Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Children, Education & Families

Forward Plan Ref: 2014/103

Contact: Hannah Farncombe, Safeguarding Manager Tel: (01865) 815273

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CA7).

Cabinet, at its meeting on 13 May 2014, agreed the recommendations of the Cabinet Advisory Group on the Strategic Assurance Framework for safeguarding children and young people. One of those recommendations was that the Director for Children’s Services should provide a report to Cabinet on relevant issues for the County Council arising from the Annual Report of the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (OSCB). This is the first such report.

This report follows the Annual Report of the OSCB for 2013- 2014 which was  approved by the Board on 28th July 2014. The OSCB report is the first by its new independent Chair, Maggie Blyth.

The report outlines the progress achieved in relation to the objectives of the 2013-15 OSCB Business Plan and looks ahead to future challenges.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the annual report of the OSCB and the progress made in relation to its objectives.

Recommendations Agreed.

Cabinet, at its meeting on 13 May 2014 had agreed the recommendations of the Cabinet Advisory Group on the Strategic Assurance Framework for safeguarding children and young people. One of those recommendations was that the Director for Children’s Services should provide a report to Cabinet on relevant issues for the County Council arising from the Annual Report of the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (OSCB). This was the first such report.

This report followed the Annual Report of the OSCB for 2013 - 2014 which had been approved by the Board on 28th July 2014. The OSCB report was the first by its new independent Chair, Maggie Blyth.

Councillor Gill Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families paid tribute to the report as a very good way forward to prevent further sexual exploitation of children and Safeguarding.  Referring to page 132 of the report, she asked whether it could be compulsorily for all members to be trained so that they would know what to look for to pass information onto the relevant person.  She further asked how information was disseminated and whether the information in relation to reporting concerns set out on page 144 of the document could be available at community centres, doctors, notice boards and other public places to ensure more cases were picked up.  She referred to the £5m overspend in Children’s Social Care and the need for Central Government to fund this area properly.

The Leader commented that it was for all the community to take responsibility for the safeguarding of children.  More reports meant that eventually it could stop.

Councillor Tilley, Cabinet Member for children, Young People & Families thanked Maggie Blythe for such an excellent report concurring with the need for councillors to have as much information as possible.  She commended the report to the Cabinet.

Maggie Blyth, in introducing the report, outlined the progress achieved in relation to the objectives, together with the priorities moving forward.  She confirmed that it was a requirement to publish serious case reviews in full, but that the number of children harmed had remained constant over the last 30 years.  She was confident that the partnerships across Oxfordshire would provide continually improving services for all children and young people, ensuring too that the most vulnerable children had their voices heard.

RESOLVED:  to note the annual report of the OSCB and the progress made in relation to its objectives.