Agenda item

The Cabinet considered the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB) Annual Report 2015/16 and the progress of the work of the Board.  The details were set out in the report and its Appendix.

Derek Benson, the independent Chair of WSCB, presented the Annual Report 2015/16. He commented that he had taken up the position of Independent Chairman from 1 April 2016. The Board could not in 2015/16 be assured of the effectiveness and robustness of the Council's child protection system. The processes had demonstrated a strong commitment to safeguarding and arrangements were in place but they needed to improve be more co-ordinated to deliver a better service for the children and young people of Worcestershire.

There had been improvements in some areas but not at the pace expected. The improvements had had to be delivered against the backdrop of a reduced resource base and increased demand. There had been investment but this needed to be replicated in service provision. It was important that partnership work was effective and the Board would hold partners to account. The Council also needed to be mindful of the Implications of the Wood Review and the Government's response would impact on local arrangements particularly with the possible removal of statutory status for local safeguarding boards. As part of its work the Board focussed on the following key areas: the implications of the Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy, Early Help, the Integrated Family Front Door, and Children's Social Care Back to Basics Improvement Programme.

As of November, he was optimistic that the Council was adopting the right approach.  He had seen a step change since the summer and improved stability in senior leadership.  The Board would be looking to seek assurances going forward in relation to monitoring the level of staff turnover, the ratio of experienced staff to newly qualified staff, caseloads and the complexity of work. The Board had seen improvements in practice and case load reduction. There were no Serious Case Reviews to report. The multi-agency case file audit had seen improved information sharing. In terms of the audit process, compliance and commitment from partners was good but there still needed to be better use of the phasing system.  Since April, the Board had streamlined governance and upped the pace of change. He noted that safeguarding was not the responsibility just of the Council and the Board would continue to challenge practices in a constructive manner.

In the ensuing discussion, the following main points were made:

(a)     The Cabinet Member for Children and Families commented that he was pleased with the feedback in terms of the Council's progress. The report was a fair assessment of the Council's approach to safeguarding and reaffirmed the progress made so far whilst recognising that there areas of work that required improvement in the future. The report looked back to 2015/16 and he was pleased with the comments made about recent improvements, whilst recognising the need to improve;

(b)    The Leader stated that it was important to ensure that progress continued in improving safeguarding services and at pace. The approach to safeguarding needed to be a multi-agency whole Worcestershire approach. How did the Independent Chairman consider that the Council was progressing and how was partnership work evolving?

(c)     Derek Benson stated that the Integrated Family Front Door initiative was in its infancy in terms of bringing agencies together but he was encouraged by progress in tackling risks to date. There was a lack of input from the education representatives and this was something that needed to be rectified. He recognised that relationships between the Children Safeguarding Board and the Health and Well-being Board, the Corporate Parenting Board, the Adult Safeguarding Board and the Community Safety Board were good but could be strengthened. A constructive relationship with the Director of Children and Families was important and since the summer, he had had increased access to Chief Officers and the Cabinet Member;

(d)    What could be done to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation in the community? Derek Benson responded that the Police had a role in gathering information but this was not yet complete. There was a Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy which needed further work to re-energise it. There was a delicate balance between raising awareness and increasing fear. The position needed to be reached where the complete picture in Worcestershire was understood to establish where there were areas of vulnerability, who needed to be engaged with and create an environment where victims were encouraged to come forward;  

(e)    Children who had been sexually abused were often less likely to disclose the fact to anyone. Was there a role for schools in identifying changes in behaviour as a sign post of potential abuse? Derek Benson indicated that the Board had a good engagement with officers in educational services although there was always room for improvement. In terms of the triage process, education had access to valuable information about children. It was important to access that information and as well as share information with schools to help them. The Board had a responsibility and on-going commitment to provide multi agency training; 

(f)     A Member from outside the Cabinet raised a query about the success of the Early Help Strategy given that referrals to Children Social Care were still increasing and the demand outweighing the capacity of commissioned-out services. Derek Benson indicated that the Board acknowledged that the Early Help Service was under pressure and the Board would monitor progress. The Board would seek reassurance about what was being done to address the risks;

(g)    How well was the problem of vulnerable young people on line being addressed? Derek Benson acknowledged that the vulnerability of young people on line was a major issue. The key was to speak to young people and understand their vulnerabilities. A lot of work had been undertaken to spread awareness about the risks and how to tackle them. Young people were more vulnerable in their own home than ever before and that required a multi-agency approach with the Police and education having a key role. The Board's role was to monitor the work and ensure that it was as effective as possible;

(h)    The Council was seeking to provide a more effective and targeted Early Help Service. What was the Board's view on progress made to date? Derek Benson commented that work had been undertaken with Children's social care in relation to the guidance/threshold provided to frontline practitioners so they understood the services available and how they best met the needs of young people; and

(i)      The Leader proposed and it was agreed that Cabinet should expressly confirm its commitment to supporting the recommendations in the Report to improve the safeguarding of children.  He thanked Derek Benson for all of his work as Independent Chair of the Board and the impact he had made since his appointment.

RESOLVED:  that

(a)       the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2015/16 be received;

(b)       the progress of the work of the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Board be noted; and

(c)      the Council's commitment to supporting the recommendations in the Report to improve the safeguarding of children be confirmed.