1. Wirral Safeguarding Children Board
Annual Report (16-17)
and Priorities (16-18)
October 2017
`Right Service
Right Time`
WIRRAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD

2. 1. The Wirral Safeguarding Children Board

3. Statutory Objectives and Functions of WSCB
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
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. Under the Children and Social Work Act (2017) LSCB’s will be replaced by other local arrangements by April 19
WSCB

4. Structure of WSCB and sub committees
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
To reflect reduction in capacity WSCB is reducing to 5 key committees.
Improving Outcomes committee established to evidence impact
WSCB

5. Local Background and Safeguarding Context for 2016-17
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
Population of Wirral is 320,000 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
High incidence of neglect and domestic abuse, and high numbers of children looked still remains a challenge
WSCB has developed the Supporting Families Enhancing Futures model for working with families and Right Service Right Time strategy
WSCB

6. 2. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
Children in Need of Help and Protection are Identified and Responded to at the Earliest Opportunity
Design and launch of the Supporting Families Enhancing Futures model for working with families across levels 3 and 4 of the continuum of need
Establishment of Improving Outcomes committee to ensure we can evidence multi-agency impact
Launch of the Right Service Right Time strategy including review of the multi-agency thresholds of need
Identification and publication of tools for professionals to use to support their assessment of risk
Publication and scrutiny of ‘top 20’ safeguarding indicators of risk
Programme of multi-agency audit activity led by the WSCB Performance Committee
WSCB

7. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
ii. Child are Protected from Sexual Exploitation by a Skilled Workforce and the Wider Community is Equipped to Respond
Catch22 commissioned to deliver multi-agency training
Appointment of CSE Development Officer and CSE Co-ordinator in local authority to strengthen response
Delivery of monthly training to taxi drivers and licensees
Support for the On One Condition… drama production for young people and promotion of CSE Awareness Day and campaign
Introduction of CSE audit programme
Review and publication of revised protocol and practice guidance
Re-tasking of committee to have future focus on all aspects of exploitation
WSCB

8. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
iii. Children and Young people Looked After, including those placed in Wirral from other areas are supported by agencies
Establishment of scrutiny process for Residential Homes including bespoke Section 11 safeguarding audit
Safeguarding Unit assumed responsibility for and holds database of all children who are placed in Wirral by other Local Authorities
Clear published process for LA’s to place Children in Wirral
Private Fostering Annual Report produced annually by Safeguarding Unit and presented to and scrutinised by the WSCB
WSCB captures and reviews the views of Children Looked After
WSCB

9. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
iv. Through its Effective Governance and Relationships the WSCB Ensures all Partner Agencies meet the Needs of Children
Appointment of Professor Maggie Atkinson as the Independent Chair of the WSCB
WSCB held several facilitated development days to help inform the development and publication of its clear operating framework
Review of the funding and resourcing of the WSCB completed
Children and Social Work Act presented to the WSCB ahead of expected consultation in the autumn
Memorandum of Understanding being developed between WSCB and other influential boards
WSCB

10. Progress against Priorities
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
v. The WSCB Discharges all of its Statutory Duties and Ensures the Effectiveness of Arrangements to Safeguard Children
Improvement Plan developed and scrutinised at each meeting of the WSCB and the Improvement Board
First phase of the Improvement Plan (actions in response to the 7 WSCB recommendations) completed. Development of the second phase (evidencing improved outcomes) underway
Re-organisation of the structure of the WSCB completed
Section 11/175 process strengthened through the holding of multi-agency accountability meetings
WSCB

11. 3. WSCB Key Activities

12. Key WSCB Annual Business
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
Section 11/175
Duty on organisations to comply with annual safeguarding audit. All statutory agencies participated. Audits completed using online tool. WSCB agreed to do Section 11 and 175 audits alternately
Audits were supplemented with accountability meetings for statutory agencies. Report published in annual report
Learning from Case Reviews
WSCB has commissioned one serious case review in Child Sexual Exploitation was significant factor in case.
Three multi-agency reviews were completed. Significant factors for the cases were potential danger of relying on baby bath seats to keep children safe, assault of an care leaver, and a tragic death caused by fire.
Auditing
WSCB
4 multi-agency audits completed by WSCB

13. Key WSCB Annual Business
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP)
34 Child deaths in Wirral. No. higher than usual. All reviewed and learning published
Safer Sleep campaign including training and resources ongoing
Safeguarding Training
20 courses (over 70 events) delivered to over 1100 professionals
20+ e-learning courses also available professionals registered
Conferences delivered for Right Service Right Time and Supporting Families Enhancing Futures
Local Authority Designated Officer for Allegations (LADO)
328 allegations reported (281 in 15-16). Physical abuse (54%), Emotional abuse (16%) and sexual abuse (15%) main categories. Emotional has noticeably increased. Compliance with reporting requirements remains an issue
WSCB

14. 4. WSCB Improvement Journey
WSCB Annual Report 16-17
4. WSCB Improvement Journey
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. Key progress made by the WSCB so far:
Appointment of Maggie Atkinson as Independent Chair
Revised WSCB structure, operating framework and reporting quality assurance framework in place
Revised ‘top 20’ safeguarding performance dataset scrutinised by the WSCB and the Improvement Board
Challenges to partner agencies tracked and recorded
Monthly progress updates provided to the Improvement Board
Development of ‘phase 2’ improvement plan to evidence outcomes is underway
WSCB

15. 5. The WSCB Business Plan for
Supporting Families Enhancing Futures
-launching October 2017

16. 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 – Right Service Right Time strategy
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
WSCB

17. Perpetrators are identified, pursued and successfully prosecuted
WSCB Priorities 16-18
Priority Two - Children are protected from sexual (and other) 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 other types of exploitation) 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 exploitation and agencies demonstrate effectiveness of response
Children at risk of Exploitation are identified at the earliest opportunity and victims are supported for as long as is needed
Perpetrators are identified, pursued and successfully prosecuted
WSCB

18. 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 residential providers scrutiny framework under the auspices of the safeguarding board and LA commissioning
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
WSCB

19. 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 Children and Social Care Act (2017)
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
WSCB

20. WSCB Priorities 16-18
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 and evidence the impact of its work
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
WSCB

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