Agenda item - Transition to New Children's Safeguarding Arrangements

Report of the Executive Director of Families, Children and Learning (copy attached)

RESOLVED – That the Health and Wellbeing Board note and approve the New safeguarding Arrangements and reporting structure.

10.1    The Board considered a report of the Executive Director, Families, Children and Learning which summerised the proposed changes to children’s safeguarding arrangements in line with new legislation under the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and sub sequent revisions to Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2018.

10.2    It was noted that the paper submitted to the Board was submitted as a collaborative paper between the three statutory partners, the Local Authority the CCG and the Police and followed the consultation which had taken place with existing LSCB members. The purpose of the new arrangements was to satisfy statutory requirements and to set out was to set out the governance, strategic aims, scrutiny and structure which would support this. The Executive Director explained that in order to meet the timescale set by the Dfe it had been necessary to submit this document to them by 29 June. Whilst that had been done on the basis that any comments received from the Board could be forwarded subsequently, it was hoped that the Board would approve and note the contents of this document

10.3    The Executive Director further explained that the new primary responsibility for safeguarding children had now been placed with three named safeguarding partners, the Local Authority, the CCG and the Police, the LSCB would then cease to exist. There was the expectation however that local partners would continue to contribute to safeguarding and would continue to be named as “relevant agencies”; these were as set out in the report. The new arrangements needed to provide for independent scrutiny and this would be carried out by a strategic steering group led by safeguarding partners who would oversee delivery via an operational board and subject specific sub groups. This structure was designed to ensure that strategy and policy were delivered in key areas. Timescales for implementation were detailed in the report; there was also a requirement for an annual report to be produced which would set out how effective the new arrangements had been in practice.

10.4    The Chair, Councillor Moonan, stated that it was important to note that the changes made had been dictated largely by national guidance and that there was little that local partners had the ability to change.

10.5    Mr Bartlett, Safeguarding Adults Board stated that the arrangements being put into place would mirror those which existed to safeguard vulnerable adults and that close parallel working would continue.

10.6    Councillor Shanks referred to the arrangements for oversight and scrutiny of the new arrangements and it was explained that the arrangements to be put into place were considered to be the most appropriate in order to effectively safeguard the children of the city. It was important to note that the arrangements put into place , would be subject to review after twelve months.

10.7    Councillor Appich stated that it was helpful for Board members to be made aware of the arrangements to be put into place and welcomed the fact that the views of young people themselves were being sought.

10.8    Councillor Bagaeen referred to the role of the steering group and to the need for the effectiveness of the arrangements in place to be capable of being measured against their impact on policy, for example on homelessness and mental health, it was important that this was monitored. It was explained that this role was very new, with arrangements to be in place by the end of September 2019. In consequence of the consultation and review processes it was hoped to drill down into the arrangements put into place. It was intended that the scrutiny process would challenge, where necessary, the structures which had been put into place and to identify areas of inherent danger too. It would be appropriate to combine consideration of issues across the broader local authority and to pass them to the steering group and to assess the impact on safeguarding overall. It was intended to work closely with housing and the relevant chair’s and to carry out case reviews.

10.9    RESOLVED – That the Health and Wellbeing Board note and approve the New Safeguarding Arrangements and reporting structure.