Agenda item

An early draft of the Southwark Safeguarding Children Board’s Annual Safeguarding Board Report  2012/13 is attached, along with a presentation from the Independent Children Safeguarding Board Chair.

7.1  The chair welcomed the new safeguarding chair, Michael O’Connor, and added he was pleased the Safeguarding Chair was attending to present the draft report. He noted previous concerns the committee had raised concerning delays in the reports production. The safeguarding chair explained he was a qualified social worker who had previously worked as a strategic director of social services for a London borough and that he was also a school governor and trustee for a children’s cancer charity. He explained that the report had been delayed partly because of a change in the chair on the safeguarding board, but also because of big policy changes, including that now the safeguarding report will be part of the inspection regime.

7.2   He emphasized the importance of getting the report right and explained that this report focuses on the past whereas as there will be more of a focus moving forward. This will include work on streamlining the Common Assessment Form (CAF), the number of children on child protection plans, the issue of neglect and its complex links to poverty, drugs and alcohol. He explained that there is also a focus on child sexual exploitation, both preventing and assist children who have been exploited. There will also be more of a focus on Looked After children, and particularly those who go missing. The safeguarding chair said there is a need to integrate plans, particularly those affecting troubled families, violent youth and domestic abuse.

7.3  The chair asked the safeguarding chair if he would consider the report on bullying and improving peer relationships, which the committee is completing. The safeguarding chair responded that he would and he was also interested generally in the suggestions and concerns for the committee.  The chair commented that the committee had for some time been focused on the evidence that supporting parents to enable them to parent better is very effective at achieving good outcomes for children. He asked if the safeguarding chair was aware of any initiatives that use parents to mentor other parents. He responded that he had not but he had focused more on the effectiveness of ‘recovery plans’ which do look at role models. The chair commented that families that have informal support do seem to be better able to head off greater problems. Kerry Crichlow commented that mentoring can be effective with young people and children’s services have supported a couple of programmes which support parents; HomeStart has proved the most effective. The safeguarding chair emphasized the importance of early intervention.

7.4  The safeguarding chair commented that interventions with primary schools can be very good. The head teacher’s executive commented that one of the issues at primary schools is that more and more adults have Mental Health issues, and these are impacting on children. The chair referred to the recovery model and said that often mental health issues are a feature. He also added that often parents might not meet the threshold for services - but children services are talking to providers to see what can be done so problems do not spiral , and added that  there is a cost saving here if work can been done with parents with low level mental health problems. Rory Paterson added that work is done with families at Children’s Centers.

7.1  The safeguarding chair reported that there will be a session for young people to give their views sometime next year.

7.2  A member asked about plans to improve and streamline the common assessment processes for the CAF. Rory Patterson said that this is taking place across London and there is a national process - there have been various pilots. He reported that this should result in a better process for all families - and be particularly helpful for disabled families.

7.3  The safeguarding chair was asked if he intended to go to the corporate parenting panel He explained that he is still new to the role and had not got a grip on all areas yet , however he promised to review information from  this committee as he agree it was a  key area for safeguarding and he will think about attending.

7.4  The chair indicated that an update on the areas under development would be helpful, as well as the final report.

RESOLVED

Circulate the final Safeguarding report as soon as it is ready.

The safeguarding chair will be return in 6 months time to provide an update