The Committee will receive a report providing an update of the delivery of the Joint Targeted Area Inspection Partnership Action Plan.

The Committee received a report and verbal update on progress made following the Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) of multi-agency responses to children in Reading who were victims of domestic abuse. The inspection took place between 24 February and 14 March 2025 and had been carried out by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP). The inspection outcome was previously reported to the Committee in July 2025.

The Committee was reminded that the inspection had identified an Area of Priority Action relating to inconsistent information-sharing between partners, which was found to result in delays for children and poor-quality risk assessments. An Improvement Notice was subsequently issued to Reading Borough Council (RBC) on 31 July 2025, and a Department for Education (DfE) Improvement Advisor was appointed.

The Committee was updated on the implementation of both single agency and multi-agency action plans. Over 85% of actions were completed or in progress.

Improvements included:

·        Enhanced timeliness of strategy meetings and child protection visits.

·        Establishment of an Integrated Assessment Service within Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC).

·         Relaunch of the QA Framework and Practice Standards.

·        Introduction of a new performance framework and PowerBi dashboard.

·        Improved escalation processes and oversight mechanisms.

Representatives from partner agencies provided updates on their respective single agency action plans:

o   Health (BOB ICB): 15 actions had been identified, with 12 on track and 3 completed. Impact measurement was ongoing, particularly around access to Child Protection Information Sharing systems and capturing the voice of the child.

o   Probation: Two actions had been identified, focusing on improving communication around intervention timelines and embedding the voice of the child in assessments. Dip sampling was underway to evaluate impact.

o   Thames Valley Police: Improvements had been made in strategy meeting participation, information-sharing, and Operation Encompass. Challenges remained in automating school notifications and enhancing MARAC processes.

o   Children’s Services: Phase one of the Rapid Improvement Plan was 92% complete. Phase two would focus on quality of practice and workforce development. A new supervision agreement was being rolled out, and a Foundations of Practice programme was being launched.

Steve Crocker, DfE Improvement Advisor, provided an overview of progress, noting positive early action and improved systems. He highlighted ongoing challenges including workforce experience, partnership complexity, and financial pressures.

Members of the Committee asked questions regarding staffing, supervision, and measuring impact. Officers responded with details of workforce development plans, supervision frameworks, and performance monitoring.

The Committee noted the progress that had been made and the collaborative efforts across agencies to improve safeguarding outcomes for children in Reading.

Resolved -      That the progress in the delivery of the Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) Partnership Action Plan at Appendix 1 be noted.