Think Family approaches to strategic safeguarding partnerships Think Family approaches to strategic safeguarding partnerships Suzanne Elwick – Head of Strategic Partnerships, London Borough Waltham Forest. 16 July 2018, Annual Principle Social Workers Conference

Think Family approaches to strategic safeguarding partnerships What I will talk about today The way we do it in Waltham Forest - Think Family and the why and how of setting up the strategic partnerships The structure and priorities of the four boards The One Panel – which considers referrals for all statutory and local reviews Learning and improving practice Challenges and outcomes/early impact

Think Family – the why and how of setting up the strategic partnerships Four strategic partnerships: WF Safeguarding Adults Board WF Safeguarding Children Board SafetyNet – community safety partnership Health and Wellbeing Board Why ? - Think Family approach Families are systems within other systems, so we need to work with the service user’s whole family, recognising the impact of different members, needs, influence and role, in order to support lasting change. Family means different things to different people. Building resilience and capacity through family and community. Why ? - Improving performance and impact of the boards Reduce duplication, more effective use of resources, streamline decision making, improving partners’ engagement and outcomes of the boards

Think Family – the why and how of setting up the strategic partnerships How? - Strategic Partnership Unit Change led by the LA, Deputy Chief Executive – board chairs and partners open to concept and to working together to achieve Equal policy support for the four boards and from one team instead of across the local authority in different directorates and different levels Strategic overview of all the work of the four boards which provides opportunities to reduce duplication and target resources Joined up strategic needs assessment to identify priorities for residents and then allocated to appropriate board, with cross cutting priority groups Joined up structure and uniformed approach - report templates, admin, challenge questions etc. Strategic Partnership Executive, board, business management group, subgroups alongside residents forums/inputs and lay members.

Priorities for the four Strategic Partnership Boards 2017/19 Supporting agencies to work together to improve outcomes in safety, safeguarding and wellbeing for residents in Waltham Forest We ensure residents influence the work of the boards in different ways.  We share learning with practitioners to improve practice.

Strategic Partnership Executive Business Management Groups Model of boards Strategic Partnership Executive Four Boards Residents voice via Safer Neighbourhood Board and Residents Forums for HWBB and SAB Business Management Groups Cross cutting themes Subgroups Task & finish groups

One Panel One Panel membership “The panel is a positive space to reflect on policies and procedures to ensure they are the most effective in safeguarding all children and adults and it has helped to reinforce the work needed across the partnership to do this” (one panel member) One Panel One Panel membership CSC, ASC, disability enablement service (0-25), secondary and acute health trust, Education, WFCCG, GP, Police, Community Safety, Early Help, YOS, Policy and Legal advisors, Chairs as observers Commissioned Think Family local learning review of mother with learning disabilities whose child was removed at birth. Commissions SCR and SAR – no recent referrals for Domestic Homicide Review Shared learning from experience from children's, joining with new ideas and approach in adults Proportionality and create new local methodologies informed by systems approach Inclusive of front line practitioners/managers and senior managers Refresh TOR in light of new Working Together 2018 Chief Social Worker for Adults Blog

Learning and improving practice Annual multi-agency audit programme 2017/18 Think family - alcohol and drugs, mental wellbeing. Single board; child neglect and making safeguarding personal, with local audit tool and report template. Range of bitesize guides – short practice videos on Think Family and single board themes

Learning and improving practice Think Family, Think Safeguarding (TFTS) event for voluntary, community, private and faith sector. Think Family speakers on domestic abuse in faith settings and Modern Slavery, plus safeguarding awareness, market place and bitesize guides. Bespoke poster designed to signpost to safeguarding advice and guidance.

Learning and improving practice “I am now going to look into more adult safeguarding to support the children in my care” (attendee at improving safeguarding) Safe and Well month in June 2018 – rise the profile of all the boards, connecting front line work to board priorities. Training events, seminars, spotlights on all 17 priorities. Including think family improving safeguarding practice – learning from statutory and local reviews and multi-agency audits. For example “Pressure Care and Self neglect can affect children too.”

Challenges and outcomes/early impact Joined up strategic needs assessment Cross cutting priorities, reducing duplication, more efficient use of resources and partners time Easier and quicker to identify new areas requiring focus, agree way forward e.g. cuckooing Ability to deliver joined up events e.g. TFTS and Safe and Well Modelling Think Family, e.g. improving safeguarding practice Emerging improvements in boards’ performance Challenges Embedding Think Family approach across the partnership Lessons learnt changing practice and then evidencing that change Residents voice –diverse voices from children and adults influencing all the boards work Budget – LA is the major contributor and not all partners pay what is requested

Thank you Visit our website to check out the resources and the bitesize guides, annual reports and one page summaries, statutory reviews etc. www.walthamforest.gov.uk/strategicpartnerships Suzanne.Elwick@walthamforest.gov.uk