To consider a report with
regard to ‘New Safeguarding Children Partnership Arrangements’ to be considered
by the Shadow Executive Committee at the meeting on 11 March 2019.
Minutes:
The committee considered a
report with regard to new Safeguarding Children Partnership Arrangements. The report noted that significant changes had
been made to multi-agency working as part of the Children and Social Work Act
2017. The Act abolished Local
Safeguarding Children Boards and created new duties and a system of collective
accountability for Clinical Commissioning Groups, local authorities and police
to make arrangements locally to safeguard and promote the welfare of children
in their area. Senior Leaders from the
relevant authorities had overseen and engaged in an option appraisal to
consider potential models and the outcome of this was that a Pan Dorset
Safeguarding Children Partnership would provide the most effective mechanism
for addressing current and emerging safeguarding children challenges.
A report was to be considered
by the Shadow Executive Committee on 11 March 2019 to formally approve the
proposal and the Shadow Overview and Scrutiny Committee was invited to consider
the proposals and support the recommendations to be presented to the Shadow
Executive Committee.
Members considered the issues
arising from the report and during discussion the following points were raised:
·
Members noted the
list of relevant agencies identified within the document and a question raised
as to whether this should include people who had gone through the care
system? It was noted that engagement
with service users was in the plan, however this point would be reported back
to senior leaders
·
It was noted that
children were sometimes looked after in police custody when there was no other
safe place for them to be placed. A
point was noted that responsibilities in this area needed to be reviewed. In response to these points, members noted
that work had been completed and a protocol was in place
·
In respect of
child death reviews, new legislation and guidance had increased the number of
deaths that each panel had to review in a year.
Discussions were currently being held with Somerset to establish cross
border working opportunities
·
A discussion was
held in respect of the training function in this area and it was noted that it
wasn’t anticipated that extra funding would be required for this
·
Reference was
made to funding from Dorset Police for the partnership and it was noted that
the police had been part of the discussion that had agreed the
arrangements. A request was made for
this point to be taken back to senior leaders as there may be a risk to funding
moving forward
·
Lead members
would be involved in the safeguarding partnership arrangements. Scrutiny of the arrangements would be
undertaken through each bodies’ scrutiny arrangements. Scrutiny arrangements for the Dorset Council
had been considered by the Governance Working Group. One of the scrutiny committees in the Dorset
Council would provide focus in this area in addition to focus through the lead
member
·
Ensuring and
increasing the involvement and input of children and families was currently
being looked at and arrangements in other areas who were early adopters of the
new arrangements, were being reviewed
·
A point was
raised with regard to the promotion of mental health, early identification and
intervention to address mental illness in children and young people. Although this was recognised as an important
issue, it was outside of the scope of the report being considered
·
A request was
made for kinship carers to be included in engagement as well as foster carers
·
Issues around
dispute resolution had been considered during the consultation period but had
not been included within the document.
This issue would be reviewed as the partnership was formed and started
to work together and a policy formed as to how disputes were resolved
·
The safeguarding
plan sought to establish an effective working relationship between the
agencies. The responsibilities of the
different agencies under relevant Acts were unchanged by the production of the
plan
·
A point was
raised with regard to liaison with agencies in other areas of the country where
this was required and again it was noted that the day to day workings in this
area remained unchanged. The document
set out how the agencies would work together
·
The partnership
arrangement set out the responsibilities of agencies and provided a facility
for the agencies to look together at particular areas and see where lessons
could be learnt. There may be a role for
the Dorset Council People Overview and Scrutiny Committee to undertake a review
once the new arrangements had been in place for a period of time
·
A recent review
had shown that further work was required in particular areas such as county
lines and child exploitation and a joint agency action plan had been put
together to address these issues
·
Reference was
made to the developing vision and priorities set out in the plan. The aim of the partnership was to provide an
overview of what each agency was doing in order to meet need and where there
was a need to collaborate in order to make improvements.
It
was proposed by N Lacey-Clarke seconded by J Sewell
Recommendation to the Shadow Executive Committee
1.
The Shadow
Executive Committee is requested to approve the Pan Dorset Safeguarding
Children Partnership Plan
2.
The Shadow
Executive Committee is requested to provide delegated authority to the Executive
Director – People (Children) for the plan to receive independent scrutiny ahead
of submission to the Secretary of State for Education by 29 June 2019.
Supporting documents: