Agenda item

To receive a report on the implications of the events in Rotherham, presented by the Deputy Chief Executive.

RECEIVED the report entitled Learning from the Lessons of Rotherham – Implications for Scrutiny and Safeguarding, as set out on pages 79 – 122 of the agenda pack, introduced by Zina Etheridge (Deputy Chief Executive).

NOTED the following further to discussions and questions from the committee:

a.    a.  Safeguarding

1. the committee raised a number of questions about how referrals and information and intelligence about safeguarding issues were dealt with.  It was proposed that members were offered a training session, which could also include the Chair of the relevant Safeguarding Board;

2. members raised a number of questions about how they could be confident of performance on safeguarding.  The DCS outlined the performance management processes in place in Children’s Services, and the DASS noted that similar arrangements were in place in Adults.  In addition independently chaired Safeguarding Boards for both Children’s and Adults provided challenge across the local partnership;

b.    Hearing the Voice of the Child/ Vulnerable Adult

1. all council staff and partners had a role to play in safeguarding.  Hearing the voice of vulnerable people was important through a number of council services;

2. Hearing the voice of the child was a consistent theme in the LSCB’s (Local Children’s Safeguarding Board) work – they were carrying out further work on this area which could be reported to scrutiny in due course;

3. adult service users were involved in reviewing services and supporting safeguarding.

c.    Equality and Diversity

1. the lack of confidence to challenge specific communities in the Rotherham case was noted .  Members questioned how Haringey ensured people were supported in acting on safeguarding concerns without judgement being affected by the fear of discrimination;

2. officers noted that good relationships with all of the Borough’s communities were important so that safeguarding issues could be raised confidently – for instance female genital mutilation (FGM);

3. on the basis of current evidence, officers did not believe that CSE in Haringey was primarily being perpetrated by one community;

4.    in response to a question about responsibility for equalities impact assessments, it was noted that all areas of the Council were responsible for understanding and tackling equalities issues

5.    the council was building relationships with organisations such as Haringey Race Equality Council (HREC) to work with faith communities.

RESOLVED that

1.    the report be noted;

2.    the issues set out in the report be addressed as part of the Committee’s work programme for 2015/16, including;

·         an officer briefing to the Committee and Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel on the framework, the local arrangement for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in Haringey.  This briefing will form part of a workshop, co-ordinated by an external facilitator, on how the Overview & Scrutiny Committee can be effective in its scrutiny role relating to safeguarding children;

·         the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel to review the local arrangement for tackling child sexual exploitation in Haringey;

·         the Committee to review how the Council performs its corporate parenting responsibilities, including the extent to which all members understand and perform their role and how children’s safeguarding is reflected through out the Council’s functions;

·         the Independent Chair of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board be invited to attend the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel for a review of the work of the Board and the effectiveness of partnership working in safeguarding children in Haringey;

3.    the Committee reviews its effectiveness in challenging the Council and its partners on safeguarding and addressing Child Sexual Exploitation to ensure, as part of the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report, there is a focus on how the Committee has effectively discharged this scrutiny role.