Agenda item

Context

The purpose of this report is to seek approval to create a Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service Manager to provide leadership to whole authority safeguarding and manage the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit.

KEY ISSUES:

      i.        Safeguarding children and adults at risk has the very highest priority in Monmouthshire County Council. Safeguarding is recognised as everybody’s business and considerable progress has been made over the last 5 years to systematically embed safeguarding culture, knowledge and practice in every area of the Council’s responsibility. There are, however, areas where the understanding and operation of safeguarding are not yet of the standard they need to be. We need to be constantly vigilant in understanding the effectiveness of our governance and assurance systems.

     ii.        The Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit has a very important role in supporting safeguarding in Monmouthshire. The Unit works with directorates to support them to understand their safeguarding responsibilities and improve their practice. The Council has developed a SAFE self-assessment tool which has recently been reviewed and strengthened to incorporate adult as well as children’s safeguarding. An analysis of the Unit, and its ability to deliver its’ purpose, has highlighted the need to strengthen leadership and capacity to ensure it is fit for purpose; i.e. to enable it to support to all parts of the Council in their self –evaluation and analysis and improvement actions arising from their evaluation.

    iii.        The Service Manager post recommended in this report will ensure manage a Joint Children and Adult safeguarding unit comprising the following functions: independent review of Looked After Children (LAC), co-ordination of child protection and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA), safeguarding in education and corporate safeguarding. The postholder will works with a variety of partners both internal and external to the Council. and be the main operational link to the Gwentwide Children and Adult Safeguarding Boards which are now on a statutory footing. The postholder will also be responsible for driving up standards and good safeguarding practice within the borders of Monmouthshire and across Council services. The post-holder will be part of the Children’s Social Services division within Social Care and Health and as such the changes proposed in this report would amend the structure approved by Cabinet in January 2017

Member Scrutiny

The report was presented and the following comments were made:

The Cabinet Member, Social Care, Safeguarding and Health endorsed the contents of the report and reminded Select Committee that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and , as such, there will always be a need for training and more education as staff and circumstances change in our large organisation. 

Members supported the importance of the proposal and clarification was sought on the recruitment timeline.  It was confirmed that, if approved, the post could be filled within two months.  It was explained that the post does not have to be advertised externally.

A Member challenged why the Welsh Government made no additional funding available to cover such a post in view of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.  It was explained that lots of questions were asked about resource impact assessment as the proposals for the Act progressed.  The move to a more preventative approach, and early intervention, advice and assistance has resulted in a significant reduction of older people in care homes and this has had a positive impact on the adult social care budget.  It was explained that by placing safeguarding vulnerable adults on the same statutory footing as safeguarding children increases the demand for resources e.g. for training, quality assurance requirements etc. but with no dedicated resources.  It was added that there is a Delivering Transformation Grant available from next year in the Revenue Support Grant (RSG) but this also has to contribute to the operation of the regional partnership.

It was queried where the post sits in the organisation structure and if the post holder will oversee other units in the council. In response, it was explained that a central unit can provide leadership, policy and guidance, and assurance but will be required to work across the organisation.

Recommendations

      i.        That members approve and endorse the proposal for creation of a Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service Manager and the revised structure for the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service Unit.

     ii.        Members agree to reserve fund the c£60k for 2017/18. The budget will need to be substantially into the 2018/19 budget round.