Subject: RBSCB update report Status: Report to: Date: Wednesday, 8th April 2015 Overview and Scrutiny Committee Report of: Jane Booth RBSCB Independent Chair Tony Philbin RBSCB Business Manager 1. For publication Author Email: [email protected] [email protected] Tel: 01706 925449 PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1. This report provides an update on the work of the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1. The agreement between the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board (RBSCB) and Scrutiny Committee is that the RBSCB presents a report to the Scrutiny Committee twice a year, to present its Annual report - in September/October and in March/April to update on the Board’s activities since the last report and to inform the Scrutiny of relevant safeguarding children issues. Additional attendance can be requested by either party if required. 2.2. The RBSCB is a statutory partnership of agencies with responsibility for providing services and safeguarding children and young people. Its role and functions are set out in statute and the Board is required to have a chair who is independent of its member agencies. The Chair of the Board is accountable to the Council’s Chief Executive for the efficient and effective running of the Board and he is in turn accountable to the DfE in this respect. 2.3. In an Ofsted Inspection in November 2012 the RBSCB was found to be “underdeveloped” and not fulfilling its statutory functions effectively. At that time there was no separate judgement of the Board by Ofsted but it was considered under the heading of Leadership and Governance which was found to be inadequate overall. Since that time the RBSCB has been working to an improvement plan which has been monitored by the Improvement Board. 3. REVIEW OF ACTIVITY 3.1. RBSCB effectiveness – The RBSCB has presented regular reports to the Improvement Board in respect of progress against the Action Plan. All actions have been completed and signed off. In 2014 Ofsted completed a further inspection published 5 December 2014. The new methodology included a separate but parallel Version Number: Page: 1 of 3 inspection of the Board itself and found the Board no longer to be inadequate. Much good progress was evidenced and the inspectors provided very positive feedback.: • The RBSCB has made significant progress during the last 18 months. It benefits from strong independent leadership, supported by effective business management. • Members are appropriately senior to enable the RBSCB to drive forward its key priorities and the wider safeguarding agenda. • Partners are increasingly confident about holding one another to account, and the chair maintains a record of challenge. These indicate an increasingly mature partnership. • Governance arrangements are clear and enable the RBSCB to fulfil its statutory responsibilities. • There is evidence that the Performance, Quality Assurance and Improvement sub-group is using data effectively to analyse and evaluate specific areas of practice • The RBSCB has a well-managed programme of multi-agency themed audits, enabling partners to identify good practice and areas for improvement. • The RBSCB has a well-managed programme of multi-agency themed audits, • The Board’s Learning and Improvement Framework includes a rigorous process for screening for serious case reviews • The Board’s development and effective implementation of a CSE strategy • The RBSCB has a comprehensive and good-quality training programme, • the Board has made significant progress in terms of its priorities and is now well placed to continue to drive improvements in the coordination and effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements for the children and young people of Rochdale. It was of some disappointment that the judgement only moved up one grade, from Inadequate to “Requires Improvement” but none-the-less the report records much that is good practice. All recommendations from the report have been addressed. 3.2. Challenge and Quality assurance of services – the RBSCB has a comprehensive quality assurance framework which includes data collection and analysis. Multiagency case related audits and a full audit of agencies’ practice against their statutory safeguarding responsibilities. The Board receives quarterly reports following analysis of the data and uses this to challenge agencies where performance is of concern Appendix 1 provides an example from the last Board meeting. The following audits have been completed in the last 12 months • May 2014 – Neglect • July 2014 – Missing Children • October 2014 Thresholds • Domestic Abuse and Partner Strategy The Section 11 audit is an annual process the RBSCB uses to judge agency arrangements to meet the requirements of Section 11 of The Children Act 2004. The process is well established and involves the use of independent challenge panels that scrutinise agency self-assessment. Version Number: Page: 2 of 3 3.3. Promotion of good practice – In addition to supporting the improvement of practice through its quality assurance activity the RBSCB also promotes improvement through its Learning and Improvement framework. The Board maintains an active web-site which provides regular updates to 685 registered users A comprehensive set of multi-agency policies and procedures are also provided on –line. The RBSCB delivers a comprehensive range of training and promotes the development of good through the dissemination of learning from Serious Case Reviews and other learning events. 4. Significant events in the last 6 months • Service Inspection – judged to be no longer inadequate • Ofsted CSE Thematic Inspection – very positive re quality of services, policies and procedures • Safeguarding Awareness week January 2015 • Publication J SCR • New Multi-Agency Referral Form developed • 2 Journals published • Multi-Agency Child Protection Procedures updated • Thematic analysis of RBSCB audits March 2015 - The Government issued amended statutory guidance relating to: • Working Together to Safeguard Children • What to do if you are worried a Child is Being Abused • Information Sharing • Safeguarding Children in Education A report and presentation is in the process of being developed to update partners regarding new requirements/changes. 5. Business Plan and Risk Register 5.1. The Business plan is delivered through the work plans of the sub-groups and reviewed prior to every Board Meeting. Progress on the plan is good. A copy of the RBSCB Busienss Plan is available at www.rbscb.org 5.2. The Quality Assurance Subgroup hold and maintain the RBSCB Risk Register and report quarterly to the Board 6. The Annual Report 6.1. The Annual Report 2014 – 15 is currently being written with a plan to present to the RBSCB for sign off July/August 2015 and will be the subject of the next report to the A&S committee. 7. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS None arising from this report 8. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS None arising from this report 9. IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE None arising from this report 10. BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION RBSCB Business Unit Version Number: Page: 3 of 3