Agenda item

The Cabinet considered the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2016-17. The details were set out in the report.

Derek Benson, the Independent Chair and Sue Haddon, the Board Manager presented the Annual Report 2016-17 and made the following comments:

·         The report set out progress up to the end of March 2017 and it was acknowledged that a lot had happened since that date

·         Ofsted had undertaken a review of the effectiveness of the Board and concluded that the Board required improvement to be graded as good. As a result an action plan had been devised and good progress had been made in this respect

·         The Board had focussed on healthy relationships, child exploitation, Early Help provision, the integrated Family Front Door and appropriate thresholds, young people at the point of transition, children with disabilities and strengthening the Board's learning and improvement framework

·         Child Sexual Exploitation – A revised plan was in place and this was progressing satisfactorily

·         Early Help – This remained a significant area of concern with uncertainty about the Early Help offer in Worcestershire, the pathway to access the offer, whether there was sufficient capacity to meet demand in commissioned services and whether partner agencies were aware of their role

·         Family Front Door – Following its launch in 2016, the service faced significant pressure in terms of inappropriate application of thresholds and whether processes and procedures were sufficiently robust

·         Young People at the point of transition – The Board needed to work closely with the Safeguarding Adult Board to improve service provision

·         No serious case reviews had been commissioned

·         The Board had requested a report from the Health and Well-being Board on the work of the Child Death Overview Panel

·         The Board had met its statutory duties although there was a degree of uncertainty going forward with possible changes to the legislation proposed by the Government

·         There was a strong commitment amongst partner organisations to safeguarding however there had been systematic failings that had left children susceptible to harm. Progress was being made and strategies were in place to address the significant challenges going forward. 

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

·         Although further assurance was required, the report recognised that progress was being made. It should be acknowledged that the Council took safeguarding of children very seriously

·         The Chairman of the Children and Families Scrutiny Panel expressed a concern about the Government's proposals to no longer proceed with Safeguarding Boards as statutory organisations and replace them with purely local arrangements. The Council's focus should be on improvement of service provision not the  process itself

·          It was crucial that all members, officers and partner organisations were supportive of the work going on in Children's Services

·         A member from outside the Cabinet queried the different level of emphasis on the provision of the Early Help service by the Board in comparison with Ofsted. Derek Benson responded that Ofsted was required to select particular priority areas to investigate whereas the Board had a more general overview with the involvement of partner organisations. It did not mean that the Early Help service was any less of a focus for Ofsted. The Leader added that Ofsted had highlighted four key areas and the Council considered them to be equally important. He suspected that the Early Help service would be the subject of a future Ofsted visit

·         The Cabinet Member for Children and Families commented that alongside the progress being made to improve performance, the Council was also required to present new ways of doing things. The Council could learn from the issues that arise from the regular national serious case reviews  

·         A member from outside the Cabinet expressed concern about the number of cases that were referred directly to the Family Front Door without any Early Help support. Derek Benson commented that it was important to have processes in place to ensure that referrals were made at the right time, to the right level and through the appropriate route

·         In response to a query about the Government's review of safeguarding, Derek Benson argued that although processes could always be improved, he considered that progress had been made locally and the Government's review was necessary

·         The Leader thanked Derek Benson and Sue Haddon for their report. There was evidence (recognised by Ofsted) that progress was being made but he recognised that the Council needed to continue to improve and this would take some time.   

RESOLVED: that

a)    the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2016/17 be received; and

b)    the progress of the work of the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Board be noted.