the protection of children in england: a progress report lord laming’s findings and the...

8/8/2019 The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report Lord Laming’s findings and the Government’s response

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Jeanette PughDirector

Safeguarding Group

25 March 2009

The Protection of Children in England:

A Progress ReportLord Laming’s findings and the Government’s

response



Background Announced by Ministers 12 November 2008

Wide ranging remit. Set out in letter from Secretary of State 17 November:

– What good practice has been successfully achieved in safeguarding

children since the publication of the Victoria Climbié Inquiry Report? – What are the key barriers, including in the legal process, that may impede

efficient and ef

fective work with children and families that may bepreventing good safeguarding practice from becoming standard practice

everywhere, for example in deciding whether an application should bemade to take a child into care? – What specific actions should be taken by Government and national and

local agencies to overcome these barriers and accelerate systematicimprovements in safeguarding practice across the country?”

Report, and Government’s immediate response, published 12 March 2009



Methodology Over 100 written submissions from key stakeholders and over 200 letters

from a range of individuals including professionals across the children’sworkforce

The report team visited six local areas and met key staff from localauthorities, education, health and the police

Three national seminars to gather the views of national stakeholders, localleaders and frontline staff

Lord Laming and the team also met national stakeholders, trade unions,Government officials and some MPs

They also surveyed chairs of Local Safeguarding Children Boards andasked 11 Million to survey young people



Lord Laming’s headline findings (1) Robust legislative, structural and policy foundations are in place.

Every Child Matters:

– “clearly has the support of professionals, across all of the services, who work with children and young people” and

– provides “a sound framework for professionals to protect children and promote their welfare”

Progress is being made and the frontline is making a positivedifference to children:

– “A great deal of progress has been made”

– “Every day, thousands of children are helped, supported and in some cases have their lives saved by these staff”



Lord Laming’s headline findings (2) But he is also clear that:

“There now needs to be a step change in the arrangements to protect children from harm”

He challenges national Government to “inject greater energy and drive into the implementation of change and support local improvement..”

And he challenges leaders of local services to “accept their responsibility to translate policy, legislation and guidance into day to day practice on the frontline of every service”



Recommendations 58 recommendations designed to strengthen the implementation of

child protection arrangements

They seek to: – strengthen national leadership to ensure that best practice in

many areas of the country is being universally applied in everyarea of the country;

– improve local accountability so that all services know exactlywhat they need to do to keep children safe; and

– provide more support for both local leaders and the front-lineworkforce.



The Government’s response (1) Government accepted all 58 recommendations and published an

immediate response, in the form of a reply from the Secretary ofState to Lord Laming, on 12 March

The response goes beyond Lord Laming’s recommendations insome key areas

Immediate action set in train to take forward some recommendations

Detailed Government response promised by the end of April



The Government’s response (2)National leadership and accountability

Sir Roger Singleton has been appointed to a new role of Chief Adviser on

the Safety of Children – to advise on the effective implementation of policyand report annually to Parliament on progress

Government will establish a new cross-Government National SafeguardingDelivery Unit - reporting to the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Children, YoungPeople and Families - to provide stronger national leadership and effective

support and challenge to Children’s Trusts and local authorities as theycarry out their safeguarding responsibilities

Working Together to Safeguard Children will be revised and updated toreflect Lord Laming’s recommendations on policy and practice, including inrelation to Serious Case Reviews



The Government’s response (3)Local leadership and accountability

Government will strengthen local governance arrangements and clarify therelationship between Children’s Trusts and Local Safeguarding ChildrenBoards (LSCBs), building in more robust challenge, a presumption ofindependence for the chairing of LSCBs, and greater engagement of thelocal community through the appointment of two lay members

DCSs and Lead Members have central roles. Both should always bemembers of both the Children’s Trust Board and the LSCB

LA Chief Executives and Council leaders also have critical roles. Theyshould make an annual assessment of the effectiveness of localgovernance and partnership arrangements



The Government’s response (4)Local leaders and the front-line workforce

Better support for DCSs, aspirant DCSs – a new leadership programmefrom autumn 2009, an Executive Leadership programme from 2010/11 anda succession planning strategy

A programme of intensive support and coaching for social work teamleaders and first line managers, particularly those working in child protection

Action to improve skills and capacity in child protection in police forces

A new `Action on Health Visiting Programme’ and work to improve training,development and support for the health workforce on safeguarding



The Government’s response (5)Local leaders and the front-line workforce

Social Work Task Force (SWTF) established to carry out a `nuts and bolts’review of the social work profession and look at how frontline social workpractice should be improved

Immediate action announced to improve support for frontline social workers,address recruitment and retention, and to begin to raise the morale of theprofession, e.g. access to intensive induction for all newly qualified socialworkers starting this year, a new Advanced Social Work Professional status,and action to attract social workers back into the profession

SWTF to review the Integrated Children’s System and the way in which it isbeing implemented locally

An independent review, led by Francis Plowden, of the impact of court feesin the care proceedings system



Next steps

Work with partners to develop detailed Government response in the

form of an action plan by end April, and put in place arrangementsfor monitoring its delivery

Define more precisely the role of, and establish, the new National

Safeguarding Delivery Unit, working with the Chief Adviser andothers



Some key issues How can the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit best work with

partners to support improvements in standards of safeguarding andchild protection? What would help? What would not?

What improvements in local practice can be made quickly, inadvance of the Social Work Task Force’s findings? How can weinject immediate pace into this?

What further guidance would be helpful in clarifying the roles ofChildren’s Trusts and LSCBs?



Jeanette PughDirector

Safeguarding Group

25 March 2009

The Protection of Children in England:

A Progress ReportLord Laming’s findings and the Government’s

response

the protection of children in england: a progress report lord laming’s findings and the...

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