Agenda item

- Christine Cassell to present

Christine Cassell, Chair of the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board, presented the Board's annual report 2016-17 with the aid of a powerpoint presentation, which outlined the role of the Board, its relationship to the Health and Wellbeing Board and the context for the 2016-17 annual report which was:-

·           Children and Social Work Act 2017

·           Continuing austerity

·           Increasing demands and expectations on public services that safeguard children

·           Brexit

·           Excellent commitment from partners locally to working together to improve the way that Rotherham children are kept safe

Rotherham LSCB Report 2016-17

Key messages about services and how they work together:-

·           Responses to children and families generally more timely

·           Early Help – better co-ordinated offer to families with good feedback.  Needs more multi-agency partner involvement

·           Assessment of risk or harm – issues in multi-agency practice

·           Looked After Children – initial health assessments and missing episodes children out of Rotherham

·           Neglect – high percentage of cases include elements of neglect – associated with parental issues of domestic abuse, mental ill health and substance misuse

Priorities for 2017-19

·           Early Help

·           Neglect

·           Safeguarding Looked After Children

·           Child Sexual Exploitation

·           The effectiveness of multi-agency decision making when a child is at risk of harm

·           Evidence of the child’s voice will be expected in all the above

Safeguarding is Everybody’s Business

·           Council

·           Statutory and non-statutory partners

·           Voluntary and community organisations

·           The wider community

Changes to LSCBs

·           Statutory guidance now out for consultation

·           Statutory requirement for LSCBs abolished

·           Local Authority, Health and Police become jointly responsible for the local Safeguarding arrangements to replace LSCBs

·           Challenge will be to ensure robust arrangements that engage the wider partnership e.g. schools

What should the HWB Board do?

·           Ensure a Safeguarding focus in commissioning decisions

·           Support LSCB priorities through the implementation of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy

·           Undertake Safeguarding impact assessments on major budget and organisational change

·           Report back to the LSCB, through the local protocol arrangements, on the impact of its work in support of LSCB priorities

It was noted that quarterly meetings took place between the Chair of the Children and Young People’s Partnership, Independent Chairs of the Adults and Children’s Boards, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and Chair of the Safer Rotherham Partnership, where the effectiveness of the Safeguarding Partnership Protocol was discussed and how they could continue to improve linkages between Boards and challenge each other where appropriate.

Discussion ensued with regard to the proposed abolition of LSCBs which was currently out to consultation.  It was felt that the tripartite response without an Independent Chair would result in it being no one agency’s responsibility.  Locally, areas could determine their own arrangements and it would depend upon local areas developing strong and robust arrangements rather than those robust arrangements being specified by the centre.  South Yorkshire Police had already submitted their response to the consultation.

It was felt that there was no reason why there could not still be an Independent Chair as other working parties/Improvement Boards had. 

The LSCB would be considering its response to the consultation documents at its meeting in December.

Christine was thanked for her report and the work of the Board.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board’s annual report 2016-17 be noted.

(2)  That Rob Odell share with the Board the consultation response submitted by South Yorkshire Police.

Action:-  Rob Odell

(3)  That the Health and Wellbeing Board’s concerns with regard to the proposed abolition of LSCBs be placed on record.

(4)  That all agencies be urged to respond to the consultation.

(5)  That the issue be raised at the Safeguarding Partnership Protocol Joint Chairs meeting that Kathryn Singh was due to Chair on 28^th December, 2017, with a suggestion that a joint Partnership response be submitted. 

Action: Sharon Kemp