Accountability, performance and research

As part of Herefordshire Council, it is vital that the Children and Young People's Directorate is able to show that it is delivering high quality, efficient and cost effective services in response to the needs of our county.  In doing so, we are accountable to national government and our elected Council.  We also make our assessments and information about how we are performing publicly available.  Links to further information about specific lines of accountability are on the left and include information about OFSTED's monitoring of our work and current school performance tables.

Accountability to the Council

Children and Young People is a key theme in the Council's Corporate Plan and the overarching Herefordshire Sustainable Community Strategy.  Together with our partners in the Herefordshire Children and Young People's Partnership Forum, we are working to make a positive difference to the lives of children and young people in Herefordshire.  More details on the Herefordshire Public Services Corporate Plan and performance reporting, and the Herefordshire Children and Young People's Partnership Forum, can be found via the Related Pages box below. 
Councillors Patricia Morgan and Philip Price are the Cabinet Members who oversee the work of the People's Directorate.  More information about Herefordshire's Councillors can be found on the Your Councillors page.

National and Local Indicators

The directorate is responsible for reporting against a number of national performance indicators (NIs) which are set by the government.  These are reported nationally once a year, but each quarter, the directorate produces a Performance Digest which sets out how it is performing against these national indicators, as well as its local ones.  Recent issues of quarterly  Performance Digests are can be found on the CYPD Performance Digest page on the left. 
Over the past few years children's services in Herefordshire, as managed and supported by the People's Services Directorate, have consistently met or surpassed the majority of targets set for them and resources have therefore been targeted at those areas where services need to improve.
The national indicators cover areas such as the number of children and young people entering the youth justice system, the number of young people becoming pregnant and achievement in Key Stages 2 and 4 examinations.  We have also set ourselves some local indicators in areas where there are no national indicators, such as the number of assessments under the Common Assessment Framework.

Inspections

In addition to having our own systems of accountability, OFSTED's (The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) national programme of monitoring the performance of services for children and families includes continual assessment of the way we manage, support and commission services in our county.  This assessment process includes regular inspections of our services: the details of which can be found via the OFSTED link in the External Links box.  Over time OFSTED change and develop the format and focus of their inspections which is why you will see a range of different inspections on the OFSTED website.
OFSTED have an annual programme of unannounced inspections of services for children and families around the country, assessing their contact, referral and assessment arrangements for children and young people in need, or who may be in need of protection. 
OFSTED also undertake full inspections of safeguarding and arrangements for looked after children and young people at least once every 3 years.