MEETING DATE: 11 December 2014

REPORT TO THE CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP

GOVERNING BODY

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:

Item 8.13

AUTHOR: JOB TITLE: DEPARTMENT:

Catherine Wylie Director of Risk and Quality CCG

NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE LOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD [LSAB] ANNUAL REPORT

PURPOSE/ACTION REQUIRED:

The Board are asked to note the LSCB Annual Report

CONSULTATION AND/OR INVOLVEMENT PROCESS:

This report has been developed on information submitted by all of the organisations represented on the Board.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION:

Public Document

1. PURPOSE OF THE REPORT: The LSCB is required to produce an annual report that outlines the progress it has made over the last year in respect to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The purpose of this Annual Review Report is to evaluate and report on the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements for children and young people in North Lincolnshire. The report presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Local Safeguarding Children Board in carrying out its statutory functions, the effectiveness of multi - agency practice to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people and the progress made against LSCB priorities of:

• Reduce the harm from exploitation of children and young people • Provide Early Help to children and young people • Support parenting capacity

As part of the process of aligning the work of the LSCB with the Safeguarding Adult Board, there are now joint priorities agreed by the two Boards at joint development sessions:

• Domestic abuse- particularly in relation to individuals who are subject to MARAC • Further enhancement of integrated front line practice between children and adult based services • Further promotion of early help with children and their families

These priority areas will be taken forward in 2014-2015.

2. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES SUPPORTED BY THIS REPORT:

Continue to improve the quality of services

X

Reduce unwarranted variations in services

Deliver the best outcomes for every patient X

Improve patient experience X

Reduce the inequalities gap in North Lincolnshire

3. ASSURANCES TO THE CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP

This report is presented by the North Lincolnshire Local Safeguarding Children’s Board

4. IMPACT ON RISK ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK: Yes No X

5. IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT – SUSTAINABILITY: Yes No X

6. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:

Yes No X

7. RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS:

Yes X No

CCG representatives attend the Board and the sub-groups 8. EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT:

Yes No

9. PROPOSED PUBLIC & PATIENT INVOLVEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS:

Yes No

10. RECOMMENDATIONS:

The CCG is asked to: - • Note the LSCB Annual Report

North Lincolnshire LocalSafeguarding Children BoardAnnual Report 2013 - 2014

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Contents

Section 1: Welcome and introductions ...................................................................................................................................03

Signatures of approval by Board Members to Annual Review ...........................................................................................05

Section 2: Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................................06

Section 3: About North Lincolnshire........................................................................................................................................083.1 Population Information

Section 4: National Context ......................................................................................................................................................09

Section 5: Governance and accountability .............................................................................................................................105.1 Role and Function of LSCB5.2 Partnership Arrangements

Section 6: North Lincolnshire Local Safeguarding Children Board compliance with statutory duties..........................126.1 Board arrangements6.2 Challenge and Scrutiny- Section 116.3 Challenge and Scrutiny- Schools Safeguarding Audit6.4 Challenge and Scrutiny- Case Audit6.5 Serious Case Reviews6.6 Child Death Overview Panel6.7 Private Fostering6.8 Learning and Improvement- LSCB Training6.9 Board Member Development6.10 Multi agency policy and procedures

Section 7: Multi agency progress in relation to section 11 duties .....................................................................................19

Section 8: Evidence of impact ..................................................................................................................................................228.1 Evidence of impact - Performance Information8.2 Evidence of impact - Consultation and Participation with children and young people8.3 Evidence of impact - Business Plan priorities8.4 Evidence of impact - Promoting evidence based practice across the children’s workforce

Section 9: Co-operation with other LSCB’s.............................................................................................................................36

Section 10: Funding of the Board............................................................................................................................................37

Section 11: Ongoing areas of work for 2013-2014...............................................................................................................38

Appendix 1: Integrated Domestic Abuse Strategy Action Plan ..........................................................................................39

Appendix 2: Safeguarding Disabled Children Action Plan ..................................................................................................41

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Welcome &Introductions

Section 1

Introduction by Edwina Harrison, Independent ChairOnce again I am very pleased to present this AnnualReport on behalf of all the agencies represented on theNorth Lincolnshire Local Safeguarding Children Board. Youwill find information about these agencies in the report.The LSCB is required to produce an annual report thatoutlines the progress it has made over the last year inrespect to safeguarding and promoting the welfare ofchildren and young people.

There can be no doubt in my mind that the direct contactwhich the North Lincolnshire Local Safeguarding ChildrenBoard has with children and young people continues tobe the one of the most significant features of the board.Indeed, there is so much confidence in the work inschools and colleges that the LSCB presented a verysuccessful workshop at the Annual Independent ChairsConference in London. During this year children fromNorth Lincolnshire schools met with the Children’sCommissioner, and the Office of the Children’sCommissioner will be represented at the Staying Safeconferences which are due to take place soon for Primaryand Secondary schools, led by the Youth Council. Iattended the annual Healthy Relationships conference inautumn 2013 and joined in a very lively day wherechildren and young people took a very direct look atwhat makes them vulnerable and also at what can bedone to keep them safe. As in previous years thedangers of electronic communication and the pressuresof social media were key themes.

As part of the process of aligning the work of the LSCBwith the Safeguarding Adult Board, there are now jointpriorities agreed by the two Boards at joint developmentsessions:• Domestic abuse- particularly in relation to individuals

who are subject to MARAC• Further enhancement of integrated front line practice

between children and adult based services• Further promotion of early help with children and their

families

These priority areas will be taken forward in 2014-2015.

As Independent chair I try to make sure that all boardmembers have the opportunity to contribute to themeetings. In early 2014 I began the process of meetingwith all board members individually to discuss how theycontribute to all aspects of the board, and to collect theirviews about how it can be even more effective. One ofthe emerging themes is the impact of organisationalchange on local arrangements, as this can have animpact on communication and the understanding ofroles; this is now a standing item on the LSCB agenda.There have also been many positive comments about theatmosphere of challenge and openness in the meetingsand the quality of discussion about complex and difficultmatters.

Board members have the opportunity to explore issues indepth through themed sessions which have includedtopics such as Child Sexual Exploitation, Early Help andDomestic Abuse.

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What has been happening nationally that is relevantfor North Lincolnshire?In 2013 a new inspection framework was introduced forChildren in need of Care and Protection, Care leavers andLSCBs. As this is the first time that LSCBs have beenreviewed independently there has been much interest inthe process and the findings from the first eleven areashave recently been published along with a report fromProfessor Munro.

The new arrangements which were outlined in WorkingTogether in 2013 between the Independent Chair andthe Local Authority Chief Executive have worked out well.I continue to have regular meetings with Simon DriverChief Executive as well as with the Director of People,Denise Hyde, and the Cabinet Member for People, RobWaltham. I presented the LSCB Annual Report to theScrutiny Committee where there was a very wellinformed discussion. There have also been productivemeetings between the Independent Chairs of the fourHumberside LSCBs and the Chief Constable and the Policeand Crime Commissioner.

I do understand how busy everyone is these days but Ido hope that you will find this report informative and letus know how you think it could be improved next year.

Edwina Harrison

Independent Chair North Lincolnshire LSCB

Section 1: Welcome & Introductions

05Signatures of approval by Board Members to Annual Review

Name Organisation

Edwina Harrison Independent Chair

Denise Hyde Director of People NLC

Mick GibbsAssistant Director Children’s Services People Directorate NorthLincolnshire Council

Karen PaveyAssistant Director Adult Services People Directorate NorthLincolnshire Council

Peter ThorpeAssistant Director EducationPeople Directorate North Lincolnshire Council

Alastair O’Neill Chief Superintendent Humberside Police

Catherine WylieDirector of Risk & Quality Assurance Clinical CommissioningGroup

Kit SargentDirector, North Lindsey CollegeRepresentative from FE Colleges

Sue BondHead Teacher SecondaryRepresentative Secondary Schools

Maureen Fitzimmonds Head of Service CAFCASS

Trevor LammingAssistant DirectorTechnical & Environment ServicesNorth Lincolnshire Council

Kevan Fridlington Director, Community Rehabilitation Company

Becky McIntyreAssistant Director Prevention and Commissioning NorthLincolnshire Council

Pat ChennelsService ManagerAction for ChildrenVoluntary sector representative

Alison BurtleAssistant Principal John Leggott CollegeRepresentative FE College

Deborah WildgooseDeputy Director of NursingNursing & Partnerships Directorate RDASH

Craig Ferris Head of Safeguarding NLAG NHS

Ewart GibbsHead teacher Leys Farm Junior School Representative of Primary Schools,

Cllr WalthamCabinet Member for PeopleParticipant Observer to the Board

Frances Cunning Director of Public Health NHS NL, Chair of CDOP

Tyson Truelove Humberside Fire and Rescue – Safeguarding Officer

Paul Sparham Lay Representative

Sarah GlossopDesignated Nurse for Safeguarding Children NorthernLincolnshire, Chair of SCR Group, Advisor to the Board

Jonathan Chippendale Locality Quality Manager East Midlands Ambulance Service

Dave Basker Head of Safeguarding, Advisor to the Board

Nick Hamilton Rudd Head of Humberside NPS (North and North East Lincolnshire)

Section 1: Welcome & Introductions

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Executive SummarySection 2

The purpose of this Annual Review Report is to evaluateand report on the effectiveness of safeguardingarrangements for children and young people in NorthLincolnshire. The report presents an evaluation of theeffectiveness of the Local Safeguarding Children Board incarrying out its statutory functions, the effectiveness ofmulti agency practice to safeguard and promote thewelfare of children and young people and the progressmade against LSCB priorities of:

Reduce the harm from exploitation of children andyoung people

Provide Early Help to children and young people

Support parenting capacity

The report demonstrates the following:• The effectiveness of Board arrangements and the

impact of the challenge and scrutiny the Board hasundertaken to continue to drive forward strategic andoperational practice to safeguard children. The reportidentifies that there are a number of robust ways inwhich the Board seeks to evidence the effectiveness ofsafeguarding arrangements, through section 11 events,case audit, and case moderation.

• The arrangements for the Child Death Overview Paneland the Serious Case Review Sub Committee areeffective and ensure that there are robust and efficientmechanisms to respond to and learn any lessons fromunexpected child deaths.

• The Learning and Improvement Framework for the LSCBis being successfully implemented, training anddevelopment opportunities the LSCB has, such astraining, information sessions, newsletters and practiceguidance are all valued highly. The impact of LSCBtraining on further developing multi agency practice isevidenced through excellent and consistent feedbackand practitioners have the opportunity to access highquality training to support their professionaldevelopment.

• The LSCB has robust policies and procedures in placethat are reviewed regularly and are tested through caseaudit

• Agencies are complaint with their Section 11 duties(Children Act 2004) and the commitment and focus onsafeguarding children has remained throughoutorganisational change. Board members take theirresponsibility in the delivery and implementation of theBoard priorities seriously, ensuring that these are

articulated throughout their organisation and shape andinfluence service delivery.

• Children who are within statutory safeguardingarrangements such as child protection are managedefficiently and effectively. Their plans are reviewed in atimely manner and change is supported in families in ashort timescale and sustained by families, evidencedthrough the number of children where plan duration ismore than 2 years, of which there are none and thenumber of children becoming subject to a childprotection plan for a subsequent or second time. Ourperformance is good with very few children becomingsubject to a child protection plan for a second time.

• The LSCB has creative, embedded and effectivearrangements to engage and involve children andyoung people in safeguarding. There is a strongapproach to empower and support children and youngpeople, recognising their strengths at safeguarding andsupporting each other and how their voices and ideasdrives up the quality and effectiveness of the servicesdelivered. There are priority areas that have beeninformed through the Primary lifestyle survey and theAdolescent lifestyle survey , agencies will need to thinkabout how the local work being done in respect of esafety, domestic abuse and healthy relationships can befurther enhanced.

The LSCB has made good progress against LSCB priorityareas:

Priority: Reduce the harm from exploitation of childrenand young people

I. The LSCB has reviewed its local progress in reducingthe harm from sexual exploitation, lessons have beenlearnt from other areas and as a result the Board hasdeveloped an approach to CSE that is focused on ensuringthat we have robust arrangements in place to respond toCSE at a strategic and operational level. The Board hasdelivered a comprehensive range of specialist trainingand awareness raising to professionals and our next stepsis to roll this out to community settings. The Board hasfocused on developing young people’s understanding ofhealthy relationships so that they can be empowered toidentify when a situation is not safe for them. Children’sServices has invested in support and services for childrenat risk of or suffering CSE.

II. The LSCB has a local integrated domestic abusestrategy in place that has been agreed by the LSCB and

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the Safer Neighbourhoods Board. The action plan in placeis monitored by the LSCB each quarter (see appendix 1).Agencies have enhanced the range of support availableto victims of domestic abuse and we are starting to see areduction in the rates on domestic abuse in NorthLincolnshire.

III. The Board has worked collaboratively withHumberside Police in respect of reducing violence andextremism since 2011. The Board raises awareness ofthis form of harm, offers training to multi agencyprofessionals as part of the LSCB training calendar andthe procedures have been revised and published on theLSCB web pages on www.northlincs.gov.uk/LSCB.

Priority: Provide Early Help to Children and YoungPeople

IV. We have implemented and monitored the Early HelpSafeguarding Strategy and through strategic collaborationpromote the implementation of the early helpframework for children and young people. The number ofchildren and young people supported through early helpis raising. The principles and ethos which underpins thisapproach is promoted across agencies and supportedthrough training.

Priority: Support Parenting Capacity

V. We have reviewed and completed a stock take ofparenting support packages available for families andhave developed a local parenting support frameworkwhich the Early Help Transformation Group will lead on.Our local data identifies that neglect is a key issueaffecting some families in North Lincolnshire alsomirrored at a national level.

The LSCB priorities for 2014-2015 are

1) Reduce the harm from neglect• Implement the findings of the research undertaken by

Huddersfield university regarding the local issues andchallenges with neglect

• As part of the local, universal approach to preventingneglect

• Respond to the findings of the research and develop aevidenced based , local strategy on neglect

• Implement a specific assessment and interventionframework for neglect

• Ensure that staff are trained in knowing the differencebetween chronic and reactive neglect and that theyhave the range of knowledge and skills required foreffective early intervention

• Develop evidence based interventions that underpin theParenting Capacity Framework, that drives outcomefocused interventions and supports sustained changeregarding neglect

2) Reduce the harm from child sexual exploitation• Further develop evidence based approaches to

intervening and supporting children and young peopleat risk or suffering from CSE

• Further develop consultation arrangements andcollaboration with children and young people at risk orsuffering CSE, ensuring that the voices of children andyoung people continue to inform and shape thedelivery of service and support

• Develop a specific risk assessment that is based uponqualitative information and informed professionaljudgement regarding CSE, that will be embedded intothe Risk Analysis Framework

• Further enhance the preventative approach to CSEthrough roll out of education empowermentprogrammes on healthy relationships to year 6upwards, social media campaigns and awarenessraising with children and young people

• Build upon the work we have undertaken with the localcommunity to ensure a collaborative approach topreventing CSE

Section 2: Executive Summary

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About North LincolnshireSection 3

Population information; Children and Young People inthe communityNorth Lincolnshire is a relatively large place covering 328square miles. The area has a large rural community andmore than half of the population live outside of the mainarea of Scunthorpe. The area has 17 wards which are,Ashby, Axholme Central, Axholme North, Axholme South,Bottesford, Barton, Broughton and Appleby, Brumby,Brigg and Wolds, Burringham and Gunness, Burton uponStather and Winterton, Crosby and Park, Ferry,Frodingham, Kingsway with Lincoln Gardens, Ridge,Town.

Population

The population of North Lincolnshire is 167,400.

The population of children aged 0-19 years is currently39,400 (ref: JSNA Evidence Baser 2012-2013). NorthLincolnshire has seen a growth in the birth rate since2001 where there were 8,500 under 5’s resident in NorthLincolnshire, rising to 10,300 by 2011. 56% and 54% ofchildren under 5 years and under 10 years live inScunthorpe and Bottesford, the remainder children liveacross the market towns and villages of NorthLincolnshire.

7.1% of the population in North Lincolnshire are from aBlack and Minority Ethnic community and it has beenestimated that there has been a 53% growth in the localBME population since 2001. A total of 68 differentlanguages are spoken across North Lincolnshire, the mostcommon being Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Portuguese,

Somali, Turkish, Arabic and Polish. The largest BMEcommunities in North Lincolnshire are people of Indian,Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage. More than 80% ofthe BME community live in the northern part ofScunthorpe.

7% of children in North Lincolnshire have a physical,learning or mental disability or long term illness thatlimits their day to day activities. For 3% of children thedisability/illness is so severe that they are eligible fordisability living allowance. 400 children have specialeducation needs (SEN). Children with SEN are twice aslikely to live in low income families. At least 30% ofchildren with SEN are eligible for free school meals inNorth Lincolnshire.

The number of children registered in schools across NorthLincolnshire is 22,312; there are 13,768 primary schoolchildren and 9,544 secondary school children enrolled inschools across North Lincolnshire. Currently there are 71children home educated.

In North Lincolnshire there are approximately 752children in need of support from social work services atany one time.

On average there are approximately 94 children whohave a child protection plan.

On average there are approximately 174 children in carein North Lincolnshire.

On average there are approximately 629 children whoreceived support from Children and Family SupportServices.

National Context

Section 4

The importance of early, effective support is a priorityand the requirement to intervene early was embeddedwithin statutory guidance Working Together to SafeguardChildren 2013. This was the first time that therequirement regarding early help was made explicitwithin statutory guidance.

The recognition of the harm caused by sexualexploitation is better understood and the importance ofpreventative measures as well as targeted andresponsive approaches when children are at risk orsuffering child sexual exploitation (CSE) was reinforced bythe Office Of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC)reportsinto child sexual exploitation.(1) The outcomes of thesereports have shaped the LSCB’s approach to tacking CSEwith a significant focus being put on listening to childrenand young people and teaching children and youngpeople about healthy relationships.

The Overview Report of the Serious Case Review inrespect of Young People 1,2,3,4,5 & 6 published byRochdale LSCB had significant implications for LSCB’s inthe UK as the learning from these cases reinforced theimportance of intervening early, listening to children andyoung people and looking beyond the presentingbehaviour to understand the reasons for it. In additionthe importance of not overestimating a young person’scapacity to make informed and free choices anddismissing the notion that young people choose toengage in risky situations in these circumstances wasemphasised by the OCC reports. The reports also highlightthe importance of recognising young people that arebeing sexually exploited, as vulnerable, frightened andnot complicit in their own abuse, over which they havelittle control.

In 2013 the new Ofsted Inspection Framework forservices to children in need of help and protection,children looked after and care leavers and the review ofeffectiveness of Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards waspublished. Under the 2013 inspection framework LocalSafeguarding Boards became subject to an evaluation intheir effectiveness and compliance with statutory dutiesand responsibilities. LSCBs have a key role insafeguarding and promoting the welfare of children inthe area and ensuring the effectiveness of thecontribution of statutory partners. The overall scope ofthe review of the LSCB by Ofsted is to determine howwell the Board complies with its statutory responsibilitiesin accordance with the Children Act 2004. The LSCB mustevidence that it coordinates the work of statutorypartners in respect of safeguarding and promoting thewelfare of children and young people and that is hasmechanisms in place to monitor the effectiveness ofthose arrangements. In addition there must be evidenceof oversight of frontline practice, challenge andperformance management that drives quality. Theevaluation of LSCB’s has sharpened the focus on Boardsbeing able to robustly evidence the impact anddifference they make to the lives of children and youngpeople.

The LSCB specific priorities set out to in the Business Planand reviewed at the end of the financial year 2013remain relevant.

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1.“If only someone had listened” the final report into child sexualexploitation, “It’s wrong… but you get used to it” A qualitative study ofgang associated sexual violence towards, and exploitation of youngpeople in England and “Sex without consent, I suppose that is rape” byThe Office of the Children’s Commissioner

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Governance and AccountabilitySection 5

Requirements and Functions of the LSCB

Section 13 of the Children Act 2004 requires each localauthority to establish a Local Safeguarding Children Board(LSCB) for their area.

Section 14 of the Children Act 2004 sets out theobjectives of LSCB’s which are:

(a) to coordinate what is done by each person or bodyrepresented in the Board for the purposes ofsafeguarding and promoting the welfare of children inthe area; and

(b) to ensure the effectiveness of what is done by eachsuch person or body for those purposes.

Regulation 5 of the Local Safeguarding Board Regulations2006 sets out the functions of the LSCB as per section 14of the Children Act 2004.

Partnership arrangements of the LSCB- How the CoreFunctions are managedThe LSCB Business Plan 2013-2015 sets out the CoreFunctions that each of the groups below, are responsiblefor managing. The LSCB remains independent of theChildren and Young People’s Partnership but continues toprovide strong leadership in order to deliver thesafeguarding priorities, as set out in the Children andYoung People’s Plan 2013-2016. The link between theChildren’s and Young People’s Partnership and the LSCB iseffective and there is a clear reporting structure in placebetween the two Boards. In addition the link andinterface between the LSCB and the Safeguarding AdultBoard is strong with joint areas of interest and priorities.There are strong links between the LSCB and the Healthand Wellbeing Board, with clear shared prioritiesembedded across the partnership.

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Child Death Overview PanelChair: Director of Public Health,

North Lincs Council

North LincolnshireLocal

SafeguardingChildren Board

Independent Chair:Edwina Harrison

North LincolnshireHealth and

Wellbeing BoardChair: Cllr Rob

Waltham, CabinetMember for People

North LincolnshireChildren andYoung People’sPartnership

Chair: Cllr RobWaltham, Cabinet

Member for People

North LincolnshireSafeguardingAdult Board

Independent Chair:Moira Wilson

Leads of the following functionsreport directly to the LSCB:

• Private Fostering

• Multi Agency Public ProtectionArrangements

• Adult Mental Health andSubstance Misuse

• Harmful sexual behaviour panel-Disability Safeguarding StrategyGroup

Serious Case Review CommitteeChair: Designated Nurse for

Safeguarding, CCG

Performance GroupChair: Assistant Director CS,

People Directorate North Lincs Council

Quality Assurance GroupChair: Director of Quality and Learner

Services, North Lindsey College (FurtherEducation)

Child Sexual Exploitation Strategic Group

Chair: Assistant Director Technical andEnvironment Services North Lincs Council

Communication GroupChair: Principal Social Worker, Children’sServices People Directorate, North Lincs

Council

Safe Practice GroupChair: Principal Social Work, Children’s

Services People Directorate, North LincsCouncil

Partnership arrangement to the LSCB - How the core functions are managed

Section 5: Governance and Accountability

12

North Lincolnshire LocalSafeguarding Children Boardcompliance with statutory duties

Section 6

6.1 Board arrangementsThe LSCB has an Independent Chair and she continuedher tenure in North Lincolnshire throughout 2013 and2014, this has provided the board with consistentleadership. The Governance arrangements are wellembedded and the Chair meets regularly with theDirector of People, the Cabinet Member for People andChief Executive of the Council to report on progress inrespect of the work of the Board. The Chair is a Directorof the Independent Chairs Association and is up to datewith current developments and has attended meetingswith the Department for Education attended by theMinister for Children.

The LSCB continues to be well coordinated; it is compliantwith guidance and legislation, it has all relevant agenciesrepresented and members have the correct seniority tomake decisions on behalf of their agencies as per therequirements in Working Together 2013. The Board hasexcellent multi agency commitment, consistentmembership and has well run, effective action groups. Atpresent the LSCB has one lay representative who hascontinued their tenure on the Board throughout 2013-2014 and we are in the process of recruiting another layrepresentative.

In 2013-2014 the LSCB revised the Memorandum ofUnderstanding for the LSCB in line with WorkingTogether to Safeguard Children 2013 and the Statutoryguidance on the roles and responsibilities of theDirector of Children’s Services and the Lead Member forChildren’s Services April 2013. Board members are clearabout their roles and responsibilities on the Board andalso are clear about the role and function of the LSCB. In2013-2014 the Board introduced a formal process of anannual appraisal of Board members undertaken by theIndependent Chair, this enables Board Members to reflecton their strengths, achievements and challenges asrepresentatives of their organisation/ agency on theBoard. The outcomes of this will be reported in theannual review for 2014-2015.

6.2 Challenge and scrutiny - Section 11 Challenge(2004 Children Act)The LSCB Section 11 Challenge events are wellembedded and focus in on specific Board priorities. Theyalso consider frontline interagency practice on Boardpriorities and the difference being made to children andyoung people. In 2013-2014 the focus of the Section 11Challenge event was on how the Board priorityembedding early help was implemented across agencies.Board members undertook a multi agency audit on twoearly help cases to scrutinise, challenge and assesses theeffectiveness of frontline practice and the outcomes forchildren and young people. All Board members wereinvited to the event and the representation at the eventwas reflective of the agencies involved, with attendanceby all relevant agencies.

The challenge session identified good practice in respectof the two cases considered in respect of:• Multi agency understanding of thresholds for referral

was evidenced as being understood and applied• There was good multi agency collaboration in respect of

the support being offered to families • Support regarding the individual’s needs of the children

was being offered to them in school in respect ofbereavement support.

• Lead professionals took their role seriously and engagedother services to support families as part of the childwith additional needs meeting

The challenge session identified some areas of learningin respect of the two cases:• How agencies can continually improve the recording of

the views of the children and young people in theassessment forms. The new early help assessment formhave been designed to achieve this.

• The promotion of a single assessment frameworkthrough the Early Help framework.

• Effective holistic early help assessments that routinelyassess the child’s identified needs, the environmentand parenting capacity.

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• Effective early help interventions should be consistentlyproportionate to the needs assessed and the goals ofthe family and professional aligned to achieve the bestpossible outcomes

• Continually improve early help practitioners skills inassessing parenting capacity.

• Continually develop effective, creative and evidencebased package of support for children with profounddisabilities.

These areas of learning were addressed at an LSCBdevelopment session and included in the Early HelpConference held in September 2013 (see section 3.5).Learning was incorporated into the development of theNorth Lincolnshire Early Help Assessment Frameworkcontained within Chapter 1 of the LSCB procedures andthe impact of how well the learning is being embeddedin practice is monitored through case audits and the LSCBperformance management information (see section 6.4 )

6.3 Challenge and Scrutiny-Schools safeguardingauditIn September 2013, the LSCB introduced a strengthenedschools safeguarding audit for all primary and secondaryschools, academies and Independent and pupil referralunit. An audit tool based on the LSCB section 11 audittools and the Governors checklist that was containedwithin the schools safeguarding policy was implemented.All schools were asked to complete the self assessmentwhich would demonstrate their compliance with section11 of the Children Act 2004 and sections 157 & 175 ofthe 2002 Education Act. The results could be included inthe portfolio of evidence for Ofsted in respect of howeffectively the school are meeting their safeguardingrequirements and also the action being taken to resolveany issues identified. Schools undertook the audit andthe results were presented to the LSCB in January 2014.The return rate was 100% for all schools within the localauthority area. The audits demonstrated the following:• 100% compliance by schools in North Lincolnshire

regarding statutory requirement to have a designatedsenior person, child protection coordinator, designatedgovernor for child protection, a SENCO.

• 100% compliance by schools in North Lincolnshireregarding the requirement for the designated seniorofficer to have completed safeguarding training in thelast two years

• 100% of schools reporting that there staff were awareof their responsibilities regarding reportingsafeguarding concerns and all had received aninduction covering safeguarding, 94% stated that thewhole staff team had been trained within in the lastthree years.

• 100% of school reported that pupils were encouragedto communicate issues and concerns and that pupilswere valued, listened to and respected.

• 100% of schools had arrangements whereby a keyworker was identified for pupils where there weresafeguarding/child protection concerns and their rolewas to coordinate support to the pupil and act as anadvocate.

• 100% of schools adhered to the LSCB Safer Recruitmentguidance

• 100% of schools adhered to the LSCB ManagingAllegations against people who work with childrenprocedures

• The audit identified best practice across schools which isbeing shared across the primary and secondarynetworks

The audit demonstrates the commitment of all schools inNorth Lincolnshire to keeping children safe andpromoting their welfare. The audit will be completed onan annual basis and reported to the LSCB. In addition wewill monitor progress against the action plan after a sixmonth period. The next phase will be to develop an audittool for Early years settings and this will be developedand rolled out in 2014-2015.

6.4 Challenge and Scrutiny-LSCB Case AuditFrameworkThe LSCB has a Quality Assurance Group in place andmulti agency case audit is well embedded within theLSCB Learning and Development Framework.

From April 2013 to March 2014 the following themes foraudit were chosen:• 16/17 year old suspected victims of domestic abuse• LSCB Priority: Reduce the Harm from Neglect• LSCB Priority: Reduce the Harm from Emotional Abuse• Parents with a learning disability• Children who go missing from home/ school• Children who go missing from care

The themes for case audits are built around LSCB priorityareas and evidencing how effective interagency work isaround the priority areas. A standard audit tool locallydeveloped and refined by the Quality Assurance Group ispart of the double loop learning in place that the auditprocess is part of. The group reflects on the robustness ofthe audit process as well as learning from cases in orderto ensure the framework for learning is as robust andeffective as it can be. Frontline staff who are involved inthe specific cases are invited to the meeting to share thefindings from their agencies’ audit and be part of thejoint learning that occurs. This also involves the schoolwhere the children attend and schools participation inthe process has been very good.

As part the case audit process we also consult withchildren and their families whose cases have beenselected for audit to ascertain their views on the supportoffered. The results from these independent interviews

6.2 Challenge and scrutiny - Section 11 Challenge(2004 Children Act) continued...

Section 6: North Lincolnshire Local Safeguarding Children Board compliance with statutory duties

14

are reported into the meeting as part of the learningaround the process and feedback is given to the familyafter the case audit meeting.

The case audits undertaken, consistently demonstrate thefollowing are routinely evidenced:• Holistic assessment• Evidence of parental and child views informing

assessment• Assessment being carried out in a timely manner• Assessments demonstrating risks as well as protective

factors• Assessments informing plans and interventions• Plans evidencing the goals to be achieved• Recording decision making• Supervision in place• Review of plans taking place• Multi agency working evidenced• Good quality of case recording• Good understanding of thresholds demonstrated

Within the case audit process there was evidence seen ofgood practice, for example:• Practitioners who utilised a role modelling approach

with families where they demonstrated the practicalskills they wanted parents to adopt

• Facilitative support that overcomes some of thepractical barriers to achieving the best outcomes forchildren for example supporting parents to takechildren to appointments

• Decisive, informed and evidence based assessmentwhich led to children being placed for adoption swiftly

• Practitioners using relevant significant history to informcontemporary planning and intervention

As would be expected within any learning andImprovement Framework, the Quality Assurance Ggroupconsidered how multi agency practice can continue to bedeveloped. The group focused upon the following keyareas:• Working with families who are involuntary and

challenging• The attachment history of parents and how it affects

contemporary attachments • Parental mental ill health and parental learning

disability• The pervasive nature of domestic abuse and how it can

affect the normative views on children and youngpeople

• Working with families where there are multiple needsand chronic neglect

Achievements

The LSCB disseminates the learning from LSCB case auditsacross the children’s partnership to continually developand enhance evidence based practice. The learning fromthe case audit is incorporated into relevant LSCB trainingcourses. In addition it is shared through LSCBNewsletters, LSCB Information sessions and practiceupdates.

As a result of the case audits the following developmentshave been implemented:

1) The early help framework has been implemented toreflect the learning from the engagement of children andfamilies in assessments, seeking and evidencing theirviews and using them to inform planning andintervention. These are key components of the Early Helpframework. The framework has been designed to ensurethat the views of children and their families are at theheart of the process.

2) The training on Early help and Lead Professional hasbeen revised to include the learning from the audits andthe focus is more on the engagement skills ofpractitioners, using a solution focused, strengths basedapproach, underpinned by risk assessment and analysis.

3) The LSCB has continued to develop policy, proceduresand practice guidance to support frontline practice. TheLSCB has developed a protocol for working with parentswith learning difficulties, Guidance for working withfamilies who are challenging and reluctant to engageand a multi agency protocol for assessment of children inneed and child protection. These are all available onwww.northlincs.gov.uk/LSCB

4) The LSCB continued to support the work with childrenand young people to understand healthy relationshipsand the Domestic Abuse Young People’s program (DAY)has been piloted evaluated and implemented locally,with young people whose families are affected bydomestic abuse. The feedback from the young peoplewho attended the programme was extremely positive inrespect of encouraging them to think about their ownbehaviour and that of others and also to challenge someof the normative views they had come to hold aboutdomestic abuse within relationships.

5) The LSCB has supported the roll out of Domestic AbuseSexual Harassment (DASH) risk assessment training toenable more professionals to utilise the CoordinatedAction Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) risk assessmentin respect of domestic abuse and we continue to reviewthe effectiveness of this model.

6) The LSCB has developed training and resources inrespect of Child Sexual Exploitation, including multiagency procedures. (see section 8.3)

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7) The LSCB has continued to develop the learning anddevelopment through formal training, practice forums,best practice meetings and promote evidence basedframeworks and models to promote what works and thewhat knowledge, skills and attributes are essential fordelivering the positive outcomes for children andfamilies. (see section 6.9).

8) Children’s Services have developed practice forumsand joint supervision between adult mental healthworkers and social workers to enhance the assessmentof parenting capacity on parents who have a mentalhealth issue.

9) The LSCB has revised the children who are missingprocedures and disseminated these to agencies.

10) Children’s Services has strengthened thecommissioning arrangements with external providers sothat they support the LSCB priorities when our childrenare placed with them, out of the area.

6.5 Serious Case Review Sub CommitteeRegulation 5 of the Local Safeguarding Children BoardsRegulation 2006 identifies the functions of the LSCB. Partof LSCB functions is to undertake Serious Case Reviews inspecified circumstances.

The requirement to undertake Serious Case Reviews is:

5 (1) (e) undertaking reviews of serious cases andadvising the authority and their Board partners onlessons to be learned.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1) (e) a serious caseis one where:

(a) abuse or neglect of a child is known or suspected; and

(b) either — (i) the child has died; or (ii) the child hasbeen seriously harmed and there is cause for concern asto the way in which the authority, their Board partnersor other relevant persons have worked together tosafeguard the child.

In North Lincolnshire we have a robust and transparentdecision making process in place regarding serious casereviews and the LSCB Independent Chair makes theultimate decision about whether a Serious Case Reviewor lower level review should be undertaken.

There is a Serious Case Review Sub Committee in placethat is required to ensure that the statutory functions ofthe LSCB regarding Serious Case Reviews is met and thatreviews are undertaken in accordance with statutoryrequirements. The Chair of the Serious Case Review SubCommittee is the Designated Nurse from the ClinicalCommissioning Group. Locally we have developed andimplemented a model for undertaking lower levelreviews which is built around the Systems methodologyadvocated by Professor Munro and the Social Care

Institute of Excellence. This model seeks to understandthe decisions and practice of professionals within theorganisational context within which they are operating.

In 2013-2014 we had no cases that met the criteria for aSerious Case Review. The last Serious Case Review wasundertaken in 2009.

The Serious Case Review Sub Committee continued tomeet on a quarterly basis and has considered thelearning from national issues and reviews undertaken byother LSCB’s and any local implications. In 2013-2014 weconsidered the Serious Case Review by Coventry LSCBinto the death of Daniel Pelker, the learning from thiscase was disseminated through the LSCB Action Groupsand the LSCB newsletter. In addition the Chair of the SubCommittee has delivered training and presentations atLSCB information sessions outlining the local modeldeveloped.

6.6 Child Death Overview PanelUnder the Local Safeguarding Board Regulations 2006,the LSCB must:

a) collecting and analysing information about eachdeath with a view to identifying—

(i) any case giving rise to the need for a reviewmentioned in regulation 5(1)(e);

(ii) any matters of concern affecting the safety andwelfare of children in the area of the authority;

(iii) any wider public health or safety concerns arisingfrom a particular death or from a pattern of deaths inthat area; and

(b) putting in place procedures for ensuring that there isa coordinated response by the authority, their Boardpartners and other relevant persons to an unexpecteddeath.

Chapter 5 of Working Together to Safeguard Children2013 states that the LSCB should review each death of achild normally resident in the LSCB’s area.

The LSCB has a Child Death Overview Panel in placechaired by the Director of Public Health. The Child DeathOverview Panel meets on a quarterly basis.

In North Lincolnshire childhood death rates remain lowhowever each child death is a tragedy and werespectfully acknowledge this.

The LSCB has a rapid response process in place wherebyan urgent meeting is held when a child has diedunexpectedly. This is in line with statutory requirements.The LSCB procedure stipulates that a rapid responsemeeting must be held within 3 working days and wehave ensured 100% compliance in meeting thistimescale.

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From the reviews undertaken the causes of theunexpected child deaths have largely been as a result ofan acute illness and the causes of expected child deathshave mainly been as a result of life limiting conditions.

In 2013-2014 the CDOP reviewed 9 cases and none of thecases reviewed identified preventable factors, what thismeans is that there was nothing additionally identifiedthat agencies could have done that may prevent a futuresimilar death. In one case modifiable factors wereidentified, however they were very specific to thecircumstances of the case.

Most reviews by the CDOP are undertaken in less than sixmonths (41%) and this has been a consistent standard ofpractice. In 2013-2014 we were part of the North TrentNeonatal Network, as part of enhancing regionalunderstanding of neonatal deaths. Reviews subject tothis process have tended to take slightly longer to reviewbetween 6 months to 1 year, as following the review bythe Network the CDOP in North Lincolnshire considers thecase and the findings from the Network. In exceptionalcircumstances cases take over 1 year to review and theseare when other processes are ongoing, eg inquests.

In 2013-14, we revised the LSCB procedures in respect ofreviewing child deaths in line with Working Together2013. The arrangements for chairing rapid responsemeetings was transferred over to Northern Lincolnshireand Goole NHS Trust with the expectation that the‘Consultants of the Week’ would chair. Training wasdelivered to consultants on the rapid response process,their roles and responsibilities, the management of rapidresponse meetings and the purpose of the CDOP.

6.7 Private Fostering Children living away from home can be the mostvulnerable children within our area. One category ofChildren living away from home is those children whoare Privately Fostered. As defined under the Children Act1989; children are privately fostered if they are under theage of 16 years (or under18 if disabled) and they are

cared for and accommodated by a person who does nothave parental responsibility and who is not a closerelative and they do so for longer than 28 days. (Shortbreaks i.e. spending a weekend back with parents doesnot break the continuous period).

There is a duty on any person who proposes to foster achild privately, any person involved directly or indirectlyor a parent to inform the Children’s Services of any childwho they know is or is going to be privately fostered.Following this Children’s Services will undertake anassessment and ensure that the placement is appropriateand monitor the safety of the child. In addition eachPrivate Fostering arrangement is supported andsupervised by a qualified Social Worker from theFostering Team.

The number of children and young people in privatefostering arrangements remained static in 2013-2014.There is a comprehensive awareness raising strategy inplace and each month activity is undertaken to highlightprivate fostering to professional, the public and childrenand young people themselves and who needs to know ifa child is in a private fostering placement. Leaflets havebeen produced in a range of languages.

The Private Fostering Social Worker has regularlydelivered a presentation to participants on LSCB coursesto raise the awareness of Private Fostering on a multiagency level.

A Private Fostering week was held in September 2013 tocoincide with children returning to school, which includedadvertising on large posters around the authority,updated posters being sent to each school, the councilscreensaver alerting people to the council’sresponsibilities with regard to private fostering.Scunthorpe telegraph included an article publicised intheir newspaper and their website during the privatefostering awareness raising week.

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6.8 Learning and Improvement-LSCB trainingThe LSCB runs an extensive multi agency safeguardingtraining programme that ensures training is delivered onall LSCB priority areas. The LSCB training enhances thecore skills of the children’s workforce, promotes keymethodologies that underpin effective safeguardingpractice and enhance professionals understanding of keysafeguarding issues. In 2013-2014 the LSCB delivered 36different safeguarding courses to multi agencyprofessionals on a range of safeguarding issues frombasic awareness to specialist courses on child sexualexploitation, female genital mutilation, forced marriage,risk assessment, child trafficking and missing children.

In 2013-2014 the LSCB delivered a total of 88 trainingsessions and 3 information sessions. We trained 2122multi agency professionals, a slight increase on the yearbefore. There continues to be good representation ofmulti agency staff at LSCB training with particularly goodtake up of education staff, children and young people’sservices staff and the voluntary and community sector.

Locally 69% of LSCB training is delivered by our local‘experts’, who are staff working in local agencies. 52% ofthat training is delivered by staff from children’s services.The LSCB commissions external specialist trainers forenhanced levels of training on specialist areas such aschild sexual exploitation and harmful sexual behaviour bychildren and young people.

Each LSCB training course is subject to an evaluation, alldelegates are asked to complete an evaluation form andthe return rate for courses is consistently high with 64%of courses receiving a 100% return rate on evaluationsand 36% of courses receiving at least 80% returnedevaluation reports.

On the evaluation form delegates grade the knowledgeand skills that the facilitator demonstrates on the subject.55% of delegates graded the knowledge and skills of thepresenters as excellent. 45% graded the knowledge andskills of presenters as very good. Very good was thelowest scoring for any of the facilitators on any of thecourses. This feedback demonstrates that LSCB training isdelivered by professionals who are consideredknowledgeable on the subjects they are training on.

The LSCB training aims to develop professional’s skill,knowledge and competencies in safeguarding childrenand young people that can support them in their work.Each LSCB training course asks delegates to grade thelevel of learning they have gained from the coursethrough a standard evaluation form. 6% of delegatesgraded what they had learnt from the courses asexcellent, 75% of delegates graded what they had learntas very good and 16% graded what they had learnt asgood. ‘Good’ was the lowest score on any LSCB course.

‘The course helped improve my knowledge andunderstanding around difference between arranged andforced marriage and the cultural differences’ feedbackfrom Silk and Gold training.

‘The course will enable me to look at how I engage withteenaged and improve upon this.’ Feedback from courseSafeguarding Adolescents who display risky behaviours.

‘Watching the DVD and filling in the checklist, made medevelop more of an awareness of the signs to look outfor in respect of child sexual exploitation. I felt it wasalso useful exploring the myths as the media often cloudjudgement on CSE.’ Feedback from CSE awareness course.

‘I have become more aware of the dangers of on linetechnology and it will help with the young people that Icome into contact with.’ Feedback from Think u know esafety training.

On the course evaluations delegates are asked to gradehow the training will contribute to their performance atwork.25% of delegates graded that the contribution oftheir performance at work from the course as excellent.75% of delegates graded that the contribution of theirperformance at work from the course as very good. ‘Verygood’ was the lowest grade in any LSCB course.

On each course qualitative questions are asked on whatdelegates found most useful about the course and anyfurther areas of development that they wouldrecommend. This information consistently informs theongoing development and commitment to maintaininghigh quality training.

Examples of how we have further improved courses is asfollows;• we redesigned the Foundation course to remove some

of the legislative information that is included in thebasic awareness course and enhanced the programmeto dedicate more focus on information sharing andinteragency discussion in respect of thresholds

• we updated the Managing Allegations training toinclude the learning from the Serious Case Review inNorth Somerset

• we revised the LSCB awareness course to introduceinformation about child sexual exploitation

• we have redesigned the training on FGM and honourbased violence and have a local specialist who isinvolved in the delivery of this course

• we revised the course on safeguarding and neglect tointroduce a basic awareness and a specialist level

• we revised the domestic abuse course to introduce ageneral awareness and then specialist level

The formulation of the LSCB training calendar andstrategy is a consultative process. Each year the LSCBholds a consultation session with multi agency managersand supervisors to discuss the priorities for LSCB trainingfor the next year and the development of the trainingcalendar.

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6.9 Board Members DevelopmentAs well as the training and development of frontlinestaff, the LSCB Board members commit to two Boarddevelopment sessions per year. These offer Boardmembers the opportunity to have a reflective andconstructive space whereby they work together on keystrategic issues and challenges. In 2013/14 the LSCBused the opportunity of the first development sessions toconsider the new Ofsted inspection Framework and thefeedback from the Section 11 Challenge event (seesection 6.2). The second development session held was ajoint session with the Safeguarding Adult Board. Thefocus of the session was to examine joint areas oflearning from national serious case reviews and localimplications, examine joint areas of interest from bothBusiness plans and consider the application of thresholdsin multi agency working in frontline practice. In order toconsider the application of thresholds in multi agencypractice a case vignette was developed for Boardmembers to examine.

Board members reflected that the vignette was a goodexercise to undertake and recommended that it is usedfurther with other audiences.

The vignette demonstrated that opportunities for earlyintervention can be numerous. Early intervention is keyas opposed to adopting a forensic approach to gatheringinformation as ‘evidence‘ and waiting for the cumulativeinformation to reach a threshold of referral. The vignetteis now being used within other LSCB training courses.

The Boards acknowledged their role in leading andmodelling proactive commitment to embed a culture ofearly assessment and intervention.

6.10 LSCB multi agency Policy and ProceduresIn 2013-2014 work was undertaken to update LSCBprocedures in line with Working Together to SafeguardChildren 2013. All 5 Statutory Chapters as per WorkingTogether to Safeguard Children were updated andpublished on www.northlincs.gov.uk/LSCB. In additionwe revised and updated the procedures on:• Managing Allegations against people who work with

children• Safer Recruitment• Escalation procedure for resolving professional

differences of opinion • Protocol for multi agency assessment of child in need,

child protection and looked after children • Supplementary Procedure and Guidance on

Safeguarding Children and Young People from ChildSexual Exploitation

• Supplementary Guidance: The Sheffield Protocol-Allegations of harm as a result of underage sexualactivity

• Guidance for Working with Children and Young Peoplewho are Vulnerable to the messages of Terrorism andExtremism 2013

• LSCB Information Sharing Protocols • No Access Visits Guidance • Honour Based Violence Protocol for Children and Young

People in North Lincolnshire • Trafficked and unaccompanied children procedure • Supplementary Guidance - Looked After Children

The policy and procedures are overseen by the LSCB SafePractice Group. The group meets regularly and policy andprocedures are updated, revised and developed to reflectnational changes, research and local need.

Section 6: North Lincolnshire Local Safeguarding Children Board compliance with statutory duties

Multi agency progress in relation to section 11 duties

Section 7

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The LSCB has a long history of seeking assurance ofagencies regarding their compliance with Section 11duties. The data over a number of years has continued toevidence that agencies are compliant with their dutiesand that they can evidence this. The expectation on themand their responsibility and accountability to maintainthis is explicit within the LSCB. Each year as part of theformulation of the annual review agencies are asked tocomplete an assessment against an information requestsubmitted. In 2013-2014 we requested that agenciesidentify the effectiveness of their section 11 dutiesagainst the 3 requirement areas below. In addition wehave asked for them to demonstrate their effectivenessmade on LSCB priorities, this information is contained insection 8.3 below.

Requirement 1: Provide a clear account of howeffectively your agency/organisation has fulfilled itsstatutory responsibilities

In 2013-2014 agencies continued to demonstrate theircommitment to safeguarding children and continued tofurther transform services to support children, youngpeople and their families. For example:

‘We have further reshaped the delivery of social workservices based on the child’s journey, to minimisechanges in social worker so children can havecontinuity and meaningful relationships with theirworkers’ - Children Services, People Directorate NorthLincolnshire Council

For some agencies the changes during 2013-2014 havebeen significant, however safeguarding children hascontinued to be the priority:

‘During the financial year 2013-14 Humberside ProbationTrust was (alongside all other Probation Trusts) in effectworking with the Ministry of Justice to create theNational Probation Service (work to focus on offendersassessed as High Risk of Harm/MAPPA eligible and theCommunity Rehabilitation Company work to focus onoffenders assessed as Low/Medium Risk of Harm). Thisrequired a degree of management resources to be

diverted away from some elements of core business,however the Trust remained committed to its statutoryresponsibilities in relation to Safeguarding Children.’ -Humberside Probation Trust

‘As well as ensuring that they as an organisation meetthe statutory duties under s11 Children Act 2004, as acommissioner of services, NLCCG is responsible forensuring that the organisations from which theycommission services provide a safe system thatsafeguard children at risk of abuse or neglect.

To ensure statutory responsibilities remained clearthrough the transitions in NHS structures from April 2013,the NHS Commissioning Board (now NHS England)published Safeguarding Vulnerable People in theReformed NHS: Accountability and Assurance Frameworkin March 2013. NLCCG has worked within this frameworkwhich is consistent with s11 duties, and WorkingTogether 2013 to maintain their focus on robustsafeguarding arrangements.’ - North Lincolnshire ClinicalCommissioning Group

‘In North Lincolnshire all Child Protection matters arenow dealt with within the one unit based in theScunthorpe Protecting Vulnerable People Unit. Puttingvictims first is a key ambition of Humberside Police.’ -Humberside Police B Division

The quality and effectiveness of provision for childrenplaced out of county is also considered within thecommissioning and monitoring arrangements inChildren’s Services.

‘Children and young people placed in independent andout of county provision are placed in good/ outstandingprovision and placement procedures are followed.Statutory visits and monitoring visits are undertaken toensure that children are appropriately safeguarded’ -Children Services, People Directorate, North LincolnshireCouncil

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The LSCB is clear that agencies should have robustprocedures in place for safeguarding and promoting thewelfare of children and young people and that theseprocedures should be in line with the LSCB procedures.

Humberside Fire and Rescue Service policy is asafeguarding children policy, which incorporates childprotection. HFRS policy has to reflect the needs of anorganisation which works with 4 different localauthorities and LSCB’s. The policy, procedures andguidelines create uniformity for the Service whilstmaintaining the intention of each Local SafeguardingChildren Board. - Humberside Fire and Rescue

Agencies are expected to know how these are beingimplemented effectively within their organisation andtake action to address any issues that emerge.

‘The Trust (NLAG) undertakes regular audits coveringsafeguarding at both frontline service and organisationallevel (examples of these are in relation to quality andappropriateness of referrals). Audit outcomes aremanaged by the safeguarding children forum andreported to the Trust Governance and AssuranceCommittee.’ - Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust

‘Safeguarding is reported regularly at SMT meetings andfull Corporation meetings. An internal safeguardinggroup meets termly where progress and actions againstthe annual improvement plan is monitored. A Collegegovernor attends the safeguarding committee meetingalong with representatives from the main functionalareas comprising Safeguarding, Health and Safety andPersonnel’ - North Lindsey College

The importance of ensuring that staff are appropriatelyand that training remains up to date and contemporary isreinforced through the LSCB. As well as accessing LSCBtraining, agencies are required to ensure that staff haveaccess to support and professional development withintheir organisations to ensure that they perform theirsafeguarding duties effectively.

Arrangements are in place to ensure individuals areequipped to deliver effective practice. This includes themreceiving service developed training and LSCBmandatory training. The local authority promotes alearning and development culture, children benefit froma well trained and knowledgeable workforce’ -Children’s Services, People’s Directorate, NorthLincolnshire Council

Requirement 2: Provide a clear account of theeffectiveness of help (including early help) in thelocal area.

Statutory guidance identifies the requirement onagencies to provide effective help including early help tochildren in need of support, as well as in interveningwith children in need of protection. From commissioningthrough to service delivery agencies are expected tooperate in line with the LSCB Early Help SafeguardingStrategy and priority areas within the LSCB Business plan.

‘Whilst North Lincolnshire CCG does not directly deliverservices to children and families, their responsibility toensure commissioned services provide safe andresponsive systems means that the CCG through theirprofessional leadership have contributed to thedevelopment of the North Lincolnshire approach to EarlyHelp and embedding it across all agencies’ - NorthLincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group

There are arrangements in place to support and adviseagencies about the thresholds for referral, to ensure thatthere is confidence and consistent understanding ofwhen to intervene with children within the context ofearly help and when to refer them due to safeguardingconcerns.

As part of the Early Help Strategy, a Single Access Pointwas established which offers direct contact with aqualified social worker who can provide advice,guidance and consultation on any aspect of childsupport. This service is available to professionals andmembers of the public. - Children Services, PeopleDirectorate, North Lincolnshire Council

Assessment, planning and intervention are the bedrockof work with children , young people and their families.Agencies are expected to ensure that they have effectivearrangements in place to assess the needs of children,young people and their families and then intervene in amanner which empowers, enables and encouragesfamilies to make the changes identified with them.

The College works closely with key partners inidentifying needs and early help requirements. - NorthLindsey College

Where children are in receipt of statutory services, thetimeliness and effectiveness of interventions aremonitored through performance managementinformation and case audit.

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All referrals and assessments are completed withinstatutory timescales and all children are seen (and alonewhen appropriate) as part of all assessments. All casesare allocated in a timely way and we ensure thatthroughout the intervention with a child there is, as faras possible, one consistent social worker who the childand family work with. The practice has been reviewed toensure early identification when an assessment isrequired, this is then completed by a social worker whowill continue to manage the case following assessmentshould this be required. - Children’s Services, PeopleDirectorate, North Lincolnshire Council

We are committed to being co located with children’sservices, giving us ready access to various early helpservices. - Humberside Police B Division

Requirement 3: How does your agency/organisationcontribute to the effective functioning of the LSCB

All agencies are expected to cooperate and support thedelivery of LSCB priorities. This is through involvement insection 11 challenge events, involvement in LSCB ActionGroups and work streams, involvement in LSCB caseaudits, and implementation of statutory functions.

Cooperation in the LSCB Action groups and works streamsis consistently demonstrated as good through routinereports presented at LSCB meetings. Action groups havea good representation of agencies from the LSCB

NLaG are actively involved with the various groupswhich meet and have systems in place to assist withearlier identification of Domestic Violence, Child SexualExploitation and the impact of Emotional harm andNeglect on Young People. - Northern Lincolnshire andGoole NHS Trust

The College representative chairs the LSCB QualityAssurance Group and has been extremely involved in thecase audit process. Recommendations from this havebeen incorporated into LSCB reports and there is clearfollow through of issues raised at the Quality AssuranceGroup to the LSCB meetings, training and priorities forNorth Lincolnshire. - North Lindsey College

The section 11 challenge events are key events in theLSCB calendar by which agencies are called to account forthe quality and impact of their work against LSCB priorityareas. Commitment to this process is good and continuesto drive forward practice.

Humberside Fire and Rescue play an active role insection 11 appraisals and promote the work of theBoard. - Humberside Fire and Rescue Service

Humberside police play a full and active part in allSection 11 events, case audits and work groups. - Humberside Police B Division

Work emanating from any LSCB work streams is sharedwithin the Probation Team locally and where relevantescalated to more Senior Managers across the Trust forfurther consideration/implementation area wide. Therehave been regular attendance within Section 11 events(where required learning has been shared across theorganisation), case audit events, quality and assurance,performance and the safe practice groups. - HumbersideProbation Trust

Ensuring that the voice of children and young people isinforming and shaping safeguarding and LSCB priorities isa crucial element of ensuring the effective functioning ofthe LSCB. The collaboration and participation of childrenand young people in highly valued within individualorganisations as well as within the LSCB itself. Someorganisations such as schools, colleges, Children andYoung People’s Services have sophisticated and wellembedded methods of ensuring that children’s viewsinform and shape services and outcomes for children andyoung people.

To ensure that all children are listened to and can talkabout their care or lives in general we have developed arange of consultation and participation processes.Updates are provided to the LSCB board from the Multi-Agency Looked After Partnership and CorporateParenting Board. LSCB Board members are also invitedto attend the Corporate Parenting Board and take part inthe Creative Conversation with children and youngpeople and are invited to attend events involvingchildren in care and to support children in care throughtheir Corporate Parenting Pledges. - Children’s Services,People Directorate, North Lincolnshire Council

Agencies/organisations ensuring that the statutoryfunctions of the LSCB are implemented effectively is akey requirement, implicit within this is ensuring that thelearning from reviews of cases is shared across andwithin agencies/organisations.

‘The Designated Nurse is the Chair of the SCR SubCommittee and the Designated Doctor is a member ofthe CDOP. Through the Designated Professionals the CCGhas overseen health service learning from child deathoverview reviews and worked with providers to exploreaction changes where appropriate.’ - ClinicalCommissioning Group

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Evidence of ImpactSection 8

8.1 LSCB Performance informationChildren within the child protection system

Referrals – yearly rate per 10,000

Decisions made within 24 hours

Section 47 Enquiries

Overall there has been a decrease in referrals tochildren’s services since 2009/10, the mostsignificant decrease has been in 2013/14. TheSingle Access Point was introduced in 2013 andhas been successful in ensuring that children andtheir families receive approached services, whichincludes a crisis team and the Families Initiative.There was an overall reduction in re referral rates,this indicates that pre front door and statutoryservices and social work services are interveningat the right level at the right time with families.

Consistent good practice andadherence to standards hasbeen maintained.

Whilst section 47 enquiries have decreased overthe last 2 years the percentage of section 47enquiries to child protection plans has increased,there is a higher conversion rate. In 2013/14the rate was 57.3% compared to 33.3% in2012/13.

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Percentage of initial child protection conferencescompleted within 15 working days

Consistent good practice.

Number of children on a child protection plan –yearly rate per 10,000

Children becoming the subject of a child protectionplan for a second or subsequent time

Since 2011 the number of new childprotection plans has increased. The rise ofnew child protection plans is also withinthe context of a rise in plans at a nationallevel by 1% March 2013 and statisticalneighbours, however North Lincolnshireremains lower that the England average.

At the end of March the figure was 7.6%,which compares very well to statisticalneighbours. Our performance remainsmuch lower that the statistical neighbours(17%) and the England average (14.9%).This has been the fourth year that we haveremained below statistical neighbours andthe England average.

8.1 LSCB Performance information continued...

Section 8: Evidence of Impact

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Children de-planned where plan duration is morethan 2 years

Child protection plans reviewed in timescale

We continue to maintain consistent proceduralcompliance to ensure that all plans are reviewed withinstatutory timescales.

In 2013/14 there were no CP plans discontinued after being subject to a plan for more than 2 years. Since 2011, this hasdecreased year on year, with the latest comparable figures being 4% for statistical neighbours and 5.2% England average.A combination of factors has contributed to this, including the introduction of the risk analysis framework introduced in2011, alongside early decision making in case management. The Single Access Point has ensured preventative, targetedsupport through CFSS.

8.1 LSCB Performance information continued...

Section 8: Evidence of Impact

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8.2 Evidence of impact- consultation and participationwith children and young peopleA key strength of the LSCB is the engagement andinvolvement of children and young people in thesafeguarding priorities and work. Consultation andpartnership with children, young people and theirfamilies is a standard that underpins safeguarding inNorth Lincolnshire. North Lincolnshire LSCB hasrecognised the crucial role that children and youngpeople play in helping to support and keep each othersafe. The empowerment of children is a very importantpart of our approach as a Board. Since 2006 ourconsultation, participation and collaboration with childrenand young people has grown. Initially we worked withindividual schools for example the Worlaby Fab 5 onissues such as safety in schools, e safety and being safein the community. This has developed to routineengagement with schools that have engaged andempowered young people to understand, shape andinfluence safeguarding priorities. In North Lincolnshire wehave a network of engagement and a well establishedframework of partnership between children and youngpeople and the LSCB.

Peer Mentor and Buddy Training We have in place across schools and colleges in NorthLincolnshire a package of training developed to trainchildren and young people to be Buddies or Peer Mentorsas part of the schools approach to reducing bullying.There is a package to train mini-mentors in infant schoolson anti bullying. The training package is something thatall schools can access on a termly basis and they aresupported to deliver by the Emotional Wellbeing AdvisoryOfficer and the LSCB Training Coordinator. The trainingconsists of supporting and developing children and youngpeople to become buddy’s and peer mentors and we usethe time to also consult with them on key issues.

Once the Buddies or Peer Mentors are trained they cancontinue and be trained further as Cyber mentors, SENmentors and Healthy Relationship mentors. Thisprogramme of training enables children and youngpeople develop skills and confidence to support otherchildren and young people in school but they alsodevelop life skills which will sustain them in their future.

Feedback from children and young people about whythey think Buddies and Peer Mentors is an important rolefor them is:• A Peer Mentor I think is about when people help otherswhen their being bullied’.

• ‘I want to do it because it would be a great experienceand help us in later life.’

• ‘Helping people who might not want to talk to ateacher.’

• ‘I want to be a Peer Mentor because I like to helppeople.’

• ‘Help people with their problems.’

Since September 2013, 93 Peer Mentors and 99 Buddieshave been trained and a further 62 students have beentrained as Cyber Mentors. 150 Student Advocates weretrained at North Lindsey College. Overall NorthLincolnshire has 900 Peer Mentors and Buddies, with 3infant schools, 38 primary schools, 6 junior schools, 10secondary schools and both special schools offering thissupport to their students.

The impact of this support is that it offers acomprehensive network of support for children andyoung people that enables them to resolve lower levelissues swiftly, inclusively and positively.

The Buddy and Peer Network Group is a group wherementors network, similar to an adult network group. Thementors share ideas that they feel are working well andthey are encouraged to build on other schools ideas.

The network group is also a place to share concerns andallows for adult facilitators to help mentors sortcommontricky problems. Mentors also practise how tosort out playground arguments by using simple questionsand restorative practice. They have also developedposters on which diaphragmatic breath they canencourage their peers to use if they stressed, anxious orangry.

Children’s Consultation GroupsThe Staying Safe Group

The children’s consultation group has continued to grow.The largest of these is the Staying Safe group. The groupaverages 80 children from at least 10 schools and meetstwice a year (Autumn and Spring term.) The annualStaying Safe conference is held, which this group arepivotal in organising.

This year the Autumn Staying Safe meeting focussed onCyber safety. Mentors spent time looking at resources foranti-bullying week and discussing how to use them intheir schools.

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The Cool Kidz Club

The Cool Kidz participation group is for children andyoung people who are (or have been) subject to a Childin Need or Child Protection Plan The Club was identifiedas by Ofsted as an area of good practice. The Club meetsevery six weeks and there are generally between 20 to25 children who attend. It provides opportunities forchildren to share their experiences and makecontributions to how services can be shaped andimproved in the future. The feedback from the childrenwho attend is shared with social workers and results inchanges in practice, for example the children talkedabout preferring to meet their social worker away fromschool, this information has been fed back into theservice and workers consider other options.

A group specifically for young people aged 13 years plushas been recently established and they are working on aname for the group. Feedback from this group will beincluded in the annual report for 2014-2015

The Voice of Children in Care

The voice of children in care is highly valued in ensuringwe strive to keep children safe. A range of consultationand participation processes are in place to ensure that allchildren are listened to and can express any concernsthey may have about their care or lives. Updates areprovided to the LSCB board from the Multi-AgencyLooked After Partnership and Corporate Parenting Board.LSCB Board members are also invited to attend theCorporate Parenting Board and take part in the CreativeConversation with children and young people and areinvited to attend events involving children in care and tosupport children in care through their Corporate ParentingPledges.

Children in care and care leavers have the opportunity toshape and contribute to future service delivery and theircare plans by participating in a range of activities whichincluded:• Children in Care Council Meetings (BIZZ, GPK)• Creative workshops• Recruitment and selection of staff• Quarterly question• Skills to Foster course• Individual contribution to their care plans such as exit

interviews, advocacy, reviewing process and fostercarer reviews

• Creative Conversations• Corporate parenting events• Foster carers charter• Great Debate and takeover week

Children in Care Council

The Children in Care Council (CICC) was established in2007 to enable children and young people in and leavingcare to be involved in the development of services, toensure that children and young people have a real say inthe issues that affect their lives. The CICC incorporates theBIZZ group – made up primarily of older children in careand care leavers and the GPK - made up primarily ofyounger children in care. The membership of the CICC isrising, showing that more children and young peoplewant to get involved and they value the two groups. TheCICC have now started to work with other Local AuthorityCICC’s to give them support in strengthening their voicewithin the local authority. The CiCC has consulted withother children and young people of a number of issues,including:• How children can best be involved in reviews of their

plans• Quality of information given to children when entering

care• The design of documents, procedures and forms to be

more child focused• Missing from care processes and procedures• Employability• Rewards and Points scheme for Care Leavers• Work with health colleagues on the design of health

leaflets• Involvement in national and international consultation• Reviewing community safety and sharing views• The design of a new service project for young mothers• Involvement in the production of the Upd8 newsletter

for children in care• Representing children at local, regional, national and

international level

This information continues to drive up improvements inthe service.

Staying Safe ConferenceA two day staying safe conference for Primary andSecondary pupils took place on the 19th and 20th March2013.

The Primary Conference

Eight primary schools showcased the work that theywere doing in schools to help keep their peers safe. Thisranged from designing safety posters (Winterton Infants,)using Restorative Practice to resolve problems atplaytime (Henderson Avenue Primary school) through todesigning songs and raps. A number of workshops tookplace in the afternoon. These included healthyrelationships, saying no to peer pressure, no smokingand cyber mentors. Feedback from the PrimaryConference on the graffiti wall confirmed that thechildren found the day was lots of fun, informative and

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that they learnt from what other schools were doing inrespect of safeguarding.

‘The playground leaders were amazing’

‘The peer pressure workshop was very good’

‘I learnt a lot. It was a great day’

‘We loved the Holme Valley rap and are going to have ago at making one of our own’.

The Secondary Conference

The Secondary Staying Safe Conference involvedpresentations from Huntcliff Academy, Invenio Academy,St Lawrence Academy, St Bede’s Academy and FrederickGough School. The mentors all explained different waysthat they helped to mentor their peers and keep themsafe in school. Workshops were led on healthyrelationships and exam stress. The day culminated in aninteractive and creative session where pupils created arap and designed some top tips for keeping safe.

The children’s feedback stated the following...

‘I learnt a lot about staying safe and what to do’

‘ I have a better understanding of online danger’

‘I have learnt that there are many ways that kids canget harmed- however I have also learnt ways to stopthis’.

All of the young people were challenged to take backwhat they had learnt and share it with their schools andpeers.

Healthy Relationships Conference

In February 2014 Healthy Relationship peer mentors fromsecondary schools: Axholme Academy, Frederick Gough,Huntcliff Academy and Winterton Community Academyled a very successful Conference entitled 'True to Me.'The day was planned to share important informationabout what is a healthy/unhealthy relationshipconsidering both family, boyfriend or girlfriend andfriendships. 80 students from 8 Secondary schoolsattended with members of staff. Memorable momentsfrom the day included a fantastic role play from FrederickGough students, a pick and mix activity from AxholmeAcademy, a competition led by Huntcliff and a verymoving audio interview led by Winterton regardingdomestic abuse from the perspective of a victim.Feedback from students stated:

‘Adults are always so worried about talking about thisarea. Thank you for being honest and direct. We need toknow things like this to help keep us safe’.

‘It was good to talk about different relationships. I thinkI’m controlling as a friend and need to look at ways tostop this.’

‘I liked the fact that we thought about family andrelationships as well. There was something for everyoneto take away and think about this’

In the afternoon 120 professionals attended theconference from schools, Children's Centres, health,Children's social services, leisure and voluntary agencies.They listened to the work that that healthy relationshipmentors had been completing in their schools from dropin clinics (Axholme Academy) to the DAY programme(Frederick Gough) to hearing about leaflets that supportand help students in this area (Huntcliff). Presentationsfrom a variety of speakers helped delegates to reflect onthe exploitation of children, where this could lead andwhat each delegate could do about it in both theirworking and voluntary roles. The moving audio interviewfrom Winterton Academy on domestic abuse closed theafternoon session and many delegates left in a reflectivemood, considering what their next steps could be in thearea of child exploitation and the promotion of healthyrelationship education.

The feedback from the healthy relationships conferencewas that young people valued this event as they areinterested in respectful, healthy relationships, developingproblem solving skills, adaptation skills and life skills thathelp them identify and be able to deal with potentialdifficult situations in an informed and confident manner.Young people also value the honest way wecommunicated with them about challenging issues andthe commitment and time dedicated to this.

The Primary Lifestyle Survey and the AdolescentLifestyle Survey

The Primary School Lifestyle Survey took place in NorthLincolnshire in May 2013. It was developed as a pilotsurvey, directed at Years 5 & 6 in the first instance, with aview to developing a routine survey tool to complementthe Adolescent Lifestyle Survey. The survey askedquestions around a number of things, regardingemotional wellbeing, staying safe and relationships.From the results it appears that work in schools regardingtrusted adults, peer mentors and anti bullying are havinga positive impact on children and young people. Fromthe feedback the vast majority of children recognised thepositive and healthy aspects of relationships, such astreating each other with respect and feeling happy andcomfortable in each other’s company. The work aroundhealthy relationships has been rolled out acrosssecondary schools, these results indicate that this workneeds to commence in primary school year 5 and 6.

The full results can be found at www.northlincs.gov.uk

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The Adolescent Lifestyle Survey

This is the fourth lifestyle survey of secondary schoolsand just over 5,689 pupils aged 11-15 years participatedin the on line anonymous survey. This represents 63% ofthis age group in North Lincolnshire. Children and youngpeople are asked questions of a number of issues, ofrelevance to the LSCB are the questions regardingemotional wellbeing, staying safe and risky behaviours.The findings inform LSCB priorities and can be accessedby visiting: www.northlincs.gov.uk

Working with the Office of the Children’sCommissioner

Two children from Leys Farm Junior School have beenrepresenting the voices of North Lincolnshire childrennationally. Once a term they meet with other childrenfrom the East Midlands area to share our views anddiscuss what matters to children with Maggie Atkinson,the Children’s Commissioner. In the Spring term thechildren looked at the UN Rights of the Child charter andshared that we had been working together in NorthLincolnshire to create our own. Children from other LocalAuthorities were very interested in this. We are hopingthat we will have more places available in September sothat other children from North Lincolnshire can share thegood practice that we do with the Children’sCommissioner.

8.3 Evidence of impact- LSCB Business Plan prioritiesLSCB Priority: Reduce the harm from exploitation ofchildren and young people

Action: Through the development and implementationof a communication and community participationstrategy, increase public awareness of child sexualexploitation and how the public can contribute tosafeguarding children and young people

Reducing the harm from exploitation has continued to bea key priority for the LSCB in 2013-2014. A lot of activityhas focused upon promoting healthy relationships andreducing the harm from child sexual exploitation. TheLSCB has a CSE strategy in place and in March 2013, theLSCB updated the strategy and revised the accompanyingaction plan. By December 2013 the LSCB had completedall the action against the action plan. In January 2014 theLSCB undertook a comprehensive analysis of the workdone in respect of CSE against key national documents.This work provided the LSCB with a comprehensiveposition statement on the local progress made in respectof child sexual exploitation against the recommendationsmade in key national documents. In January 2014, theLSCB agreed to develop a CSE Strategic Group of seniormanagers, chaired by the Assistant Director of Technicaland Environmental Services. Broadly the work to reducethe harm from child sexual exploitation falls under thethree areas of strategic, prevention and support.

StrategicCSE is a strategic priority for the LSCB and we have astrategic group of senior manager and a multi-agencyoperational group of middle managers who meet toshare best practice, research and keep up to date withnational developments, who report to the strategicgroup. We also have an operational group that meetsweekly to share information and intelligence on youngpeople who may be at risk of CSE. This group is led bythe police and children’s service managers who willensure that the necessary safeguarding actions areundertaken. All of this work is set within a context ofprevention, protection and prosecution to effectivelyaddress the challenges posed by child sexualexploitation.

We have multi agency policy and procedures in place,which are up to date with current statutory guidance andbest practice. The warning signs and vulnerabilitieschecklist has been widely circulated to all agenciesrepresented on the Board and all schools in NorthLincolnshire.

We offering a range of specialist courses in respect ofCSE, delivered by a national experts on CSE and trauma.The CSE training has been delivered to 133 staff indesignated roles across the partnership. We havespecialist training on understanding risky behaviours inadolescents and we have trained 64 multi agency staff inthis in 2013-2014. We also offer a specialist course onunderstanding and working with the impact of traumaand this has been delivered to 17 multi agency staff inthe last year, this was a new course developed in 2013-2014 included in the LSCB calendar following feedbackfrom staff who attended a regional conference. Thefeedback on this course has been excellent.

‘The training has helped to explain why a child maybehave in a certain way to other people and what canbe done to lessen their anxiety levels in the future’.

‘This training will help me put together individuallearning packages and pathways to support thesevulnerable young learners’

‘The most useful parts were the neuro science of traumaand the impact on children‘

Feedback from the course The impact of trauma onchildren who have suffered harm.

In addition we have developed the training to be offeredto frontline practitioners in respect of CSE and havedeveloped a CSE awareness training package. This waspiloted in 2013-2014 and delivered to staff who formedpart of a support service to parents of children who maybe affected by CSE and 63 school staff at a local school.During 2014- 2015, we will continue to roll out furthertraining and awareness to multi agency front line staff

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as well as local businesses such as pubs, bed andbreakfast accommodation, taxi drivers, communityleaders, as well as making it available to multi agenciesfor them to deliver within their organisations.

The LSCB has the Early Help Safeguarding Strategy inplace which clearly outlines agencies responsibilities tointervene early with children and families and when torefer to specialist services, understanding of this is testedthrough the moderating panel, LSCB case audit andSection 11 challenge.

We have implemented an awareness raising campaignaimed at helping front line practitioners understand thedifference between coercion and consent, a key themeidentified from serious case reviews undertaken in Derbyand Rochdale. This has been rolled out across allagencies represented on the LSCB.

PreventativePublic information has been produced for parents andchildren on CSE and is available on thewww.northlincs.gov.uk/LSCB. We have publishedinformation on CSE in a local publication that getsdistributed to all households in North Lincolnshire to raiseawareness with parents and children and young peoplein the community about CSE. We have promoted theParents Against Child Sexual Exploitation (PACE) trainingpackage for parents on the LSCB website to support themin further understanding CSE. This is a nationallyrecognised training programme endorsed by the Office ofthe Children’s Commissioner.

As part of a preventative approach we worked with theStay Safe Group on developing a local children’s charterto go in all schools and places where children and youngpeople go. We have developed a version for primaryaged children, secondary aged children and one fordisabled children. Local children and young people haveadopted the UN Convention on the Rights of the Childinto a local charter to be displayed. The aim of this wasto ensure children knew what their rights were and thatagencies/organisations involved with them wereendorsing these.

As part of the preventative approach to CSE the LSCB andthe Safeguarding Adult Board have developed a safeplaces scheme to be implemented across NorthLincolnshire. The impetus for this scheme was nationalresearch into CSE and domestic abuse which outlinedhow difficult it was for victims to seek support at timesfrom statutory agencies. In addition it was developed inline with the REACH model endorsed by the RailwayChildren’s charity that supports runaway children. InNorth Lincolnshire we wanted to develop a model whichwould provide children, young people or vulnerableadults an easily recognisable place to go for safety,where they would receive the help they needed from

that first contact. A local facility has been selected as thepilot site for the scheme. In 2014-2015 we will be goinglive with the pilot site and following this we will roll outthe scheme to other non statutory organisations andvenues.

SupportIn 2013 we invested in developing a support service forchildren and families whose children were identified asbeing affected by CSE. The service supports parents ofchildren and young people who may be affected by CSE.This service is located within the Children and FamiliesSupport Service. In 2014-2015 the project aims todevelop a parents support group by working inpartnership with PACE to establish this.

Children assessed to be at risk or suffering CSE havecoordinated, multi agency support around them. Socialworkers have been trained in using the specialistmaterial to enable the direct work they do with youngpeople and help them understand the possible situationsthey may be in. Locally we have invested resources todevelop commitment and consistency with young peoplevulnerable to this type of abuse, understanding the fearand difficulty they can have disclosing their experiences.The weekly multi agency intelligence and informationmeetings consider disruption activity within the contextof preventing CSE and protecting children and youngpeople who may be involved.

We have commissioned a specialist therapeutic service tosupport children and young people who have experienceCSE and this service, supported by others works withthem to support them regarding their experiences.Throughout the direct work with children and youngpeople key trusted professionals will seek their views onhow we can do things differently to further safeguardchildren and young people from this type of abuse. Theanonymised information is shared through the CSEStrategic Group to continue to inform our approaches toCSE based on learning from the voice an experience ofchildren and young people.

In 2013, Places Scrutiny Panel considered CSE and theoutcome of their examination into how CSE was beingtackled in North Lincolnshire was published in a report inMarch 2014 The report made some recommendations onhow we can continue to enhance the work we are doingin respect of CSE particularly in relation to raisingawareness in the community and use of social media todo this and enhancing the healthy relationship training toschools, particularly to year 5,6 and 7 pupils. Theserecommendations are being taken forward by the CSEStrategic Group.

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Action: To develop and implement training for youngpeople on healthy relationships, which includesdomestic abuse, exploitation and addressing the aspectof access young people have to pornography on theinternet and the gender stereotypes it promotes.

Empowering young people to understand healthyrelationships and making safe choices has been a keyelement of the LSCB’s preventative approach to CSE. Wehave a local independent provider called Big TalkEducation, who delivers a comprehensive range oftraining to pupils on sex and relationship education andchild sexual exploitation. In the last year Big Talkeducation has worked with 3,817 Students, across 13Secondary Schools and Pupil Referral Units in North Lincs.In addition 7 secondary schools (including 2 PupilReferral Units) have commissioned specific sessions onchild sexual exploitation for their students. Big Talkeducation have also worked with 13 primary schools onage appropriate education which includes CSE, sexualabuse, inappropriate touching, sexting and exposure topornography. Big Talk education has received nationalacclaim and featured in a BBC documentary Porn: What'sthe harm? In 20414-2015 we will continue workingclosely with Big Talk Education regarding how we canfurther roll out training on CSE and sex and relationshipeducation to children and young people in NorthLincolnshire.

Locally we have trained 12 Healthy Relationship Mentors,who are students from local secondary schools who havebeen specially trained to offer support and advice toother students on healthy relationships. This is part of ourapproach to ensuring that there are a range of people,children and young people can turn to for advice andsupport and also in recognition of findings from researchthat tell us young people may disclose things to otheryoung people that they may not tell an adult. In February2014, the Healthy Relationship Mentors with the supportof the LSCB organised a Healthy RelationshipsConference. (see section 8.2)

Action: To finalise and implement the Domestic AbuseStrategy increasing the education and support tochildren, young people and adults affected by domesticabuse.

In 2013-2014 the LSCB worked jointly with the SaferNeighbourhoods Board (SNB) and the SafeguardingAdults Board (SAB) to agree the North LincolnshireIntegrated Domestic Abuse Strategy. The strategy set outthe commitment of the three Boards to jointly tackledomestic abuse at both a strategic and operational levelto improve outcomes for children and their families. TheLSCB and SNB established a Domestic Abuse Strategygroup to implement and oversee the implementation ofthe Strategy and to update the Boards each quarter. TheStrategy has an agreed action plan which the Boards

against which quarterly progress reports are received.Domestic abuse continues to be a local priority for theLSCB as performance information continues todemonstrate that it is the primary reason for referral tochildren’s social care in 25% of cases, the number ofchildren whose parent is subject to a MARAC is increasingyear on year as we raise awareness of domestic abuse. InMarch 2013 the Government amended the definition ofdomestic abuse and it was implemented, to includeyoung people age 16 years and above. The LSCB ensuredthat it was able to meet the implications from thischanging definition by :• Reviewing and updating Chapter 1 of the LSCB

procedures regarding children and young people whomay be subject to domestic abuse

• Amending training to ensure domestic abuse covers thenew definition

• Raising awareness about the revised definition through,the LSCB newsletter, e communications, LSCBinformation sessions

• Raiseing awareness with young people andprofessionals through a Healthy RelationshipsConference

• Rolling out of the DAY programme• Appointment of a Young Persons IDVA and Young

Persons Violence Advisor both situated in the SingleAccess Point with strong links to the Women’s Centre

• Appointment of an IDVA to be situated in A&E• Training for the IDVA service on child sexual exploitation

and links to domestic abuse• Training of Healthy Relationship mentors in secondary

schools

The impact of this activity is measured through the LSCBperformance framework and currently we continue todemonstrate a consistent level of activity in identifyingyoung people who are in domestic abuse situations andsupporting them through statutory intervention wherenecessary. All young people who are assessed as beingat risk from harm as a result of their intimate relationshipwill receive a coordinated package of support through achild in need or where necessary a child protection plan,as well as appropriate target hardening organised viaMARAC.

The progress against the Integrated Domestic AbuseStrategy Action Plan is outlined in appendix 1

The impact of the work we are doing is demonstratedthrough a reduction in the overall rates of domesticabuse in North Lincolnshire from 4.3 in 2008/09 to 3.1 in2012/13, per 1,000 population. There were alsoconsistent decreases in police-recorded domestic abusein North Lincolnshire each year between 2008/09 and2012/13. Some of these decreases, particularly in2011/12 and 2012/13, need to be considered with

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caution due to the changes to the definition of domesticabuse at the force level. However the decreases in therate of domestic abuse in North Lincolnshire reflected thedecrease in the incidence of domestic abuse acrossHumberside Police Force area. Local intelligence stillindicates that we need to continue to support victims ofdomestic abuse and think about how we reach BMEgroups and males who are victims, where there is lowreporting. Our local data demonstrates that females weremore than three times as likely to report domestic abusethan males. The average age of victims of domesticabuse is 26 years and three out of every five domesticabuse incidents resulted in injury to the victim. Inaddition alcohol was involved in approximately half ofthe domestic abuse incidents.

Violence and extremismRisks associated with young people being groomed intoextremist views and behaviour continues to be a nationalpriority. For several years the LSCB has worked closelywith the police regarding implementing the Preventprogramme, which is 1 strand of the 4 elements of thenational counter terrorism strategy. The LSCB workedcollaboratively with Humberside police to raiseawareness of Prevent. Since 2011 training has beendelivered to schools and other relevant professionals. In2003 we raised awareness through an the LSCBnewsletter, distributed to all agencies and providedtraining as part of the LSCB training programme. In 2013-2014, we reviewed the LSCB procedures on Guidance forWorking with Children and Young People who areVulnerable to the messages of Terrorism and Extremism.

LSCB Priority: Provide Early Help to children andyoung peopleActions: To embed the early help strategy andframework and increase the number of children andyoung people supported through early help to improvetheir longer term outcomes.

In 2013 the LSCB launched the Early Help SafeguardingStrategy, which outlined the vision and expectations onall agencies/organisations/bodies regarding theprovision of early help to children, young people andtheir families. The Strategy recognised and embraced thelearning from national research regarding the importanceof early help and support for children pre birth to twoyears and the impact on their longer term outcomes, inaddition we recognised the importance of adolescence asanother pivotal period in a child’s development and theimportance of support to enable young people to fulfiltheir potential.

Working Together 2013 embodied the statutoryrequirement for early help and also provided theflexibility for LSCB’s to develop their own early helpassessment and move away from the CommonAssessment Framework. The LSCB developed and

implemented a local model based on the learning fromthe history and experiences in North Lincolnshireregarding the Common Assessment, research intoeffective engagement and supporting families in change,learning from national serious case reviews and thenational evaluation of the CAF. The LSCB engagedpartners in its development and consulted with childrenand families. The Early Help Framework was launched aspart of the Early Help Safeguarding Strategy in August2013. Partners signed up to the Early Help Strategy at thebi annual LSCB conference in September 2013.

The principles which underpin early help are central tothe success of its delivery and the difference it makes tochildren and families. Early help is underpinned by afocus on effective engagement with children and familiesand a recognition of the skills, knowledge and attributesrequired to build effective relationships and engage tohelp families transform their problems. This is reflectiveof research on the importance of the worker infacilitating successful outcomes for children through theirengagement skills with families. The LSCB has taken thelearning from strengthening families approaches andmotivational interviewing models, to develop theknowledge, skills and attributes required to buildeffective relationships, engage and help familiestransform their problems. The importance of relationshipbuilding and helping families discover the resourceswithin themselves underpins a solution focused approachunderpins to early help and support throughout thesingle organisational model. The workforce remainsmindful that all their work is underpinned by robust riskassessment, risk analysis and risk management.

To support the implementation of the Early HelpFramework we reviewed the LSCB procedures in line withWorking Together to Safeguard Children 2013, Chapter 1.The Early Help Safeguarding Strategy, outlines thethresholds for levels of intervention and when to refercases to social work services. The model of assessmentand planning was embedded into the multi agencyprocedures and we issued practice guidance forprofessionals to support them in understanding theirresponsibilities. We have revised the training to beoffered to support practitioners based upon the values,principles and ethos of a strengths based model beingendorsed. The impact of this is monitored through LSCBperformance information, case audits, training evaluationand LSCB Challenge events.

In September 2013, the LSCB held an Early HelpConference our guest speaker was Professor Nick Frostfrom Leeds Metropolitan University, who shared somestimulating thoughts on the effectiveness of early help.All Chief Officers, Board members, senior officers anddesignated leads across multi agencies were invited. Theaims of the event were to launch the Early Help Strategy

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and the Early Help Framework. The event was wellattended Chief Officers across statutory and voluntaryagencies signed up to a pledge.

The pledge outlined Board members commitment to :• Identify children and families early• Undertake an assessment of need for early help• Provide targeted early help services to address the

assessed needs of a child and their family whichfocuses on activity to significantly improve outcomesfor the child

• Refer those who are at risk of harm or who have beenharmed

• Lead or be part of outcome focused plans• Support the workforce to undertake early help

assessments

In 2013-2014 there has been a national increase in thenumber of children and young people being supportedthrough early help, particularly within the 0-2 yearsgroup, the most vulnerable group of children (Davies andWard 2011, 2012). In 2013-2014 the number of children0-2 being supported by Children Services in NorthLincolnshire increased by 33%. The number of childrenand young people being supported through early helphas increased over the last year by 30%, with schoolsand community health increasing the level of supportthey provide. During 2013-2104 there has been anincrease in the number of children aged 0-2 yearsregistered with children’s centres. A continued area ofpriority is to increase the reach of children’s centres,particularly to minority ethnic groups.

The quality of early help support has been consideredthrough the LSCB Challenge event and LSCB case audits.

Action: To further develop the research base whichunderpins the assessment and intervention of earlyhelp through research commissioned by HuddersfieldUniversity.

The LSCB have worked with Huddersfield University todevelop a research proposal to examine how we canenhance the assessment and intervention with childrenand young people where they have experienced neglect.The purpose of the research will be to further enhanceour local approaches to intervening early with childrenand young people, particularly where neglect is a factor.The identification of neglect and need for statutoryintervention continues to rise nationally and locally. Ourlocal performance information identifies that the numberof children and young people being supported throughchild protection plans has increased over 2013-2014 and56% of those children and young people subject to achild protection plan are so due to neglect. Our local datademonstrates that we are very effective at interveningwith children and young people at a statutory level asthe majority of children and young people are on a plan

for less than 6 months and children are not beingdeplaned and re planned within a two year period.Within 2014-2015 a key area of focus for the LSCB will beto consider how we can enhance early help to childrenand young people who may be experiencing lower levelneglect and intervening more effectively to preventneeds escalating to the level where statutoryintervention is required. This will be an ongoing priorityin 2014-2015.

LSCB Priority: support parenting capacityAction: To develop a local approach to developingeffective parenting capacity based on a public healthapproach. The local approach will enhance thepreparatory support to individuals before they becomeparents and support to individuals when they areparents.

The Board identified parenting capacity as a key prioritythrough information from case audits and the growingresearch on the importance of early attachment and childprotection. The ethos underpinning this was therecognition of the importance of the parenting task,validated through research that highlights the importanceof attachment on longer term positive outcomes forchildren and the role of parenting in supporting childdevelopment. Local performance information on childrensubject to a child protection plan where neglect is afactor, demonstrates the positive and successful changesthat can be made in families, even in the most difficultcircumstances when they receive the right level ofsupport. Our ambition is to support parenting capacity toprevent families situations exacerbating to the level thatthey require statutory intervention due to chronicneglect. Supporting parenting capacity means proactivesupport that prepares parents for their parenting role.

In 2013- 2014, the LSCB held a series of consultationsessions with professionals to consider the range ofparenting support packages available and complete astocktake of the range of support there is in NorthLincolnshire. A theoretical model was considered fromwhich to build our local approach. The LSCB hasdeveloped a local parenting support framework whichthe Early Help Transformation Group is currently beingconsulted upon. This will be rolled out in 2014-2015.

In 2013 the LSCB were successful in submitting a bid tothe NPSCC in respect of implementing a pilot projectcalled coping with crying. The Coping with Cryingprogramme involves trained team members showing ashort film to parents which aims to prepare them for thepressures associated with crying babies, and the stressesinvolved. The film encourages parents to ask for help andhighlights the dangers of shaking babies and associatedpotential brain injuries. Submitting the bid is in part ofour commitment to preventative safeguarding andproviding support to parents before problems emerge.

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The percentage of families from a BME community isincreasing n North Lincolnshire and we are seeing morefamilies moving to this area from Eastern EuropeanCountries and African Countries. Inclusivity and respectare key values which underpin the LSCB and a keypriority for the LSCB is working with different groups ofparents to support them in moving to North Lincolnshireand adjusting to life in the UK. As part of the communityengagement strategy for the LSCB we want to enhancehow we collaborate with the community on key issues,in both a preventative manner before problems emergeand in a supportive/responsive manner when issuesarise. Part of this work will be in respect of preparing aninformation pack for parents moving to NorthLincolnshire from other countries that contains keysafeguarding information and advice to help supporttheir move and adjustment to living in the UK. In 2014-2015 we will be consulting with groups of parents whohave moved here from other countries to look at how wecan provide this information to ensure that they haveinformation about key safeguarding issues, support andadvice should they need it.

Children in CareIn order to ensure that statutory duties to children in careare fulfilled, all children in care have:• An assessment of their needs• a named allocated Qualified Social Worker• an up-to-date Care Plan that is reviewed within time-

scale 100% of the time• a named Independent Reviewing Officer who is

responsible for this review• an assessment by a Doctor of their health needs• a Health Plan that is reviewed annually• a Personal Education Plan• access to an Independent Advocate• visits to their placement by a qualified worker within

statutory timescales• a Pathway Plan when they reach 16

There is also a strong corporate parenting ethos in NorthLincolnshire and there is a commitment across thecouncil to prioritise our work and commitment to childrenin care. The Pledge to Children in Care was re launched inApril 2013 and the Leader, Cabinet Member, ChiefExecutive, Director of People, partners and colleaguespledged their commitment to children in care and toensure they experienced improved outcomes.

In North Lincolnshire we have maintained consistentlylow numbers of Children in Care (currently approximately20% lower than the latest national comparator), this is asa result of providing intensive family support services, astrong culture of early help and retaining children withtheir families where it is safe to do so, providingevidenced based, empowering and honest support to

families in an integrated manner. A further outcome ofthis is continuing success in maintaining a stable carepopulation. In addition we take decisive action wherenecessary and have increased success in securing timelypermanence within a family environment throughadoption, which has increased from 19% in 2012/13 to32% in 13/14.

Safeguarding Disabled ChildrenThe LSCB recognises that the safety and wellbeing ofdisabled children and young people is paramount andhas disabled children and young people as a prioritygroup. There is a Safeguarding Disabled Children’s Groupin place which is part of the infrastructure for the LSCBand in 2013 the LSCB approved the revision of theStrategy for Safeguarding Disabled Children in September2013. Accompanying the Strategy is an action plan andprogress against the action plan is outlined in appendix2.

In 2014-2015 the Safeguarding Disabled Children Groupwill be revising the Strategy and developing a new actionplan as the majority of actions have been completed andare service orientated, the revised plan will be moreorientated to outcomes for children

8.4 Promoting evidence based practice across thechildren’s workforceLSCB Information SessionsIn 2012-2013 the LSCB delivered 3 information sessionson LSCB priorities. These are open forums available to allstaff across statutory agencies, as well as the voluntaryand community sector. The purpose of the events is toprovide staff updates on key issues in respect ofdomestic abuse, neglect and emotional harm, childexploitation and early help. Lessons from local learningreviews and case audits are shared as well as learningfrom national serious case reviews. The workforce fromacross agencies represented on the LSCB attend theseevents and the evaluation from them is very good, withstaff valuing the opportunity to have updates on keynational and local safeguarding issues relevant to theirpractice.

LSCB NewslettersEach quarter the LSCB distributes a newsletter to allagencies represented on the Board; it is circulated to thevoluntary and community sector, child minders, allschools, and groups of staff such as Health Visitors,School Nurses, Social Workers, Police officers. Thenewsletter provides updates on national issues in respectof safeguarding and key government drivers, includingsharing the learning from national serious case reviews.Current research in respect of the LSCB priorities is sharedand the initiatives and local programmes we have inplace.

Section 8: Evidence of Impact

34

Multi Agency Moderating PanelThe Multi agency moderating panel continues to meet ontwo weekly basis and it fulfils a senior managementquality assurance and case audit function. The Panelfeatured as a best practice project on the SCIE website.The panel has continued to quality assure a whole rangeof cases and moderate where necessary in cases whereprofessional difference has been raised. The feedbackfrom professionals attending and also frontline staff whoare asked to come and talk about their work continues tobe positive and conducive to sustaining good outcomesfor children through effective interagency working. Thisprocess successfully resolves any local issues andconcerns which arise within the multi agencysafeguarding workforce and as a result there has been noneed to instigate the LSCB escalation procedures.

In 2013/2014 the moderating panel reviewed 52 cases,in all cases procedures and regulatory compliance wasdemonstrated, practice was child centred with effectivecommunication, good information sharing andassessment of children’s holistic needs. One of the keychallenges highlighted were the complex nature ofchronic child neglect. The LSCB are in the process ofdeveloping a neglect strategy and action plan to meetthe challenge of the rise in child protection plans due toneglect.

Best Practice ForumsChildren’s Services continue to deliver practice forums tofrontline social workers and senior managers continue toconsult with front line social workers on individual casesand work with the team leaders to continue to promoteand embed effective practice and development.Feedback from frontline social workers has been positive,they report that such forums increase their knowledgeand develop their skills and confidence in working oncomplex and often uncertain cases. Topics coveredincluded child sexual exploitation, how we apply WorkingTogether to Safeguard Children 2013 to practice and skillsfor working complex cases of chronic neglect.

Quarterly practice forums continue to be held with healthvisiting, school nursing staff and social workers, whichexamine the interface between our respective servicesand promotes learning and best practice, throughexamining individual case examples. The forum promotesbest practice and up to date research on issues such asprotecting children from neglect and effective early helpinterventions. These meetings are an essential part ofmaintaining good interagency relationships, promotingjoint work on assessments and also developinginnovative work on developing new ways of working toprotect children in North Lincolnshire. The forums giveprofessionals some reflective time to consider a range ofmodels and approaches such as the signs of safety,solution focused and family strengths approaches. Risk

assessment, risk analysis and risk managementunderpins the work of the forum.

The Harmful Sexual Behaviour PanelThe Harmful Sexual Behaviour Panel continues to beeffective in assessment and intervention with youngpeople who sexually harm others. Over the last year theLSCB has invested in training to ensure that allpractitioners that are part of the HSB practitioner grouphave undertaken the specific, specialist trainingfacilitated by the Greater Manchester AdolescentPerpetrator Programme (GMAP). GMAP is a nationallyrecognised organisation that offers assessment,treatment, training and consultation around this clientgroup. We have also commissioned training for managersand supervisors to develop their knowledge and skills inmanaging and supervising HSB cases.

Since 2012, 30 young people have been referred toPanel. Each case referred has been able to accessspecialist assessments and reports detailing assessed riskand need. In a small number of cases, whereassessments are not required – provision has been viainterventions only. All cases allocated have been co-worked by two HSB Practitioners from different agencies.Interventions, that would not have been delivered priorto the Panel and Practitioner Group development havebeen offered by the Practitioner Group in context of awider plan around the child e.g. Child In Need Plan. Allhave had an overview from the Panel who have advisedon planning and safeguarding and ensured risk ismanaged to the best possible standards.

In the past, evidence based risk assessments and, moresignificantly, interventions would not have been availablefor these young people. The project is a multi-agencyinitiative with good commitment from Panel membersand Practitioners and there is a well developed, sharedknowledge and skills base emerging between eachagency. High quality reports based on risk and need arebeing delivered as part of wider plans around the youngpeople. These are robust and can be utilised in the courtarena if required. Due to the intervention element, mostyoung people receive services in North Lincolnshire andremain in their local environment supported by theirfamilies. The Panel has received positive comments fromlocal Magistrates and other key stakeholders in how thepanel and practitioner group bring together expertise andlocal resources at no extra cost to support this group ofvulnerable children in need and their families.

The model is held up as a successful project locally and isachieving more wide spread recognition.

8.4 Promoting evidence based practice across thechildren’s workforce continued...

Section 8: Evidence of Impact

35

The Transformational Child Protection ConferenceApproachIn 2013 Children’s Services began to develop the childprotection conference process by drawing upon nationaland international research and responding to localfeedback from children and families and keystakeholders. The child protection conference has beendeveloped by drawing upon a range of approachesincluding signs of safety, strengths, based solution,focused approaches, underpinned by robust riskassessment, risk analysis and risk management. Thisapproach became the Transformational Child ProtectionConference Approach. The approach was piloted in Aprilto June 2013 with the help of key stakeholders from arange of agencies including police, health and voluntaryagencies who acted as critical friends during theimplementation period. A key feature of the conferenceapproach is the informal formality of the conferencestructure taking out tables and creating a collaborativeand partnership approach to working. The visible displayof risk and protective factors projected into a large screenis a critical part of the process. The approach has beenevaluated by 150 professionals from a range of teamsand 30 parents who gave their views on the approachalong with young people who attended the conference.

The key messages from the findings were:

Reduced formality increased participation of families andprofessionals - improved focus on risk and protectivefactors and child protection planning

‘In the past it has sometimes been a bit over our heads.It was more understandable today - the way thingswere said and done made us understand better’

Feedback from parents and family members who gavetheir views included:• 96% of parents and young people said that they were

more able to take part or able to take part if it wastheir first conference attendance

• 100% of parents said that they understood what theyand other people needed to do to protect their child.

• 95% of professionals said that the new approachencouraged the participation of children and families.

Professional’s commented:• pre conference reading provided the opportunity toconsider information affording time to formulate andclarify thoughts and improved efficiency in conferencesdue to reduced information sharing.

• More time is spent on risks and strengths analysis andchild protection planning.

• The whiteboard and projection of risk and protectivefactors and the formulation of the child protection planon screen is a major asset for families andprofessionals in terms of clarity through visualisation.Clarity especially related to families betterunderstanding of what needed to happen to safeguardtheir children.

• There is increased interaction and participation of allpresent.

The other themes from parents were:• Feeling empowered and having increased participation

with the whiteboard showing risks and protectivefactors and the child protection being generated infront of them.

• The approach helped understanding and contributionincluding honesty about disagreement. This indicatedfurther movement towards aligning families andprofessionals outcomes.

Following the evaluation it was concluded that theapproach be implemented fully from July 2013.

Section 8: Evidence of Impact

Section 9

36

The LSCB continues to commission the Child WitnessService in partnership with Hull, East Riding and NorthLincolnshire. Hull LSCB hosts the service; howeverworkers from North Lincolnshire provide support tochildren from this area.

In 2013-2014 the service worked with 40 children fromNorth Lincolnshire. All young people receive supportthrough the court process and all cases that proceed tocourt are allocated a support worker. Out of the 40 thisequated to 20 children 9 of which were witnesses and 11were victims. Young witnesses are asked for feedback onthe service and all who gave feedback said that theirsupport worker had helped them a lot. Young witnesseshave the opportunity to visit court before the trial and95% of those who visited said that the visit was helpful‘It helped me feel better about going to court”. Parentsare also asked for their views and of the parents whoresponded all said that the support helped lots and foundtheir child’s support worker to be helpful andinformative.

“The service our daughter received was excellent. Alsowe couldn’t have been as supportive as we were if youweren’t involved. You helped us as parents in a bigway.”

We are part of the regional Safeguarding Board ManagersGroup, the Regional Safeguarding Training Group and theregional e safeguarding group. We continue to meet andshare good practice across the Yorkshire and Humberregion.

Co-operation with other LSCB’s

Funding of the LSCB

37

Section 10

The funding for the Local Safeguarding Children Board isidentified in section 15 of the Children Act 2004, whichstates:

(1) Any person or body specified in subsection (3) maymake payments towards expenditure incurred by, or forpurposes connected with, a Local Safeguarding ChildrenBoard established under section 13—

(a) by making the payments directly; or .

(b) by contributing to a fund out of which the paymentsmay be made.

(2) Any person or body specified in subsection (3) mayprovide staff, goods, services, accommodation or otherresources for purposes connected with a LocalSafeguarding Children Board established under section13.

(3)The persons and bodies referred to in subsections (1)and (2) are—

(a) the in England by which the Board is established;

(b) Any person who is a Board partner of the authorityunder section 13(3) (a) to (h);

(c) in a case where the governor of a secure trainingcentre or prison is a Board partner of the authority, theSecretary of State; and.

(d) in a case where the director of a contracted outsecure training centre or prison is a Board partner of theauthority, the contractor.

There are 4 full time staff that support the LSCB, thediagramme below shows the staffing structure:

Training Coordinator LocalSafeguarding Children Board

Partnership OfficerSafeguarding Children Board

Support Officer LocalSafeguarding Children Board

Service Manager LocalSafeguarding Children Boardand Safeguarding Adult Board

38

This is the second year review of the LSCB 3 yearBusiness Plan. The review identifies the progress that hasbeen achieved on LSCB priorities. Partnershiparrangements between the LSCB and other strategicpartnerships have meant a combined approach toimplementing the priorities and facilitating ongoingchange. The Early Help Transformation Group has takenon a pivotal role in the implementation of the Early HelpPledge and supporting how we can enhance ourapproaches to developing a local model for parentingcapacity. These areas of work will continue to be keypriorities for the Early Help Transformation Group in 2014-15 and this Group will lead the implementation of thesepriorities on behalf of the LSCB. The Chair of the Groupwill report quarterly to the LSCB the progress being madeagainst these.

The LSCB will focus on the focus on the followingpriorities The LSCB priorities for 2014-2015 are:

Reduce the harm from neglect

• Implement the findings of the research undertaken byHuddersfield university regarding the local issues andchallenges with neglect

• As part of the local, universal approach to preventingneglect

IV. Respond to the findings of the research and developa evidenced based, local strategy on neglect

V. Implement a specific assessment and interventionframework for neglect

VI. Ensure that staff are trained in knowing thedifference between chronic and reactive neglectand that they have the range of knowledge andskills required for effective early intervention

• Develop evidence based interventions that underpin theParenting Capacity Framework, that drives outcomefocused interventions and supports sustained changeregarding neglect

Reduce the harm from child sexual exploitation

• Further develop evidence based approaches tointervening and supporting children and young peopleat risk or suffering from CSE

• Further develop consultation arrangements andcollaboration with children and young people at risk orsuffering CSE, ensuring that the voices of children andyoung people continue to inform and shape thedelivery of service and support

• Develop a specific risk assessment that is based uponqualitative information and informed professionaljudgement regarding CSE, that will be embedded intothe Risk Analysis Framework

• Further enhance the preventative approach to CSEthrough roll out of education empowermentprogrammes on healthy relationships to year 6upwards, social media campaigns and awarenessraising with children and young people

• Build upon the work we have undertaken with the localcommunity to ensure a collaborative approach topreventing CSE

The Joint priority areas with the Safeguarding Adult Boardare:

• Domestic abuse- particularly in relation to individualswho are subject to MARAC

• Further enhancement of integrated front line practicebetween children and adult based services

• Further promotion of early help with children and theirfamilies

Our priorities with the Community Safety Partnership andSafeguarding disabled children our outlined in appendix2 and 3.

Section 10

Ongoing Work for 2014-2015

Integrated Domestic AbuseStrategy Action Plan

Appendix 1

Key Priority Area Action Detail Lead Timescale Comments

To reduce theharm caused bydomestic abuse

Produce an e-learningpackage on basicawareness of DomesticAbuse for all workers andvolunteers

Develop jointCommunication Plan toensure there arecoordinated awarenesscampaigns

DW (TaskGroupwith HP,SP, WH)

DW withCommsTeam,Health,NLH,Amber

May 2014

December2014

Work is underway to produce a mandatory elearning package for council employees andthis will be rolled out in 2014-2015

There is a communication plan in place toensure joint initiatives re raising awareness ofdomestic abuse. In 2013-2014 ongoingactivity has been undertaken through LSCBnewsletters, LSCB information sessions, ecommunication on national stalkingawareness day, awareness raising of Clare’sLaw, preparation for world cup.

To deliverevidence basedinterventions withchildren, youngpeople and theirfamilies affectedby domesticabuse

Continuation of FreedomProgramme

Develop FreedomVolunteers

Enhance the training tofrontline staff and developa tiered approach totraining on theunderstanding of domesticabuse and what to do.

Continue DASH training tostaff

DW, SP

DW, SP

DW, HP

DW, HP, SP

Ongoing

March2014

March2015

Ongoing

The Freedom Programme runs from The BlueDoor and there are 2 sessions that are heldwithin a week. The Tuesday morning sessionis very successful with a large group ofwomen attending. This group is also used as aForum for discussion of the local issuesaffecting victims of domestic abuse. There arealso other facilitators available for the centreto use for the sessions and this also includes amale facilitator for the programme. This willbe rolled out in 2014-2015.

There are plans for the Amber service tocommence a Freedom programme withinBarton to be able to link with the groupsalready being held within Scunthorpe area.

39

40

Key Priority Area Action Detail Lead Timescale Comments

To supportchildren, youngpeople and adultsin understandinghealthyrelationships

Roll out the DAYprogramme acrosssecondary schools

Implement ‘HealthyRelationship – True to Me’conference

Consult with primaryschools regarding primaryprogramme aboutdomestic abuse

Run DAY programme forchildren in care and youngpeople in TFI and childrennot in education, YOS

Implement Talking to mymum programme in theWomen’s Centre

DW, KN

DW, KN

DW, KN

DW

DW, SP

May 2015

December2013

June 2014

March2014

March2014

The DAY Programme is a unique multimediaprogramme that uses these things to raiseawareness and provide education aboutdomestic abuse, in a relevant and excitingway to children and young people. The aim isto challenge existing negative beliefs aboutrelationships, gender and abuse. Theprogramme explores how beliefs informbehaviour, and looks at the role of the mediain reinforcing unhealthy beliefs. TheProgramme is best used for those aged from14 upwards and is for both young girls andboys. It is being used by Frederick GoughSchool within their curriculum from September2013. In addition it is used within Children andFamilies Support Services for children who arein receipt of this service and there are issuesrelating to domestic abuse within their family.The Young Persons IDVA now runs the course.

Feedback from the attendees to their familyworker has been positive. Some parents havealso been dropping off the young people soopportunity has been there to explain whatProgramme was about.

TheYoung Person’s IDVA has identified aprogramme that enhances the work we havealready been doing called Escape the TRAP(Teenage Relationship Abuse Programme) Thisnew programme is also designed to assistthem to be able to identify healthy andunhealthy relationships. Using the sameperson as used in the Freedom Programme,Escape the TRAP, will be delivered in settingssuch as schools and colleges to help youngpeople consider their own relationshipbehaviours, avoid getting into unhealthyrelationships and equip them with theknowledge of how to get out if they arealready in one

Health Relationships conference see p31

The Young Persons IDVA is considering theimplementation of the talking to my mummaterial.

Appendix 1: Integrated Domestic Abuse Strategy Action Plan

41

Safeguarding Disabled Children Action Plan

Appendix 2

Desired Outcome Actions Lead Date Progress Evidence of Outcome Further Action

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

1. Children aresafeguarded bythe children’sworkforce feelingconfident andcompetent in theirduties to safeguardand promote thewelfare of disabledchildren and youngpeople.

1.1) Ensure revisions toLSCB procedures includea specific chapter onthe additionalvulnerabilities ofdisabled children andyoung people includingthose in transition.

KN December2013

Complete LSCB procedures revisedin respect of Chapter 1and section on disabledchildren included,hyperlink to 2009Statutory Guidance inplace

Guidance ofsafeguardingdisabled childrento be developedlocally from theStatutoryguidance (2009)

1.2) S.11 audit toinclude specificreference to thesafeguarding needs ofdisabled children andyoung people

KN July 2013 Complete Revised S.11 Audit andaudits completed (e.g.schools).

To includeexternal/independentprovision2014/15.

1.3) Commissionspecialist training forSocial Workersundertaking S.47investigations ondisabled children andyoung people

DB September2014

Inprogress

Training taken place

1.4) Refresh Level 1and 2 SafeguardingDisabled Childrentraining

PC/HP

September2013

Complete Training taken place andis within the LSCBtraining calendar.

1.5) Determine trainingprovision for Early Yearsstaff, PVI’s and Out ofSchools Clubs

SS September2014

Inprogress

Workforce Plan in place– disability included.

Trainingavailable.

42

Desired Outcome Actions Lead Date Progress Evidence of Outcome Further Action

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

2. Children aresafeguarded bybeing able tocommunicate witha range ofprofessionals.

2.2) Undertakemapping exercise viaCommunication CharterMark Group

DC March2014

Complete Settings awardedCharter Mark

Continued roll-out to widersettings

SAFE AND EFFECTIVE PRACTICE

3. Children andyoung people aresafeguarded byhaving appropriateknowledgeregarding sex andrelationships.

3.1) Awareness raisingevents for Heads on theimpact of SexualHarmful Behaviour onchildren and youngpeople

TM/DB

March2014

Complete Harmful SexualisedBehaviour AwarenessTraining undertakenwith approx 50 schoolHTs/Sencos/Safeguarding Leads. This was well-received - a highproportion of thoseopen to the panel havemoderate/severelearning disability. Thishas prompted a reviewof SRE, particularly forCYP with this level ofneed

3.2) Develop and rollout Specialist SREpackage to mainstreamschools for children andyoung people withdisabilities and learningdifficulties (TeachingSchools Alliance)

TM/DB/SS

September2014

Inprogress -

SREpackage

underreview

4. Disabledchildren and youngpeople are seen asa priority group inschools and aresupported by theappropriate use ofreasonableadjustments.

4.1) Ensure that theannual schools’safeguarding statementincludes questions inrelation to the specificneeds of disabled/SENchildren (s.11 audit)

KN/AW

June 2014 Completefor

2014/15

2013/14 suditscomplete

2014/15 auditsfrom september2014 to includeOOA provision

4.2) Ensure that annualschools’ safeguardingstatement uncludesevidence of reasonableadjustments todisabled/SEN children.

KN/DC

September2014

Complete S11 audits in place toconfirm

2014/15 auditsto evaluate

4.3) Children andFamilies Act 2014 –development of LAlocal Offer/settingSEND statements tooutline approach toreasonableadjustment/support

DC/AW

December2014

Appendix 2: Safeguarding Disabled Children Action Plan

43

Desired Outcome Actions Lead Date Progress Evidence of Outcome Further Action

5. Disabledchildren at risk ofharm are identifiedand swift action istaken to reducethe risk

5.1) Ensure theadditional needs ofdisabled children andyoung people are anintegral part within theEarly Help Strategy andThreshold document

VG June 2014 Complete Revised Early HelpStrategy includesadditional vulnerabilitiesof disabled children

Evaluation/auditof Eary HelpAssessments(EHA) in relationtp disabled CYP. 1set complete –below.

5.2) Audit inspectionoutcomes/practiceacross providers inrelation to 1:1 support,personal care support,child care (disabledchildren and youngpeople) –developments inrelation to personalbudgets (Children andFamilies Act 2014)

DC/RK

October2014

7. Disabledchildren and youngpeople aresupported bycurious andknowledgeableprofessionals

7.1) Head LocalityConference to feature“Safeguarding theDisabled Child” andinclude experiences ofthe parent/carer

DB July 2014 Complete Safeguarding issuesintegral to LocalityEvent/s

Annual Event

4.2) Ensure that annualschools’ safeguardingstatement uncludesevidence of reasonableadjustments todisabled/SEN children.

KN/DC

8. Disabledchildren and youngpeople living awayfrom home are insafe and effectiveplacements

8.1) Recruitment to the“Provision Monitoringand Quality” Officerpost

JF October2013

Complete Provision Monitoringand Quality Officer inplace. Schedule ofvisits/reports in place

AnnualEvaluation ofactivity/issuesOctober 2015

8.2) Children’srepresentative tobecome member ofWinterbourne ConcordatGroup

DC September2013

Complete/ActionPlan inplace

Review of Complex Careprocedures to bepresented to the LSCB inOctober 2014

8.3) Review/update ofplacing and monitoringprocedures andComplex CareIntegratedCommissioning Panelprocedures

DC/VG

July 2014 Inprogress

Appendix 2: Safeguarding Disabled Children Action Plan

44

Desired Outcome Actions Lead Date Progress Evidence of Outcome Further Action

COLLABORATION AND PARTICIPATION

9. Disabledchildren and youngpeople progress inline with theirplans.

9.1) Review ISDC formsto ensure thatoutcomes are easilyidentified.

VG January2014

Complete Plans inplace/evaluated viaaudit

Wider services

9.2) Raise awareness ofoutcome focussed EHAplans/usage (viaSafeguarding DisabledCYP Group).

DC March2014

Evaluate extendof ‘outcome’focussed plans.

9.3) Introduce PersonCentred Reviews andoutcome focussedEducation, Health andCare Plans (Childrenand Families Act 2014).

JF September2014

Inprogress

Specific social workservices/disabilityservices such as ISDC aredeveloping outcomefocussed/personcentred plans/also EHA.A focus for the futurewill be the developmentof outcome focussedEducation, Health andCare Plans for CYP withthe more complexneeds. These will bemonitored/auditedthrough an annualreview process (as perChildren and FamiliesAct 2014) building onsome of the work thisyear.

9.4) Upgrade of ICT tomeasure collectiveprogress with outcomes– to inform strategicdevelopments/planning.

DC/JC

October2014

9.5) Ensure that alldisabled children opento ISDC have a childfriendly plan.

RK April 2014 Evidence of plans inplace throughaudit/supervision.

Continueddevelopment/audit.

10. DisabledChildren and YoungPeople have avoice about thingsthat matter tothem and can seethe difference theyhave made.

10.1) At individual caselevel all children/families contribute to/are included inplanning.

All

lead

s

April 2014 Inprogress/on-going

Audit/Family Feedbackand Observed Practiceevidences strongly thatCYP/families have avoice.

10.2) Utilise andrespond to the childrenand young people’sviews expressed withinthe primary andsecondary lifestylesurvey with regard tofeeling safe andsafeguarding. A

ll ag

ency

rep

s an

d le

ads September

2014Surveys

completefor 2014.

Incorporatewithin planrefresh.

Appendix 2: Safeguarding Disabled Children Action Plan

45

Desired Outcome Actions Lead Date Progress Evidence of Outcome Further Action

10.3) Utilise the data/information fromParent PartnershipServices/Advocacy/Parental Supporters toinform servicedevelopment/improvement.

JP/PC/DC

December2014

Inprogress

11. Disabledchildren, youngpeople andparents contributeto the saferrecruitment ofstaff and thecommissioning ofservices/development ofthe Local Offer(Children andFamilies Act 2014).

11.1) Recruitmentactivity within ISDC/SEND Teams includesan element of userparticipation.

VG/TA/DC/JF

January2014

Complete.Audit to

do.

Recruitment/commissioning practiceincludes disabled CYP/parents whereappropriate in relationto specific services suchas ISDC/shortbreaks - afocus for future will bewider providers whereprovision for disabledCYP/parents is procured,particularly in relation todevelopments reChildren and FamiliesAct and marketdevelopment/personalbudgets (e.g. 1:1support, personal caresupport, etc).

Audit ofrecruitmentactivity ofpartners –2014/15.

11.2) Disabledchildren/young people andfamilies are engaged inthe commissioning ofrelevant services/provision (includingsafeguarding scrutiny).

March2014

Inprogress

(e.g.short

breaks).

11.3) Disabled childrenand their families areengaged/involved inthe Children andFamilies Act 2014developments (LocalOffer/EHC Plans, etc) –including safeguardingarrangements.

January2014

Inprogress

Appendix 2: Safeguarding Disabled Children Action Plan

46

Desired Outcome Actions Lead Date Progress Evidence of Outcome Further Action

COLLABORATION AND PARTICIPATION

12. Ensure thatdisabled childrenand young peopleare appropriatelyrepresented in thecohort of EarlyHelp, CIN andthose subject to aChild ProtectionPlan.

12.1) Establishprevalence.

VCF March2014

Complete Stats/populationsknown – includingcomplex needs.Informing strategicdevelopments.

Breakdownavailable andused as part ofaudit.

13. Knowpopulations inorder to identifyadditionalvulnerabilities/areas fordevelopment(BME/EAL, SEN).

Analysis toinform futuredevelopment(e.g. SENDeducationalprovision,health/caresupport).

14. The differenceservices havemade tosafeguardingdisabled children isunderstood andmakes adifference.

13.1) Develop LSCBdata set for disabledchildren and youngpeople – education,health and care.

KN/VG

January/February

2014

Complete. Disabled CYP data setestablished for LSCB aspart of performancemonitoring (e.g.prevalence within EHA/CIN/CP/ISDC, etc).

* .

data in place (e.g.prevalence within CIN/CP/EHA). More work hasbeen completed onlooking at widerpopulation data(disability/SEN/complexneeds) to informservice/ provisiondevelopment. E.g.review of SEN provisionunderway now

Link to outcomedata.

Appendix 2: Safeguarding Disabled Children Action Plan

Produced by North Lincolnshire Council Publications Department | 10348