Report 2013-110 Recommendation 40 Responses

Report 2013-110: Child Welfare Services: The County Child Welfare Services Agencies We Reviewed Must Provide Better Protection for Abused and Neglected Children (Release Date: April 2014)

Recommendation #40 To: Social Services, Department of

To promote continued improvement in the CWS system, Social Services should encourage each county CWS agency to designate personnel to update regularly their policies and procedures, to include a detailed description of the need for ongoing supervisory reviews of key aspects of their respective service processes and incorporate that description into their policies and procedures, and to designate personnel to perform regular quality assurance reviews.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2020

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing declaration of statewide emergency in March 2020 as well as 40 concurrent declared disasters due to wildfire throughout California neither the ACIN nor the manual have been published. Staff have been otherwise engaged in mission critical activities as they have been deployed to assist with emergency operations and duties have been reassigned to account for the safety and well-being of all impacted foster youth as well as the continued operations of all county child welfare programs. The workgroup with CWDA has similarly not been re-initiated due to competing priorities. Barring any additional unforeseeable natural disasters, the ACIN will be published by January 31, 2021. The workgroup will be reinstated by January 2021 as well with an anticipated manual to be published by March 2021. Draft copies that have not yet been submitted for stakeholder review can be made available upon request

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2019

CDSS will request that counties provide their policies and procedures as well as a point of contact by March 31, 2020 via an all-county information notice.

The workgroup consisting of the County Welfare Director's Association (CWDA) is currently meeting on a bi-monthly schedule with an anticipated timeline of March 2020 to publish all manual revisions.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2018

CDSS completed the first round of revisions on the California Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR) manual, during which this recommendation was discussed. During the next phase of manual revisions, the Child Welfare Director's Association (CWDA) and external and tribal stakeholders will be involved in the discussion of how core social work practice components could enhance the C-CFSR manual content. This recommendation will continue to be discussed and manual content revised to best address the recommendation. CDSS anticipates release of the revised C-CFSR manual on or before May 2019.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2018

CDSS completed the first round of revisions on the California Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR) manual, during which this recommendation was discussed. During the next phase of manual revisions, the Child Welfare Director's Association (CWDA) and external and tribal stakeholders will be involved in the discussion of how core social work practice components could enhance the C-CFSR manual content. This recommendation will continue to be discussed and manual content revised to best address the recommendation. CDSS anticipates release of the revised C-CFSR manual on or before May 2019.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From December 2017

CDSS is currently updating the entire California Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR) manual, of which this recommendation is one of many revisions that will be incorporated. CDSS anticipates release of the revised C-CFSR manual on or before March 2018.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2016

During the regular updating of the CDSS California Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR) manuals, the Department will recommend that a county staff person be designated to update policies and procedures.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2015

All County Letters (ACLs) 14-84 and 15-34 were issued on 11/20/14 and 3/16/15 respectively (see following links).

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAAahUKEwihgOjJiZPIAhWElYgKHcB-B7k&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dss.cahwnet.gov%2Flettersnotices%2FEntRes%2Fgetinfo%2Facl%2F2014%2F14-84.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFbujU-qAO-euRtBjOI-EQRvvleeg&bvm=bv.103627116,bs.2,d.cGU

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAAahUKEwjg-4PqipPIAhWGOYgKHf9KAhI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dss.cahwnet.gov%2Flettersnotices%2FEntRes%2Fgetinfo%2Facl%2F2015%2F15-34.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFFywe7mpup5i1DpriraAAvClE6sA&bvm=bv.103388427,d.cGU

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

Although Social Services has issued a letter encouraging county CWS agencies to designate staff members responsible for the quality assurance process, the letters referenced by Social Services in their response do not encourage each county CWS agency to designate personnel to update regularly their policies and procedures as we recommended. Further, the letters do not encourage each county CWS agency to include a detailed description of the need for ongoing supervisory reviews of key aspects of their respective service processes and incorporate that description into their policies and procedures.

1-Year Agency Response

As stated previously, the Department continuously monitors county data, specific to emergency response, investigation timeliness, and abuse determinations and dispositions, to identify trends that support further review and technical assistance as part of the California Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR).

Between July 2014 and January 2015, the Department held workgroup meeting with county child welfare, probation, and training partners to develop a qualitative case review system. On November 20, 2014, the Department issued the first All County Letter (ACL) 14-84 to provide counties instruction and information regarding the pilot phase of the statewide qualitative case review processes. On March 15, 2015, the Department issued ACL 15-34 to provide counties implementation instructions for conducting case reviews in each county. Included in this ACL was a request that counties provide the Department their plans to begin implementation of case reviews prior to August 2015. Beginning in March 2015, the Department has sponsored regional trainings to certify county and state staff as case reviewers. This training will be completed in June 2015.

A procedures manual is under development and is expected to be released by July 2015 that expands on information already provided in the previously listed ACLs.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

The referenced Social Services All County Information Notices (notices) require county CWS agencies to designate staff members responsible for the quality assurance process; however, they do not encourage each county CWS agency to designate personnel to update regularly their policies and procedures as we recommended. Further, the notices do not speak at all to encouraging each county CWS agency to include a detailed description of the need for ongoing supervisory reviews of key aspects of their respective service processes and incorporate that description into their policies and procedures.

6-Month Agency Response

Partially Implemented/Anticipated Implementation Date: July 2015

The Department issued All County Information Notice (ACIN) I-40-14 on July 15, 2014 that encourages counties to conduct regular qualitative case reviews.

The Department continues to monitor county data, specific to emergency response, investigation timeliness and abuse determinations and dispositions, to identify trends that support further review and technical assistance. The Department also continues to monitor county performance on recurrence of maltreatment or re-entry into foster care. This activity is completed on a continuous basis as part of the California Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR).

The Department is also developing a statewide case review process and beginning to conduct pilot reviews in five counties in order to meet the goal of implementation by July 2015. Additionally, the C-CFSR process guides will be updated according to the final protocol established for the case reviews.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

While the Social Services All County Information Notice I-40-14 (notice) does encourage county CWS agencies to designate staff members responsible for the quality assurance process, it does not clearly encourage each county CWS agency to designate personnel to update regularly their policies and procedures. Further, the notice does not speak at all to encouraging each county CWS agency to include a detailed description of the need for ongoing supervisory reviews of key aspects of their respective service processes and incorporate that description into their policies and procedures.

60-Day Agency Response

Partially Implemented/Anticipated Implementation Date: July 2015

The Department continues to monitor county data, specific to emergency response, investigation timeliness and abuse determinations and dispositions, to identify trends that support further review and technical assistance. The Department also continues to monitor county performance on recurrence of maltreatment or re-entry into foster care. This activity is completed on a continuous basis as part of the California Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR).

The Department agreed to issue an ACIN to remind counties of the benefits of conducting qualitative reviews of their programs. This ACIN currently is being reviewed, and the Department is on-track to meet our July 2014 commitment.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2013-110

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.