Cornwall Council - Case Study
Our software helps her spend less time at her desk and more time helping families in Cornwall.
From “inadequate” to the top 25% of children’s services – Cornwall’s remarkable story
Children’s Services in Cornwall were subject to intervention from the Department for Education between 2009 and 2013. With several areas highlighted for improvement, action had to be taken.
Starting with listening
The council spent time listening to their frontline staff to better understand how they work and the issues they face. Two objectives became clear: for children to be fully supported by a skilled and committed group of social workers who knew them well. To ensure frequent visits, so children’s voices are heard and their needs understood.
How we helped
Cornwall Council employed the Signs of Safety care model for child intervention work. This is uniquely fully embedded in our Mosaic case management system. It has helped empower frontline staff by giving them the simple tools needed to track and monitor a child’s journey. It has also supported the caseworker by prioritising the things they need to focus on. In addition, Mosaic has provided a clear and consistent way to report and share a child’s data. As Mosaic is an evidence-based practice model, it really puts the child and their family at the heart of all decisions. By doing so, Cornwall Council has created a culture of learning, support and challenge in a professional environment, which has enabled social work to flourish.
They helped empower frontline staff by giving them the simple tools needed to track and monitor a child’s journey.
The result
- Cornwall is now in the top 25% of children’s services in the country
- Almost all areas for improvement identified have been tackled
- Cornwall has a ‘good’ rating for four key areas; Children in Care and Permanence; Adoption; Care Leavers; and Leadership, Management and Governance
- Frontline staff are more engaged and were assessed by Ofsted to be delivering ‘consistently good service’
- Senior managers now demonstrate a good oversight of services and a focus on continuous improvement
- Care proceedings via the Courts stand at just 18 weeks – the national average is 26 weeks
- Cornwall Council has demonstrated how, with the right support and focus, services for children and families can be delivered efficiently and effectively.
Inspiring others
Cornwall Council continues to innovate and impressed Ofsted in their approach to managing pre-birth assessments, which is particularly strong in supporting parents in higher-risk circumstances. They are creating a dedicated team, with support and evaluation provided by Cardiff University. 78% of trusts believe sharing information is vital to their future
