Review of ACPC Work Programme during 2005/2006

The ACPC Business Plan Work Programme 2005/2006 was based upon six key themes and associated outcomes:-

1. Participation – with the intended outcome that children, young people and their families will have a real voice and influence within the work of the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

2. Domestic violence and abuse - with the intended outcome that children are safer through a skilled and well informed workforce working collaboratively, using interventions based on the best available evidence and practice.

3. Inter-agency working – with the intended outcome that all ACPC agencies work well together to implement policies and strategies that keep children safer.

4. Establishing the LSCB – with the intended outcome that agencies and individuals work together to safeguard children and contribute to the promotion of their welfare.

5. Multi-agency procedures and systems – with the intended outcome that all communication is clear, effective and timely.

6. Training – with the intended outcome that children’s safety is enhanced by staff benefiting from an effective training programme that helps build their skills and confidence.

To deliver these themes and achieve the intended outcomes the following work programme was devised.

• The ACPC/LSCB will participate in the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership strategy on the development of effective participation.
• The ACPC/LSCB will ensure that families and carers are able to influence its work.
• Children and young people of all ages will be given a voice and influence in the work of the ACPC/LSCB.
• The child protection processes in Bath and North East Somerset will achieve the Children’s Chartermark.
• The ACPC will clarify reporting and linking mechanisms with and between the Community Safety and Drugs Partnership and the Partnership Against Domestic Violence and Abuse so that children affected by repeat domestic violence and abuse are protected and supported.
• The ACPC will raise community awareness of domestic violence and abuse and develop increased support for children and non-abusing parents.
• The ACPC will develop services to increase the safety and resilience of non-abusing parents and children.
• The ACPC will ensure that there are safeguards in new shared databases to prevent inappropriate access to personal information about children that may endanger their safety.
• The ACPC will review the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 to ensure that there are efficient processes to safeguard children in relation to the licensing of premises.
• The ACPC will ensure appropriate information sharing arrangements in line with Bichard recommendations.
• The ACPC will improve the engagement of local custodial establishments in the process of identifying child protection issues and providing information to child protection conferences.
• The ACPC will improve decision making about Schedule 1 offenders.
• The ACPC will take steps to ensure that the Childsafe and Travelsafe programmes are successfully implemented and sustained.
• The ACPC will progress work to agree the remit for the forthcoming Local Safeguarding Children Board.
• The ACPC will ensure that a LSCB annual report and business plan work programme is developed for 2006/07.
• The ACPC will embed the Business Plan within the developing Children and Young People’s Plan 2006-9.
• The ACPC will ensure that arrangements are in place for the LSCB to be operational from 1 April 2006.
• The ACPC will ensure that all child protection procedures are up to date and ready for transmission to the LSCB.
• The ACPC will clarify thresholds for child protection processes.
• The ACPC will improve multi-agency compliance with conference report writing and contributions to risk assessments and child protection conferences.
• The ACPC will undertake a multi-agency review of quality and accessibility of reports for child protection case conferences and notes of meetings.
• The ACPC will ensure that it meets the new national standards for private fostering arrangements.
• The ACPC will prepare for the introduction and implementation of the Common Assessment Framework.
• The ACPC will take steps to ensure that training needs are linked with training activity.
• The ACPC will promote an improved understanding of the impact of training on practice and outcomes for children and young people.
• The ACPC will improve attendance at multi-agency training.
• The ACPC Training Management Group will evidence take up of Child Protection Training.
• The ACPC Training Management Group will focus on improving contributions to reports and core assessments.

Progress

Progress with the implementation of this work programme was reviewed by each Area Child Protection Committee meeting in 2005/06, the Stakeholders’ Forum in January 2005, and the LSCB Development Day in February 2006.

All aspects of what was once again an ambitious work programme for 2005/06 have been implemented and progressed, the majority to completion. Some outstanding tasks will be incorporated into the Work Programme for 2006/07. 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.

This progress can be evidenced by the following:-

• Members of the Area Child Protection Committee contributed to the development and implementation of the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership’s Participation Strategy for children and young people. That Participation Strategy has been adopted by all members of the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership and the ACPC, approved by the Lead Member for Children’s Services and recommended for adoption across the Council by the Health and Social Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel. The ACPC implemented the Participation Strategy in its work to develop the Local Safeguarding Children Board.
• The ACPC devised and implemented a strategy for involving parents and carers in its work through Family Centres, direct contributions to and active participation in the LSCB’s Stakeholders’ Forum in December 2005. Parents and carers informed plans for the establishment of the LSCB and the detail of its first Work Programme.
• Progress was made with establishing a pilot initiative to enable young children’s views to be heard in child protection case conferences; in evaluating how the Children’s Advocacy Service supports young people in the child protection process and whether it should/could be extended to a younger age range.
• Children and young people were actively engaged in work to establish the LSCB and its first Work Programme, and made contributions to the Annual Stakeholders’ Forum.
• Work is underway to achieve the Children’s Charter for child protection processes in Bath and North East Somerset.
• Clear reporting and linking mechanisms have been established between the ACPC, the Community Safety and Drugs Partnership, and the Partnership Against Domestic Violence and Abuse. A formal link with PADVA has been established through the Designated and Named Nurse; a member of the Community Safety and Drugs Partnership will become an Associate Member of the LSCB: the Chair of the LSCB is a co-opted member of the Responsible Authorities Group.
• The Area Child Protection Review Sub Committee had supported the PADVA work programme including the development of work which pupils and teachers to support children affected by domestic violence and abuse. A Bath and North East Somerset wide project for children who experience domestic violence and abuse has been established. All tasks relating to recording and reporting have been clarified and implemented.
• The Area Child Protection Committee considered a review of the local implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 and its responsibilities within this. This will be reviewed on an annual basis. The Area Child Protection Review Sub Committee has drawn up and reviewed protocols to implement the Bichard recommendations, audited local practice and evaluated the effectiveness of local arrangements.
• The Area Child Protection Committee has (through the Youth Offending Team Service Manager) clarified relationships and accountabilities with South Gloucestershire ACPC in respect of young people in custody at Ashfield, Vinney Green and Eastwood Park. Links have been made with the Youth Justice Board appointed social workers situated in the three institutions.
• Work has commenced on engaging all partners in reviewing and implementing protocols for the management of Schedule 1/Sex offenders. This work to be continued in 2006/07.
• The Area Child Protection Committee continues to promote and endorse the work of the Childsafe Partnership and the Travelsafe Partnership.
• The Area Child Protection Committee completed all aspects of the Work Programme related to the establishment of the Local Safeguarding Children Board and ensured that it was ready to assume its responsibilities from 1 April 2006. Further, an Annual Report and Work Programme for 2006/07 has been established: the Business Plan has been embedded within the Children and Young People’s Plan 2006-9. Plans are in place to undertake an early review of the arrangements for the LSCB in October 2006.
• Work has been completed to audit and update the Children in Need Handbook: to ensure that all procedures are up to date and accessible to staff: and to develop a matrix to aid risk assessment.
• Work has been undertaken to improve the content, timeliness and standards of reports and contributions to child protection case conferences. Agencies have assumed responsibility for monitoring their own contributions and taking any corrective action. The Child Protection Review Sub Committee has undertaken an audit of the quality and quantity of reports and established a baseline in April 2005 which will be reviewed in April 2006. Good Practice examples have been shared across agencies.
• The Area Child Protection Committee received reports on the implementation of new private fostering duties, standards and guidance (as part of Children Act 2004); assumed collective responsibility for all privately fostered children: audited awareness and practice within constituent member agencies: and has undertaken work to promote greater awareness and reporting. The LSCB will receive the first Annual Report detailing how the Local Authority and partner agencies safeguard and promote the welfare of privately fostered children, at its meeting in June 2006.
• Members of the Area Child Protection Committee have contributed to preparations for the implementation of the Common Assessment Framework and are members of the project group overseeing staff training and full implementation.
• The Area Child Protection Committee Training Management Group has undertaken the annual audit of training needs across all agencies: developed a database of all staff training: developed post course questionnaires to evaluate the impact of training upon practice and outcomes for children and young people. Work is progressing to develop child protection training passports for all staff.
• The Area Child Protection Committee Training Management Group has developed training standards in terms of staff preparation, attendance and use of training courses. All member agencies have issued service specific statements to their staff.
• The Area Child Protection Committee Training Management Group is developing training for the quality of core assessments and written reports to child protection case conferences.
• The Area Child Protection Committee Training Management Group piloted a national training programme for staff working with cases of fabricated or induced illness and reported back to the national evaluation.
• The Area Child Protection Committee considered the findings and recommendations of the Joint Chief Inspectors second Inspection Report on Safeguarding Children, considered how these should be implemented into local services: agreed to incorporate the recommendations into its continuous review of the Business Plan Work Programme: and the Child Protection Review Sub Committee undertook an audit of performance and practice in respect of safeguarding children with disabilities: children living away from home outside their local areas: children in secure or custodial settings.
• The Area Child Protection Committee reviewed local practice in respect of safe recruitment of people working with children and young people (incorporating recommendations within the Joint Chief Inspectors report), established standards for all local agencies and requested that member agencies implement these.
• The Area Child Protection Committee was a signatory to and supported the implementation of the Avon and Somerset Joint Agency Guidelines for the Management of Suspected Fabricated and Induced Illness in Children.
• The Area Child Protection Committee considered the Annual Report of the Avon and Somerset Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements and received a briefing report regarding issues within Bath and North East Somerset.
• The Area Child Protection Committee continued to contribute to the work of the Avon and Somerset ACPC Consortium comprised of the 5 ACPC Chairs and senior representatives from the Police, Health, Probation and the Crown Prosecution Service.