1. Wirral Safeguarding Children Board
Annual Report (14-15)
and Business Plan (15-16)
December 2015

2. 1. The Wirral Safeguarding Children Board

3. Statutory Objectives and Functions of WSCB
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
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 an independent chair and is not subordinate to any other body.

4. Structure of WSCB and sub committees
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
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 2014-15
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
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 100% of these live between Wallasey, Birkenhead and Rock Ferry
has continued to be a time of austerity and significant public sector change. Key challenge for partnership is to prioritise reduced resources with a focus on the effectiveness of early help
Action to combat child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse and neglect
Multi-agency working with some of Wirral’s most troubled families through the IFIP programme has been successful

6. 2. Progress against Priorities 2014-15
CSE Awareness Raising Day 18th March 2014

7. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
1. Domestic Abuse
Joint children and adults multi-agency committee established
Domestic abuse strategy developed and published
New procedure and guidance documents for children and adults published including revised referral pathway
Procedure includes tools to measure the impact of domestic abuse on children
New domestic abuse training designed and delivered
Operation Encompass launched across Merseyside
Domestic abuse needs assessment undertaken
Retained as a priority for 15-16

8. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
2. Child Sexual Exploitation
Multi-agency Wirral practice guidance to support the pan Merseyside protocol developed and published. Launch supported by multi-agency briefings
Launch of the campaign
Campaign launch included focus groups, radio interviews, website, briefings, posters and leaflets etc.
Chelsea’s Choice theatre production seen by 2,000 young people from 15 schools and over 450 professionals
CSE strategic group issued 4 key challenge questions to partners
8 multi-agency training sessions delivered by Catch22
Two multi-agency workshops held to assess current response to CSE

9. Poster promoting the listentomystory campaign
CSE poster developed by a Wirral young person who is looked after

10. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
3. Neglect
Multi-agency neglect strategy published
Neglect strategy 2 year delivery action plan published
Review of neglect training and publication and delivery of revised training
Re-presented Graded Care Profile tool published with Practice Guidance and a guide for families (following audit findings)
Referral pathway for cases across the continuum of need published
Plan to audit the effectiveness of the revised training and guidance in 15-16

11. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
4. Learning and Improvement
Learning and Improvement framework (LIF) published including framework for reviewing cases below the SCR threshold
Methodology published for WSCB reviews based on the SCIE Learning Together model – two Case Review committee members trained
One Critical Incident Review undertaken and one learning review in progress. Two other cases to be reviewed in Autumn 2015
Four cases referred to the National Panel for SCR’s. National panel agreed with WSCB’s assessment of each
National and local learning embedded in training and disseminated to partners
New evaluation strategy for training includes how learning has improved outcomes

13. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
5. Effectiveness of Early Help
CAF/TAF Quality Assurance Framework revised and published
Establishment of a partnership Early Help strategic group led by Targeted Services
Early development of a multi-agency Early Help strategy led by the strategic group
Effectiveness of Early Help performance dataset developed and continuing to be refined
Audit of CAF/TAF episodes evidenced effective working and good understanding of thresholds
Early Help response for CSE and domestic abuse developed

14. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
6. Signs of Safety
Specification written for the development of a new model for the conduct of child protection conferences and reviews based on the signs of safety and strengthening families models and focused on the lived experience of children and young people
Professor Jan Horwath from Sheffield University commissioned to develop and introduce the ‘Wirral Model’
Multi-agency steering and operational groups established and trial area of Wallasey identified
Implementation of the model scheduled to last 18 months beginning September 2015

15. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
7. Supporting Safeguarding
Joint protocol between Children’s Trust, Health and Wellbeing board the WSCB and the SAPB published to ensure coordinated approach to strategies to safeguard children and young people
Virtual College commissioned to provide an online Section 11/175 Audit solution
WSCB sub committees, task and finish and project groups ensure good safeguarding practice is identified and promoted. Supported by audit activity
Work begun to raise awareness of safeguarding issues with wider workforce and identified groups e.g. work with licensing authority and taxi drivers about CSE
Use of Twitter and safeguarding updates to ensure wide dissemination of safeguarding messages
CSE work developed with young people

16. 3. WSCB Key Activities
Multi-agency CSE Forum Nov 2014 – What are we going to do differently?

17. Key WSCB Annual Business
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
Section 11/175
Duty on organisations to comply with annual safeguarding audit. 192 agencies participated in 14/15 (153 in 13/14, 117 in 11/12). Audits completed online
Audits reveal safeguarding arrangements are compliant with expectations of the safeguarding board
Learning from Case Reviews
One completed Critical Incident Review. Learning about vulnerabilities of teenagers with MLD and need for robust assessment of connected carers
Learning disseminated through training, briefings, posters, leaflets and Friday updates.
Auditing
8 practice audits completed by WSCB

18. Key WSCB Annual Business
WSCB Annual Report 14-15
Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP)
11 Child deaths in Wirral. All reviewed
Focus on safe sleep strategy following 5 deaths in Merseyside
Safeguarding Training
25 courses (over 70) delivered to over 1000 professionals
Many courses now with a joint child and adult focus
e-learning being developed as a training solution
Local Authority Designated Officer for Allegations (LADO)
229 allegations reported (179 in 13-14). Physical abuse (66%) and sexual abuse (18%) main categories
LADO awareness raising undertaken

19. 4. The WSCB Business Plan for
CSE Poster Produced by a Wirral Young Person who is Looked After

20. WSCB Business Plan For 2015-16
Priority One
Safeguarding is Everyone’s Responsibility
WSCB holds agencies to account for safeguarding arrangements and promotion of safeguarding
WSCB develops a model of young people’s involvement in the work of the Board and support for the 2015 Youth Voice Conference about being safe
Review of multi-agency understanding of thresholds
Diary of key safeguarding events dates publicised
Launch of WSCB website
Engagement with community groups

21. Child Sexual Exploitation
Priority Two
WSCB Business Plan 15-16
Child Sexual Exploitation
Expansion of training through train the trainer
Review of local and regional procedures including functioning of MACSE
Development of detailed regional data set and profile
Engagement of young people in the assessment of services and needs assessment to identify gaps in service
Promotion of the listentomystory campaign including development of website
Review of effectiveness of work to disrupt activity and successfully prosecute offenders
Continued programme of auditing

22. Effectiveness of Early Help
Priority Three
WSCB Business Plan 15-16
Effectiveness of Early Help
Review of thresholds and Guide to Integrated Working
Review of the functioning of the ‘front door’ into children’s services
Support for the publication and promotion of the multi-agency early help strategy
Development of multi-agency early help performance dataset
Introduction of CAF champions and support for agencies
Audit of effectiveness of neglect strategy

23. Priority Four Domestic Abuse
WSCB Business Plan 15-16
Domestic Abuse
Publicise and test the implementation, usage and understanding of the children and adults procedures
Publish the findings of the needs assessment to inform the commissioning and allocation of services
Involve young people in the testing of the effectiveness of services
Develop harmful practices guidance and training
Evaluate Operation Encompass
Review MAPPA and MARAC
Develop domestic abuse performance dataset

24. Priority Five Radicalisation
WSCB Business Plan 15-16
Radicalisation
Deliver WRAP train the trainer sessions to build partnership knowledge and expertise and training capacity
Establish the multi-agency channel panel
Identify local intelligence, themes and trends
Develop an awareness raising strategy with young people
Support Youth Conference session on radicalisation and exploitation
Develop and publish multi-agency guidance

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