Agenda item

Context:

The purpose of this report is to provide information so that members can scrutinise the work of the South East Wales Safeguarding Children Board (SEWSCB) and the alignment between local and regional activity in children’s safeguarding. Information is provided regarding the contribution made by Monmouthshire County Council officers to the work of the board.

Key Issues:

1. The South East Wales Safeguarding Children Board (SEWSCB) has the statutory responsibility to provide the strategic lead in the region in relation to the safeguarding of children and promotion of their welfare, as enshrined in the Children Act 2004 and The Social Services and Well-being Act (Wales) 2014 and accompanying guidance, ‘Working Together to Safeguard

People’ Volume 1.

2. The South East Wales region incorporates Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen. From April 1st, 2013, the SEWSCB has replaced the five former Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) in Gwent.

3. The SEWSCB’s purpose is to lead, co-ordinate and ensure the effectiveness of multi-agency safeguarding children practice in the region, both through its own programme of activity and through the challenge it provides to partner organisations.

4. The SEWSCB vision is that: All children and young people in South East Wales are protected from abuse and neglect, live in safe homes and communities and are supported to achieve their full potential.

5. This means:

 Making sure that children are protected from abuse, neglect and exploitation;

 Preventing abuse, neglect or exploitation; and

 Ensuring that children are growing up in safe homes, schools and communities and creating opportunities to enable children to have optimum life chances so that they can enter adulthood successfully.

 Ensuring that the well-being of children and young people is at the core of all levels of service provision

6. The Board has identified four strategic priorities to focus on over the three years (2016 – 2019):

 Reducing the effects of compromised parenting on children’s well-being

 Improving our work with adolescents who exhibit risky behaviours

 Ensuring the continued effectiveness of safeguarding practice during the implementation and transition of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014

 Improving the effectiveness of the Regional Safeguarding Children Board

7. Monmouthshire is well-represented across the Business structure of the SEWSCB (see annexe 2). The Head of Children’s Services is a Board member, chairs the Quality Assurance Sub-Group and is a member of the Case Review Group and Business Planning Group. Members of the Safeguarding Unit are required within their Job Descriptions to participate in the work of the board at sub-group level providing the operational link and fostering alignment between the work of the board and the local activity within Monmouthshire. From its inception, Monmouthshire officers have played a key role in shaping and influencing the work of the Board.

8. The Children’s Services improvement plan and the quality assurance arrangements within the social care directorate accord with the strategic intent of the SEWSCB regarding children and young people living free from abuse and neglect and living in safe homes and communities where they are supported to reach their full potential.

9. Under the (draft) quality assurance processes for the SEWSCB Monmouthshire County Council is obliged to undertake an audit of its safeguarding arrangements as part of its duties under section 135 Social Services and Well-being Act (Wales) 2014 and report by exception to the Board. Safeguarding issues / outcomes from regulatory inspections and reviews within Monmouthshire also must be reported to the Board.

10. Specific alignment between Monmouthshire and the work of the Board include:

 Participation in undertaking multi-agency supervision for children on the child protection register, particularly where children remain on the register at the second review;

 Participation in Multi-agency Sexual Exploitation meetings (MASE) and operation Makesafe;

 Leading training and ensuring that SEWSCB is accessible to Monmouthshire workforce;

 Establishing Safeguarding Learning Networks;

 Disseminating lessons learning from child practice reviews undertaken within the Gwent across Monmouthshire practitioners;

 Taking a lead role in young people’s participation activity;

 Leading on the development of some key regional guidance;

 Working in accordance with regional processes / procedures (e.g. for the management of professional allegations).

11. Moving forward, and as part of the actions identified within the Safeguarding SIP, the Safeguarding Unit will report to Members on the work of the SEWSCB on an annual basis.

Member Scrutiny:

A Member asked if they were able to access the training offered by Gwent Safeguarding.

In relation to the Board for Strategic Priorities it was asked for specific improvements in the risky behaviour of adolescents.

The implementation of best practice was commented on with members seeing this as an important improvement tool.

A Member applauded the engagement work taking place with young people and asked what routes are used to get the information from young people.

It was asked how the group knows it is performing well and does each authority use tools such as peer assessment reviews.

A Member asked if any thought had been given at a regional level as to how Elected Members could exercise their corporate parent role.

Parallels were pointed out between the work of the board and of the EAS.