Agenda and minutes
PDF 186 KBVenue: Ground Floor Meeting Room G02A - 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH. View directions
Contact: Julie Timbrell Email: Julie.Timbrell@southwark.gov.uk
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Apologies
To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillors Victoria Olisa and Bill Williams. |
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Notification of any items of business which the chair deems urgent
In special circumstances, an item of business may be added to an agenda within five clear working days of the meeting. Minutes: There were none. |
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Disclosure of Interests and Dispensations
Members to declare any interests and dispensations in respect of any item of business to be considered at this meeting. Minutes: Cllr Martha Linforth - Hall, said she would be giving a report on her work as Director of Su Mano Amiga for the item on Domestic Abuse in Families.
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Minutes
To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the open section of the meeting on 17 November 2021. Supporting documents: Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 2021 were agreed as an accurate record.
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Interview with the Independent Safeguarding Chair
The commission will interview the Independent Safeguarding Board Chair, Anna Berry, of Southwark Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) and Southwark Safeguarding Adults Board (SSAB) along with the Safeguarding Executive:
· David Quirke-Thornton - Strategic Director of Children’s and Adults Services, Southwark Council · Clair Kelland - D/Supt, Public Protection, MPS · Sam Hepplewhite - Place-Based Director (Southwark), NHS SEL CCG
The latest Southwark Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report and Southwark Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report is enclosed.
Supporting documents: Minutes: The Independent Safeguarding Board Chair, Anna Berry, of Southwark Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) and Southwark Safeguarding Adults Board (SSAB) introduced the work of the partnership boards.
The chair then invited questions and the Independent Chair addressed these with support from the Safeguarding Executive:
· David Quirke-Thornton - Strategic Director of Children’s and Adults Services, Southwark Council
· Clair Kelland - D/Supt, Public Protection, MPS
· Sam Hepplewhite - Place-Based Director (Southwark), NHS SEL CCG
Commission members then asked the following questions:
· What has been the impact on mental health of children during the pandemic?
The risks to children have changed .The partnership have learnt about risks outside of the home, and how important it is to consider and engage with schools, families and the community. There is a need for good connectivity. Extra familiar harm is an important feature of last 18 months. There is an adolescent sub group to look at themes of exploitation including CSE, serious youth violence, as well as the intersection with Domestic Abuse. This also includes looking at Peer on Peer abuse. The ‘Everyone invited’ website had a significant number of hits, many from independent schools in Southwark, so our work includes linking with these schools.
The Strategic Director added that hospital staff in A & E and other front line partners have highlighted the intensity and fragility of some relationships during lockdown. Keeping schools open became become very important. Southwark had already opened the NEST – and there was outreach to schools and the council provided some open access services. In some cases we were reminded how resilient our children were. The laptops the council provided enabled many children to engage with learning. There were also children in Barry House (asylum seekers) who accessed school which really helped. Lockdown impacted in different ways as not all people started from the same place, and poverty added to existing strains.
· Members asked about bullying, grooming, radicalisation and forced marriages which do occur in Southwark and asked how this is being addressed through training, particularly given the strain on staff through the pandemic.
The Independent Chair said there is training and with an evaluation of the impact. The ‘learning hub’ addresses training, as well as more broadly communicating and effectiveness. Rather than looking at issues and data in isolation the Safeguarding Partnership conduct deep dives, and look at interrelated issues and arrangements and how these work for people.
· The Commission asked about Safeguarding of children during the pandemic and elder abuse.
Member were told that alerts were as high, if not higher , for elder abuse which was reassuring in a way as it indicated that abuse was not were not hidden.
There are a 100 more child protection plans in place, which is indicative of pandemic pressures , including schools raising matters.
· Members asked about FGM; commenting that this is still being perpetrated in Africa and unfortunately even in Southwark. She asked about training generally and if there more councillors can do on this, particularly thinking about the new ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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Domestic Abuse in the family
This item will inform a mini review by the commission on Domestic Abuse and Violence in the Family – the scrutiny review scope is enclosed.
The session will hear from:
· Community Safety council officers – a report is enclosed. · Probation service, including their in-house programme for perpetrators. · Early Family Help services delivered by the council - a report is enclosed. · Solace Women’s Aid. · Yuva, particularly work with young people who have been abusive to their parents/carers and in their close relationships and the Domestic Violence Intervention Project. · Police, on specialised work and partnership work - presentation is enclosed. · Councillor Leanne Werner; Deputy Cabinet Member for Domestic Abuse · Bede House · Su Mano Amiga · Other voluntary and community organisations, to be confirmed.
Supporting documents: Minutes: The following contributed to the session:
The chair invited participants to give and overview of their role and also to put forward recommendations for Southwark to improve our practice in tackling Domestic Abuse in Families.
Sharon Ogden, Safer Communities Team Manager, gave a brief overview of her report circulated with the agenda. She suggested more early intervention, as services tend to work at crisis point, and also more work with perpetrators - again using an early intervention model.
Jenny Brennan, Assistant Director Family Early Help & Youth Justice gave an overview of her report. In terms of further work she spoke about the challenge of finding a model to work with fathers which enables them to stay engaged as parents while keep children and families safe. This includes work to support people to manage conflict better, rather than causing harm. The service want fathers to parent their children, however the Assistant Director said there is a need to for behaviour change and to provide effective support for fathers who are not suitable for the DVIP programme either owing to lack of acceptance of domestic abuse behaviour, or who are unable to engage with the 26 weeks programme. She suggested a targeted engagement programme could build on the work currently undertaken by the fathers group work programme.
In addition there are Mental Health issues and potential cycles of abuse, where teenagers can trigger mothers and act out poor conflict behaviour, which are also a challenge.
She would like to see increased engagement of schools with Project Encompass and promotion as part of the Team around the Schools approach.
Catarina Sousa, YUVA Area Manager and Michelle Ellingham, Yuva ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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Work Programme
Supporting documents: Minutes: An additional meeting will be added, if possible, to consider evidence from unions for the workforce review.
The chair and the vice chair are in correspondence with officers regarding a letter from South London Refugee Association to the commission members regarding care leavers and work with trafficked children. |