Agenda item

To consider and adopt the report of the Working Group of the Children, Young People and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Panel which reviewed Safeguarding of Children and Young People.

For reasons of economy, only the conclusions and recommendations from the report are included in these agenda papers.  The main body of the report can be viewed at item 10 of the agenda for the meeting of the Children, Young People and Learni8ng Overview and Scrutiny Panel on 12 January 2011, on the Council’s website at

http://democratic.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=560&MId=3567

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Councillor Jan Angell and Paula Ridgway, members of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Working Group.

Councillor Mrs McCracken, the lead member of the working group, presented the conclusions and recommendations of the draft ‘Being Safe’ report, which was agreed at the last Children, Young People and Learning O&S Panel.  The full report was available online at –

http://democratic.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?Cld=560&Mld=3567

This was an extensive piece of work, spanning six months, involving four councillors, one teacher representative and a voluntary sector representative, with good officer support from Children’s Social Care and Overview and Scrutiny.  The working group met a wide range of people and received written comments from others.  It attended the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) stakeholder conference and reviewed key safeguarding material, eg,Lord Laming’s report, safeguarding procedures.

Of the 36 conclusions, the key one was –

‘In overall terms, in all major respects we are very satisfied that the Council and its partners have done all they reasonably can to safeguard children and young people’ (conclusion 4.33).

The report contained 19 recommendations, mainly addressed to the Council’s Executive, including issues around assessment, resourcing, early intervention, publicity, NHS reorganisation, and building member understanding and commitment.

The review was carefully structured and organised and the working group thought there were points of learning that could be applied to other reviews, such as the approach to obtaining the views of service users, research, setting and regularly monitoring a detailed work programme and having a workshop at the end to draw out the conclusions and recommendations.

Positive feedback had been received on the report from the Executive Member for Children and Young People and the Director, Young People and Learning.

Mrs McCracken recorded her personal thanks to everyone involved in the review.

Arising from discussion and questions –

• The effect of the reduction of the teenage pregnancy service on teenage pregnancies in the borough.  The possibility of reviewing that decision when the outcome of reducing the service was known.
• The Police would be looking into the lack of provision of safe and secure overnight accommodation for children from 10 to 17 in custody overnight.  It was suggested that the possibility of using the Partnership to encourage this provision should be pursued through the Children, Young People and Learning O&S Panel. 
• A new Chief Officer: Children’s Social Care would be appointed later in the year.  It was suggested that the new officer be given a copy of the working group report  and invite them to the Children, Young People and Learning O&S Panel.
• Councillor Mrs McCracken would be interviewed by Heart Radio tomorrow, Friday 28 January.  The Commission noted that it was the usual practice for the radio station to put interviews on their website.
• Councillor Mrs Shillcock thought this was one of the best review reports presented, both very interesting and informative.

The Chairman thanked all involved with the working group for a very informative piece of work.

The Commission adopted the report of the review of Safeguarding Children and Young People for sending formally to the Executive Member for Children and Young People.