Agenda item

This report concerns revisions to statutory legislation which will result in the cessation of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs). LSCBs are required to publish arrangements by 29th June 2019 describing how they will safeguard children in their local authority area.

The Board is asked to:

1)   promote Child Safeguarding responsibilities as described in the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 to harness a coherent and effective approach to work across West and Pan Sussex safeguarding and partnership arenas;

2)   provide feedback on how best the WSSCP can utilise this opportunity to support the Partnership’s ambition to work innovatively across its wider networks via a Memorandum of Understanding; and

3)   support the WSSCP’s drive to improve services for children and their families across West Sussex following the recent Ofsted inspection; and use the voice of children to inform service improvements, particularly around the identification and response to children and young people who are at risk of or experiencing neglect.

17.1 The Board received a report presented by the Director of Children’s Services, the Head of Safeguarding and the Head of Safeguarding and Looked After Children from Sussex and East Surrey CCGson the West Sussex Local Safeguarding Children Partnership (WSSCP) arrangements.

17.2 This report outlined revisions to statutory legislation which would result in the cessation of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB). The LSCB would be required to publish arrangements describing how they would safeguard children in the local authority area by 29 June 2019 and implement these arrangements within 3 months of this publication date.

17.3 It was noted that under the new legislation the local authority was no longer the lead child safeguarding agency.  There would be three lead local safeguarding partners who would hold an equal and joint responsibility; Clinical Commissioning Groups, police and the local authority.

17.4 Members of the Board were advised that the WSSCP arrangements would be published to the WSSCP website during the week commencing 24 June 2019, simultaneously sharing the arrangements with the Department of Education.  The WSSCP Business Plan priorities would be signed off in early August 2019 to inform the partnership’s work until March 2021. A Collaborative Working Agreement between the Health and Wellbeing Board, Safeguarding Adults Board, the WSSCP and the Safer West Sussex Partnership would be finalised to ensure effective multi-agency collaboration.

17.5 It was noted that the Chairman of the WSSCP would now undertake a scrutiny role, holding partners to account.

17.6 In discussing the report, the Independent Chair of the Adults Safeguarding Board emphasised the need for the Chairs of the partners to work closely together right across the area to fully understand the pressures and best methodology.  The Board welcomed the opportunity for joined up working and shared responsibilities, this included a joint approach and closer working between Adult and Children’s Safeguarding.

17.7 Board Members agreed that a focus should be on how to collect data and how to helpfully pass this on.  It was noted that people did not always know what to look for and it was suggested that simple pointers should be developed to encourage confidence and appropriate referrals. The Chief Executive of Adur & Worthing Borough Council offered to pilot this approach. Healthwatch offered engagement as an organisation that could provide links in a non-threatening way.

17.8 Resolved that the Board:

a)   Promotes Child Safeguarding responsibilities as described in the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 to harness a coherent and effective approach to work across West and Pan Sussex Safeguarding Partnership areas;

b)   Provided feedback on how best the WSSCP can utilise this opportunity to support the Partnership’s ambition to work innovatively across its wider networks via a Collaborative Working Agreement; and

c)    Support the WSCCP’s drive to improve services for children and their families across West Sussex following the recent Ofsted Inspection and use the voice of children to inform service improvements, particularly around identification and response to children and young people who are at risk of experiencing neglect.