Munro: What’s going to happen to you and when

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO MUNRO: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU WHEN?

By September 2011:

The Department of Health and the Department for Education will work with NHS bodies, local authorities, professional bodies and practitioners to publish a joint programme of work.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 8: Research is needed on the impact of health reforms on partnership working in child protection.

● Accepted in principle by government.

By September 2011:

The government will decide whether there should be a statutory duty for local authorities in relation to early intervention and, if so, what form it will take.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 10: Councils should have a legal duty to provide enough early intervention services.

● Accepted in principle by government.

By autumn 2011:

The government will consult formally on revised statutory guidance on the director of children’s services (DCS) role and the lead member.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 7: The role of the director of children’s services and the lead member for children’s services should be protected from departmental mergers.

● Accepted in principle by government.

By December 2011:

The government will implement an interim amendment to Working Together to Safeguard Children to remove assessment deadlines, remove the distinction between initial and core assessments and articulate the parameters for good assessment.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 1: Initial and core assessments should be scrapped and replaced by a single assessment that lists decisions.

● Accepted by government.

By December 2011:

The government will confirm what will be on the list of locally published performance information.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 4: A combination of nationally collected and locally published performance data should be used.

● Accepted by government.

By December 2011:

The government will publish an amendment to Working Together to Safeguard Children regarding the role of local safeguarding children boards in monitoring effectiveness of early help and protective services.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 6: Local safeguarding children boards should assess local outcomes, including the effectiveness and value for money of early intervention services and multi-agency training.

● Accepted in principle by government

By April 2012:

The government expects most local authorities to have chosen to designate a principal child and family social worker.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 14: Local authorities should designate a principal child and family social worker.

● Accepted by government.

By May 2012:

Ofsted intends to have a new local authority inspection framework in place, following a consultation in July 2011.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 2: Unannounced inspections should examine the safeguarding performance of other agencies as well as children’s services.

Munro recommendation 3: Inspections should also look at outcomes and how children’s wishes and experiences shape services provided.

● Accepted by the government.

By May 2012:

The government is aiming for publication of the suite of new nationally collected performance information with data then coming on-stream after that, depending on individual collection arrangements and lead-in times.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 4: A combination of nationally collected and locally published performance data should be used.

● Accepted by government.

By July 2012:

The government expects that all local authorities “will have chosen” to designate a principal child and family social worker.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 14: Local authorities should designate a principal child and family social worker.

● Accepted by government.

By July 2012:

The government will make a full revision of statutory guidance documents Working Together to Safeguard Children and The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families to reduce central prescription and place greater emphasis on professional judgement.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 1: Initial and core assessments should be scrapped and replaced with a single, ongoing assessment listing decisions to be made.

● Accepted by government.

By summer 2012:

The government expects the College of Social Work to develop plans for designated approved practice settings and teaching organisation status and to consider the merits of student units.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 12: Employers and higher education institutions should work together on student placements.

● Accepted by government.

By autumn 2012:

The professional capabilities framework and CPD framework, developed by the Social Work Reform Board, will include child specific skills and learning and be implemented.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 11: The Social Work Reform Board’s professional capabilities framework should specify those qualities needed for child and family social work.

● Accepted by government.

By late 2012:

The government plans for a chief social worker to oversee children’s and adults’ services to be implemented.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 15: A chief social worker should be created in government.

● Accepted in principle by government.

By December 2012:

The government will work with employers and higher education institutions to build partnership arrangements with the aim of having these in place by the end of 2012.

● Why?

Munro recommendation 12: Employers and higher education institutions should work together on student placements.

● Accepted by government.

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