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 these fell outside the Conference Process so notification of any meetings would need to be given to the Conference Team to enable engagement.
The LSCB noted and agreed the four recommendations for the LSCB contained within the report. It was noted that although it was the responsibility of individual partners to ensure that staff were suitably trained in their roles and responsibilities with regard to attendance at child protection conferences and core groups. The way in this was delivered was an area that could be further discussed. (Action: East Berkshire Training Sub-group)
The issue about the need for an escalation policy had been previously raised with the Policy and Procedures subgroup and would be pursued. (Action: Alex Walters)
The consideration of how CSE was managed within child protection processes needed to be taken forward. (Action: Policy and Procedures Sub-group)
The need for commissioning of services where children were subject to child protection plans for neglect would be raised with the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership. (Action: Alex Walters)
The LSCB noted that Liz McAuley would be leaving Bracknell Forest Council to take up a post elsewhere. The LSCB thanked her for all the work and support that she had given to the Board and children’s safeguarding over the years and wished her well for the future.