1. The Future of Child Safeguarding Arrangements
Tracey Watkinson

2. Context
The Children and Social Work Act 2017, together with Working to Safeguard Children 2018, sets out the new multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.
From 29 June 2018, there are new duties on the police, Clinical Commissioning Groups and Local Authority, to make arrangements to work together and with other partners locally to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in their area.
The new multi-agency arrangements must come into effect on 29 September 2019.
This provides opportunity to collaborate with other geographical areas.

3. Purpose of new local arrangements
Children are safeguarded and their welfare promoted;
Partner agencies collaborate, share and co-own the vision;
Organisations and agencies challenge appropriately and hold one another to account;
There is early identification and analysis of new safeguarding issues;
Learning is promoted and embedded in a way that local services for children and families can become more reflective and implement changes to practice;
Information is shared effectively to facilitate accurate and timely decision making.

4. Proposal for Consideration
Phase 1 - Align Plymouth’s and Torbay’s Safeguarding Children Board to a collaborative approach. There will be joint oversight of knowledge and practice, together with shared resources, for the common purpose of promoting systems.
Phase 2/ or in parallel – Develop STP wide Safeguarding Accountability arrangements.

5. Design Principles (1)
Must focus on outcomes for children & young people – will NOT absorb respective Children & Young People Partnerships
Maintain and enhance all aspects of children and young people participation
Strengthened education engagement
Improve quality assurance and learning frameworks
Learning from early adopters
Aspiration for cost efficiency without compromising effectiveness of arrangements
Separate funding/budgets for 19/20
Flexibility is key

6. Design Principles (2)
Where appropriate same mechanisms & frameworks to be implemented (QA, CDOP, learning reviews, workforce development etc.)
Retention of independent inspection regimes
Independent Quality Assurance role across Plymouth and Torbay
Local safeguarding and commissioning arrangements to remain separate and independent
Minor change of name & branding
Business unit structures to be reviewed – One Safeguarding Business Manager for both areas
Extension of current CDOP arrangements

7. Opportunity for Development
Joint oversight of knowledge and practice
Create a wider culture of learning and development
Provide an environment in which multi-agency working can flourish – innovation
Development of consistent reporting releasing capacity and sharing resources
Creation of single system outcome framework
Shared communication approach with single set of key messages
Enhanced opportunity to focus on system challenges across the whole STP footprint
Better understanding of whole system activity

8. Benefits
Extend and co-own safeguarding governance, knowledge and experience.
Improve challenge, assurance and accountability to improve outcomes for children.
Improve cost effectiveness of funding arrangements for respective local safeguarding arrangements.
Potential reduction/avoid duplication of business unit costs and expenses.
Secure co-operation and integration between common local safeguarding partners and relevant agencies.
Remains responsive to local circumstances and strategic partnerships/aims.
Increase local and regional intelligence of safeguarding risks and themes.
Aid transparency and enable continuous improvement of safeguarding policy and practice.
Secure early identification of new/thematic safeguarding issues and concerns.
Improved efficiency and effectiveness of embedding and evaluating learning.
Complimentary development of multi-agency arrangements where excellent practice becomes norm.
Improved co-ordination of contextual multi-agency training.

9. Plymouth & Torbay Joint Strategic Safeguarding Partnership

10. Proposed Roles

11. Attendees – Grid Meeting Representatives
Plymouth Torbay Joint Strategic Partnership
Director of Children Services (P&T Local Authorities)
Head of Crime (Devon & Cornwall Police)
Director of Nursing (NHS Devon CCG)
Independent Quality Assurance Role
Quality Assurance
Core members from designated safeguarding leads of statutory partners and key relevant agencies (P & T)
CDOP & Learning Reviews
Workforce Development
Safeguarding Partnerships (Plymouth and Torbay)
Plymouth LA Assistant Director of Children Services & Education
NHS Devon CCG Designated S/G Nurse
Devon & Cornwall Police Head of Public Protection Unit (Plymouth)
Torbay LA Assistant Director of Children Services & Education
Devon & Cornwall Police Head of Public Protection Unit (Torbay)
Responsive Safeguarding
Plymouth relevant agencies
Torbay relevant agencies

12. Local Partnerships Plymouth Safeguarding Children Partnership
Local Response Group
Children & Young People Shadow Group
Education Reference Group
Torbay Safeguarding Children
Partnership
Local Response Group
Children & Young People Shadow Group
Education Group

13. Education
Are schools, colleges and other educational providers not effectively engaged in their safeguarding role?
What barriers do they face?
What arrangements will effectively ensure that all schools, colleges and other educational providers are fully engaged?
What support is required?

14. Education Approaches
Identify all schools, colleges and educational providers as relevant agencies.
Keep locally responsive
Use existing forums to engage education and ensure a two-way dialogue.
Engage Chairs of Governors – can be seen as an effective key engagement group
Flexibility of meeting dates and times
Develop & upskill Educational Reference Group
Primary/Special/Secondary & HE nominated leads on Executive

15. Relevant Agencies Educational and Childcare All early year settings
All children centres
All primary education settings
All secondary education settings
All special education settings
Pupil referral unit
All independent education settings
Universities
Further Education colleges
Private training providers
Careers South West
All language schools.
Health and Social Care
NHS England
NHS Hospital Trusts
Public Health
Livewell South West
Regional Adoption Agency
Registered providers of fostering agencies
Providers of private children’s homes
Providers of residential holiday schemes for disabled children.
Criminal Justice
CAFCASS
HM Prison and Probation Service
Community Rehabilitation Company
Youth Offending Teams
Subject to new ownership

16. Relevant Agencies Miscellaneous Action 4 Children NSPCC Barnardo’s
Children’s Society
British Red Cross
Lay member
Children & Young People member
Lead Portfolio Holder for children and young people
Drug and alcohol support services
Domestic abuse services
Community and Social Housing providers
Sexual Assault Referral Centres
Local Authority Commissioning
Sports & Leisure
To be determined – subject to further guidance and advice sought from DfE.
Community and Voluntary  
Plymouth Octopus Plus (POP+)
Community Development Trust
Asylum Seeker/Refugee support services
Religious and faith groups

17. Next Steps Transition plan – key stages Joint Section 11 Audits
Commence consultation
Agree relevant agencies
Identity and branding
Governance, structures, membership
Method of effective engagement with education
Workforce development
Quality assurance
CDOP & Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews
Secretary of State Approval
Publish – 29 June 2019
Joint Section 11 Audits