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Ceredigion Local Safeguarding Children Board

Local Arrangements 2008

1. Background

The Children Act 2004 placed a statutory requirement on each local authority to establish a Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). The local arrangements for Ceredigion LSCB Network are based on the requirements of the Children Act 2004, the Welsh Assembly ‘Safeguarding Children, Working Together Under the Children Act 2004’ guidance (2006).

2. Purpose

The primary purpose of the Ceredigion LSCB Network is the protection of children from abuse, neglect and exploitation. The core business is therefore to ensure that effective arrangements, policies and working practices are in place throughout agencies and partnerships to protect children who are suffering, or at risk of suffering significant harm, and, that they coordinated and monitored.

In addition, the Ceredigion LSCB Network will participate in planning services for children with other partnerships and agencies in order to establish measures to prevent child abuse, neglect and exploitation.

3. The Objectives and Functions.

In accordance with the Children Act 2004, section 31, the objectives of the Ceredigion LSCB Network are twofold:

1. To coordinate what is done by each person or body represented on the Board for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the area of the authority in which it is established; and,
2. To ensure the effectiveness of what is done by each such person or body for those purposes.

The pathways through which the LSCB overall outcomes are achieved is illustrated below: -

Therefore the LSCB constitutes the key statutory mechanism for agreeing how the relevant organisations will cooperate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in Ceredigion, and for ensuring the effectiveness of what they do.

4. Scope of Interest

The scope of the Ceredigion LSCB Network responsibilities extends to all children and young people, but in particular the following: -

• Children in need, in particular children with complex needs and compromised parenting;
• Children abused and neglected within families, including those harmed in the context of domestic abuse and/or as a consequence of alcohol/substance misuse;
• Children abused outside families by adults known to them;
• Children abused and neglected by professional carers, within an institutional setting, or anywhere else where children are cared for away from home;
• Children abused by strangers;
• Children abused by other young people;
• Children who abuse;
• Children abused through sexual exploitation;
• Children who misuse drugs, alcohol and other substances;
• Children who run from home or care;
• Children who go missing;
• Asylum seeking children with families or unaccompanied;
• Children with particular needs or disabilities;
• Children within the youth offending system.

5. Structure

The Ceredigion LSCB Network shall have a Core Board and Groups. The Groups are accountable to and report to the Core Board.

Membership of the Core Board.

The membership of the Core Board is as follows: -

Lead Director for Ceredigion Children and Young People;
Director for Ceredigion Education and Community Services Department;
Director of Ceredigion Social Services Dept;
Director of Nursing and Patient Services, Hywel Dda NHS Trust;
General Manager, CAMHS,  Hywel Dda NHS Trust;
Assistant Director of Ceredigion Social Services Dept, representing Ceredigion YOT;
Assistant Director, Ceredigion Housing Department;
Medical Director, LHB;
Designated Nurse NPHS;
Designated Doctor NPHS;
Area Manager of the Dyfed Powys Probation Trust;
Superintendent, Dyfed Powys Police, Ceredigion Division;
Chairs of LSCB Network Groups.

See Appendix 1 for details of members

This membership list is not exclusive. It is envisaged that the Core Board will call upon specialist expertise and advice when required for the purpose of carrying out its functions.

Ceredigion LSCB Network Groups

There will be 4 Ceredigion LSCB Network Groups

1. Serious Case Review Group, which will consider referrals to the LSCB Chair from agencies/professionals, recommend to the LSCB Chair whether a case review should take place, and undertake Serious Case Reviews.
2. People Group, which will address the Coordination Objective.
3. Operations Group, which will address the Ensuring Effectiveness Objective.
4. Resources Group, which will address the budget.
   
   
•  Each LSCB Network Group shall have terms of reference based on the range of functions outlined in Appendix 2.
• Each Network Group shall have core functions and additional task/finish functions as required by the LSCB Chair.
• The frequency of Network Group meetings shall be dependent on LSCB workload.
• The LSCB Network shall identify agencies that have a direct role in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, but who are not represented as Core Board and Network Group membership in order to engage them in achieving the objectives and outcomes, and contributing to the functions.

Accountability of Ceredigion LSCB Network Core Board and Group Members

• To be an active partner in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children;
• To work with other professionals/agencies/partnerships to find effective solutions to challenges that arise in the inter agency arrangements of the LSCB;
• To represent the LSCB and its activities within their own organisation;
• To ensure that the policies and the procedures of the LSCB are disseminated in an effective way within their organisation;
• To contribute to the LSCB either financially or in kind;
• To provide management information as required;
• To identify and support staff to participate in the interagency activities of the LSCB;
• To ensure all staff within their own agency, who have contact with children, are aware of their responsibilities and are supported to comply with child protection procedures and policies; and,
• To take a robust and inclusive approach to developing best practice and services that will safeguard children and promote their welfare.

7. Organisation and Governance

Accountability

• In Ceredigion the local authority has lead responsibility for the establishment and effective working of the LSCB Network;

• Each member of the Ceredigion LSCB Network is accountable for and has ownership of responsibilities for child protection and safeguarding/promoting children’s welfare in their own agency;
• All agencies working with children and families in Ceredigion have a collective responsibility for child protection and safeguarding arrangements;
• Each agency shall recognise and endorse that the Ceredigion LSCB Network has a statutory responsibility to ensure the effectiveness of each agency’s child protection and safeguarding arrangements and performance;
• The Ceredigion LSCB Network has neither a managerial role in other agencies nor a power to direct other organisations. It should have a relationship of influence with constituent agencies and partnerships.

Ceredigion LSCB Network’s Relationship with other Planning and Management Groups

The Ceredigion LSCB Network has a strategic relationship with a number of planning and management groups, including the: -

• CYP Partnership;
• Community Safety Partnership;
• Health, Social Care and Well Being Strategic Group;
• Dyfed Powys MAPPA SMB;
• YOT Management Board.

The Ceredigion LSCB Network’s role is to maintain an independent focus on the child protection arrangements in all agencies and organisations, and, to monitor and scrutinise their safeguarding arrangements and performance.

Chairing

The arrangements for chairing the Ceredigion LSCB Core Group is as follows:

• The inaugural Chair of Ceredigion LSCB Network is the Director of Social Service, who will serve until April 2009;
• The Lead Director for Children and Young People is the deputy chair and will take over the Chair from April 2009;

• Thereafter, the Chair will rotate between the constituent agencies every 2 years, with the Deputy Chair taking over the Chair.
• These arrangements will enable administrative duties to be shared between agencies.

Chairs of the LSCB Network Groups

• See Appendix 2 and 3
• The arrangements shall be on the same basis as for the LSCB Network Core Board.

8. Serious Case Reviews

• A child dies; or
• A child sustains potentially life threatening injury or serious and permanent impairment of health and development, or has been subject to particularly serious sexual abuse

The Local Safeguarding Board for the area must conduct a serious case review.

Additionally the LSCB should also conduct a serious case review where:

• A child has committed suicide;
• A child’s parent has been murdered and a domestic homicide review is being initiated; or
• A parent suffering from a mental illness has killed a child.

The Ceredigion LSCB Network Serious Case Review Group shall take lead responsibility for undertaking a serious case review for a child living in or normally resident in the county.

Appendix 1

Ceredigion LSCB Core Group

Chair: Parry Davies, Director of Ceredigion Social Services Dept;
Gareth Jones, Lead Director for Ceredigion Children and Young People/Director for Ceredigion Education and Community Services Department;
Eiri Jones, Director of Nursing and Patient Services, Hywel Dda NHS Trust;
Jane Harris, CAMHS General Manager, Hywel Dda NHS Trust;
Dr June Picton, Medical Director, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire LHB;
Dr Hywel Williams, Designated Doctor NPHS;
Janet Evans, Designated Nurse NPHS;
Superintendent Alun Harries, Dyfed Powys Police, Ceredigion Division;
Mark Alman, Area Manager, Dyfed Powys Probation Trust;
To be appointed, Assistant Director of Ceredigion Social Services Dept, representing Ceredigion YOT
Ann Rees, Assistant Director, Ceredigion Housing Department.
Ruth Harrison and Jerry Green, Chairs of LSCB Network Groups.
Therese Taylor, Administrator.

Appendix 2

Ceredigion LSCB Serious Case Review Group

The function is: -

• To consider cases put forward by professionals/agencies for a possible serious case review, make a recommendation to the LSCB Chair about whether a review should take place, and undertake the review.

Membership on April 1st 2008.

Mark Alman, Area Manager, Dyfed Powys Probation Trust;
Dr Hywel Williams, Designated Doctor NPHS;
Janet Evans, Designated Nurse NPHS;
T/Chief Inspector Jonathan Tatton, Dyfed Powys Police;
Eiri Jones, Director of Nursing and Patient Services, Hywel Dda NHS Trust;
Aled Evans, Inclusion and Child Protection Coordinator, Education and Community Services Dept.;
Jerry Green, Quality Assurance/Safeguarding Children Manager, Ceredigion Social Services Dept.

Appendix 3.

Ceredigion LSCB Network People Group

The LSCB Network People Group shall undertake functions associated with the coordination objective, and additional task/finish functions.

The functions of the LSCB Network People Group shall include:

• Planning, facilitating and monitoring the child protection training for professionals, employees and volunteers directly or indirectly working with children and families;
• Raising awareness of professionals, employees and volunteers working with children, families and adults in matters of child protection, and, safeguarding/promoting the welfare of children;
• Engagement with the public in matters of safeguarding/promoting children’s welfare;
• Contributing to and delivering the Ceredigion LSCB Business Plan;
• Coordinating and communicating the LSCB Network contribution to the CYP Plan;
• Linking with the CYP Framework Partnership on the broader LSCB Network agenda for safeguarding/promoting children’s welfare;
• Promoting access to the work of the Ceredigion LSCB through maintaining the website, and the provision of other information;
• A task/finish functions, including responsibility for development projects.

Membership on April 1st 2008:

Chair: Ruth Harrison, Named Nurse Child Protection, Hywel Dda NHS Trust;
Alun Williams, Assistant Director, Partnerships and Planning, Child and Young People;
Ruth Wakelam, Divisional Manager, Dyfed Powys Probation Trust, Ceredigion Division;
Margaret Davies, Advisory Teacher for Inclusion, Ceredigion Education and Community Services;
Gloria Smith, Child Protection Training Officer, NPHS;
Natalie Hardess, Ceredigion Domestic Abuse Forum Coordinator;
Jerry Green, Quality Assurance/Safeguarding Manager, Ceredigion Social Services Department;
Annette Jones, Team Manager, Ceredigion Social Services Department;
Sandra Savinelli, Training Officer, Ceredigion Social Services Department;
Ann Sweeting, Principal Youth Officer; Ceredigion Education and Community Services;
DS Catherine Cook, Ceredigion PPU, Dyfed Powys Police;
Gary Taylor, Manager, CMHT;
Gill Byrne, RAY Ceredigion Play Development Officer;
Diane Williams, Senior Practitioner, CAMHS.

• Additional members to be co-opted in accordance with the requirements of the group;
• The group will meet at a minimum 3 monthly intervals;
• The meetings require a quorum of members from 3 agencies;
• A vice chair to be appointed.

Appendix 4

Ceredigion LSCB Network Operations Group

The LSCB Network Operations Group will be primarily responsible for carrying out the objective of ensuring the effectiveness of measures taken to protect children, and, to safeguard/promote children’s welfare

he functions are:

• To monitor and review the child protection process and outcomes, and produce a quarterly management report for the Ceredigion LSCB Core Group;
• To develop criteria for measuring the effectiveness and performance of agencies in carrying out their safeguarding /promoting children’s welfare responsibilities;
• To develop child protection/safeguarding protocols and procedures as required;
• To represent the Ceredigion LSCB on the Dyfed Powys Regional CP Forum and the All Wales Child Protection Procedures Review Group in order to develop protocols and procedures;
• To coordinate with National Service Framework Child Protection requirements;
• A task/finish function shall be that of problem resolution, that is, to develop a protocol in order to undertake responses to child protection and safeguarding matters drawn to the attention of the LSCB Network;
• A task/finish function shall be Child Protection Conference Appeals.

Membership on April 1st 2008

Chair: Jerry Green, Quality Assurance/Safeguarding Manager, Ceredigion Social Services Department;
Vice Chair: Sian Howys, Independent Child Protection Conference Chair;
Dr Duraid Hussein, Consultant Paediatrician, Hywel Dda NHS Trust;
Annette Jones, Team Manager, Ceredigion Social Services Department;
DI Mark James, Ceredigion PPU, Dyfed Powys Police;
Ruth Wakelam, Divisional Manager, Dyfed Powys Probation Trust, Ceredigion Division;
Ruth Harrison, Named Nurse Child Protection, Hywel Dda NHS Trust;
Aled Evans, Inclusion and Child Protection Coordinator, Ceredigion Education and Community Services;
Polly Leett, Deputy Nurse Director, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire LHB;
Dr Heather Nicholls, GP;
Elfed Hopkins, Service Manager, Ceredigion Social Services Dept.;
Liam Macpherson, Ceredigion YOT;
Lynette Evans, CAFCASS;
Angela Lodwick, CAMHS.

• Other members to be co-opted in accordance with the requirements of task/finish groups.
• The group will meet at a minimum 3 monthly intervals
• The meetings require a quorum of members from3 agencies

Appendix 5

Ceredigion LSCB Network Resources Group

The functions shall include:

• Consideration of the finance and resources required for undertaking the LSCB Network functions;

• Managing the resources.

 This role is currently being undertaken by the LSCB Network Core Board.