Review of LSCB Work Programme during 2007/2008

The LSCB Business Plan Work Programme 2007/2008 was based upon seven key themes and associated outcomes:-

1.         Protection from violence, maltreatment, neglect and sexual exploitation – with the intended outcome that children and young people are better protected.

2.         Children are protected from accidental injury and death – with the intended outcome that fewer children are involved in road traffic accidents and other accidents at home, play and employment.

3.         That children and young people feel safe from bullying and discrimination – with the intended outcome that children and young people report that they feel safer and incidents of bullying and discrimination are reduced.

4.         Children and young people feel safer from crime and anti-social behaviour in and out of school – with the intended outcome that fewer children and young people will be victims of crime and anti-social behaviour; there will be safer places to play and hang out; fewer children and young people commit crimes against children.

5.         Children and young people have security, stability and are cared for – with the intended outcome that the local agencies work together to promote policies and strategies to promote security and stability.

6.         Establishing an effective LSCB – with the intended outcome that the LSCB aids service development, builds partnerships, and delivers the work programme; and that children, young people and parents’ voices are heard by the LSCB.

7.         Training – with the intended outcome that children and young people’s safety is enhanced by staff benefiting from an effective training programme that helps build their skills and confidence; that we have created an effective workforce to safeguard children.

To deliver these themes and achieve the intended outcomes the following Work Programme was devised.  Progress with the implementation of the Work Programme was reviewed by each Local Safeguarding Children Board meeting in 2007/08, the Stakeholders Forum in November 2007 and the LSCB Development Day in January 2008.

• Complete the review of the Child Protection conference processes – achieved.
• Promote a continuation and development of services and resources to ensure that children are better protected from domestic violence and abuse – achieved and ongoing.
• Implement the Common Assessment Framework and Lead Professional role – on targetachieved and ongoing.
• Implement the Parenting Strategy – achieved.
• Continue to improve practice of preparing and delivering reports to child protection case conferences on time – partly achieved.
• Complete the implementation of the South West shared Child Protection Procedures – achieved.
• Implement arrangements for managing allegations against staff who work with children and young people – achieved.
• Develop Child Death Review Panel arrangements – on target and ongoing.
• Implement the Serious Case Review action plans, monitor and review progress with individual agencies and the Overview Action Plan – achieved.
• Continue to support and develop Childsafe Partnership and Travelsafe Project – achieved.
• Reduce the number of children killed or seriously injured by 2010 compared to the average for 1994-8 with greater reductions in disadvantaged communities – on target and ongoing.
• Review and agree the contribution of the Public Health Directorate to the injury prevention agenda – partially achieved.
• Audit all schools in Bath and North East Somerset to confirm they have appropriate procedures to record, report, prevent and reduce incidences of bullying – achieved.
• Ensure children and young people are involved in the work of the LSCB’s anti-bullying and discrimination strategy group – achieved and ongoing.
• Promote knowledge and awareness of the impact and importance of bullying by ensuring that anti-bullying slogan and logo is used on all appropriate literature in Bath and North East Somerset  - achieved and ongoing.
• Increase the opportunities for commissioning anti-bullying services in schools – partially achieved.
• Develop and publish the Anti-bullying Strategy and launch across all agencies in Bath and North East Somerset – achieved.
• Community Safety Strategy and Youth Justice Action Plan implemented with the result that fewer children are victims of crime and anti-social behaviour – achieved and ongoing.
• Play Strategy fully implemented – achieved.
• All LSCB agencies to promote the security and welfare of children in private fostering placements – achieved and ongoing.
• Promote and monitor the improvement of permanency planning for looked after children – achieved and ongoing.
• Ensure that all LSCB members make distinctive contributions and work together to ensure an effective Local Safeguarding Children Board that aids service development, builds partnerships and delivers the Work Programme – achieved and ongoing.
• Ensure that Governance arrangements are in place and operate effectively via reports to the Council/PCT Integration Board; the Children’s Trust arrangements; the Lead Member for Children’s Services; the Council Executive and Overview and Scrutiny Panel – achieved.
• Review and revise LSCB Communications Strategy – not achieved.
• Develop and achieve community and stakeholder engagement in the work of the Local Safeguarding Children Board – achieved and ongoing.
• Ensure that children and young people’s voices are heard by the LSCB by promoting links with the strategies for the participation of children and young people, parents and carers – partially achieved and ongoing.
• Continuously review progress made in respect of all 5 aims of the staying safe agenda – achieved.
• Ensure induction and annual appraisals for LSCB members are in place – partially achieved.
• Create an effective workforce to safeguard children by connecting training needs with training activity; further improving attendance at multi-agency training courses; improving overall training for people working with children and families – achieved and ongoing.
• Improve contributions made by individual staff and agencies to core assessments and child protection conference reports – partially achieved and ongoing.

All aspects of what was once again an ambitious Work Programme for 2007/08 have been progressed and implemented, the majority to completion.  Some aspects of the Work Programme are ongoing.  Some outstanding tasks will be incorporated into the Work Programme for 2008/09.  The Work Programme has been supplemented by other key tasks and developments that have arisen during the course of the year and warranted immediate action or response.