Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Katharine Simpson  01344 352308

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

Minutes:

The minutes of the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) meeting held on 22 May 2015 were approved as a correct record.

 

·         It was agreed that the report on CAHMS and joint action plan presented to the June 15th meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board would be brought to the LSCB’s September meeting. (Action: Katharine Simpson)

·         Concerns had been raised that the majority of reports to MARAC were low and being made from a small number of agencies and more needed to be done to understand why some agencies never submitted reports.  It was noted that an analysis on the subject had been carried out for Windsor and Maidenhead LSCB and it was suggested that this might be a useful starting point.

·         As part of the Safer Lives work a self-assessment had been completed on the Bracknell Forest MARAC process and an update would be given at the next meeting.  (Action: John Ennis)

·         A response was still awaited in relation to the outcome of the bid for funding from the DfE Innovations Fund.

2.

Agency Updates

Minutes:

·         Involve recently hosted a community learning event with a number of local voluntary organisations to raise awareness of safeguarding, Prevent and child sexual exploitation.  The event had been well attended and feedback had been positive.  There had been requests for further sessions.

·         Thames Valley Police’s priority based budgeting process was ongoing.  However, there had been an increase in resources allocated to the Child Abuse Investigation Unit which included two new Detective Inspectors and four new Detective Constable posts.

·         The Adult Safeguarding Board had recruited an independent chair and would be seeking to further develop its relationship with the LSCB in relation to shared agendas. Interviews for a new Head of Adult Safeguarding would take place week commencing 20th July 2015

·         Work was taking place to analyse the increase of cases where children who had been medically signed off from school due to anxiety and stress including those without referrals to other professional agencies. Short frequent absences were also being examined. An analysis of the problem would initially be taken to the CSE Strategic Group and potentially to the Health and Wellbeing Board.

·         A number of schools were experiencing difficulties in attracting new members of staff and were working with the Local Authority to look at recruitment practices in an attempt to try and alleviate these pressures.  In the meantime, it had been stressed that schools must ensure that they are closely following safer recruitment guidelines.

 

Appropriate Adults

 

Thames Valley Police reported that they were experiencing difficulties in securing appropriate adults to attend police stations when a young person was arrested out of hours and it had been agreed that in future if it was not possible to secure an appropriate presence then the Force would be contacting the local authorities’ on-call director. 

 

In a move that would significantly alter the role, central Government had issued guidance to police forces that an Appropriate Adult should be present when a young person had their rights read to them and that the Appropriate Adult should stay with the young person at all times when in police custody and not just when they were interviewed.  This change would have implications for Bracknell Forest Council Adult Social Care who hosted the Emergency Duty Team on behalf of Berkshire where it was not standard practice to contact Appropriate Adults after 11pm.    It was agreed that this area would be looked at it more detail so that any issues could be identified and a way forward developed.  (Action: Dave Gilbert/Alex Bayliss to raise with Mira Haynes/Lorna Hunt)

 

It was requested that any problems in obtaining Appropriate Adults encountered by Thames Valley Police were in the first instance reported to the Council’s Chief Officer: Older People & Long Term Conditions, Mira Haynes, who was responsible for the Emergency Duty Team.

 

 

 

3.

Performance Management Data

Minutes:

The LSCB received a report setting out the LSCB’s end of year data set for 2014/15. The dataset’s format had been revised to bring it inline with the new dataset that had been developed by the LSCB to better reflect its information requirements.  It was agreed that the revised dataset was a significant improvement on what had been in place previously and the LSCB Thanked Alison Burnell for all her hard work to develop it.

 

Arising from the LSCB’s questions and comments the following points were noted:

 

·         A narraitive on the number of fixed term exclusions would be included in future reports

·         It was acknowledged that although the number of exclusions was low there were concerns about the availability of resources for those who were excluded

·         Thames Valley Police were working to reduce the number of repeat domestic violence reports received and to reduce the number of inappropriately reported calls that they receive

·         Concern was expressed that suggested MARAC referral target of 180 high risk victims per year seemed to be high and it was suggested that this be explored in more detail

·         It was confirmed that any domestic violence notifications received by the Local Authority where children were present were routinely forwarded to school safeguarding leads by the Council’s Safeguarding and Inclusion Team

·         Data relating to the number of domestic violence incidents where children were present in the household had not yet been received and this would be followed up (Action: Alison Burnell/Dave Gilbert)

·         To support work on neglect, the Local Authority had just started an early help project ‘Parental Partners’ using funding received from the DCLG and involving parent volunteers.  Feedback on the projects performance would be provided as work progressed (Action: Janette Karklins)

·         The figure given for the number of unique cases examined by the CSE and Missing Children Operational Mapping Meeting across the year was incorrect and this would be amended when the correct figures were received

·         Data for the number of sexual offences recorded against under-18 year olds showed a significant increase in the last quarter of 2014/15.  44 offences recorded in quarter 4 compared to 45 recorded offences over the whole of Quarters 1, 2 and 3.  This dramatic increase had been caused by the introduction of the new National Crime Recording Standards which require that any reports received be recorded as a crime before any investigations had been carried out.  A change which has impacted on crime figures across all recording categories.  Work was taking place to try and obtain figures that were more reflective of actual crime levels  for future reports.

·         It was acknowledged that commentaries/narratives on trends in performance data were helpful and this would be requested along with data updates.

 

The LSCB noted the dataset.

 

 

 

4.

Child Sexual Exploitation and Missing Strategic Sub-group

Minutes:

The LSCB received and noted a report providing a six monthly update on the work of the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Missing Sub-group.

 

The Sub-group had developed a Communications Plan to help them take their work forward and it had ben requested that partners take this back to their own corporate communications teams so that campaigns could be co-ordinated.

 

Parents had been identified as a key target audience for messages about CSE and the Sub-group would be running a new social media campaign over the summer which would focus on the ‘Nine Signs of CSE.’   The official launch date would be circulated.

 

The LSCB also received a detailed supplementary report setting out the findings of an in-depth multi-agency case file audit which looked at eleven cases of young people who were being sexually exploited, missing or both and a CSE Force Problem Profile compiled by Thames Valley Police.

 

This audit and an earlier one had been commissioned to enable the LSCB to better understand the profile of CSE across the borough.  As part of the earlier audit, one of the young people whose file was being examined had been engaged with directly and a learning event had been held for front line staff.  The audits highlighted the vulnerability of these children at earlier stages of their lives and had demonstrated the importance of early identification of factors that limited parental capacity to safeguard children and the need for sound assessment of the significant behavioural difficulties displayed.

 

The report also contained the detailed problem profile work undertaken and the LSCB partner organisation survey on CSE.  A number of learning points were identified including: the effectiveness of communication across different teams or departments and the way that information was shared between partner agencies and these would be taken forward by the CSE Sub-group and fed into the Training and Development Sub-group.  It was agreed that the Learning and Improvement Sub-group would also review the outcomes from the audit and recommendations for improvement.

 

5.

Learning and Improvement Sub-group

Minutes:

The LSCB received a six monthly update report providing an update on the work of the Learning and Improvement Sub-group including the audit work undertaken on Early Help and Child Protection Plans for neglect, Section 11 auditing activity on a sample of Bracknell forest organisations and Serious Case Review monitoring and consideration of new incidents.

 

The report outlined key learning from these activities which related to training needs and standards, commissioning of services for neglect and the increasing need to provide evidence in Section 11 audits.   The report included the outcomes of the Safeguarding Supervision Survey and a revised Multi-Professional Protocol for Bruising and Unusual Marks on Immobile Infants.

 

In relation to the revised Bruising Protocol, it was suggested that the contact phone numbers for Children’s Social Care and the Emergency Duty Team be incorporated into the flow chart along with the times that the services were available.  Amendments would be made and the updated guidance placed on the LSCB website.

 

A survey to understand Safeguarding Supervision in partner agencies across the Borough had been completed, following a recommendation in the Child C Serious Case Review.  The group considered the recommendations and questioned the level of commitment that would be expected from partner agencies in recommendation 4 and whether it related to all agencies or just those that worked directly with children.  It was agreed that more work was required to scope out the extent of this recommendation and an update would be brought to the Board’s next meeting.  (Action: Alex Walters)

 

It was agreed that partners would take the learning arising from the Supervision Survey back to their agencies to reflect on the points raised. (Action: All)

 

The LSCB noted the report.

 

 

6.

Early Help Sub Group

Minutes:

The LSCB welcomed and approved the final draft of ‘Creating Opportunities – Positive Futures’ an early help strategy for children, young people and families in Bracknell Forest 2015-2017 which included the updated levels of need and threshold model based on the LSCB threshold document, a delivery plan, summary document of services available and impacts and outcome indicators.

 

7.

Pan Berkshire Sub Group Updates

      i.        Pan Berkshire Sub-groups Summary Report

     ii.        Policies and Procedures Sub-group Challenge Letter

    iii.        Section 11 Sub-group Annual Report

   iv.        Learning and Development Sub-group

    v.        Bruising in Immobile Infants Protocol

   vi.        Safeguarding Supervision Survey

Minutes:

The LSCB received and noted a summary of work taking place across the Pan-Berkshire Sub-groups. 

 

Policies and Procedures Sub-group

 

The LSCB’s attention was drawn to a letter sent on behalf of the Thames Valley LSCB Chairs and Business Managers to the LSCB Chair of Slough LSCB, the host LSCB for the Pan Berkshire Policies and Procedures Sub-group.  The letter drew attention to the concerns that had been raised about the effectiveness of the Sub-group and sought assurance that, in their capacity as the host LSCB, Slough LSCB would provide more support and direction to the sub-group and that actions were taken to address the concerns raised and sustain the Sub-group in the future.

 

It was questioned what the risks were to Bracknell Forest’s LSCB if there was no improvement to the effectiveness of the Sub-group and the LSCB was informed that a number of the published policies were out of date and that staff using them would not necessarily be getting the most up to date advice and guidance.  In an effort to minimise these risks it had been proposed that an external consultant be engaged to update the policies and procedures as necessary.  An extraordinary meeting of the Sub-group had been recently held chaired by Sandra Davies, newly appointed Vice-Chair.

 

Section 11 Sub-group

 

The LSCB noted the Sub-group’s Annual Report which had been updated to reflect comments made by eth LSCB at its previous meeting. 

 

It was reported that as part of its review cycle, the pan Berkshire Sub-group would review Bracknell Forest Council’s Section 11 in September 2016 as part of its programme of audit activity.  However it was stressed that this should not preclude the local authority from conducting its own Section 11 review process.

 

East Berkshire Strategic Learning and Development Sub-group

 

This set out the Sub-group’s key priorities for 2015-2018 including undertaking a Training Needs Analysis, developing and delivery of a multi-agency training programme and undertaking further evaluation.

 

The LSCB noted the updates.

 

8.

Child Protection Conference Annual Review

Minutes:

Liz McAuley, Team Manager Conference Review and Quality Assurance, presented the Child Protection Conferencing Annual Report.  The report covered the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 and included a summary of progress made against identified targets and priorities, data relating to the quoracy of conferences, parental risk factors, a summary of challenges and risk factors, an overview of family engagement with the conference process and recommendations to take the service forward.

 

During the period covered by the report 540 children had been the subject of a child protection conference and 264 child protection conferences had taken place.  Of these 81 were initial conferences and 183 were review conferences.  At the end of March 2015 there were 122 children in 61 families subject to a child protection plan. 

 

Work has been taking place to develop an enhanced ‘Signs of Safety’ conference format which would focus on identifying past harm and future danger and developing safety goals. Use of the enhanced format would start on 1 September 2015 and multi-agency workshops had been held to ensure that all partners were aware of the new format and were fully aware of their role within the conference process.

 

Quoracy of conference stood at over 90% for the first half of the reporting period but fell to 86% over the second half.  Concern was raised over the accuracy of the data ain the table showing agency participation at conferences.  It was clarified that the data related only to the number of conferences where an agency had an active interest in the case.  It was acknowledged that the table could be clearer and it was agreed that the data would be rechecked for accuracy and the format made clearer.  (Action: Liz McAuley)

 

It was agreed that issues in relation to attendance from Adult Social Care, CHMT and SMART would be referred back to Adults Social Care Leads.  (Action: Alex Bayliss)

 

The Chair also challenged partners that they should be routinely monitoring attendance by their own staff at Child Protection Conferences and Core Groups.

 

Partners stressed that whilst attendance at child protection conferences was a top priority for staff resource constraints meant that it was not practical to send practitioners from the same agency to a conference and there was reluctance to attend a conference if the agency had no involvement with the family concerned and their presence was to ensure quoracy.  The impact on the quality of decision making on risk was however an adverse impact.  Conference times often clashed with GP surgery times and the Clinical Commissioning Group did not expect GPs to routinely attend Conferences however they were expected to provide reports.  This was not the view of the LSCB. It was questioned whether alternative methods of participation might be explored e.g. teleconferencing.  It was agreed that work undertaken to look at alternative participation methods used in other areas would be shared. (Action: Alex Walters)

 

It was noted that the Probation Service regularly met with Children’s Social Care to discuss cases however  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Principal Social Worker

Minutes:

Mairead Panetta, Head of Service: Safeguarding, presented the Annual Principal Child and Family Social Worker Report.  The report set the role in the local and national context, identified the role’s main requirements, set out the main challenges faced over the past year and identified plans for the forthcoming year.

 

The recruitment and retention of qualified social workers continued to be a problem across the region and in Bracknell Forest this had been exacerbated in 2014 by the retirement of a number of longstanding and experienced managers.  Recruitment for the vacant management posts had been successful with the posts being filled by both internal and external appointments however there continued to be difficulties recruiting social workers to the Under and Over 11’s front line teams.  The Council had recognised that this was a significant risk and a piece of work had been commissioned to explore ways in which the situation might be improved overseen by a Children’s Social Care Programme Board.  This work has resulted in a strong set of proposals which, if approved by the Council’s Executive at their meeting on 21 July 2015, would increase the capacity of the service and go someway to increasing Bracknell Forest’s attractiveness as a place to practice social work.

 

The LSCB welcomed the work undertaken by the Local Authority to address capacity issues and the impact and risk for effective practice.  It was agreed that further updates would be provided as appropriate.

 

It was reported that children’s social work was being restructured at a national level and that a new set of professional standards for all levels of the profession would be introduced nationally and could included changes to the arrangements for the role of the Principal Social Worker.  Although the new professional standards were likely to change the requirements they would not come into effect for over a year.

 

There was challenge for the LSCB on whether the current Principal Social worker function was being undertaken appropriately by an operational manager.

 

The LSCB noted the report.

 

 

10.

Community Mental Health Team

Minutes:

The LSCB received and noted a report providing an update on the work of the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) and SMART.  The report had been provided to consider evidence of the “think family” approach recognised as crucial to effective safeguarding practice and highlighted in the recent Child C Serious Case Review.

 

It was reported that over the past year there had been increased liaison between CMHT and Children’s Social Care and this had resulted in smarter working practices.  CMHT also now held a half day surgery each month to enable Children’s Social Care practitioners to discuss any joint cases.  Further audit work would be undertaken to evidence effectiveness.  Three monthly liaison meetings would continue as well as joint visits and mandatory Level 3 Safeguarding Training.

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.

Substance Misuse Services

Minutes:

It was agreed that due to the absence of the report this item would be deferred to the next meeting.

12.

Broadmoor Hospital

Minutes:

It was agreed that due to the absence of the report this item would be deferred to the next meeting.

 

13.

Inter-agency Information Sharing Protocol

Minutes:

The LSCB received the updated Multi-agency Data and Information Sharing Protocol.  The Protocol had been updated to reflect the latest guidance and included a template which partners could use to request information from others.

 

It was questioned whether the reference to the Clinical Commissioning Group actually meant Primary Care providers and it was agreed that the matter would be clarified.  (Action: Jonathan Picken)

 

The LSCB agreed to endorse the Protocol.

14.

Local Safeguarding Board Challenge Log

Minutes:

The LSCB received the updated LSCB Challenge Log.  It was stressed that the Challenge Log was a live document and amendments would be made as required.  Partners were asked to raise any omissions or inaccuracies and this would be a standing agenda item.

15.

Local Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report

Minutes:

The LSCB was informed that the draft Annual Report would be circulated after the meeting for comment and feedback and presented formally for agreement by the LSCB at its next meeting in September.. (Action: Jonathan Picken)

16.

Local Safeguarding Children Board Development Day and Revision of Business Plan 2014-17

Minutes:

The LSCB draft LSCB Business Plan 2014-2017 was circulated.  It was noted that the Business Plan had been updated to bring it inline with Working Together 2015 and to give an increased focus on the LSCB’s core requirements.

 

It was agreed that the Business plan would be circulated electronically and it was requested that any comments or feedback be sent to Jonathan Picken so that it could be considered in more detail at the LSCB’s September meeting.  (Action: Jonathan Picken/All)

17.

Local Safeguarding Children Board Funding

Minutes:

It was reported that no further update had been received from partner agencies to the Chair’s letter to respective Chief Executives in January 2015 who had advised that a review was underway in Thames valley Police, National Probation Service and the Clinical Commissioning Group.  A follow up letter would be sent by the Chair and LSCB representatives were urged to raise the request with their organisations.  (Action: Alex Walters/ Debbie Hartrick/Dave Gilbert/John Ennis/Helen Morris)

 

The Chair advised that LGA commissioned work on effective LSCB had recently been published and it had proposed that the DfE develop a national funding formula (http://www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/6869714/RiP_Review+of+current+arrangements+for+the+operation+of+LSCBs__May_2015.pdf/5940af9c-7ae5-4346-84b8-655c30b291c7)

 

It was reported that responsibility for commissioning health visiting services would pass to Public Health in September 2015 and it was suggested that Public Health be approached for a contribution.

18.

Prevention of Radicalisation in Children, Young People and Families

Minutes:

The LSCB noted a briefing note provided by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services which looked at the radicalisation of children, young people and their families.

19.

Bracknell Forest Safeguarding Adults Protection Board Annual Report

Minutes:

The LSCB received and noted the Bracknell Forest Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board Annual Report 2014-2015.

 

It was noted that Alex Bayliss would be taking up a new position outside the Borough Council.  The LSCB thanked Alex Bayliss for all that he had done to support the work of the LSCB and wished him well in the future.

 

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk