Agenda and minutes

Venue: the Council Chamber, Bromley Civic Centre

Contact: Kerry Nicholls  020 8313 4602

Items
No. Item

71.

CONFIRMATION OF CHAIRMAN

Minutes:

Councillor Nicholas Bennett JP was confirmed as the Chairman for the joint meeting of Care Services and Education PDS Committees.

72.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND NOTIFICATION OF SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Robert Evans, Councillor Keith Onslow, Councillor Charles Rideout, Councillor Melanie Stevens and Councillor Tim Stevens.

 

Apologies were also received from Mary Capon, Joanna Frizelle, Adil Ghani, Justine Godbeer, Catherine Osborn and Tony Wright-Jones.

73.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Minutes:

The Chairman reminded the Committee that the Declarations of Interest made at previous meetings of Care Services and Education PDS Committees were taken as read.

 

Councillor Pauline Tunnicliffe declared that she was a Governor of Burwood School.

 

Mrs Alison Regester, Pre-School Settings and Early Years representative, declared that she ran a private day nursery in the Borough. 

 

74.

QUESTIONS TO THE CARE SERVICES PDS CHAIRMAN OR EDUCATION PDS CHAIRMAN FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND COUNCILLORS ATTENDING THE MEETING

To hear questions to the Care Services PDS Committee or Education PDS Committee received in writing by the Democratic Services Team by 5.00pm on Thursday 19th February 2015 and to respond.  Questions must relate to the work of the scrutiny committee.

Minutes:

No questions had been received.

75.

QUESTIONS TO THE CARE SERVICES PORTFOLIO HOLDER OR EDUCATION PORTFOLIO HOLDER FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND COUNCILLORS ATTENDING THE MEETING

To hear questions to the Care Services Portfolio Holder or Education Portfolio Holder received in writing by the Democratic Services Team by 5.00pm on Thursday 19th February 2015 and to respond.  Questions must relate to the work of the scrutiny committee.

Minutes:

No questions had been received.

76.

INFORMATION ITEMS

The items comprise:

 

1.  Bromley Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB):

a.  Terms of Reference

b.  Membership List

c.  Structure Chart

d.  Policies and Procedures

e.  The Child’s Journey in Bromley – A Partnership Model for providing services to support children and families in Bromley

f.  Business Plan 2014/15

g.  Inter-Agency Training Brochure 2014/15

h.  Annual Report 2013/14

  1. Child sexual exploitation the Bromley view
  2. Children missing education

 

Members and Co-opted Members have been provided with advance copies of the briefing via e-mail.  The briefing is also available on the Council's Website at the following link: http://cds.bromley.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=559&Year=0

Minutes:

The Information Briefing comprised a number of reports.

 

1.  Bromley Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB):

a.  Terms of Reference

b.  Membership List

c.  Structure Chart

d.  Policies and Procedures

e.  The Child’s Journey in Bromley – A Partnership Model for providing services to support children and families in Bromley

f.  Business Plan 2014/15

g.  Inter-Agency Training Brochure 2014/15

h.  Annual Report 2013/14

  1. Child sexual exploitation the Bromley view
  2. Children missing education

 

RESOLVED that the Information Briefing be noted.

77.

PURPOSE OF THE MEETING

“To scrutinise the arrangements, organisational structures, and procedures and processes of the Council and partner organisations with regard to child safeguarding to ensure there is clear cooperation, no unnecessary duplication and effective management and supervision of frontline staff.”

Minutes:

Members agreed the purpose of the joint meeting of Care Services and Education PDS Committees as:

 

“To scrutinise the arrangements, organisational structures, and procedures and processes of the Council and partner organisations with regard to child safeguarding to ensure there is clear cooperation, no unnecessary duplication and effective management and supervision of frontline staff.”

78.

OVERVIEW OF THE BROMLEY SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD

Minutes:

Helen Davies, Independent Chair, Bromley Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB) outlined the operation and the statutory functions of the Board.

 

The main objective of the Board was to coordinate the effective involvement of a wide range of agencies, including the Local Authority, Police, Health and voluntary organisations around child safeguarding.  There were four meetings of the Board held each year, which had also established a Quality Assurance Group and Sub-Committees for Training, Health Safeguarding and Education Safeguarding.  Task and Finish Groups were convened as needed to consider identified issues in depth.

 

There had been a high degree of organisational change across the Local Authority and partner agencies in recent years which had resulted in a changing membership of the Board, but Bromley benefitted from a strong ethos of close partnership working, which reflected the commitment of partner agencies to protect children and young people in the Borough.  Over the past three years, the Board had focused on a range of issues, including children who were missing and child sexual exploitation.  The Board had also worked to build stronger links with children and young people through organisations such as the Bromley Youth Council. 

 

The issue of how Looked After Children were tracked as they moved between local authorities had been raised at the Joint Care Services and Education PDS Committees meeting held on 7th May 2013.  The Association of Directors of Children's Services had worked closely with the Department for Education on this issue, and a database had now been developed which specified the point of contact in every local authority for Looked After Children and supported local authorities to identify Looked After Children who had moved into their areas.

 

The Chairman noted that Helen Davies would shortly be standing down as the Independent Chair of the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board and the Bromley Safeguarding Adults Board and led the Members of the Care Services and Education PDS Committees in thanking her for the excellent contribution she had made to the London Borough of Bromley over the past three years.

 

RESOLVED that the overview be noted

79.

MULTI-AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ARRANGEMENTS

Minutes:

The Executive Director: Education, Care and Health Services outlined the role of the Director of Children’s Services and the Lead Member for Children’s Services and the responsibilities and arrangements for Children’s Social Care and Education (attached at Appendix A).

 

Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Clarke gave a presentation outlining the responsibilities and arrangements of the Bromley Metropolitan Police Services (attached at Appendix B).

 

Sonia Colwill, Director of Quality, Governance and Patient Safety gave a presentation outlining the responsibilities and arrangements of the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group (attached at Appendix C).

 

RESOLVED that the presentations around multi-agency responsibilities and arrangements be noted.

80.

QUESTIONS TO THE PANEL

·  Helen Davies, Chair of Bromley Safeguarding Children Board

·  Terry Parkin, Director of Children’s Services

·  DCI Kevin Clarke, Bromley Metropolitan Police Service

·  Sonia Colwill, Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group

·  Jane Bailey, Assistant Director: Education

·  Kay Weiss, Assistant Director: Children’s Social Care

Minutes:

Members and Co-opted Members asked the presenters a range of questions around multi-agency responsibilities and arrangements for child safeguarding in Bromley.

 

How does the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board engage with other strategic boards in Bromley?

 

Helen Davies, Independent Chair, Bromley Safeguarding Children Board confirmed that the appointment of a joint Independent Chair for both the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board and the Bromley Safeguarding Adults Board supported strong cross-working between the Boards, and that it had recently been agreed that the Independent Chair would also sit on the Health and Wellbeing Board.  A number of key representatives were members of several partnership boards including the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board and the Bromley Safeguarding Adults Board.  Cross-working was also undertaken between different partnership boards as needed, with a representative of the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board recently speaking at a meeting of the Children’s Partnership

 

How does the Bromley Safeguarding Children Broad engage with schools?

 

Helen Davies, Independent Chair, Bromley Safeguarding Children Board advised Members that the membership of the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board now included two Head teachers.  The remit and purpose of the Education Safeguarding Sub-Committee had been reviewed in 2014, and work had been undertaken to improve links with schools, including the establishment of a Safeguarding Forum for Safeguarding Leads at schools across the Borough.

 

How does the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board ensure consistent multi-agency attendance for Board and Sub-Committee meetings?

 

Helen Davies, Independent Chair, Bromley Safeguarding Children Board underlined that multi-agency attendance for Board and Sub-Committee meetings was consistently at or above 75%.  The high degree of organisational change across the Local Authority and partner agencies in recent years had resulted in a changing membership of the Board, but an induction was provided to new members who also received ongoing support to ensure they were able to contribute effectively to the Board.

 

Who can access the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board training programme?

 

Helen Davies, Independent Chair, Bromley Safeguarding Children Board advised Members that the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board training programme was available to any agency working to safeguard children and young people in Bromley.  Participants were required to have received basic single agency child protection training through their own agencies or previous employment before attending any course in the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board training programme.

 

What is the cause of the recent increase in child protection allegations made against professionals working with children?

 

The Assistant Director: Safeguarding and Social Care confirmed that any concerns raised around the behaviour of professionals were referred to the Local Designated Officer in the Safeguarding Quality Assurance service, and that immediate action was taken in all cases where allegations against professionals were substantiated.

 

The Head of Quality Assurance and Principal Social Worker noted that there was a growing awareness of the role of the local designated officer in the Safeguarding Quality Assurance service, which might have led to an increase in the number of allegations made.  There was also greater public awareness of inappropriate behaviour by professionals, such as the use of mobile phones  ...  view the full minutes text for item 80.

81.

ASSURANCE OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES AND LEAD MEMBER FOR CHILDREN'S SERVICES IN BROMLEY pdf icon PDF 117 KB

Minutes:

Report JPDS 15001

 

The Executive Director: Education, Care and Health Services outlined the arrangements in place to fulfil the statutory roles of the Director of Children’s services and Lead Member for Children’s Services in Bromley relating to the safeguarding of children. 

 

All top tier authorities in England had the responsibility of overseeing the local arrangements for the safeguarding of children, and were required to appoint a Director of Children’s services and a Lead Member for Children’s Services to discharge the education and children’s social services functions of the Local Authority.  Individual local authorities were able to determine their own organisational arrangements within the legal framework, but it was a requirement that an assurance process be put in place where either the Director of Children’s Services or the Lead Member for Children’s Services undertook more than one role, as was the case in Bromley, to ensure local authorities were able to fulfil their statutory duties effectively, be transparent about responsibilities and accountabilities, and support effective inter-agency and partnership working.

 

A number of systems had been established by the Local Authority to ensure that there was a strong focus on outcomes for children and young people.  This included strategic systems, including the work of the Children’s Board and Executive Working Party on Child Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting, scrutiny by the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board and the Independent Chair, and an annual business plan approved by the respective Portfolio Holders.  Operational systems in place included robust supervision from the Chief Executive to the Director of Children’s Services and from the Director of Children’s Services to his Officers, a designated principal social worker with a clear professional development programme for qualified social workers, and a Departmental balanced scorecard reviewed bi-monthly and supported by monthly performance data to service managers, Assistant Directors and the Director of Children’s Services.  Children’s services in Bromley were committed to sector-led improvement with the Director of Children’s Services a former Ofsted inspector and a trained sector-led (peer) reviewer, and a number of staff from second and third tier roles had been trained as peer reviewers and as present and former Ofsted inspectors.

 

It was proposed that in future, the Portfolio Holders for Care Services and Education and the Chairmen of Care Services and Education PDS Committees consider the outcome of the biennial review of the assurance arrangements at a joint meeting of the Care Services and Education PDS Committees.  Members were also invited to provide their comments on the organisational arrangements both through the formal assurance process and outside of it.

 

In considering the assurance arrangements in Bromley, Members agreed that the arrangements were satisfactory, but noted that some agencies on the Bromley Safeguarding Children Board were not represented for several meetings as a result of staff turnover, and that where a representative was provided, they were sometimes not of sufficient seniority.  The Joint Care Services and Education PDS Committees requested that this be addressed as soon as practicable. 

 

RESOLVED that:

 

1)  The Care Services and Education PDS Committees agree  ...  view the full minutes text for item 81.

82.

SUGGESTIONS FOR AREAS OF SCRUTINY FOR CARE SERVICES AND EDUCATION PDS COMMITTEES FOR 2015/16

Minutes:

Members considered future areas for scrutiny relating to child protection by the Care Services and Education PDS Committees for 2015/16.

 

RESOLVED that areas of scrutiny relating to child protection be considered by Care Services and Education PDS Committees for 2015/16 as appropriate.

83.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 AS AMENDED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ACCESS TO INFORMATION) (VARIATION) ORDER 2006 AND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

The Chairman to move that the Press and public be excluded during consideration of the items of business listed below as it is likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that if members of the Press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded during consideration of the items of business listed below as it was likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

84.

EXEMPT (PART 2) INFORMATION ITEMS

The Exempt (Part 2) items comprise:

 

1.  Minutes of the BSCB Meeting held on 18th November 2014

 

Members and Co-opted Members have been provided with advance copies of the Exempt (Part 2) briefing via e-mail. 

Minutes:

The Exempt (Part 2) Information Briefing comprised one report.

 

  1. Minutes of the BSCB Meeting held on 18th November 2014

 

RESOLVED that the Exempt (Part 2) Information Briefing be noted.

APPENDIX A pdf icon PDF 169 KB

APPENDIX B pdf icon PDF 127 KB

APPENDIX C pdf icon PDF 262 KB