1.3.4 Quality Audit Procedure

1. Overview

This procedure is specifically concerned with the quality audit arrangements for children in receipt of Local Authority services including Fostering and Adoption services. The primary purpose of auditing is to ensure that all staff work to the highest standards and fulfil the Children's Services vision:

'Everyone Working Together for all Children, Young people and Families to be Happy, Healthy, Safe and the Best they can be'.

2. Quality Audit Principles

The purpose of an audit is to:

1. Assure that the voice of the child is heard, recorded and used to influence the work undertaken as far as possible;
2. Assure that the child's journey is as timely and effective as possible and that all activity is directed to improving outcomes for each and every child;
3. Assure the quality of work undertaken including appropriate multi-agency involvement;
4. Give positive feedback for good quality work which has helped to make a difference to the child and/or family;
5. Assure all basic data items are recorded and that the quality of recording is in line with agreed recording standards. The child's record should tell the story of the child's journey;
6. Promotion of an open learning culture through reviewing professional practice.

3. Service Area Specific Auditing

There are a number of service area specific audits that are undertaken, within Children's Services, at specific times using a specific audit tool, these are set out below.

This list is not exhaustive and it is acknowledged that additional audit and quality assurance activity will be routinely undertaken (please see the section in relation to the quality assurance board).

4. Auditing Managed by the Quality & Standards Team

4.1 Quality Audits

Quality assurance activity is also undertaken and coordinated by the Quality & Standards Team within Children's Services. The Quality & Standards Team manage two types of quality audit that supplements auditing undertaken in service areas:

Themed Audits

• Themed audits will support the Practice Lead sessions to help develop practice and knowledge of the Signs of Safety SoS model and practice;
• Themed audits will focus on a specific issue as identified by service areas within Children's Services.

Collaborative Audits

• The collaborative audits will focus on evidence and impact for the child. It will check particularly the journey and experience of the child through services; that the rationale for decisions made on behalf of the child is evident; that the help offered is planned and purposeful; and that improvement to the child's life has pace. Supervision and managerial oversight will also be strengthened through this audit.

A specific audit tool is used for these audits. The audit tool is designed to ensure that:

1. Key activities have taken place, and where relevant have been completed to agreed timescales;
2. This is evidenced using the correct documentation or within the electronic system;
3. Concerns about practice, unresolved safeguarding issues or threshold decision making are identified.

There is an expectation that auditors contact the child, young person and/or family where appropriate. This is an important aspect of the audit. As best practice the auditor should ask the key worker to let the family know they will receive the call and at the same time check the contact details on Mosaic are correct.

A child's record is held electronically with minimal paper records being held, e.g. for precious documents. The electronic record is the vehicle by which the organisation can be held to account for interventions and services delivered. This record is of paramount importance for service users as it is a record of each child or young person's personal history and audit records should be produced bearing in mind this potential audience in future years. For Foster Carers and Adopters additional paper records may exist.

Once the audit is completed the auditor will, via mosaic, notify the allocated social worker. If there are restorative actions to complete then the social worker will also be advised of this via mosaic. The worker will utilise the 'quality audit response' to record this activity.

4.2. Quality Audit Response

When the audit is completed and if there are restorative actions the allocated worker will be notified via mosaic and will need to complete an audit response on mosaic within 5 working days. The audit response must advise how the restorative actions are going to be addressed and if it is not possible for them to be done immediately, then a date should be given when they will be finished. If there are no restorative actions the notification is for information only and no response is needed, although the audit may be discussed in the next case supervision between social worker and Practice Supervisor.

It is the responsibility of the Team Manager to ensure Quality Audit Responses are adequate and within the 5 working day timescale.

4.3 Urgent Findings or Inadequate Judgement

Should an auditor establish a serious safeguarding issue or other urgent or significant matters, this should be drawn to the attention of the relevant Team Managers immediately. Any audit that results in an overall judgment of 'inadequate' should be highlighted immediately to the relevant Team Manager. The Quality & Standards Team should be made aware, by the relevant Team Manager, of the actions to be taken in response to any safeguarding concerns raised or an inadequate grading.

4.4 Auditor Groups

Groups have been chosen as a mix of services and localities. During each quarter teams identified to complete a themed audit are chosen depending on the theme. Not all teams undertake a themed audit activity every quarter. Not all TM/PS's are required to complete an audit each quarter. It is determined by the theme of the audit. For an example of what a quarter plan could look, please refer to Appendix 2: Themed Audit Quarter Plan.

4.5 Moderation

Each month a sample of the previous month's audits are moderated by one or two of the teams within the group. The moderation group examines quality, analysis, themes, observations and any contributions to improved impact for children. Moderation also supports learning, discussion and actions from the audit action plan. The Senior Leadership Team will also be involved in moderation.

4.6 Additional Quality Assurance Activity

In addition to the quality audits set out above there is an expectation that all workers have 2 practice observations per 12 month period. Co-ordination of practice observation will be at team level, with notifications sent to the Quality & Standards Team to ensure that by the end of the 12 month period all workers have completed two. Managers will provide the Q&S Team with highlights of learning needs identified through their practice observations each quarter which will feed into the on-going learning and development programme, either delivered by the Learning and Development Team or the Practice Advisors.

4.7 Quality Assurance Board

The Quality Assurance Board has been set up to drive quality practice and facilitates practice improvement across Children's Services. The Quality Assurance Board Terms of Reference (Appendix 3: Quality Assurance Board Terms of Reference) sets out the role of the Board. One key aspect of the Board is to ensure learning from quality assurance and audit activity is disseminated effectively. To ensure that this is the case the Quality & Standards Team will, on a quarterly basis, provide a directorate wide update on quality and audit activity for the previous quarter. To do this, each Head of Service will complete the 'Quality Assurance Update' form (Appendix 4: Quality Assurance Update Form). These forms will be collated by the Quality & Standards Team and presented at the Board.

Appendix 1: Children's Services Quality Assurance Framework

Click here to view Appendix 1: Children's Services Quality Assurance Framework.

Appendix 2: Themed Audit Quarter Plan

Click here to view Appendix 2: Themed Audit Quarter Plan.

Appendix 3: Quality Assurance Board Terms of Reference

Click here to view Appendix 3: Quality Assurance Board Terms of Reference.

Appendix 4: Quality Assurance Update Form

Click here to view Appendix 4: Quality Assurance Update Form.