Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Children & Family Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2017/139

Contact: Tan Lea, Strategic Safeguarding Partnership Manager Tel: 07867 923287

Report by Independent Chair of the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board (CA9).

The OSCB’s  remit is to co-ordinate and ensure the effectiveness of what is done by each agency on the Board for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in Oxfordshire. The annual report summarises the  key achievements in the last year and provides an analysis of safeguarding arrangements. 

Quality assurance work highlights that partners must address long term issues of neglect and protect children in families where domestic abuse, substance misuse and mental illness are prevalent.   OSCB delivered over 150 free safeguarding training and learning events reaching over 9000 members of the Oxfordshire workforce. The termly newsletters went to a similar number.

The annual report directs the OSCB towards the following aims for 2017/18:

1.         Improving the effectiveness of the board; collaboration with Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board (OSAB) and engagement with local communities including the voluntary and community sector

2.         Improving practice in tackling neglect and safeguarding adolescents at risk of exploitation

3.         Taking robust action following learning; to ensure continuous improvement and to assess risk and capacity across the partnership .

OSCB’s Vice Chair Joe Kidman, Thames Valley Police, will attend to present the report.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the reports.

The Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board’s(OSCB) remit is to co-ordinate and ensure the effectiveness of what is done by each agency on the Board for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in Oxfordshire. Cabinet had before them the annual report summarising the key achievements in the last year and providing an analysis of safeguarding arrangements. 

OSCB’s Vice Chair Joe Kidman, Thames Valley Police, attended to present the report.

Cabinet further considered the following two associated reports:

·         The Performance Audit & Quality Assurance Report; and

·         The Case Review & Governance Annual Report

Councillor Jamila Begum Azad, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children & Family Services commented on a number of parents who did not get a school in their catchment area and where they had children at up to 3 different schools some over 4.5miles from home raising safeguarding issues. Councillor Hibbert Biles, Cabinet Member for Public Health & Education and Councillor Harrod, Cabinet Member for Children & Family Services undertook to discuss these matters with Councillor Begum Azad outside the meeting although stressing that they were not aware of any significant issues.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Chairman of the Performance Scrutiny Committee noted that at the Committee the report had been taken alongside the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board and considering thast there was some overlap felt that this would be useful for Cabinet. The Committee had also considered the missing children report and the number of unaccompanied children asylum seekers was highlighted. Although the Committee had been assured that procedures were in place they picked up on several issues. In particular, the timeliness of assessments for children. Councillor Brighouse referred to massive social worker caseloads, the difficulty with recruitment and that case management was difficult even in the area of safeguarding.

Councillor Harrod responding to the last point advised that the position was improving but was likely to take some time.

Joe Kidman, presented the contents of the report, highlighting that the Board was comprised of the right people at the right level and attendance at the Board was excellent. The Board was assisted by the voluntary representatives and had better engagement with the young people’s advocacy group. He referred to the work of the Board including work to increase their understanding of exploitation, work on mental health and their relationship with the Safeguarding Adults Board.

Tan Lea, Strategic Safeguarding Partnerships, introduced the Performance Audit & Quality Assurance Annual Report emphasising the 10 key learning points set out in the report. Lara Patel, advised Cabinet on the Senior Case Reviews held in the last year. Responding to a query as to why the Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report was not submitted to Cabinet explained that this had been a decision taken some while ago and could be reviewed for future years.

Councillor Stratford proposed that the reports be welcomed.

In response to a question from Councillor Gray, Cabinet Member for Local Communities querying how the Board was working with the Children’s Centres Lara Patel noted that the report predated the changes and was backward looking. This work would be better represented in future reports.

During discussion Cabinet highlighted the lack of specific powers to monitor children being home taught and noted that it was an issue that needed to be resolved nationally. Joe Kidman commented that the Chairman of OSCB would be making representations nationally. Councillor Hibbert-Biles added that she too would write and it was suggested that a joint letter would be useful.

RESOLVED:             to welcome the reports.