Agenda item

To consider the Haringey Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2023-2024.

The Panel considered the Haringey Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP) Annual Report 2023-2024, along with an accompanying presentation that summarised some of the key points relating to the structure, activities and achievements of the partnership. The presentation was introduced by David Archibald, Independent Chair of the HSCP as set out in the agenda pack at pages 14-80. The Director of Children’s services was present for this item, along with the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families. The AD for Safeguarding & Social Care was also present, along with the AD for Early Help, Prevention & SEND. The following arose as part of the discussion of this item:

a.    The Chair welcomed the report and highlighted the good work being done by the partnership.

b.    The Panel sought clarification from the Independent Chair about what were the areas of most concern highlighted in the report. In response, Mr Archibald set out that it was necessary for a Children’s Safeguarding Partnership to ensure that all areas of safeguarding were being managed and addressed to a high standard. Some of the key areas where partnerships had to be effective were around the ability to learn lessons, and put those lessons in to practice, as well as information sharing, which was always highlighted in high-profile reviews as something that went wrong. Mr Archibald advised that the two areas that the partnership would like to do better on were Think Family and Transitional Safeguarding. The Children’s Safeguarding Partnership were working closely with the Adults Safeguarding Board to make improvements in safeguarding for those transitioning from childhood to adulthood, which was identified two or three years ago as an area that the partnerships would like to make early progress on. Child Sexual Exploitation was an area that councils across the country were focused on. It was noted that Haringey was making good progress in this area. It was also commented that the partnership would continue to focus on children and young people with a higher level of need, represented by those on a child protection plan.

c.    The Panel referred to the fact that there were 184 children subject to a child protection plan as of 31^st March 2024 and that this was a decrease of 23% since 2023. The Panel questioned whether there were any concerns about a failure to identify children who should be on a child protection plan. In response, Mr Archibald advised that the number of children on a child protection plan would vary over time and that was normal. The important thing to be assured of was not the overall number, but whether the children who needed to be on a child protection plan were on a plan. The Panel noted that the average time a child spend on a plan was two years and that they would receive targeted support from professionals as a result. Fluctuations in the numbers were monitored closely. Haringey was in-line with it statistical neighbours for the number of children on a child protection plan.

d.    The Panel referred to information sharing with GPs highlighted in the report and asked whether this information sharing was happening in a joined-up way. In response, Mr Archibald clarified that the report was referring to the need for other agencies improve their feedback mechanisms to GPs following that GP having made a  safeguarding referral.

e.    The Panel enquired about what would help to make the partnership more effective. In response, officers advised that the partnership worked well and that partners were determined to help keep children and young people as safe as possible and to improve how safeguarding was delivered. It was commented that every chair in the country would probably say that resources were key and that turnover of key staff across different agencies could be difficult. Embedding, inducting and training new staff was key. The importance of an effective training programme for staff was emphasised.

f.     In relation to a question about the housing sub-group, Mr Archibald advised that about  a year ago it was decided that it would be helpful to have a sub-group working across both partnerships that specialised in housing related safeguarding issues in Haringey. It was noted that the sub-group was working effectively.

g.    In response to a question, Mr Archibald advised that a Child Death Overview Panel was separate to the structures of the child safeguarding partnership, but that it was a means of reviewing the circumstances of when a child died in a way that wasn’t anticipated and to identify any remedial actions that could be taken to reduce the chances of it happening again.

RESOLVED

That the Haringey Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2023/24 was noted.