News

October 2019

LGA report on "Safeguarding Shake-up"

The Local Government Association recently reported on the improvements being made through the "shake-up" of partnership arrangements. Download the article below.

News Oct 19

Streamlined System Marks New Era for Safeguarding Children

Children & Young People Now October 2019

A new system of local and national reviews for safeguarding children practice was rolled out at the end of September, two-and-ahalf years after a review called for “significant reform”. Sir Alan Wood’s review of the role and functions of local safeguarding children boards (LSCB) highlighted inconsistencies in the ways lessons were learned from serious case reviews (SCR) and raised concerns about how responsibility – and cost – for safeguarding work was co-ordinated between key agencies. A new statutory framework was recommended by Wood – a government adviser and former president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) – to help drive the improvements on a strategic level. This was adopted by the government and was implemented through the Children and Social Work Act 2017, supported by new statutory guidance: Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018. The framework is meant to bring more flexibility, so that organisations with a stake in children’s safeguarding can decide how they respond to local need. 

To access full article, click below.

News Sep 19

Six Steps for Independent Scrutiny: Safeguarding Children Partnership Arrangements

Jenny Pearce, Independent Scrutineer for the three West London boroughs Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, has prepared a paper on "Six Steps for Independent Scrutiny: Safeguarding Children Partnership Arrangements". It should be noted that the Six Steps outlined are not intended as a check list for an inspection. It is intended as a tool for partners to use separately and together to develop and reflect on the safeguarding children plan with desired outcomes. We thank Jenny for sharing this with our colleagues.

To download the document, click below.

Preparing for the post LSCB world

Following extensive consultation with members and other stakeholders the Directors of AILC have decided in readiness for the transition to the new Multi Agency Safeguarding Arrangements (MASA) that by September AILC will have closed and a new Association will have been formed.

Feedback from all was clear that the new partnership arrangements would benefit from an association they could belong to, that would help provide focus, share learning and give prominence to the role safeguarding  partnerships play in protecting children and young people.

The Association of Safeguarding Partners (TASP) is being registered as a Charitable Interest Organisations and interim trustees are being appointed. A slimmed down AILC Board will support the formation of the new arrangements, and for the transition period AILC resources will be used where possible.

However without support, TASP may not be viable. So far, we are pleased with the response to our earlier request for expression of interest. It is of course difficult, as many of the new arrangements are still in the transition process. We will, however, require further support to be able to build on the TASP offer.  

The  TASP offer is primarily focused on partnership/MASA arrangements on the basis of one annual fee which will provide alongside the wider benefits dedicated access to the website and discounts for the conference for 5 people/roles.

Once the new landscape has settled we intend in 2020 to look at a proportionate fee structure and to focus on the different roles people play through the one membership subscription. It also important note that for the first time we are welcoming and including other forms of safeguarding arrangements and partnerships, as we recognise that across the voluntary and private sector many organisations are turning to the partnership approach to safeguarding.

So whatever your role or interest we would welcome further expressions of interest in membership from safeguarifng partnerships, especially as the new MASA plans are published and arrangements launched. Contact us for more information at info@lscbchairs.org.uk

National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Publishes Practice Guidance - April, 2019.

The National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published practice guidance setting out what the panel does, how it has worked to date since its inception and its practice principles. As set out in Working Together 2018, safeguarding partners and LSCBs should have regard to any guidance the Panel publishes. The Panel’s guidance can be found here.
 
The Panel has set up a pool of reviewers who are able to undertake and support national reviews into cases or themes of national importance or which are complex.  The Panel has published a list of those in this pool, which can be found here. AILC also have a FULL list of SCR authors which can be accessed through membership. Email Frankie at frankie.good@lscbchairs.org.uk for membership details. 
 

Working Together 2018 - Child Death Statutory Guidance - Published Oct 2018

LSCB’s who are currently responsible for present CDOP arrangements will need to be aware of this publication (see below document) as these will inform and shape consideration of how new arrangements generally (MASA) and the revised arrangements for Child Death Review, more specifically are developed. The Early Adopters programme includes a number of local arrangements where this is being considered.

Please share and post any questions and or developments on the Members Forum.

  DfE publishes revised Working Together to Safeguard Children

July 2018
Department for Education has published two pieces of statutory safeguarding guidance which set the framework within which all practitioners should operate in order to protect children from abuse and neglect and promote their best interests.

These are:

• Revised Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance; and
• Local Safeguarding – Transitional Arrangements statutory guidance.

You can find these documents on the DfE website here.

AILC has produced a Briefing on the new Working Together and related guidance, including the Transition Timetable for all aspects. Click here.

AILC Press Release on Ofsted Inspection Report April 2018

AILC has issued a Press Release on our recent report, analysing Ofsted Inspections. which shows that 60% of LSCBs have been rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ during the last series of Ofsted inspections between April and December 2017.

This report highlights the important role played by chairs as key influencers in wider leadership and governance arrangements, ensuring that these focus on effective safeguarding outcomes for children and young people.

David Ashcroft AILC"s Chair says in the Foreword:

“As we seek to implement new arrangements under the Children and Social Work Act, these reports are an endorsement of the work that almost every Board undertakes – led by robustly independent chairs and supported by skilled business managers and their teams."

We attach both the report and the press release below.

  DfE publishes a document setting out the responses to the Consultation

26 February 2018
Department for Education has published a document setting out their response to the submissions for the consultation on changes to the statutory guidance document ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ and the child death review guidance.  
 
Subject to Parliamentary clearance of the underpinning regulations, a revised version of Working Together to Safeguard Children and the child death review guidance will be published in late May.  In the meantime the DfE will be reviewing the drafting.

AILC Submission to the Consultation on Working Together Changes - December 2017

AILC submitted its formal response to the consultation on the WT changes at the end of December.  AILC is hoping to have further constructive discussions on changes and amendments to the guidance and regulation, in line with the suggestions made across the sector on how these can be strengthen and improved. This document and the links to the submissions from LGA, BASW, ADCS & the Consultation response to the inclusion of Contextual Safeguarding in revised guidance from IC are all available on the Private Members page relating to the Children & Social Work Act progress. (Which is under Resources/CSW Act 2017 Members Only. You need to be logged in to the see the link.)

AILC Phase 2 Survey Report - November 2017

Following the Children & Social Work Act 2017 LSCB views on new safeguarding arrangements

This is the second of a series of surveys in relation to changes in safeguarding arrangements, as outlined in the recent Children & Social Work Act. It is undertaken by the Association of Independent Local Safeguarding Children Board Chairs (AILC) to ensure a regular flow of current information is captured, analysed and shared amongst LSCBs and partners at local, regional and national levels.

To go to the Survey, which is on our Members Page, click here.

Children and Social Work Act 2017

For Children and Social Work Act 2017 related information - guidance, timetable, reports and updates - please click on Resources, then click on the various CSW Act tabs relating to this subject. 

AILC Members Survey Report - June 2017

Another report by AILC published in June outlines LSCB Chair’s views following the Children & Social Work Act receiving Assent. The survey findings show that most LSCBs are currently staying the same, although some had already been working towards improvements – one such LSCB Chair says:
"We should be clear of the added benefit of any change before making it. The driver should be effectiveness”.

Planned outcomes of the survey here, are to share information and analysis across the country, and contribute to the wider context of change and transition.

Further surveys will be undertaken across the period during which government implement the changes resulting from the new Act- expected to be up until April 2019.