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Employee Assistance Programme

Employee Assistance Programme
Essex County Council - Provider Hub
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Every LA conduct a wide range of benchmarking activities. This is to better understand comparative performance and value across services. We use this information to:

  • To inform budget setting
  • To prioritise and drive improvements
  • To ensure members have the opportunity to compare performance with other similar LA and neighbouring authorities.
  • To understand Performance and Quality of our Markets

One example of benchmarking data is the children looked after data return. Every year, each LA in England must submit the children in care data return (also known as SSDA903). The aim of the SSDA903 return is to collect information about children who are looked after by local authorities during the year. This includes activity and accommodation for those who have recently left care (aged 17-25).

This return provides national and local authority level information on outcomes for children. This applies to those who have been looked after for at least 12 months at 31 March by local authorities in England. This enables Essex to Benchmark our returns at regional and national level besides our statistical neighbours. Our statistical neighbours and their most up to date Ofsted ratings are:

  • Central Bedfordshire (Good)
  • Hampshire (Outstanding)
  • Kent (Outstanding)
  • Leicestershire (Requires improvement to be good)
  • North Somerset (Requires improvement to be good)
  • South Gloucestershire (Requires improvement to be good)
  • Staffordshire (Good)•Warwickshire (Good)
  • West Sussex (Requires improvement to be good)
  • Worcestershire (Good)

As part of our conducted analysis a review of the follow indicators took place. These were:

Summary

Return

Observation

Children in Care (CIC)

Number of CIC at the end of 2021/22 increased by 39 compared to 2020/21.

CIC numbers have increased over the last 12 months, rising from 1079 at the end of March 2021 to 1118 by the end of March 2022. This represents an increase of 3.6%.

Exits from care

7.8% increase in CYP exiting care.

There has been an increase in the number of CYP leaving care in 2021/22, rising from 395 to 426, a 7.8% increase. This follows a 12.4% reduction in the previous year (444).

Stability of Placements

CYP with 3 or more placements rises from 10.9% to 11.1%

There has been an increase in the percentage of CIC with 3 or more placements within 12 months from 10.9% (118 of 1079) to 11.1% (124 of 1118).

Entries to care

17% increase in CYP entering care

There was a rise in entries to care in 2021/22, rising from 388 in 2020/21 to 454, a 17% increase. This follows a 9.8% reduction the previous year (444 in 2019/20).

Placement types at year end

3.9% increase in SA placements.

Further decrease in proportion placed in Foster Care

The biggest change in placement type is in Supported Accommodation accounting for 17.4%. CYP placed for Adoption has also seen a small rise to 3.4%. Residential placements have decreased from 8.9% to 7.4%. Foster Placements have fallen for the third consecutive year from 72.6% in 2019/20 to 70.9% in 2020/21 to 68.9% in 2021/22.

Rate of CIC at 31 March per 10,000 children aged under 18 years

The rate of CIC in ECC has remained steady when considering the increase in cost of living and period of Covid. ECC currently have lower amount of CIC than the national average of England. This may be due to investment into early help services, focusing on keeping family's together when supporting children and young people with parents in the family home.

 

 

Percentage of CIC at 31 March who are SMC

The table below indicates that a percentage of SMC are CIC above the average of statistical neighbours and further above that of the average of England. ECC are part of the Home Office’s National Transfer Scheme that helps to relieve the demand on Kent LA for SMC placements and care.

 

Last updated: 28/03/2024
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