Report to:

People Scrutiny Committee

 

Date of meeting:

 

11 March 2021

By:

Reg Hooke, East Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership Independent Chair

 

Title:

East Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2019/20

 

Purpose:

To advise Committee Members of the multi-agency arrangements in place to safeguard children in East Sussex

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

The People Scrutiny Committee is recommended to receive and consider the East Sussex

Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report for 2019-2020.

 

1.         Background

1.1          In July 2018 a revised and updated version of Working Together to Safeguard Children was published following the legislative changes made within the Children and Social Work Act 2017. Working Together 2018 sets out differing arrangements to strengthen cooperation between organisations and agencies to improve the wellbeing of children. This placed new duties on key agencies in a local area. Specifically, the police, clinical commissioning groups and the local authority who have a duty to make arrangements to work together, and with other partners locally, to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in their area. The new arrangements to replace the East Sussex Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) with the East Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership (ESSCP) took effect from 1st October 2019. East Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership Arrangements

 

1.2          In order to bring transparency for children, families and all practitioners about the activity undertaken by the Children’s Safeguarding Partnership, Working Together 2018 sets out that the safeguarding partners must publish a report at least once in every 12-month period. The report must set out what they have done as a result of the arrangements, including child safeguarding practice reviews, and how effective these arrangements have been in practice.

 

1.3          The ESSCP Annual Report for 2019/20 spans the transition from LSCB to ESSCP and the first six months of the ESSCP partnership arrangements. The intention for the 2020/21 ESSCP Annual report is to focus on the new partnership priorities and impact of the partnership on children and young people.

 

2.         Supporting information

2.1          The ESSCP Annual Report 2019/20 outlines the work undertaken by the partnership, highlighting key learning and achievements, which include:

·           Development of new partnership framework and ESSCP website

·           Successful transition of Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) responsibility from LSCB to a new Pan Sussex CDOP led by Public Health and CCGs

·           Development of a safeguarding ‘pledge’ to children and young people

·           4 audits and 2 multi-agency Rapid Reviews conducted, 1 Serious Case Review (Child T) and 3 learning briefings published

·           Impact of learning from Child T Serious Case Review evident in positive outcome of Joint Targeted Area Inspection of services for children (February 2020)

·           963 multi-agency staff attended 54 training courses, with 94% of evaluations rated course as Excellent or Good

·           Developed a local ‘Contextual Safeguarding’ response to children with multiple needs

·           Supported County-wide roll out of Operation Encompass to ensure support for children experiencing domestic abuse

 

2.2          In February 2020 the East Sussex Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) took place on the theme of children’s mental health. The Inspection Letter does not include an overall judgement, instead it sets out areas of strength across the partnership and areas for improvement. The letter noted that partnership arrangements in East Sussex are well established and effective and that ‘The Safeguarding Children Partnership provides robust scrutiny of a wide range of safeguarding arrangements. The partnership’s performance dashboard has a breadth of key indicators across a range of partners and includes indicators about children’s well-being and mental health’ ’The Safeguarding Children Partnership also supports the strategic focus on schools and the voluntary sector having the capacity and resilience to provide accessible emotional well-being support to children. This is supported through a comprehensive training offer for partners.’

 

2.3          The ESSCP Annual Report 2019/20 has been published on the ESSCP website and a copy of the published report shared with the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care as per chapter 3 of Working Together 2018.

 

2.4          A standalone document detailing the Safeguarding Context in East Sussex, including key performance information for 2019/20 is also available on the ESSCP website.

 

3.         Conclusion and reasons for recommendations

3.1         An effective Safeguarding Children Partnership is in place in East Sussex.

 

3.2         The People Scrutiny Committee is requested to receive and consider the ESSCP Annual Report 2019/20 and to note the new partnership priorities for 2020-2023:

·         Education Safeguarding

·         Child Exploitation

·         Embedding a Learning Culture

·         Safeguarding under 5s

 

APPENDICES

Appendix 1 - ESSCP Annual Report 2019/20