1. Wirral Safeguarding Children Board
Annual Report (15-16)
and Priorities (16-18)
January 2017

2. 1. The Wirral Safeguarding Children Board

3. Statutory Objectives and Functions of WSCB
WSCB Annual Report 15-16
Section 14 of the Children Act 2004 sets out the objectives of LSCBs, which are:
to coordinate what is done by each person or body represented on the Board for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the area; and
(b) to ensure the effectiveness of what is done by each such person or body for those purposes.
The WSCB operates as an independent multi-agency body under the direction of the independent chair (Maggie Atkinson) and is not subordinate to any other body.

4. Structure of WSCB and sub committees
WSCB Annual Report 15-16
Wirral Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB)
WSCB Executive Group
Staying Safe Strategy Group
Performance
Child Death Overview
Risk Management Governance
Serious Case Review
Domestic Abuse
CAF/TAF Quality Assurance
Prevent/ Channel
Child Sexual Exploitation
Policy, Practice and Procedure
Learning and Development
Wirral Children’s Trust Board
Health and Wellbeing Board

5. Local Background and Safeguarding Context for 2015-16
WSCB Annual Report 15-16
Population of Wirral is 320,200 with 70,500 children and young people (0-18)
22% of Wirral children live near or below poverty line. Almost all of these live between Wallasey, Birkenhead and Rock Ferry
has continued to be a time of austerity and significant public sector change. Key ongoing challenge for partnership is to prioritise reduced resources with effective early help crucial
High incidence of neglect and domestic abuse, and high numbers of children looked after remain a challenge
Children’s Services and WSCB both rated as Inadequate following Ofsted Inspection. Improvement Journey begun.

6. 2. Progress against Priorities 2015-16
Pledges for CSE National Awareness Day March 2016
CWP NHS Trust and MASH

7. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 15-16
Safeguarding is Everyone’s Responsibility
- Children and young people feel safe and are safe
Launch of the WSCB website populated with guidance and resources for professionals, children, and the wider community
Use of twitter and facebook to supplement dissemination of safeguarding messages
Publication of wide variety of resources and promotion of campaigns
Review and re-presentation of the safeguarding thresholds of need
WSCB support for the Wirral Youth Conference with focus on staying safe
Promotion of safeguarding with identified community groups including taxi drivers and licensees

8. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 15-16
2. Child Sexual Exploitation
- Children and Young People have non-exploitative relationships
Publication of revised procedures, strategy and MACSE process
Commissioning of multi-agency training and delivery of training to taxi drivers and licensees
Support for the On One Condition… drama production for young people and promotion of CSE Awareness Day
Guidance and expectations for Lead officers for CSE in partner agencies and appointment of CSE Officer for WSCB
Promotion of the campaign and development of resources and links on the WSCB website
Introduction of programme of auditing to be assured about the effectiveness of interventions supported by data

9. Poster promoting the On One Condition… drama production
CSE poster developed by a Wirral looked after young person

10. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 15-16
3. Effectiveness of Early Help
- The Needs of Children and Young People are Identified Early
Review of the Thresholds of Need and functioning of the ‘front door’ into children’s services
Establishment of CAF Champions programme to develop 70+ professionals to support partner agencies and individuals
Programme of auditing through the Early Help QA group including distance travelled by families
Early Help partnership overseen by the Early Help Strategic Group – launch of the My Child Can initiative
Continued progress with families through the Intensive Families Intervention Programme
Training for professionals to utilise specific tools to support assessment of need e.g. graded care profile

11. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 15-16
4. Domestic Abuse
- Children and Young People live in Homes where they feel Safe
Delivery of the multi-agency domestic abuse training
Support for the 2020 pledges particularly zero tolerance to domestic abuse
Completion and publication of domestic abuse needs analysis
Promotion of campaigns including Lover not a Fighter
Publication of learning following review of forced marriage case
Development of Harmful Practices practice guidance (and recently training)
Review of MARAC and MAPPA processes and training and promotion of Operation Encompass
Training for use of tools to support assessment

13. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 15-16
5. Radicalisation
Children and Young People are not Radicalised
Establishment of multi-agency Channel Panel
Presentation of Prevent agenda to the partnership at the WSCB
Delivery of WRAP sessions for professionals (including train the trainer sessions and sessions for schools)
Publication of guidance and referral pathway including statutory responsibilities of agencies
Publication of resources for tools and other agencies
Support for topics of radicalisation and exploitation at the Youth Voice Conference

14. 3. WSCB Key Activities
Launch of the new safeguarding board website
April 2016

15. Key WSCB Annual Business
WSCB Annual Report 15-16
Section 11/175
Duty on organisations to comply with annual safeguarding audit. 206 agencies participated in 15/16 (192 in 14/15, 153 in 13/14) including 99% of schools. Audits completed using online tool online
Audits reveal safeguarding arrangements are compliant with expectations of the safeguarding board
Learning from Case Reviews
Learning review undertaken on forced marriage case, critical incident undertaken on case with neglect and domestic abuse
Learning disseminated through training, briefings, posters, leaflets, website and updates
Auditing
4 multi-agency audits completed by WSCB

16. Key WSCB Annual Business
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP)
31 Child deaths in Wirral. All reviewed and learning published
Safer Sleep campaign including training and resources supported
Safeguarding Training
20 courses (over 70 events) delivered to over 1000 professionals
Many courses now with a joint child and adult focus
40 e-learning courses also available
Local Authority Designated Officer for Allegations (LADO)
281 allegations reported (229 in 14-15). Physical abuse (62%) and sexual abuse (18%) main categories (unchanged)
Compliance and volume are issues

17. 4. Ofsted Review of the Effectiveness of the WSCB

18. Ofsted Review of the Effectiveness of the WSCB
WSCB Inspection
Ofsted inspected children’s services and reviewed the effectiveness of the WSCB in July 2016
Both children’s services and the WSCB were judged to be inadequate 19 recommendations for improvement were made to the LA and 7 were made for the WSCB. Including;
Review of governance; independence, influence and challenge; sighted on needs of privately fostered children and those placed in Wirral; notifications of serious incidents; accurate performance information; review of auditing
WSCB has developed an improvement plan and progress is reviewed at each WSCB meeting and through an improvement board and quarterly monitoring visits

19. 5. The WSCB Business Plan for
Safer Sleep Campaign promoted throughout 2016

20. WSCB Business Plan for 2016-18
WSCB Priorities 16-18
Priority One – Children in need of help and protection are identified and responded to at the earliest opportunity by services effectively working together
Implementation of the Supporting Families Enhancing Futures model of working with families
Measurement of the impact of services
Understanding and application of thresholds and use of assessment tools
Data and auditing demonstrates how safe children and young people are
Voice and feedback from young people and families assesses and informs the commissioning of services

21. Perpetrators are identified, pursued and successfully prosecuted
WSCB Priorities 16-18
Priority Two - Children are protected from sexual exploitation by a skilled workforce, and the wider community is equipped to understand and respond to concerns
Children Services professionals and wider workforce have a good understanding of signs, symptoms and impact of CSE and are aware of when and how to report concerns
Multi-agency lead officers identified in every partner agency, and the workforce is competent and confident to respond to CSE and agencies demonstrate effectiveness of response
Children at risk of CSE are identified at the earliest opportunity and victims are supported for as long as is needed
Perpetrators are identified, pursued and successfully prosecuted

22. WSCB Priorities 16-18
Priority Three - Children and Young People who are Looked After, including those placed in Wirral by other Local Authorities are supported by agencies who effectively work together to keep them safe
Establish a Care Home Governance group under the auspices of the safeguarding board
Children and young people who are subject to Private Fostering arrangements and their families are well supported and safeguarded
Children and young people placed in Wirral by other local authorities are aware of the ‘local offer’ and support is provided to make sure they are safeguarding
Children and young people currently living in Wirral whilst their immigration or asylum status is determined have access to services and are safeguarded

23. WSCB Priorities 16-18
Priority Four - Through its effective governance and relationships with influential forums and groups the Wirral Safeguarding Children Board ensures all partner agencies meet the needs of Children and Young people
The WSCB develops clear improvement action plan which positively influences the governance and functioning of the safeguarding board
The WSCB is prepared for the implementation of the forthcoming Children and Social Care Act
The WSCB can demonstrate, through its work with other influential bodies a clear and smart approach to the commissioning of services
The WSCB actively supports the Council led partnership 2020 vision and can evidence the positive impact on and improved outcomes for children and young people

24. WSCB Business Plan 15-16
Priority Five -The Wirral Safeguarding Children Board discharges all of its statutory duties and ensures the effectiveness of arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people
The WSCB devises an improvement plan to address the 7 recommendations made in the Ofsted review of the effectiveness of the WSCB
Work is completed through the Board and committees and other groups established to ensure actions derived from the recommendations are completed
The improvement plan is reviewed and challenged at each full meeting of the WSCB and the multi-agency improvement board
The WSCB demonstrates full progress against all the actions within 18 months

25. End of Presentation Wirral Safeguarding Children Board
Annual Report and Priorities
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