Agenda item

5.1  The chair explained that the Independent Safeguarding chair had been invited to come to  the committee meeting for the annual interview  , but a domestic matter prevented his attendance, however he will attend the September meeting. The chair explained that it had been anticipated that the meeting would consider the draft Annual Safeguarding Board Report (ASBR), but this will not now be ready until the autumn. The chair said unfortunately the background reasons for the delay had not been discussed in detail with scrutiny members; however a positive meeting with senior officers had been very helpful in explaining the reasons.

5.2  Rory Patterson,  Director, Children's Social Care  and Ann Flynn, Safeguarding Children Board Development Manager,  explained that the report was delayed because significant national policy and performance changes had taken place in recent months that include overhauling of the Working Together Guidance, which is the key governance document of the board’s work , and the Ofsted Framework for Safeguarding and Looked After Children’s Services,  published in June, which significantly raises the bar for the board  and includes an inspection judgement on its effectiveness. There have also been changes to the national data collection timetables with final figures available at the end of July rather than the previous spring timeframe. A recent board discussion concluded that the most effective use of the ASBR would be to undertake a self assessment using the board’s work over the past year against the revised governance frameworks. The work on the ASBR will be taken forward over the summer, with first draft going to the November Executive Safeguarding Board.

5.3  The Director of Children’s Social Care said that the board is now undertaking a thorough self evaluation which will inform the plan. He reported that the recent inspection found that overall Southwark’s safeguarding is good and with some outstanding work. There are some challenges, for example children’s progress on the Child Protection Plan and how long they remain on there. He explained there is a question about how effective the interventions are and there is an investment in lots of training. He said that the service is transparent and do not  get defensive. The service is going through a major period of change following the Monroe report with refresher training and changing structures. He reported that the service is focused on the ‘troubled families’ agenda, tackling  inter - generational worklessness , sexual exploitation, with a particularly  big focus on childhood neglect.

5.4  The chair mentioned the concerns raised over the timetable and process of bring regular reports to the scrutiny committee and remarked that over the last few years there has been year on year slippage. The Director responded that the board are required to produce the report ‘in year’, but best practice is in the first quarter and he said that he thought the service should be producing the report in this period.

5.5  A member asked if lessons have been learned from Rochdale and Oxford child abuse investigations and the Director responded that the services do take learning from major reports and how agencies can work together. The service looks to pick up the learning and build this into its work programme.

5.6  The Director was then asked about the after affects on children of traumatic incidents and how the service provides after-support.  The Director said that every child and family is offered support. Some will have more supportive families but others will need our support as children, and this applies particularly to children in care where Southwark is the corporate parent, and this is ongoing.

5.7  A member  asked about the recommendation made by the last committee that the board do more to address the risk of harm from witchcraft and spirit possession in their child protection and safeguarding work, and that there is a particular need for engagement work with faith group communities and leaders. The Safeguarding Manager explained that this recommendation has been reviewed and the service is linking up with faith communities. She explained that the service is conducting a phone survey followed by a meeting, and that faith community members have been asked about witchcraft, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and also styles of discipline. A member suggested that a phone survey on these questions could result in the phone being put down and recommended building up relationships through face to face conversations. The officer explained that that the service is engaging people both via a forum and by telephone. Another member emphasised the importance of visiting churches and building up trust.

5.8  A member asked the Director to explain what he meant by children coming ‘off  a Child Protection Plan’ and he explained that this meant children are being taken away from their families, which  is progress,  he said, because before often children would came off plans and then go back on again. He said that more children are being adopted, and numbers have increased from 20 to now 28 per year and he is expecting this to go up further through increased investment. He added there has been system change in the speed of court processes. He added that the service has written out to groups, such as faith groups, encouraging potential adopters to come forward and there has been a much more positive response. The Director said that Southwark has the highest rate of care proceedings in the country, and  alongside adoptions there are guardianships, resident orders and permanent fostering.

5.9  A member asked if Children’s Services worked with fostering agencies and he said that yes, they work with volunteer fostering agencies locally and nationally.

5.10  The Director was asked how the service supports children in terms of educational support, particularly if there is a change in their home arrangement, and he explained that they have a virtual head teacher who advocates on their behalf.

RESOLVED

The new Independent Chair of the Safeguarding Children Board will be invited to attend the next committee meeting