Edition 2
SCP Board Membership
In September 2024, representatives from Humberside Probation Service, Public Health, NAVIGO, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and Humberside Fire Service were welcomed to the Safeguarding Children Partnership Board (SCPB) as partner agency representatives.
This is in addition existing partner agency representatives, including but not exhaustive, the three statutory delegated safeguarding partners Ann-Marie Matson, Director of Children’s Services, North East Lincolnshire (NEL) Council (Chair of the SCPB); Helen Davis, Place Nurse Director, North Lincolnshire/NEL Health and Care Partnership; and Paul French, Temporary Chief Superintendent, Humberside Police and with Cllr Margaret Cracknell, Portfolio Holder. The SCPB terms of reference have been updated to reflect the changed in membership.
Key areas for discussion and consideration:
It was a very busy agenda which reflected the high level of partnership activity since the last board in June 2024.
As part of the Safeguarding Children Partnership (SCP) governance arrangements, the SCPB is required under “Working Together 2023” to develop and publish an Annual Report by end of September 2024 and our Local Arrangements by the end of December 2024.
The board endorsed the following document
SCP Annual Report 2023/24: The report sets out what we have done as a result of our Local
Arrangements, including learning from any rapid reviews or child safeguarding practice reviews and the effectiveness of the arrangements and impact on practice. The report evidences the impact of the work, including training, on outcomes for children and families from early help to children in our care and care leavers and how national reforms are being implemented.
View SCP Annual Report 2023/24
Local Arrangements 2024/25: This key document sets out our local arrangements to safeguard children, including but not exhaustive, the commissioning and publishing of local child safeguarding practice reviews and local arrangements for scrutiny and assurance, including independent scrutiny. The document identifies our four priority areas of focus identified through data analysis, assurance activity and learning from practice, as follows:
View Local Arrangements 2024/25
- Respond to children at risk of and experiencing neglect
- Respond to children at risk of and experiencing child sexual abuse
- Focus on helping and supporting children and families at the earliest point
- Further develop the multi-agency approach to Child Exploitation
Other key areas for discussion and consideration:
NEL SCPB Performance Dashboard: The board considered the latest dashboard which supports the SCP to understand the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements. Additions to the available data since the June Board included Integrated Front Door compliance data.
Early Help Strategy 2024/28: The board endorsed the revised strategy, in which the priorities have been refreshed. The priorities are focussed around improving health and wellbeing, early years, whole family working, hidden harm, harm outside of the home and supporting children through education.
View Early Help Strategy
Child Exploitation Strategy 2024/27: The board endorsed the new strategy which builds on the robust multi-agency arrangements already in place for tackling child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation. It is set in the wider context of risk outside the home, where we seek to identify and respond to harm and abuse posed to children outside the home.
View Child Exploitation Strategy 2024/ 2027
Local Protocol for Assessment: The board endorsed the protocol which responds to the requirements for local authorities, with their safe-guarding partners and any relevant agencies, to develop, agree, and pub-lish local protocols for assessments and support.
View Local Protocol for Assessment.
Risk Assessment Framework (RAF): The board endorsed the RAF which provides a consistent model for the assessment, analysis and management of risk. Any assessment and / or intervention undertaken across the partnership by North East Lincolnshire Children’s Services and partner agencies due to concern about a child’s welfare, or that a child is suffering significant harm, or is likely to do should be underpinned by the North East Lincolnshire RAF.
View Risk Analysis Framework
Sub Group Progress: Sub group chairs reported into the board, key highlights included:
- The Safeguarding Performance Practice and Assurance Group (SPPAG) identified the need for a partnership meet and greet event to support agencies to understand each other’s remit, roles, offers aligned to the threshold document
- The Safeguarding Practice Learning and Development Group (SPLAD) has overseen the impact of rapid review action plans and delivery of the Scrutiny and Assurance Framework
- The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Group undertook one Rapid Review in July 2024. Learning from practice has been shared across the partnership
- The Safeguarding Practice Thematic Strategic Group is developing strategic delivery plans for both neglect and child sexual abuse. The neglect screening tool has been published and neglect champions across partner agencies are being identified
- The first meeting of the Child Exploitation Strategic Group took place on the 6 September 2024 and terms of reference agreed and new strategy developed, underpinned by a delivery plan
Scrutiny Assurance
Child Protection Thematic: The event , which was facilitated by three SCP Independent Scrutiny Officers, took place in July 2024. The purpose was to seek assurance as to the quality and effectiveness of multi-agency working in relation to child protection. There was good evidence of whole family working and of the voice of the child, and further opportunities for learning from practice were shared with the SCPB. Partnership action will be overseen by the Safeguarding Practice Learning and Development Group
Public Health Assurance Report: Three assurance reports were presented to the SCPB by Public Health including the Public Health rapid review action plan, Public Health services overview and clinical
audit report on child growth.
Child Criminal Exploitation Screening Report: The briefing provided a current picture of child exploitation in NEL. There has been a reduced number of children for discussion at MACE, and an action is in place for all agencies to ensure exploitation is high on the agenda. Current arrangements will be further strengthened through the delivery of the SCP Child Exploitation Strategy and delivery Plan.
Safeguarding Education Audit: The board noted the audit, the purpose of which is to support educational establishments ensure they remain update with legislation and good practice and assure the SCPB that safeguarding procedures are in place and are effective. For the settings involved in the audit, the outcomes provided a high level of assurance across most areas including safeguarding training and
procedures. There was a 7% reduction in completion of the audit, due to schools completing their Trust audits, and the SCPB will consider how further assurance can be provided.
Children with Disabilities and Complex Health Needs Placed in External Provision: A benchmarking exercise was undertaken against the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel recommendations and the Governments response to develop a local position statement in response to the National Review of children with disabilities and complex health needs living in residential settings. A practice briefing and 7 minute briefing have been developed and shared with partner agencies in informing practice.
Learning and Practice
A rapid review was undertaken following a serious incident notification from Children’s Services to the three delegated safeguarding partners in respect of a case that met the serious harm criteria relating to neglect. A 7 minute briefing of the learning from practice has been developed.
Safeguarding Education and Learning: From June to September 2024, 27 courses were held and 392 people engaged in training, including but not exhaustive, introduction to safeguarding, intermediary safeguarding, neglect, domestic abuse and child exploitation.
View information around training opportunities
Impact of Safeguarding Training
‘Found the discussion on use of language in relation to neglect helpful. We had an interesting discussion on consent and safeguarding, as this training gets rolled out to the wider workforce I feel this could make a positive difference to our children and young people’ (Neglect Training)
‘This training has highlighted the importance of restorative practice. To always consider the ‘why’ in practice especially where there families aren’t engaging’ (Intermediary Safeguarding Children)
What next?
- Staff across the workforce to familiarise themselves with the RAF, Local Assessment Protocol, the SCP Annual Report, the Local Arrangements, the revised Early Help Strategy and the new Child Exploitation Strategy
- A partnership event will be held on the 9 December 2024 to celebrate the work of the partnership so far, to consider the Local Arrangements and to officially launch the Child Exploitation Strategy and revised Early Help Strategy
- Further face to face and virtual neglect training will be delivered from October 2024 delivered by Jane Wiffin and will be advertised shortly.
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