in the strategic planning and delivery of services in the future.
3.7 In addition to these main national drivers a wide range of legislation
provides a context and framework for much of the work of services that
work with children and young people. These include:
i. The Children Act 1989
ii. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998
iii. The Data Protection Act 1998
iv. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995
v. The Education Act 2002
vi. The Freedom of Information Act 2000
vii. The Human Rights Act 1998
viii. Learning and Skills Act 2000
ix. The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice 2001
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
x. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989.
3.8 At a local level North Somerset’s Children and Young People’s Single Plan
provides the main focus for local ambitions and local priorities, and the
Local Area Agreement acts as a mechanism to deliver shared priorities
which support both national policy and locally determined priorities (local
performance indicators directly support national Public Service
Agreements and Departmental Strategic Objectives). Workforce
development is a vehicle through which these plans can be realised.
3.9 This Strategy links with other relevant local strategies including:
i. North Somerset Council, DRAFT Workforce Development
Plan, 2008 – 2011;
ii. North Somerset NHS Primary Care Trust, Workforce Strategy
2007-2010;
iii. Children and Young People’s Services Participation Strategy
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iv. Integrated Youth Support Strategy (draft);
v. Children and Young People’s Services ICT Strategy.
3.10 Other relevant contextual documents include:
i. Training and Development Agency Deliverables;
ii. Choice for Parents, the Best Start for Children: A Ten Year
Strategy for Childcare;
iii. Aiming High for Young People: A Ten Year Strategy for
Positive Activity;
iv. Professional and Occupational Standards;
v. Standards for Better Health;
vi. Health Statutory Instruments;
vii. Skills for Health Framework;
viii. Gershon Report;
ix. The Leitch Report;
x. Teachers’ Pay and Condition.
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S4. Values
4.1 This Workforce Strategy considers that values and belief are of ultimate
importance in effective working with children and young people*. They
underpin both the context within which staff work and are promoted
through the workforce’s behaviours and actions.
4.2 Some of the workforce work with children and young people* within the
context of religious and cultural values and are supported by religious
bodies and organisations. This Strategy recognises and celebrates
religious and cultural diversity and, while supporting inclusivity,
encourages specific religious bodies and organisations to engage with and
contribute to the workforce development of their membership and the
workforce overall.
4.3 The following strands underpin the working practice values for the whole
workforce:
i. Constructive relationships
ii. Equality and diversity
iii. Integrity and service
iv. Co-operation and collaboration
v. Conflict resolution
vi. Health and well-being
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S5. Principles
9.1 This Strategy is based on principles that support effective workforce
development. These are as follows:
i. Information-sharing – information is one of the most important
factors in supporting workforce effectiveness and development.
Appropriate and relevant information must be available for staff in
their workplace;
ii. Communication – the ability to communicate effectively by the
workforce is fundamental to successful outcomes;
iii. Empowerment – individual staff, teams, services and agencies
make appropriate decisions relevant to their responsibilities and
accountabilities;
iv. Inclusivity – this Strategy and its implementation applies to all staff
in all parts of services for children and young people’s;
v. Co-operation – effective team work and collaborative working will
enable effective outcomes;
vi. Excellence – this Strategy encourages all to strive for the best for
children and young people;
vii. Impact – this Strategy is designed to enable staff to make a positive
difference to the lives of children and young people*;
viii. Celebration – this Strategy recognises the importance of valuing the
workforce by identifying, sharing and celebrating good practice;
ix. Engagement – everyone has to a role in contributing to good
outcomes for children and young people*.
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S6. Strategic Goals
6.1 This section outlines the strategic goals for this Strategy. These strategic
goals define long term aspirational outcomes that will ultimately enable the
vision for children and young people* to be realised.
6.2 The goals resulting from this Workforce Strategy are that:
i. Children and young people* are accessing and supported by the
services that they need;
ii. Services are consistently delivered to a high standard as a result of
effective leadership and management at all levels;
iii. Services for children and young people* are of high quality and
represent good value for money;
iv. Effective strategic workforce planning is ensuring workforce
sustainability;
v. Early intervention and prevention will be improving the quality of life
and life chances of children and young people, and the most
vulnerable children and young people will be supported through
appropriate and well-managed multi-agency, multi-professional
approach;
vi. The workforce is following professional development, accreditation
and career pathways within and across traditional professional and
occupational boundaries;
vii. We are an effective learning organisation;
viii. The workforce is committed to the jobs they do, feel valued, are
proud of their achievements, are emotionally resilient and can
manage change effectively;
ix. North Somerset is an employer of choice for those wishing to work
with children and young people*.
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S7. Strategic Priorities
Priority 1 Integrated Working
7.1 During the period of this Strategy, the main priority for workforce
development within North Somerset services for children and young
people is Integrated Working. The effective implementation of Integrated
Working will be achieved within and as a result of the following major
change programmes aimed at modernising our whole approach to working
with children and young people*:
i. The establishment of Multi-agency Locality Teams.
ii. The implementation of the Integrated Youth Support Strategy
and Targeted Youth Support.
iii. The implementation of Social Care Remodelling.
iv. The implementation of the Integrated Service for Children with
Complex Additional Needs.
v. The implementation of the Integrated Service for Looked after
Children.
vi. The establishment of commissioning in service specifications
and business planning.
vii. The remodelling of the School Improvement Team.
Priority 2 Leadership and Management
7.2 We consider that effective leadership and management is the main factor
in achieving high performing services that achieve good outcomes. This
Strategy has three foci with regard to leadership and management,
namely:
i. strategic leadership across service for children and young
people
ii. leadership and management in schools
iii. leadership and management of multi-agency /multi-
professional teams.
7.3 Within this whole area of leadership and management there are some
specific topics that will be of specific importance during the life of this
Strategy. These are:
i. Staff supervision
ii. Performance management
iii. Succession Planning
Priority 3 Induction
7.4 We believe that supportive and effective introductions to working with
children and young people*, and into new roles, is vital if high standards
and good outcomes are to be achieved. Induction will support and embed
integrated working and staff quality from the very beginnings of staff taking
up their roles.
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Priority 4 Supply, Recruitment and Retention
7.5 Achieving a secure and sustainable workforce is of ultimate concern for
North Somerset. Overall, currently (June 2008), North Somerset services
for children and young people are, in the main, able to recruit and retain an
effective workforce. However there are some areas of immediate concern.
These include:
i. Social Workers
ii. Foster Carers
iii. School Nurses
iv. District Nurses
v. Teachers in some specialist subjects in secondary schools,
e.g. Maths, Science, ICT, and subject leadership in Maths and
Science
vi. CAHMS specialist practitioner
7.6 There are also some areas of work where remodelling is important to
modernise some workforce practices. This has implications for change
process and up-skilling a stable workforce.
Priority 5 Infra-structure and workforce processes improvements
7.7 The research and audit that contributed to the needs identification for this
Strategy identified a range of infrastructural and workforce development
process improvements under the following headings:
i. Workforce data collection and analysis
ii. Workforce supply and recruitment
iii. Retention
iv. Induction
v. Continuing professional development
vi. Career and qualification framework
vii. Leadership, management and supervision
viii. Workforce reform and change management
i) Workforce data collection and analysis
Priorities
a) To clarify the workforce development data reporting requirements and
ensure all agencies are aware of all the information that is required.
b) To work collaboratively across all agencies to improve the consistency,
coherence, systems and reporting of the workforce data required.
c) To ensure that relevant and accurate workforce data is used to inform
strategic workforce planning for all Services working with children and
young people.
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ii) Workforce Supply and Recruitment
Priorities
a) To develop a clear strategy for the supply and recruitment of the
children and young people’s workforce in North Somerset over the next
20 years.
iii) Retention
Priorities
a) To review traditional professional development and career pathways
and remodel traditional organisational structures and working practices.
b) To have a clear approach to succession planning across all services
for children and young people.
c) To develop a local professional and career development framework.
iv) Induction
Priorities
a) To ensure all staff have entitlement to an induction programme that
achieves minimum induction standards.
b) To achieve greater collaboration between agencies to enable a more
coherent and consistent induction experience for staff.
c) To develop a common induction programme that inducts all staff into
services for children and young people with a specific focus on the
children and young people’s agenda.
d) To provide induction that supports the management of change and
career progression, e.g. induction into locality team / locality working.
v) Continuing Professional Development
Priorities
a) To undertake a review of current arrangements for professional
development across all agencies and services and within the context of
multi-agency, integrated locality-based working and produce a report
on future solutions that address the issues.
b) To improve greater co-ordination, effectiveness and efficiency within
sectors that have a number of traditional service areas within them, for
example Early Years, Childcare and Play; Services supporting Youth;
Children’s Social Care and Childcare.
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c) To ensure safeguarding training is provided to all relevant staff and as
required by law and specifically to address the gap in training offered
for schools.
d) To ensure professional development programmes exist to support
professional status development, multi-agency integrated working
development, including interfaces between services, and the
successful management of change.
vi) Career and Qualifications Framework
Priorities
a) To develop a local career and qualifications framework, supported by
provision and linked to staff retention and quality.
vii) Leadership, Management and Supervision
Priorities
a) To have clarity about accountability, decision-making and responsibility
at all levels of the Children Trust Management Board Partnership and
specifically its application to front-line practitioners and their managers.
b) To secure a support and professional development programme for
senior managers.
c) To develop an agreed understanding on leadership and management
across all agencies and provide strategic direction as to the extent that
leadership can be, and is, distributed.
d) To ensure self-managing and private, voluntary and independent
organisations within the Partnership have access to appropriate
opportunities and provision to support leadership and management
development.
e) To identify efficiencies and develop multi-agency effectiveness by
unifying approaches and support for leadership and management
development across all agencies.
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viii) Workforce Reform and Management of Change
Priorities
a) To develop a culture and working practice that embeds participation of
children and young people* within the decisions and actions that affect
their lives.
b) To ensure there is clear and strong leadership for the management of
change and that evaluation and review are integral aspects of the
stages of the change programme.
c) To ensure that systemic remodelling is achieved and to avoid a re-
structuring of current provision.
d) To ensure change support programmes are implemented and
sustained for as long as they are needed.
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S8. Workforce Strategic Plan Framework
8.1 The implementation of this Strategy is described in the Workforce
Strategic Plan (Section Two).This Plan is arranged in a framework of five
key themes, as follows:
A. Achieving Success through Effective Strategic Workforce
Planning
B. Achieving Success through Effective Integrated Working
C. Achieving Success through Effective High Quality Staff
D. Achieving Success through Effective Leadership,
Management and Supervision
E. Achieving Success through being Effective Learning
Organisations
8.2 The Children’s Trust Management Board considers the implementation of
this Strategy as fundamental to the success of their ambitions and the
vision for children and young people*. The commitments of the Board are
stated below.
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S9. Children’s Trust Management Board Commitments
A. Achieving Success through Effective Strategic Workforce
Planning
9.1 The North Somerset Children’s Trust Management Board is
committed to:
i) Ensuring children and young people* are at the centre
of this Workforce Strategy and that their needs drive
workforce development.
ii) Implementing the Children Act 2004 supported by a
workforce reform programme that recognises our
strengths, modernises working practices and ensures
the future needs of children and young people* can be
met effectively and efficiently.
iii) A unified workforce across the whole of services for
children and young people*.
iv) Working strategically with national, regional and local
organisations to achieve strength through strategic
partnerships, to influence national and regional policy
and strategy, and to increase our capacity to sustain an
effective and efficient workforce.
v) Establishing strategic workforce development planning
and making effective strategic decisions based on
accurate and relevant workforce data.
vi) Ensuring available resources support the strategic
leadership of workforce development, its delivery
capacity and the provision of a workforce development
infrastructure that contributes to the achievement of a
sustainable, highly motivated, well qualified and
committed workforce.
vii) Ensuring this strategy supports and is supported by
other relevant strategies and that workforce
development is the delivery mechanism for the
disseminations and implementation support for other
strategies.
viii)The children and young people’s workforce in schools,
and other self-managing learning organisations,
engaging with the workforce development agenda as an
integral sector within the whole children and young
people’s workforce.
ix) The children and young people’s workforce in private,
voluntary, and independent organisations, engaging
with the workforce development agenda as an integral
sector within the whole children and young people’s
workforce.
B. Achieving Success through Effective Integrated Working
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9.2 The partner agencies of the North Somerset Children’s Trust
Management Board are committed to:
i) Positive outcomes on children and young people*
achieved as a result of remodelling that ensures
appropriate integrated working practices and
organisational structures are in place.
ii) Implementing the Change for Children and Youth Matter
Next Steps by embedding effective multi-agency,
locality-based, integrated working within North
Somerset.
iii) Safeguarding all children and young people through the
effective actions of a highly skilled and dedicated
workforce.
iv) Developing a supportive culture that enables the multi-
agency, multi-professional workforce to share
information for the benefit of children and young people.
v) All staff, whether in schools, the private, voluntary and
independent sector, locality teams or specialist services
to develop integrated working practices that enable
children and young people* to receive the services they
need, through a co-ordinated and ‘seamless’ approach.
vi) Developing greater coherence, effectiveness and
efficiency of workforce development within sectors and
across all Services for children and young people*.
vii) A workforce development programme that supports the
skills and knowledge development of practitioners to
help them make accurate and timely assessments that
enable early intervention and prevention actions and
focus on outcomes for children and young people.
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C. Achieving Success through Effective High Quality Staff
9.3 The partner agencies of the North Somerset Children’s Trust
Management Board are committed to:
i) The needs of children and young people*, driving the
training, professional development and change
programmes for staff.
ii) Applying quality assurance approaches to guarantee
staff quality and the quality of workforce development
programmes and activities.
iii) The importance of staff responsibility and accountability
in working with children, and young people*, and in
recognising, celebrating and disseminating best
practice.
iv) Embedding the common core knowledge and skills
within all aspects of workforce development.
v) Employing modern workforce by developing and
securing effective and efficient working practices and
work styles supported by the application of ICT and
appropriate flexible working practices.
vi) Developing and implementing a supply, recruitment and
retention strategy that clearly defines our medium and
long term approach to supply, recruitment and retention.
vii) Embedding the participation of children and young
people within Workforce Strategy development and
workforce development programme delivery, and
providing opportunities for young people who have
disabilities or who have been ‘looked after’ in local
authority care to gain employment within the Services
for children and young people.
viii)Providing effective and appropriate induction into
Services for children and young people for all staff.
ix) Developing a local career and professional
development pathways framework and providing a high
quality programme of continuing professional
development opportunities for all staff to support
professional and career development within the children
and young people’s workforce.
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x) Developing and retaining highly qualified staff who have
emotional resilience and who can manage change for
themselves and others.
D. Achieving Success through Effective Leadership, Management
and Supervision
9.4 The partner agencies of the North Somerset Children’s Trust
Management Board are committed to:
i) Developing and implementing a leadership strategy that
supports the continuous improvement of services for
children and young people*.
ii) Implementing distributed leadership and flatter
management structures that support multi-agency/multi-
professional team development and work.
iii) Developing leaders of the future by working with young
people and those staff early in their careers to develop
leadership competency.
iv) Embedding effective management practices achieved
by highly competent leaders and managers.
v) Securing effective leadership and management of
change as the main factor in improving service for
children and young people*.
vi) Developing business and strategic thinking capacity
across all management and leadership roles.
vii) Achieving effective individual and team performance.
viii) The development and implementation of teamwork as
the main organisational structure.
ix) Succession planning to develop and secure leaders for
the future.
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E. Achieving Success through being Effective Learning
Organisations
9.5 The partner agencies of the North Somerset Children’s Trust
Management Board are committed to:
i) Embedding a culture that expects and supports
professional development as an integral aspect of
working practice.
ii) Creating an ethos that encourages all staff to use all
appropriate opportunities, to engage in discussion and
activities that support and enable performance
improvement.
iii) Ensuring all agencies achieve organisation workforce
standards that will at least meet national criteria for
good practice (e.g. IiP).
iv) Utilising self-evaluation and performance management
as processes to inform workforce improvement
planning.
v) Using research, including action research, to support
effective service development.
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Part Two
Workforce Strategic Plan
P1 Introduction
1.1 This Workforce Strategic Plan outlines the aims, strategic actions,
management and organisation, resources and impact and evaluation
approaches that will enable North Somerset services for children and
young people to implement the Children’s Trust Management Board’s
commitments and move toward the achievement of the strategic goals.
1.2 This Workforce Strategic Plan will be implemented through an annual,
detailed and costed workforce development plan.
P2 Aims of the Plan
2.1 These aims provide the link between the Strategic Goals (in Section One)
and the Strategic Actions which form part of this Workforce Strategic Plan.
The aims are to:
i. lead, support and monitor workforce remodelling to ensure that
children and young people* can easily access and benefit from
the services they need;
ii. continue to offer and further develop relevant professional and
organisational development programmes that support effective
leadership, management and supervision within a multi-
agency, multi-professional organisation;
iii. increase the impact of services by providing change
management programmes that enable integrated working and
improved skills development and skills matches to be
implemented;
iv. improve workforce data collection and reporting and implement
improved strategic planning for recruitment, retention, career
progression and succession planning;
v. continue to implement and further develop a programme that
develops, supports and sustains integrated working practices;
vi. embed effective induction into roles in the children and young
people’s workforce;
vii. produce a North Somerset career and professional
development framework and continue to offer, broker,
commission, manage and further develop the range of
provision available locally;
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viii. lead, support, and disseminate good practice that contributes
to an overall cultural of effective performance, professional
development and adult learning;
ix. provide and contribute to approaches and opportunities that
support the motivation and retention of the workforce;
x. promote and continue to develop North Somerset services for
children and young people as forward thinking, high achieving,
and effective and supportive employers.
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P3. Workforce Strategic Plan of Actions
10.1 In addressing the Workforce Strategy priorities for North Somerset five
key themes have been identified. These themes provide a framework
for action. The five themes are:
A. Achieving Success through Effective Strategic Workforce
Planning
B. Achieving Success through Effective Integrated Working
C. Achieving Success through Effective High Quality Staff
D. Achieving Success through Effective Leadership,
Management and Supervision
E. Achieving Success through being Effective Learning
Organisations
A. Achieving Success through Effective Strategic Workforce Planning
Actions
i. Ensure strategic leadership of workforce development is secure and
sustainable
ii. Produce an implementation plan that provides details about the
delivery of this Strategy
iii. Secure a strategic multi-agency Workforce Strategy Board that
enables stakeholders to contribute to the on-going strategy
development and monitor its implementation
iv. Ensure workforce development systems are in place to
communicate and embed a clear vision for services for children and
young people
v. Communicate clear expectations about workforce deliverables and
competencies
vi. Engage the workforce in planning and implementing effective
business approaches to service delivery and development
vii. Provide leadership, co-ordination and support to enable a coherent
programme of professional development to be designed,
implemented, monitored and evaluated
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viii. Pool single agency capacity to establish a multi-agency workforce
development infra-structure that supports a co-ordinated and
coherent approaches to Workforce Strategy implementation
ix. Actively seek potential available resources that will support the
implementation of this Strategy over and above the resources
achieved by pooling each agency’s resource commitment
x. Engage in strategic relations with organisations within the national
Children’s Workforce Network and in particular Children’s
Workforce Development Council (CWDC), Training and
Development Agency (TDA), National College for School
Leadership, the Strategic Health Authority (SHA), Higher Education
Institutes (HEIs) and other strategic organisations for example
Government Office South West (GOSW)
xi. Actively engage with Headteacher Association in North Somerset
(HANS), Secondary Heads in North Somerset (SHINS) and Primary
Heads in North Somerset (PHANS) to achieve a relevant and
coherent workforce development programme that addresses the
needs of the children and young people’s workforce in schools and
develops the workforce for the future.
xii. Actively engage with Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) and
large voluntary organisations, e.g. Barnardos, to achieve a relevant
and coherent workforce development programme that addresses
the needs of the children and young people’s workforce in the
Private, Voluntary and Independent sector and helps develop the
workforce of the future.
xiii. Audit current workforce data collection and systems, compare to
reporting requirements, and create a development plan outlining
improvements to data collection and reporting, and implement the
plan
xiv. Develop commissioning and business planning as a way to secure
relevant provision for professional development
xv. Work with unions and professional bodies to achieve effective
workforce development and modernisation programmes and
develop and maintain a Local Workforce Agreement Monitoring
Group (LWAMG) for schools.
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B. Achieving Success through Effective Integrated Working
Actions
i. Provide a programme of training and support to:
a) implement the common core skills and knowledge
b) successfully embed change programmes and remodelling
across services for children and young people
c) enable the implementation of integrated working practices,
including, CAF and e-CAF, information sharing, lead
professional, and ContactPoint
d) implement Integrated Children’s Systems (ICS)
e) secure the implementation of Social Care remodelling and
the integration of Social Care within locality working
f) enable the implementation of the Integrated Youth Support
Strategy and targeted Youth Support Strategy
g) enable the development of the integrated team for children
with complex and additional needs
ii. Develop and provide a programme of communication, training and
support that enables the appropriate and relevant interfaces
between locality teams, specialist services, schools, General
Practitioners, Adult Mental Health and Adult Social Care and
Housing Services.
iii. Increase the level of co-ordination of workforce development within
and across the main sectors of the children and young people’s
workforce, namely Early Years, Childcare and Play; Youth; Schools
and other learning settings; Health; Extended Services and Private,
Voluntary and Independent organisations.
iv. Provide induction and a rolling programme of training that supports
integrated working.
v. Monitor the implementation of integrated working and provide
programmes of support and intervention when required
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C. Achieving Success through Effective High Quality Staff
Actions
i. Develop a strategic professional development plan and annual
programmes to support the professional development needs of staff
based on needs identification and needs analysis, performance
management appraisals, organisational self-evaluation, and
strategic objectives and performance measures
ii. Produce a report on the current varied access to professional
development of staff across all services and use the findings and
recommendations to inform a professional development policy,
strategy and plan encompassing all services for children and young
people
iii. Work with managers of specialist services to ensure the
professional development needs of their staff are addressed
iv. Provide, broker and signpost accredited routes of initial and post
qualifying training that enable staff to acquire and retain
professionally qualified status
v. Encourage and support greater participation of children and young
people in the planning and implementation of professional
development programmes for staff
vi. Provide a common induction into the children and young people’s
workforce programme for all staff working with children and young
people*, and collaborate across agencies to bring greater
coherence to the overall induction experience of staff
vii. Continue to develop and provide an annual unified offer of
professional development for schools, early years and other
learning settings
viii. Agree standards for the provision of workforce development
activities, and quality assure all events, projects and programmes
against these standards
ix. In collaboration with HR staff and managers in services for children
and young people embed the Common Core Knowledge and Skills
within recruitment and selection processes including job
descriptions
x. Provide training and support to enable greater application of
modern technologies and flexible working practices across the
children and young people’s workforce
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xi. Develop and implement a supply, recruitment and retention strategy
to address medium and long term needs, and identify and
implement short-term solutions to address immediate recruitment
and retention priorities.
xii. Implement a coherent approach to professional development needs
analysis and needs identification across the whole of the children
and young people’s workforce
xiii. Implement CPD On-line as a workforce development information
and communication tool
xiv. Remain well-informed about national developments in career and
professional development frameworks and the integrated
qualification framework, and work with all agencies to develop a
local career and professional development framework that can be
implemented within North Somerset
xv. Provide a programme of skills and self-esteem development that
enables strategic and operational leaders and managers to achieve
an effective skills mix across front-line practitioners
xvi. Identify and disseminate good and effective practice.
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D. Achieving Success through Effective Leadership, Management and
Supervision
Actions
i. Ensure strategic leadership of services for children and young
people is secure and sustainable
ii. Develop a children and young people’s services leadership and
management development framework, and provide, broker and
signpost appropriate development opportunities
iii. Provide a programme to support leaders and managers in the
management of change and managing for performance
iv. Provide a programme that equips leaders and managers to manage
multi-agency teams
v. Engage with universities, colleges and other organisations that
provide recognised accreditation to offer local provision for
accredited professional development routes for current and aspiring
leaders and managers
vi. Provide a programme of leadership and management skills open to
all staff
vii. Develop and implement a succession planning programme to
encourage and support the leaders and managers of the future
viii. Encourage and support learning settings to offer leadership
development programmes for young people
ix. Maintain a schools-facing leadership development steering group
that ensures an appropriate support and development programme
that contributes to effective school leadership and succession
planning
x. Engage Voluntary Action North Somerset within leadership
development programme planning to ensure the needs of
leadership and management development within the Private,
Voluntary and Independent sector are addressed
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E. Achieving Success through being an Effective Learning Organisation
Actions
i. Provide information, guidance and opportunities that promote and
support the continuing professional development of all staff
ii. Provide clear leadership, from all levels of management, by
expressing expectations about professional development as an
integral aspect of all roles and providing active support for staff
appropriate engagement in it
iii. Publish organisational standards for good practice professional
development and management of performance
iv. Collect, collate and analyse evidence from self-evaluation process
and appraisal processes and use to inform workforce development
planning
v. Audit national research that will inform performance development in
North Somerset and disseminate; and encourage action research
as a professional development methodology
vi. Provide expectations, support and encouragement for all staff to
maintain a continuing professional development portfolio
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P4. Management and Organisation
4.1 To implement this Strategy it is necessary to ensure secure and
sustainable management and organisation of workforce development is in
place across the whole of services for children and young people.
4.2 At an individual level, each person has a responsibility for managing their
own continuing professional development.
4.3 At a team and organisation (e.g. school, PVI organisation) level, each
team or organisation should identify a member of their workforce who can
‘Champion’ workforce development. The ‘Champion’ should be in a
sufficiently senior position within the team or organisation to enable them
to lead/co-ordinate, influence and support individual professional
development and team/organisational development. This responsibility will
not necessarily be a full-time position; it will be one of the responsibilities
of a team/organisation member.
4.4 At a Children and Young People’s Services strategic level, leadership and
infra-structural management and support will be secured and this will
provide direction, co-ordination and coherence to workforce development
across all teams and organisations as illustrated in 4.8 below.
4.5 The provision of workforce development activities will be managed and co-
ordinated through a clustering arrangement of professional and
practitioner groups with a common focus, as outlined below:
i.Early years, childcare and play professionals and practitioners
ii.Health professionals/practitioners
iii.Social care professionals/practitioners
iv. Staff who provide support and administration functions
v. Staff working in schools, and learning focussed professionals
vi. Staff working within a culture and sport provision context
vii. Staff working within the private, voluntary and independent
sector
viii. Youth professionals/practitioners (including criminal justice
system staff)
Each of these cluster groups will have a lead co-ordinator who will work
strategically across the professional/practitioner cluster area and work
together to form the Workforce Development Team.
4.6 Within the early stages of this Strategy this Workforce Development Team
will be drawn together from staff who have current (June 2008) training
and professional development leadership and management roles within
the different agencies and services, and during the life of this strategy the
organisation of this Team will be strengthened to achieve full coverage for
all professional/practitioner groups and to reflect multi-professional /
practitioner team development.
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4.7 In many parts of Children and Young People Services a matrix
management model will exist where there will be team leaders who have
responsibility for multi-agency/multi-professional teams, and there will be
professional leads who have responsibility for specific
professional/practitioner groups. Each of these team and professional
development leads will link with the Workforce Development Team to
enable co-ordination and receive support.
4.8 Therefore the management and organisation of this Workforce Strategy
can be represented in four main models.
4.8.1 Firstly that children and young people are at the heart of the
Strategy and provide the real purpose for having this Strategy. This
Strategy recognises that the role and strength of the family is
paramount in supporting children and young people. In relation to
services having a positive impact on the needs of children and young
people, the effectiveness of front-line practitioners is of ultimate
importance. Support services and leadership and management must
focus on enabling this front-line effectiveness to be realised. The work
of all staff is set within a strategic leadership context and relies on an
infra-structure that ensures that front-line practitioners, their support
staff and operational leaders and managers have the tools, systems
and resources that contribute to effectiveness.. This is illustrated in the
diagram below:
Children and Young People at the Heart of
Workforce Development
Children and Young People
Families and Carers
Front-line Practitioners
Support Staff
Operational Leadership and Management
Strategic Leadership and Infra-structural Support
All teams and organisations working within this context should have a
workforce development ‘Champion’, who leads/co-ordinates, influences and
supports individual and team organisation development.
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4.8.2 Secondly, three key elements will provide the focus for workforce
development. We aim to:
i. have the range of professional skills and expertise that will
ensure a full skills mix can be achieved across the workforce.
ii. achieve effective multi-agency and multi-professional
integrated working.
iii. achieve effectiveness and remain effective in an ever changing
context and be proficient at managing change.
This is illustrated in the diagram below:
Workforce Development Strategy
Three Key Elements
Professional and Occupational Status
Children,
Young People,
Families
and
Carers
Multi-agency and Managing
integrated working change
practices
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4.8.3 Thirdly the workforce development organisation will reflect the multi-
agency and multi-professional nature of services for children and
young people. The organisation in Phase 1 of developments
(September 2008 to September 2009) is to move towards a clustering
of similar professional, practitioner and provider groups whose
workforce development will be co-ordinated by an identified lead. The
identified leads are unified in a virtual Workforce Development Team
This is illustrated in the diagram below:
Integrated Workforce Development
Support and Development
Professional/Practitioner/Provider Clustering
Multi-agency/Integrated Working
Private, Voluntary, Independent and Community School and Learning Focussed
Providers Professionals / Practitioners
Health Safeguarding/Social Care
Professionals/Practitioners Professionals/Practitioners
Youth and Criminal Justice System Early Years, Childcare and Play
Professionals/Practitioners Professionals/Practitioners
Culture and sport providers
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4.8.4 Fourthly to achieve the implementation of the Workforce Strategy it is
necessary to have a secure workforce development infra-structure.
This consists of staff working within the strategic and infrastructural
dimension and the range of aspects of work that will be supported.
This is illustrated in the diagram below:
Workforce Development Infra-structure
Training
Training
Qualifications Projects
Projects
Qualifications
Strategy
Strategy
Commissioning
Commissioning
Statutory Responsibilities
Statutory Responsibilities
CPD On-line / e-CPD / Communication
CPD On-line / e-CPD / Communication
Co-ordination
Co-ordination
Workforce Data
Workforce Data
Administration
Administration
QA
QA
Career and
Career and Dissemination ofof
Dissemination
Professional Development
Professional Development Best Practice
Best Practice
Routes and Pathways
Routes and Pathways
Learning Networks
Learning Networks
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P5. Impact and Evaluation
5.1 The ultimate evaluation is the extent to which impact is achieved. All
reports relating to impact will clarify the influence any activity or action has
had in relation to the planned outcome.
5.2 Impacts can be positive and negative and each of the strategic actions will
be linked to impact measures within the operational plan.
5.3 The Children’s Trust Management Board will receive annual evaluative
and impact reports relating to the implementation of this Strategy
5.4 The multi-agency Workforce Development Group will monitor the
implementation of this Strategy through the bi-monthly Workforce
Development Group meetings.
5.5 All programmes, projects and activities undertaken within this Strategy will
be evaluated through predetermined criteria identified in the initial planning
stages.
5.6 The strategic responsibility for managing evaluation in relation to this
Strategy is held by North Somerset’s Council Workforce and Cultural
Development Manager.
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P6. Resources
6.1 Workforce Strategy resources are human, physical and financial linked to
materials and activities.
6.2 Major elements of this Strategy are designed to maximise the current
resources available for workforce development and requires the continuing
commitment of all agencies to maintain this investment. This Strategy will
only be achieved by effective and efficient use of the available resources
and ‘pooling’ will be required to achieve maximum Strategy
implementation.
6.3 Some actions and projects within the Strategy do not currently have
funding sources, and will require business planning and scoping to clarify
resource requirements. These business plans will be presented as part of
the budget planning cycle for escalation as appropriate.
6.4 A significant vulnerability of the resources for this Strategy is the reliance
on external funding sources. A further complexity to this situation is the
number of strategic, infra-structural and management functions that are
funded through grants. Over the period of this Strategy a realignment of
available resources will move toward securing these functions through
available core funding.
6.5 This Strategy promotes a proactive approach to identifying available
funding source to enable the provision of and access to workforce
development activities.
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Appendices
A1. Glossary
This glossary explains terms used within this document.
Children and When the term children and young people is used in this
young people* document if it is followed by an * it refers to children,
young people, families, parents and carers.
Multi-agency More than one agency, e.g Council, PCT, WAHT,
Connexions
Multi-professional When more than one professional or practitioner group
are in a team or working together on a piece of work.
This could be within a single agency (e.g. CAHMS) or
multi-agency (e.g. Children’s Centre) setting
Integrated working Integrated working focuses on enabling and encouraging
professionals to work together effectively to deliver
frontline services
CAF Common Assessment Framework - The CAF is a
standardised approach to conducting an assessment of
a child's additional needs and deciding how those needs
should be met. It can be used by practitioners
eCAF Electronic Common Assessment Framework - eCAF is
the e-enablement of the CAF
eCAF will allow a practitioner to electronically
create, store and share a CAF Form securely.
eCAF will give authorised, trained practitioners
from different sectors secure access to key
information concerning the assessment. This will
allow them to plan, monitor and review a co-
ordinated approach to the delivery of the most
appropriate services.
Lead Professional Where a child or young person with multiple additional
needs requires support from more than one practitioner,
the lead professional is someone who:
Acts as a single point of contact that the child or
young person and their family can trust, and who
is able to support them in making choices and in
navigating their way through the system
Ensures that they get appropriate interventions
when needed, which are well planned, regularly
reviewed and effectively delivered
Reduces overlap and inconsistency from other
practitioners
ContactPoint ContactPoint will be the quick way for a practitioner to
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find out who else is working with the same child or
young person, making it easier to deliver more
coordinated support.
It will be a basic online directory, available to authorised
staff who need it to do their jobs.
ICS The Integrated Children's System (ICS) is a framework
for working with children in need and their families.
The practice and case record keeping is supported by
information technology that is designed to handle a large
amount of information on individual children.
YOT Youth Offending Team - The youth offending teams are
key to the success of the youth justice system.
There is a YOT in every local authority in England and
Wales. They are made up of representatives from the
police, Probation Service, social services, health,
education, drugs and alcohol misuse and housing
officers.
BIP Behaviour Improvement Programme - BIP is part of the
Improving Behaviour and Attendance Programme.
The BIP is a programme that responds directly to local
needs concerning school behaviour and attendance. It
provides support to schools where unsatisfactory
behaviour and attendance are barriers to improvement.
Commissioning Effective joint planning and commissioning is at the
heart of improving outcomes for children and young
people. Commission enables service delivery
specification to be developed to meet the needs of
children and young people* and helps target resources
effectively and efficiently.
WAMG Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group. - WAMG is a
unique social partnership of 11 organisations
representing employers, the government and school
workforce unions that first came together as signatories
of the national agreement on 15 January 2003
LWAMG Local Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group. In North
Somerset the Local WAMG consists of school staff
professional associations and unions, school leadership,
school governors, local authority staff work to support
school modernisation.
Goals The description of ‘how we want things to be’ in the long
term future (5 to 10 years)
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A2. Risks
An assessment of risk associated with this Strategy was undertaken and
concluded that:
i. Successful implementation of the Children Act 2004, the Every
Child Matters: Change for Children and Youth Matter Next Steps is
dependent on this Workforce Strategy.
ii. The active engagement of all partner agencies is vital if this
Workforce Strategy is to have the impact required.
iii. Poor and ill-informed strategic decision-making about workforce
development will have a negative impact on the future capacity to
sustain the workforce we need to achieve our outcomes.
iv. Without clear accountability Workforce Strategy implementation is
likely to become fragmented, unfocussed and achieve unfulfilled
impact.
v. The implementation of this Strategy has resource implications.
Some of the Strategy is based on current funding, but the funding
required is held by different agencies and different budget holders.
Confidence in pooling resources will enable a more effective and
efficient approach to Strategy implementation. Some of the
activities in this Strategy do not currently have budget streams (e.g.
proactive approaches to supply and recruitment), and these will
need to be considered within strategic and annual budget planning.
vi. Self-managing and independent organisations present a challenge.
Schools and the Private, Voluntary and Independent sector have to
be clear about the benefits and gains to achieve full engagement in
and commitment to the Strategy.
vii. Effectiveness and efficiency will be lost if the intention to secure a
unified multi-agency strategic, delivery and administrative infra-
structure that co-ordinates and supports implementation is not
achieved.
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A3. What sort of workforce do we want?
In developing this Strategy we worked with a wide range of the workforce from
all agencies and with children and young people. It was possible to conclude
from this work that we want to maintain and build a workforce that can:
i. Communicate effectively with children, young people and
families to ensure effective outcomes can be achieved;
ii. Support family cohesions, and empower and support families to
manage their own lives;
iii. Communicate effectively with staff from a wide range of
agencies, professionals and roles;
iv. Achieve effective integrated working practices in support of
‘family around the child’ approach to early intervention and
prevention;
v. Enable, encourage and support children and young people’s
participation in decisions and activities that affect their lives;
vi. Raise the achievement of all children and young people to
achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes;
vii. Understand how their work contributes to the development of
children and young people;
viii. Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young
people;
ix. Work in a range of environments in single professional and
multi-professional teams;
x. Define needs, clarify outcomes and implement strategies that
enable outcomes to be achieved;
xi. Professionally develop through on-going needs analysis,
professional development planning, engaging in professional
development processes and reflecting on practice, making
appropriate improvements;
xii. Make effective decisions appropriate to the responsibilities
associated with specific roles;
xiii. Be clear about and articulate their knowledge about their skills,
competencies and specialism, and how these contribute to and
complement the range of skills, competencies and specialsms
offered by other staff;
xiv. Offer and implement effective leadership and management
skills;
xv. Represent and model the values and principles that underpin
services for children and young people;
xvi. Use ICT effectively to support effective and efficient working
practices;
xvii. Work effectively to support team approaches;
xviii. Be enthusiastic about what they do and recognise the value of
what they do;
xix. Be creative and empowered to solve problems and find
solutions to overcome challenges and barriers;
xx. Be emotionally resilient;
xxi. Be empathetic and not sympathetic;
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xxii. Understand and implement the long-term benefits for children
and young people and not aim at short-term fixes;
xxiii. Develop and apply a range of skills and can be flexible and
adaptable.
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2008
Appendix B
North Somerset Council
The Strategic Schools Forum (SSF)
Constitution and Remit
Ratified by SSF on 9 July 2008
Preamble
Schools Forums are governed by Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 447: The School
Forums (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2004. The Department for Education
and Skills issued guidance on School Forums: Operational and Good Practice
Guidance in December 2005.
The Strategic Schools Forum (SSF) in North Somerset acts as the Authority’s School
Forum within the wider remit accorded it by the Authority. This wider remit is set out
below.
Schools are represented on SSF proportional to their numbers within North
Somerset.
The Constitution
The membership of SSF will consist of twelve school members and six non-school
members as listed:
Three Primary Headteacher representatives
Two Secondary Headteacher representatives
One Special School Headteacher representative
Six Governors in similar proportion to the Headteacher representative distribution
One elected member
One Diocesan member
One Representative of the Teachers’ Professional Associations (RTPA)
One Representative of Higher Education Institutions (HEI)
One Representative of Early Years PVI providers
One Representative of 14-19 Partnerships
One Representative of the Learning Skills Council (LSC) – observer status.
In attendance
The Director of Children and Young People’s Services or his/her nominee and the
Executive Member for Children and Young People will normally attend meetings.
Other Officers of North Somerset Children and Young People’s Services shall attend
as requested.
Elections
1. The Headteacher representatives, Governors, RTPA, Early Years PVI
Providers and 14-19 partnership members of SSF will be elected by their
respective associations.
In the case of the RTPA representative he or she must not be an employee of
the Authority with a role in the strategic resource management of the
Authority.
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2. The Diocesan member will be determined by the Diocese of Bath and Wells
and the Diocese of Clifton.
3. The LSC representative will be nominated by the West of England LSC.
4. The Director of Children and Young People’s Services shall nominate the HEI
representative who will require the endorsement of members of SSF.
5. The elected member shall usually be the Chair of the Children and Young
People's Services, Policy and Scrutiny Panel.
Chair
1. The Chair shall be elected by members of SSF.
2. The election shall take place at the start of the meeting following the
retirement or resignation of the Chair.
3. The election shall be conducted by members of SSF and each member of
SSF shall have one vote.
4. The Chair will represent SSF on the Children’s Trust Management Board.
5. The Chair will represent SSF to or at other agencies such as Scrutiny Panels,
as and when required.
Vice Chair
1. The Vice-Chair shall be elected by members of SSF.
2. The election shall take place at the start of the meeting following the
retirement or resignation of the Vice-Chair.
3. The election shall be conducted by members of SSF and each member of
SSF shall have one vote.
4. The Vice-Chair will perform the duties of the Chair in the Chair’s absence.
Period of office
1. The period of office for governors, head teachers, RTPA, Early Years PVI
Providers, 14-19 partnership members and Chair is three years.
2. The period of office for the elected member shall be for the duration of the
period they are elected and hold the post of Chair of the Children and Young
Person’s Scrutiny Panel.
3. Diocesan members shall serve for the duration of their nomination but it is
recommended that this follow the three-year rule.
4. Appointments will begin from the start of a financial year.
5. Appointment for a second three-year term of office is possible.
6. When a member’s status as Headteacher representative, governor, RTPA
Early Years PVI Providers or 14-19 partnership member changes, the member
must stand down unless he or she has transferred to a similar position within
North Somerset.
7. Should a member of SSF be appointed or elected to a post with a role in the
strategic resource management of the Authority he or she shall be required to
stand down.
8. Where a vacancy occurs there shall be a new appointment to fill the un-
expired term of office.
9. After two consecutive terms of office, of any length, the same person may not
be reappointed to membership of the Strategic Schools Forum until after a
one-year gap, save for the Chair of the Children and Young Persons Policy
and Scrutiny Panel.
10. In the event of no member of a constituency standing for nomination, the Chair
may obtain agreement from SSF members to co-opt an appropriate person.
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Non Attendance
If a member is not in attendance for three consecutive meetings, the Chair shall
ascertain the reasons and take Chair’s action to consult with the relevant
constituency regarding a replacement.
Substitutes
1. Where a SSF member is unable to attend the meeting he or she may draw to
the attention of the Clerk or the Chair 48 hours in advance, a substitute who is
attending from his or her constituency.
1a. North Somerset SSF has opted for a named substitute per Schools member
(Principal, Deputy Headteacher, Bursar or other person responsible for the
financial management of the school).
2. In the event of a matter being put to a vote, the substitute will have a vote.
Observers
1. The meetings of SSF are open meetings and members of the public may
attend as observers. Observers are requested to notify the Chair of their
intention to attend one week before a meeting so as to ensure a suitably sized
room is arranged for the meeting.
2. Observers may take part in the meeting with the permission of the Chair. The
Chair’s decision will be final.
3. Members of SSF may request the Chair to exclude observers from discussion
of confidential items. Such items shall be clearly indicated in advance on the
Agenda for the meeting. Papers relating to such items shall be submitted on
coloured paper to be labelled confidential.
4. In the event of a matter being put to a vote, observers will not have a vote.
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Meetings
1. Normally, SSF will meet five times a year.
2. Dates of meetings of SSF shall be agreed with the membership of SSF
annually in December for at least the next academic year
3. Extra ordinary meetings of SSF may be called by the Chair or by 40%
of its membership.
4. The quorum for a meeting will be 40% of SSF membership.
5. Members must declare any interest associated with any item under
discussion related directly to the organisation they represent.
6. Observers attending the meeting may contribute with the Chair’s
permission.
7. Summary minutes of meetings will be available to the public and
distributed to members within three weeks of each meeting. They will
be agreed at the next meeting of SSF.
8. With regard to sub-committees or working groups, any advice formally
passed to the Local Authority must be approved by the SSF as a
whole.
9. Costs of the Forum will be charged to the Schools’ Budget.
10. The Authority shall pay what it deems to be reasonable expenses of
members of the SSF in connection with their attendance at SSF
meetings.
Voting
1. SSF will endeavour as part of its mission to serve North Somerset to
avoid the need for matters to be put to a vote.
2. If a vote is required the chair will have a second and casting vote.
3. Only members of SSF or their nominated substitutes shall have a vote.
Urgent Business
1. Should urgent business requiring action be required between meetings
the Chair shall contact all members by e-mail. The Chair may then
give the Authority a decision based upon the responses received. This
shall be fully reported to the next meeting of SSF.
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The Remit
1. This remit is based upon guidance on the SSF and Schools Forum and
may change by the revision of:
The School Forums (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008.
The School Forums (England) (Amendment) Regulations.
2004 Schools Forums: Operational and Good Practice Guidance.
The Strategic Schools Forum – North Somerset 2002.
2. The local authority has a duty to consult with the SSF on
School Funding Formula
Contracts for supplies and services
Financial Issues in particular;
- arrangements for SEN
- arrangements for use of PRUs
- arrangements for early years
- arrangements for insurance
- revisions to Scheme for Financing Schools
- administrative arrangements for allocating
Government Grants for Schools
- arrangements for free school meals
3. The SSF is where North Somerset in partnership
develops, sustains and maintains its vision for learning
formulates business plans
determines priorities
provides recommendations on funding
monitors the Post Joint Area Review Plans
This partnership is one which seeks to implement and actively support the
Change for Children programme and works closely with the North Somerset
Children’s Trust Management Board.
4. The SSF receives and comments upon, making recommendation of
acceptance of, or further work particularly in relation to funding
implications, reports on
Single Plan for Children and Young People
National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies
ICT Development Plan
Asset Management Plan
Key Stage Achievements
14 to 19 Strategy
Planning School Places Strategies
It may request reports on other items deemed to be a priority to its
remit.
5. The recommendations and advice given by the SSF will be minuted for the
attention and action of Officers and executive Members as appropriate,
who shall report to SSF on what action has been taken.
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