I'm writing to request some information about the quality assurance ('QA') tools the Local Authority uses for children's social work, specifically for auditing case files of children whose status is:
• Child-in-Need (CIN);
• Subject to Child Protection procedures (CP);
• Looked-after (LAC); or
• Leaving care.

In particular I would be grateful to know:

1. What Children's Social Care Management System (formerly known as "ICS") is the Local Authority currently using?
Mosaic.

2. What audit toolkits are currently used at each Tier, please can I request a copy of these
We do not use audit tool kits for each Tier but have audit tools which are bespoke to our service in Wokingham and which we share through agreed South Eastern partnership arrangements but do not share outside of these arrangements.

3. If files are audited inside the management system, such as on a QA module, does it provide quality assurance reports and if so please can I request a copy of the most recent reports (redacted if necessary)
We do not audit files within mosaic and do not provide reports in this way and therefore cannot provide this information.

4. Has the Local Authority commissioned external QA of children's case files from consultants or auditors in the last 12 months? If so, which ones? If not, which role in the Local Authority normally does this?
Yes, we occasionally commission auditors to undertake some thematic audits. Recent examples include: an audit of cases held by our Children with Disabilities Team, an audit looking at the experiences of care leavers in Wokingham, an audit looking at cases identified as being caused by neglect, an audit of the thresholds that we apply in relation to contacts and referrals where domestic abuse is a feature. This work is coordinated by a quality assurance officer within the local authority.

5. How are QA reports the Local Authority produces currently compared with statistical peers?
Our quality assurance reports are not compared.