Local area agreements: How far have areas prioritised social care?

Local area agreements for 2008-11 show that reducing the number of 16- to 18-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training is the top overall priority for local areas in England. But less popular are targets on care leavers, offenders and adults with learning disabilities. 

LAAs are a new performance management system for councils and their partners in local strategic partnerships, under which each LSP must negotiate 35 indicators from a set of 198 with government to focus on over the next three years.

The table below shows how many LSPs have selected each of the social care-related indicators.

Children and young people
Indicator
 
Number of areas selecting
50
Emotional health of children
21
51
“Effectiveness of child and adolescent mental health (CAMHs) services”
43
54
Services for disabled children 
23
58
Emotional and behavioural health of looked after children
5
59
 “Percentage of initial assessments for children’s social care carried out within 7 working days of referral”
14
60
“Percentage of core assessments for children’s social care that were carried out within 35 working days of their commencement” 
18
61
“Timeliness of placements of looked after children for adoption following an agency decision that the child should be placed for adoption” 
2
62
“Stability of placements of looked after children: number of placements” 
16
63
Stability of placements of looked after children: length of placement
29
64
Child protection plans lasting 2 years or more
5
65
“Percentage of children becoming the subject of a Child Protection Plan for a second or subsequent time”
11
66
“Looked after children cases which were reviewed within required timescales”
3
67
“Percentage of child protection cases which were reviewed within required timescales”
0
68
Percentage of referrals to children’s social care going on to initial assessment
10
69
Children who have experienced bullying
24
70
“Reduce emergency hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries to children and young people”
5
71
Children who have run away from home/care overnight                                      
1
99
Looked after children  reaching level 4 in English at Key Stage 2
0 (mandatory)
100
Looked after children reaching level 4 in Maths at Key Stage 2
0 (mandatory)
101
Looked after children achieving 5 A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent) at Key Stage 4 (including English and Maths)
0 (mandatory)
103
Special Educational Needs – statements issued within 26 weeks
0
109
Delivery of Sure Start Children Centres
1
110
Young people’s participation in positive activities
77
112
Under 18 conception rate
106
114
Rate of permanent exclusions from school
14
115
Substance misuse by young people
36
116
Proportion of children in poverty
45
117
 “16 to 18 year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)” 
115

Youth justice
Indicator
 
Number of areas
selecting

43
“Young people within the Youth Justice System receiving a conviction in court who are sentenced to custody”
0
44
Ethnic composition of offenders on Youth Justice System disposals 
1
45
“Young offenders engagement in suitable education, employment or training”
20
46
Young offenders access to suitable accommodation
0
19
Rate of proven re-offending by young offenders 
49
111
First time entrants to the Youth Justice System aged 10 – 17
74
 

Social exclusion – offenders, adults with learning disabilities. adults with mental health problems and care leavers
Indicator
 
Number of areas
selecting
143
“Offenders under probation supervision living in settled and suitable accommodation at the end of their order or licence”
2
144
“Offenders under probation supervision in employment at the end of their order or licence”
10
145
Adults with learning disabilities in settled accommodation
10
146
Adults with learning disabilities in employment
29
147
Care leavers in suitable accommodation
1
148
Care leavers in employment, education or training
8
149
“Adults in contact with secondary mental health services in settled accommodation” 
9
150
“Adults in contact with secondary mental health services in employment”   
30

Adults
Indicator
 
Number of
areas
selecting

124
“People with a long-term condition supported to be independent and in control of their condition” 
24
125
“Achieving independence for older people through rehabilitation/intermediate care”   
41
125
Self reported experience of social care users
2
127
User reported measure of respect and dignity in their treatment  
6
129
“End of life care –  access to appropriate care enabling people to be able to choose to die at home”   
5
130
“Social Care clients receiving Self Directed Support per 100,000 population”
81
131
Delayed transfers of care
10
132
Timeliness of social care assessment (all adults)  
12
133
Timeliness of social care packages following assessment
2
134
“The number of emergency bed days per head of weighted population” 
15
135
“Carers receiving needs assessment or review and a specific carer’s service, or advice and information”
80
136
“People supported to live independently through social services (all adults)” 
46
138
Satisfaction of people over 65 with both home and neighbourhood   
7
139
“The extent to which older people receive the support they need to live independently at home” 
21
140
Fair treatment by local services
9
141
Percentage of vulnerable people achieving independent living  
70

See the local priorities in your area

 

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