Agenda item

The West Sussex Safeguarding Children’s Partnership (WSSCP) is required to produce an annual report providing an overview of its key achievements against its business plan priorities.  The Health and Wellbeing Board does not have a role in approving or endorsing this annual report as it is a partnership document. It will be presented to the board, for information, as a key partner and as WSSCP activities aligns with the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy outcomes.

40.1   Chris Robson, the Independent Chairman of the West Sussex Safeguarding Children’s Partnership (WSSCP) presented the WSSCP (WSSCP) statutory annual report to the Board (copy appended to the agenda available on the website).  It was explained that the  Health and Wellbeing Board does not have a role in approving or endorsing this annual report as it is a partnership document. It was presented to the board, for information, as a key partner and as WSSCP activities align with the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy outcomes.

40.2   In presenting the report the following key points were made;

·       The West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership (WSSCP) was noted as being led by three Strategic Lead Partners: Police, Health and the Local Authority, working together as joint and equal partners to shape arrangements which respond to local need with the vision of an assured safeguarding partnership which collectively engages with children and families enabling them to thrive.

·       Key safeguarding volume data was highlighted detailing the scale of workload. There were over 46k contacts with 9k becoming referrals and over 5k open to Children’s Social Care.

·       The WSSCP Independent Chairman informed that he had wanted the annual report to reflect upon and recognise the hard work of professionals, including Social Workers.

·       The annual report was noted as a public facing document, aiming to reassure the public that the safeguarding work will ensure core practice is of high quality, is responsive to the needs of the community and improves outcomes for children and families in West Sussex.

·       The WSSCP Governance arrangements were outlined in the report, enabling the partnership to deliver against the priority areas of neglect, child exploitation and ensuring an effective multi-agency Safeguarding practice. 

·       Figures showed that in West Sussex 61% of the total number of children who are subject to child protection plans was due to neglect. This was noted as higher than the national average. It was explained that this could be seen as a positive as it reflected practitioners’ improved ability to identify and therefore address neglect. An audit was noted as being undertaken during 2022/23 to test this hypothesis.

·       It was noted the partnership had a duty to consider and, if necessary, undertake Rapid Reviews and Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews.

·       The WSSCP Training Programme offer was outlined as having been well received and the numbers of practitioners booking a place had been maintained.

·       Thanks were given to the Director of Childrens Services (DCS) for her exceptional work.

40.3   In receiving the annual report Board members;

·       welcomed the WSSCP annual report as useful and thanked the Independent Chairman, partners, professionals, social workers and the DCS for their hard work;

·       recognised the dynamic partnership and excellent work produced;

·       suggested that health sectors could participate in receiving the multi-agency training that is designed to improve responses to neglect across all agencies. The DCS agreed to explore this further with the Executive Managing Director West Sussex, NHS Sussex outside of the meeting.

40.4   Resolved – that the WSSCP Annual Report and progress in delivering business plan priorities be noted.