Agenda item

Written report presented by Kathy Bundred

Children

The Board received the Havering Local Safeguarding Children Board’s Annual Report 2012-2013 together with a further report highlighting aspects of the LSCB Annual Report.

Havering Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

A review had recently been carried out to benchmark the Havering Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) operation with others and that a report would be released in November 2013. MASH continued to receive a high level of referrals of which a number were attributable to police MERLIN[1] notifications made to Children’s Services when a child comes to the notice of the police.  This was being addressed by the police who were looking into how they screen their work and reduce unnecessary information sharing with different agencies.

Child Protection Processes

The Havering Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) Quality and Effectiveness working group continued to scrutinise the whole area of child protection. Thus far, the quality of the work has been good however Children’s Social Care have identified cases that remain on a child protection plan for only three months whilst others remain on a plan for 2 years.  An audit will be carried out and findings reported to the Quality and Effectiveness working group.

Looked After Children

Looked After Children had not been performing well however significant progress had been made following the implementation of an improvement plan. It was noted that there had been no serious case reviews during the last financial year. A priority for the partner agencies was to secure long term stability for Havering’s most vulnerable children with permanent and adoptive placements. 

Early Help

The LSCB agreed an approach to Early Help in July 2013. A report by the LSCB Quality and Effectiveness Group will be passed to the LSCB in January 2014 on whether the early offer of help strategy has resulted in improved measurable outcomes.

Havering LSCB

A LSCB Development Day is being planned for the LSCB Quality and Effectiveness group to explore how each partner agency quality assures its work and the methodology of reporting this information back to the Group.    

Havering LSCB had a new independent chair, Brian Boxall, who would be chairing both the Children and Adults Safeguarding Boards. Havering LSCB has a responsibility to ensure that thresholds are set appropriately and fully understood.  The current threshold document was developed by Children Social Care and ratified by Havering LSCB with inspection finding that practitioners understood thresholds and were confident in its application. 

In response to Working Together 2013, the London Safeguarding Board is developing a threshold document in consultation with all London Boroughs with the expectation that the threshold document will be adopted by Havering LSCB in early 2014.  Havering LSCB is in the process of undertaking an audit of section 11 compliance across LSCB partners. The LSCB will receive a report on agency compliance in January 2014

The Board noted the report. 

Adults

The Board received a tabled report on the Safeguarding of Adults and noted the following:

The introduction of the Care and Support Bill will place Adult Safeguarding Boards on a statutory footing. The LSCB are aware of the changes that need to take place by 2014.  An independent Chair has been appointed and the Board have a clear understanding of the current objectives and will be working with partner organisations to achieve common solutions.

Current Actions and Updates

·                The Board has welcomed the arrival of its new independent Chair

·                Winterbourne - The Board has been assured with current plans in place.

·                Francis Report - CCG Board representatives will lead on Francis and will commit to reporting to the Board

·                BHRUT - A further CQC inspection visit is scheduled in October and the outcome of this inspection will be reported.

·                PCT/CCG – This transition has seen a change in representation and the Board have been assured of governance, frameworks and safeguarding policies in place so far.

·                Self-Assessment – provider Self-Assessment report shows the CCG and health providers are effective in processes overall to safeguard adults.  All Board partners will be expected to complete a Self-Assessment for their organisation.

·                MERLINS – Concerns were raised relating to the volume, format, content and delay of the MERLIN referrals and the possibility of volume overwhelming MASH.

Serious Case Reviews

Inappropriate Discharges – The Board have been made aware of 3 LD cases of inappropriate discharges and have requested a more detailed report for the next Board meeting.

Board Future Actions – The Board’s structure will be revised to include an additional subgroup to enable serious cases to be reviewed and highlighted for Board action.

Board Development

Outcomes of the Development Day – The outcome highlighted that the Board have not been working strategically and it was evident that immediate actions were required to ensure the SAG is fully enabled and aware to carry out its responsibilities within Havering, ready for statutory status.

Phase 1 Actions – On target to achieve.