Safeguarding Children Board in operation

The Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Board came into existence on 1 January 2006.

Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Board has a statutory responsibility to ensure that all children in Derbyshire are kept safe and that their welfare is paramount.

The board (or the executive) meet bi-monthly.

The Partnership Group which is made up of managers and practitioners from all agencies and all parts of the county also meet bi-monthly.   

Each area has a District Safeguarding Children Board that will take the lead locally to provide training, guidance and networking for staff working with and for children. Each district will put on at least three events per year to address issues that are relevant to their area.


Structures (taken from a PowerPoint talk given at a meeting of ACPC by Ian Johnson - 15/11/05)

To co-ordinate all work in Derbyshire directed at safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and ensuring the effectiveness of that work.

Broader objectives include:

  • protecting children from maltreatment
  • preventing impairment to children’s health and development
  • ensuring all children have safe and effective care
  • enabling optimum life chances. 
Outcome territories for children and young people include:
  • safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation
  • safe from accidental injury and death
  • safe from bullying and discrimination
  • safe from crime and anti-social behaviour in and out of school
  • have security, stability and are cared for.
Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Board- criteria for membership:   
  • commitment to safeguarding children
  • ability to commit organisation on policy/practice/resources
  • ability to hold their organisation to account.    
     

Membership

  • Director of Children’s Services
  • Assistant Chief Constable, Police
  • Chief Executive/Director of PCT(s) *
  • Chief Executive/Director of NHS Hospital Trusts
  • Representative – Strategic Health Authority
  • Chief Executive/Director - Mental Health Trust
  • Assistant Chief Probation Officer
  • Chief Executive, Connexions Service
  • Chief Executive, District/Borough Councils**
  • Chief Officer – CAFCASS
Advisors:   
  • AD Social Care
  • Designated Doctor – CP
  • Designated Nurse – CP 

Board specifics 

Board will meet bi-monthly and receive reports relating to:   

  • performance on safeguarding indicators
  • approve the Business Plan and receive progress reports
  • work/progress of the sub group structure
  • financial monitoring
  • reports on activity promoting safeguarding
  • specific safeguarding quality audits
  • work on achieving improved inter-authority safeguarding arrangements
  • contribute to the Children Services Plan.

Derbyshire Children Safeguarding Partnership

  • Assistant Director (Children’s Social Care)
  • Operations Manager – Child Protection
  • Assistant Chief Officer – Probation Service
  • Policy Officer – Safeguarding Board
  • Child Protection – Schools Officer
  • Training Officer – Safeguarding Board
  • Detective Inspector – Police
  • PCT representatives *
  • Designated Doctors
  • Designated Nurses
  • District/Borough Councils (Leisure and Housing Officers)
  • Adult Mental Health representative
  • CAMHs representative
  • Senior Connexions representative
  • Head of Youth Offending Service
  • Senior Officer – MAPPA
  • LSC representative
  • Voluntary and community sector representative
  • NSPCC
  • District Safeguarding Children Group Chairs
  • Senior Solicitor – Local Authority
  • Domestic Violence Partnership Officer
  • General Practitioner representative - LMC
  • Senior Representative – Public Relations Unit – Local Authority
  • CAFCASS representative 
Safeguarding Partnership specifics:
  • bi-monthly meetings
  • performance management
  • monitor finance and resources
  • promote awareness
  • manage sub structures and District Groups
  • deliver training/policy and other developments
  • prepare Annual Plan
  • contribute to the Children’s Services Plan. 
Sub-group structure

Quality assurance: 

  • case Review
  • complaints
  • audit/ISO development
  • serious case review
  • yraining and development
  • policy and procedures
  • licensing
  • promotion and Awareness
  • Child Death Review
  • vulnerable children
  • performance management
  • quality assurance.
Vulnerable Children Sub-Group Responsibilities: 
  • foster care
  • private fostering
  • children in hospital
  • children in custody
  • abuse of disabled children
  • peer abuse
  • bullying
  • domestic violence
  • children of drug misusing parents
  • child pornography and the internet
  • missing children and families
  • children in temporary accommodation
  • migrant children
  • unaccompanied asylum seeking children
  • female genital mutilation
  • forced marriage
District Safeguarding Children Groups 
  • Local co-ordination of safeguarding arrangements
  • To be incorporated into the structure of Children’s Partnership Local Groups
  • Number to be determined by current review of local structures.
Core and Cluster Model:
  • Core - Education/Social Care
  • Police
  • Health (named doctors/nurses)
  • Connexions
  • Youth Offending
  • Cluster - 3-4 annual awareness raising events
  • All local children and related services.
Functions primarily orientated to:   
  • Promotion
  • Awareness raising
  • Local training
  • Local audit
  • Contributing to safeguarding board annual plan
  • Agree membership.     
     

Further issues:

  • Board structures to be in place from January 2006
  • Mandated membership/participation agreed by Chief Officers at all levels of structure
  • Budget contributions to be determined by the Shadow Board (no changes expected 06/07).

Awareness raising campaign:

  • Articles in agency workforce newsletters
  • Press releases
  • LIG conference programme
  • ACPC website.
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