Issue - meetings

To provide a refresh of the Safeguarding Plan following the Ofsted inspection in January 2010.

The Committee received the report updating on the Safeguarding Plan for Haringey and noted that the majority of safeguarding milestones had been completed or were on track and those not on track were detailed in appendix 2b of the report.

In response to Committee members’ concerns about the lengthy application process for Special Education Needs (SEN) support the Director of Children & Young People’s Services explained that, whilst SEN matters were mainly managed by the school, there was a statutory assessment required to be completed within statutory timeframes.  A child requiring less than 14 hours of SEN support a week would be funded by the school’s delegated resources; more than 14 hours a week would be paid for as part of a funding stream to the school.  The Committee noted that three new people would join the Children & Young People’s Service (CYPS) in September 2010 to ensure that SEN was provided to relevant children.

In response to questions and discussions it was noted that General Practitioners (GPs) in Haringey attended meetings (there are four area collaboratives) which senior council officers attended to discuss safeguarding issues in their area. 

The Committee noted that both Whittington and North Middlesex hospitals A&E Departments could access Network I  communication systems used by GPs (including those in other neighbouring boroughs) to check whether a child was known to safeguarding services. There were plans to roll-out this facility pan London.

RESOLVED

i.          That the progress in delivery of the Safeguarding Plan milestones be noted.

ii.         That the refreshed Safeguarding Plan, which had been considered by Cabinet and approved by the Children’s, Trust be noted.