1. Safeguarding children in Essex- making a difference together
Alison Cutler
Business Manager
Essex Safeguarding Children Board

2. Aims Myths and legends about the ESCB
Outline your role and responsibilities with regard to safeguarding
Highlight some key themes both nationally and locally for Safeguarding Boards arising from Serious Case Reviews
Outline current key activities of the ESCB
Set out how you can access further information

3. Responsibilities of ESCB
Duties for LSCB’s are set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children and Young People 2013:
‘To coordinate and ensure the effectiveness of what is done by agencies to safeguard and improve the welfare of children and young people.’

4. Responsibilities for all…
And… for everyone…
Effective safeguarding arrangements in every local area should be underpinned by two key principles:
safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part; and
a child-centred approach: for services to be effective they should be based on a clear understanding of the needs and views of children.

5. Responsibilities – what does this mean for LSCB?
Strategic
Statutory and voluntary sector partners
Oversight and challenge
Sub committees – training, policies, performance, health executive forum, district councils, communications
Statutory functions – Child Death Overview Panel, Serious Case Review Panel
Closely working with other Boards and local partnerships

6. Responsibilities of the voluntary sector
Paid and volunteer staff need to be aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, how they should respond to child protection concerns and make a referral to local authority children’s social care or the police if necessary
Everyone who works with children - including teachers, GPs, nurses, midwives, health visitors, early years professionals, youth workers, police, Accident and Emergency staff, paediatricians, voluntary and community workers and social workers - has a responsibility for keeping them safe.

7. Responsibilities – what does this mean for the voluntary sector?
Responsibilities for you include:
Senior leadership responsibility for organisation’s safeguarding arrangements
Staff induction to include safeguarding
Safe recruitment practices including DBS checks
Policy and procedures – SET procedures
Clear policies on what to do in case of an allegation

8. Serious Case Reviews Statutory duty of the LSCB
Set out in Working Together 2013
Multi agency
Systems approach – involving practitioners including the voluntary sector
Everyone plays a part
Published
Learning and impact on practice

9. Serious Case Reviews
Regulation 5 of the Local Safeguarding Children Boards Regulations sets out the functions of LSCBs. This includes the requirement for LSCBs to undertake reviews of serious cases in specified circumstances. Regulation 5(1) (e) and (2) set out an LSCB’s function in relation to serious case reviews, namely:
5 (1) (e) undertaking reviews of serious cases and advising the authority and their Board partners on lessons to be learned.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1) (e) a serious case is one where:
(a) abuse or neglect of a child is known or suspected; and
(b) either — (i) the child has died; or (ii) the child has been seriously harmed and there is cause for concern as to the way in which the authority, their Board partners or other relevant persons have worked together to safeguard the child.

10. Key SCR themes Serious case reviews nationally:
Failure to hear the voice of the child
Assumptions – eg about injuries and perpetrators
Rule of optimism
Domestic abuse, substance misuse, neglect, mental health issues
Poor information sharing
Focus on the adult not the child
Not ‘thinking the unthinkable’

11. Key SCR themes Serious case reviews locally:
Lack of assessment of significant adults especially males
Domestic abuse, mental health issues, substance misuse
Pre birth assessments
Information sharing

12. ESCB actions…. 2 year 2015 – 17 Business Plan setting out priorities
Training and learning – courses, conferences, e learning
Stay safe groups/partnership leads – closer linkages to the ESCB with issues affecting the ‘front line’
Improved and updated website to include more information
Regional and national links to share best practice and learning

13. ESCB actions continued….
SCR process being reviewed to ensure best practice and maximum impact
Review effectiveness of the Board and its sub groups – focus on learning, improvement and outcomes
Audits, reviews and challenge
Partnership working and joint initiatives eg with the Safeguarding Adult Board

14. ESCB actions continued….
SET Policies and procedures being updated – go live 16 March 2015
Child Sexual Exploitation – actions include newsletters, training
Prevention of youth suicide – resource pack
Voluntary sector support and engagement
Involvement of young people

15. How can we support you?
Training and learning – courses, conferences, e learning
Website and bulletins
Policies and procedures
Local links – eg stay safe groups, practitioner forums, partnership leads
Ongoing communication and conversations

16. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part

17. Any questions?

18. Keep up to date with the ESCB
Website
Twitter @EssexSafeguards