Agenda item

This report provides an overview of the Corporate Safeguarding Plan and an update on progress.

Contact:

Laura Chamberlain-Powell – Service Development Manager, Communities and Access Services

A report was submitted which provided an overview of the Corporate Safeguarding Plan and an update on progress.

Jill Greenfield, Service Director, Communities and Access Services and Laura Chamberlain-Powell – Service Development Manager, Communities and Access Services, gave a presentation, which covered the following:

·       Safeguarding was responsibility of all and the Corporate Safeguarding Plan therefore had a reach across all employee groups, elected members, volunteers and contracted workers across the Council and partners.

·       Service Directors from all areas of the Council contributed to the Corporate Safeguarding Oversight Group (CSOG), which provided the main governance framework for this work and had immediate oversight of the Corporate Safeguarding Action Plan, supported by a working group.

·       The action plan had been endorsed by the Executive Leadership Team and Executive Board.

·       Arrangements would remain in place with the CSOG through 2024/2025 to ensure that robust arrangements were in place and to ensure there continued to be effective oversight and that practice development continued to successfully promote a ‘whole family’ approach.

·       An Organisational Safeguarding Assessment had been completed in March 2023. This, alongside the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy and accompanying action plan, had provided a baseline of the position, against which to measure progress and had identified key areas for development. It had also identified a number of positive elements in the approach being taken.

·       The three key areas for development were:-

- The Corporate Safeguarding Policy; embedding and review,

- Introductory safeguarding training and service specific requirements,

- Safer recruitment practices,

and an update on progress in each case was given.

·       Examples were provided in respect of the positive impact and influence of the work undertaken to date which included, the establishment of a Safeguarding Champions Group and initiatives undertaken as a result, such as the development of a training package for housing tradespeople to raise awareness of safeguarding responsibilities.

·       The key priorities and next steps.

Questions and comments were invited from Committee Members, with the following issues being covered:

·       Further information could be provided to Members regarding the recruitment and selection process and ‘name blind’ approach.

·       Assurance was given that safeguarding issues and the impact on children and young people and families had been integral to the development of the work and representation of young people and children came through the professional representatives from within services and the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Partnership.

·       The Safeguarding Champions Groups were discussed, these groups acted as connectors between the work that was going on in in each specific service area, the Corporate Safeguarding Oversight Group, and the wider staff force. This was not a formal role but was undertaken on a voluntary basis and included individuals from across all different service areas, allowing shared experiences to be provided from their service area or from partners to the Championship Network Group, which then fed into the Corporate Safeguarding and Oversight Group.

·       In respect of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, all employees were DBS checked where this was necessary, and re-check mechanisms were in place.

·       In relation to the percentage of the Council’s employees who had completed basic safeguarding training, the Committee was advised that each service area had completed their own audit, and this process had provided assurance about the level of safeguarding awareness across all job roles, whether this had been gained through formal or informal training. The introduction of mandatory basic safeguarding training would ensure consistency across the Council going forward. 

·       It was suggested that reporting safeguarding concerns using the Council’s website could be more user friendly, but it was acknowledged that staff had been very proactive in their response.

·       The safeguarding reporting procedures were shared as part of the Councillor induction process. Consideration could be given to whether these should be shared again with elected members and to whether additional support might be provided to them on this issue.

·       In terms of services with high staff turnover it was important that consideration was given to training needs and how the issues could be addressed. In services where there were low number of referrals it was suggested that the reasons for this should be explored.

·       The value of e-learning was questioned in comparison with one-to-one and group learning. It was recognised that e-learning was just one part of the approach. The package was in the process of development and would include scenario-based examples. The training would also be supplemented by other initiatives such as the safeguarding champions taking the safeguarding policy back to their service and making it relevant to that area of work, and the sharing of best practice.

·       Quality assurance mechanisms would be built in to ensure the impact of this work could be measured.

·       Elected members were not subject to mandatory DBS checks. It was noted that the guidance provided by a former Local Government Minister had recommended that elected members appointed to Committees that discharged functions of social services or children’s services should undergo a DBS check. The view was expressed that all Councillors should have a DBS check, in light of their access to a wide range of people within their communities.

RESOLVED –

(1)  That the officers be thanked for attending the meeting and providing an update in respect of the Corporate Safeguarding Plan.

(2)  That the points raised by the Committee be taken on board in the future development of this work.

(3)  That the Safeguarding Champion role be welcomed as an excellent initiative, with the added value it provided being well illustrated by the examples given.

(4)  That a progress update be placed on the Committee’s work programme further to the Organisational Safeguarding Assessment in 2025.