Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Lizzie Rich 01344 352253
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Minutes and Matters Arising Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on 27 January 2017 were approved as a correct record.
Matters Arising from the Action Log
It was requested that details of the CAFCASS re-organisation be provided to the Board. (Action: Alison Small/Spencer Hird) |
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Challenge Log Minutes: Alex Walters presented the LSCB Risk and Challenge Log 2016-17 as a standing item. The log had been updated to include an Impact Factor rating, following suggestions made by the Peer Reviewers to indicate risk and impact of lack of progress .
Arising from discussions, the following key updates were noted:
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Peer Review Feedback and Action Plan Minutes: Alex Walters presented the LSCB Peer Review Action Plan 2017, and discussed the feedback from the recent peer review undertaken of the LSCB on 30 and 31/1/17.
Board members had found the peer review process fair, reasonable and useful. Reviewers had been very positive about the ambition of the LSCB and the level of engagement and commitment from partners. Partners were thanked for their involvement and availability for the review process.
It was noted that many of the areas for improvement had been addressed and completed. In response to questions, the following points were noted:
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LSCB Self-Assessment Minutes: Jonathan Picken asked the Board members to use the template to consider and discuss the effectiveness of the Board against the Ofsted criteria, with provision of examples and evidence of impact. Responses were noted and collated to feed in to future work.
It was agreed that the LSCB self-assessment document would be circulated to the Board for further consideration and be presented to the LSCB at its May meeting.(Action: Alison Burnell) |
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Hertfordshire Bid Update Minutes: Lorna Hunt gave a update on the Hertfordshire Bid to the DfE Innovation fund, which had been approved.
The family safeguarding model had been trialled in Hertfordshire, and a final evaluation was awaited but initial outcomes were very promising. This would now be expanded to cover Bracknell Forest (and Luton, Peterborough and West Berkshire Councils) following a successful joint bid to the Innovation fund.
The new model would be trialled in tow of the long term teams, the Over 11s team and the Under 11s team. The team would include specialist practitioners for substance misuse, mental health and domestic abuse who would work jointly with social workers and family workers.. There would also additionally be a clinical psychologist available to both teams.
It was hoped that the new model would be implemented by the end of September 2017, and would be funded for 21 months from this point. Following the 21 month period, a business case would need to be created to sustain the service and secure further funding.
With regard to governance, there would be a quarterly Directors of Children’s Services meeting for the Local Authorities involved, a pan-Berkshire Executive Board, and Project Board with five workstreams including ICT and accommodation, Communications and consultations, Performance Management and evaluation, workforce training and practice development. Partners were encouraged to input to and agree the development of key performance indicators for the model. Senior Partners would sit on the Executive Board and, if the model of working was found to be successful, they would look to re-align budgets to sustain the model long term. Evaluation of the service will be undertaken by a University included in the project from the beginning.
The report on the model would be going to the Council’s Executive for approval in the coming weeks.
In response to questions, the following points were noted:
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JTAI Inspection Update Minutes: Lorna Hunt and Jonathan Picken updated the Board on the Joint Targeted Area Inspection programme and the next tranche of 6 which would focus on the theme of neglect-particularly adolescent neglect. These would be then be followed in 2018 by the theme of Child Sexual Abuse within the family It was suggested that a multi-agency audit on neglect could be undertaken to prepare for inspection. It was anticipated that the focus would be on over 10s.
An audit day was being planned for the end of May 2017, in which one or two cases would be audited together with partner agencies in a day. It was agreed that this practice would be useful, irrespective of the impending JTAI. |
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LSCB Safeguarding Business Plan · Action Plan Progress · Proposed Priorities for 2017/18 Minutes: Alex Walters presented the LSCB Safeguarding Plan 2016-19, with particular highlights /updates given around the progress against the targeted priorities for 2016-17:
1. Increase the effectiveness of the safeguarding journey for children and young people
A Business Development workshop had been held on 10/3/17 with the LSCB and sub group chairs and key partner leads to review evidence of progress and additional areas of potential priority for improvement focus.
Alex Walters and LSCB Team agreed to produce a more detailed Business Plan for 17/18 for agreement at the May LSCB. |
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LSCB Audits · Forward Plan of Audits · Update of Current Audits Minutes: Jonathan Picken presented the reports setting out the quality assurance and improvement activity undertaken by the LSCB through its Audits and Surveys 2016-17, with particular focus and update on the multi-agency audits currently underway
All of these audits involve discussions with multi-agency practitioners and discussions with children and their families.
It was intended that these audits would be completed and outcome reports and recommendations would be available to the Learning and Improvement Subgroup in April, and then presented to the May Board along with the LSCB learning leaflets |
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LSCB Performance Data Minutes: Alison Burnell presented the LSCB Performance Data for the period Quarter 3, 2016-17, giving particular focus to the following areas:
· Child Protection Plans, which had increased from 142 at the end of June 2016 to 177 at the end of February 2017. An independent review had been commissioned by the Local Authority to consider the possible reasons for the increase and this report will be considered at the LISG in April and the LSCB in May 17. · The number of Children in Need with a disability had increased, although new SEN and Educational Health Care Plans had not seen an increase. Work to scope how the LSCB can be assured of the safeguarding of disabled children is currently being scoped. · CSE cases reported to the Police-in Bracknell Forest had been the highest in Berkshire in Q3 with 24 cases. There had also been an increase in the number of CSE cases discussed at SEMRAC, with 36 in Quarter 3. · Sexual offences against under 18s included an apparent increase in the number of rapes reported and it was recommended that the CSE Sub-group consider general trends on this issue to inform their local profiling narrative. |
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Six Monthly Reports · Learning and Improvement Sub-Group · Board Finance Update · Substance Misuse Report Minutes: The LSCB received six monthly reports from the Learning and Improvement Sub-group, the Substance Misuse report, and the Board’s Finance report.
Learning and Improvement Sub-group Alex Walters presented the Learning and Improvement Sub-group Update report.
The Learning and Improvement Sub-group had undertaken several reviews of partner single-agency audits, multi-agency audits, two surveys and the year-on evidence of impact following the Serious Case Review C. It has developed a safeguarding supervision framework for all organisations and considered the multi-agency strategy to prevent children becoming subject to repeat Child Protection Plans and arrangements for visits to children subject to child protection plans. The LISG has also considered the action plan from an independent residential provider and monitored the progress.
It was requested that the Early
Years year-on impact report be provided to the Group. (Action: Lorraine Collins) There has been key work around GPs and S11 returns which had resulted in successful local engagement and provided the opportunity to support improvements.
LSCB Finance Report Jonathan Picken presented the LSCB Finance Report, which set out the proposed budget for 17/18, and it was recognised that the budget for 16/17 was on track.
Partner agencies were expected to maintain the current level of commitment and the budget for 17/18 would be formalised once contributions from all partner agencies were confirmed.
Cost savings and efficiencies were being sought wherever possible.
Jonathan commented that the new charging policy for LSCB training had generated approximately £7500 this year, which would enable the Training and Professional Development sub-group to undertake necessary work around the needs analysis and evaluation of training and other projects.
The proposed budget was agreed in principle, subject to confirmation.
Substance Misuse Report The Substance Misuse Report was deferred to the next meeting to enable a representative to respond to questions on the report. |
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Other Reports · MASH Evaluation Minutes: Mairead Panetta , Head of Safeguarding presented the MASH Evaluation report.
The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) had been established in May 2016. An external safeguarding consultant had been appointed to undertake a review of the service.
The evaluation had been very positive about practice evidenced through audit within the MASH and this was welcomed. However the review suggested that the referral processes required further integration and proposed that the MASH be expanded to be the single point of entry for all children’s services referrals including Early Help and CSC as opposed to the dual referral system currently in place. It also recommended adopting the MASH standards framework and these to be monitored by regular audits . Mairead and other Children’s Services colleagues were due to visit the Hampshire County Council Early Help Hub to see how this worked.
In response to questions, the following points were noted: · A previously commissioned review of Early Help had not been presented to the LSCB and there was a clear need to ensure that the recommendations were aligned · The measured approach for assessing and considering potential changes to the current system was welcomed · It was hoped that the visit to Hampshire County Council would enable good learning opportunities to inform any future decision. · All JTAIs were assessing the ‘front door’ of social care, and it was suggested that these reports be reviewed to obtain any learning
Further work would be undertaken and a future report would come to the LSCB proposing any future changes to the current arrangements recognising the need to ensure that these arrangements were crucial to an effective safeguarding system. |
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New LSCB Report Template Minutes: Alison Burnell presented the new LSCB report template, which had been developed to ensure uniformity and improvement in the identification of key issues in reports submitted to the Board.
The new template had been established based on West Berkshire LSCB’s template. Following the peer review, the Board had been advised to consider how to streamline arrangements and reduce the amount of printing and length of reports to Board members. The new template would encourage brevity, whilst prompting report writers to consider the specific relevance of their item to the LSCB.
It was agreed that the template would be sent out to all partners. (Action: Alison Burnell)
The LSCB agreed to trial the new template at its next meeting.
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Any Other Business Minutes: It was acknowledged that Keith Grainger had notified that he would be stepping down from chairing the Training and Professional Development sub-group, and a new chair would be sought. Any partner who was willing or knew of someone with skills in this area was asked to contact Jonathan Picken. 61. Dave Phillips reported that the Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board had been consulted on a joining with the equivalent at Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The LSCB expressed concern that some local arrangements may be lost and requested the opportunity to be involved in the consultation.
Ian Boswell reported that he had met with town centre developers to discuss issues about potential anti-social behaviour in the town centre leading up to The Lexicon’s opening in September 2017. New provision for young people was being assessed as part of this process.
Alex Walters gave a formal notification of thanks on behalf of the LSCB to John Ennis, National Probation Service for his significant involvement and contribution to the work of the LSCB, following John’s move to Reading NPS.
Alex also thanked all partners for contributing to the independent chairs’ appraisal, and commented that feedback from the appraisal would be presented to the LSCB as last year. |
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Information Items (circulated by email) · Minutes from other Partnerships · Berkshire Family Justice Board Quarterly Report · Peer Review Feedback Presentation Jan 17 Minutes: The LSCB noted the following Information Items which were distributed electronically:
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Date of Next Meeting 19 May 2017, 9:30am 14 July 2017, 9:30am 22 September 2017, 9:30am 24 November 2017, 9:30am Minutes: The next meeting was scheduled for 19 May 2017. |