Agenda item

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.

 

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 cohort to be elected and training opportunities?

 

The Place-Based Director NHS SEL CCG responded that training was kept up to date during the pandemic and some extra opportunities provided on FGM. There has been a big push to raise awareness of FGM as health professionals are at the front line. Health workers see people for often other issues but then it can become clear there are other issues and potentially FGM. The training was for broad range of staff including auxiliary, along with the cascading of information on how to act.  It was agreed that training for the new cohort of councillors is an opportunity and members said that previous training has been very useful in alerting councillors to FGM.

 

·  The Commission asked if such as large boards works.

 

Members were assured that there is active contributions from everybody. There are sub groups and task and finish groups. People are also very engaged.  There is a strong focus on learning, in particular, and looking at themes through a variety of means especially places and issues where the partnership can make a difference.

 

·  The Safeguarding Board representatives were asked about the conversion rate to investigation.

 

The Strategic Director said there is a conversation with people about outcomes, based on the ‘making safeguarding personal’ approach. Sometimes a mediation approach is better than intervention and protection – while sometimes accusations call for an investigation. 

 

 

 

Supporting documents: