Safeguarding is Everyones Business

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Safeguarding is Everyones Business
Children Young Peoples Directorate
John Pearce and Nigel Moorhouse Halton Borough
Council 25th June 2009
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Introduction
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• Halton Context
• Performance Management
• Quality Assurance
• Engagement of Front-line Staff
• Partnership Working

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Halton Context
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• Small Unitary with Child Population of 28,500
• Formerly in Cheshire now part of Liverpool City
  Region
• Ranked 30th on IMD in 2007 up from 21st in 2004
• Areas of High Deprivation with 47 of population
  living in Top 20 SOAs
• High and increasing demand on Specialist
  Services

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Safeguarding Performance
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• JAR April 2008 rated Safeguarding Outstanding
• APA Stay Safe Outstanding 2006-2008
• Strong performance across process indicators
• Robust partnership working and engagement with
  children, young people, parents and carers

This is a strong foundation but we are not
complacement and working towards Outstanding
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Performance Management
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• Strong Performance Culture Embedded
• Front line staff engaged with performance
  management
• Multi-Agency ownership of arrangements through
  HSCB
• Reporting mechanisms attached at each tier with
  scrutiny arrangements
• Targeted audits in areas of concern and sharing
  of good practice

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Children Young Peoples Directorate
Haltons Vision for Children Young People   Our
ambition is to build stronger, safer, thriving
communities, which are able to support the
development and learning of children and young
people so they grow up feeling safe, secure,
happy, healthy and ready to be Haltons present
and become Haltons future
  Vision
HSCB Intractables Intractable issues identified
for Turning the Curve Exercise and reported to
the HSCB Board  
Population Accountability
HSCB Priorities Population based priorities set
by the HSCB and central to the Children and Young
Peoples Plan and Board Business Plan. A
reporting template of indicators linked to the
priorities to be monitored quarterly by HSCB
Executive Group
Service Priorities Single Agency Plans identify
service specific priorities and customer outcomes
linked to the HSCB Priorities. Departmental
Management Teams monitor these on a quarterly
basis with exception reporting to level above.
Reporting template set out in Halton PMF.  
Performance Accountability
Team Priorities Single Agency Team plans
identify priorities and customer outcomes for the
teams areas of work linked to the service
priorities to ensure accountability. Team
managers report progress through supervision
process and bi-annual reviews scrutinised by
Departmental Management Teams.
Individual Priorities Individual key tasks
linked to the team priorities are set through the
Employee Development Review process and monitored
by managers through regular supervision sessions.
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Safeguarding Priorities
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• HSCB Priorities for 2009-10
• Improve Outcomes for Children in Need of
  Safeguarding
• Improve Parenting Support
• Ensure Robust Safeguarding Processes are in
  Place
• 6 Key Indicators of Success

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Management Scrutiny
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• Sufficient capacity to scrutinise practice on
  daily basis
• Managers expert in work flows and detail
• Focus on professional accountability
  
• Exception reporting of performance
• Effective use of Supervision Near Miss
  Reviews
• Clear pathways for resolving safeguarding
  concerns
• Continuous review of contact,referral
  assessment

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Engagement of Front-Line Staff
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• Annual LSCB engagement event with all front line
  staff
• Front line staff undertake case auditing with
  managers
• Events for show casing best practice
• Quarterly Performance Review lead by front line
  staff
• Climbe Visits imbedded, outcomes tracked by
  Members
• Team around the child focus groups
• Service improvement groups lead by front line
  staff
• Active involvement in learning from SCRs
  

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Safeguarding Unit
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• Safeguarding Lead Officers located together
  
• Accountable directly to DCS, reports to LSCB
  Trust
• Scrutiny, challenge and co-ordination across
  all activity
• Concentration of expertise and understanding
• Independent review of children in need
• Scrutiny of Childrens Trust Commissioning
  

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Multi-Agency Audits
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• Led by Safeguarding Unit with authority from
  LSCB
• NHS,Police, Schools Childrens Social Care
• Identifies strengthens, weaknesses of
  safeguarding
• Enhanced mutual understanding and respect
• Includes Adult Services and transition
• Focus on impact and outcomes

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Role of the Safeguarding Board
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• Relationship with Childrens Trust defined by
  protocol
• Commissions programme of safeguarding audits
• Board is an exemplar of leadership commitment
  
• Effective sub group arrangements
• Partners held to account for their safeguarding
  practice
• Children Young Peoples Shadow Board
• Effective Chairing arrangements

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Summary Key Points
Children Young Peoples Directorate

• Strong and effective front line practice the
  basics
• Focus on systems, performance routines
• Challenge promoted not conflict
• Continuous review and improvement
  questioning
• Leadership at all levels
• Independent scrutiny and challenge
• Outstanding today tomorrow?