Agenda item

Report ED18014

The Sub-Committee considered a report outlining the work carried out across the Borough to manage allegations made against staff who worked with children and young people in a paid or unpaid capacity during the 2015/16 financial year.  There was a statutory requirement for local authorities to have clear procedures in place for responding to allegations of harm or abuse of children by staff or foster carers within the Children’s Act 2014, and the Local Authority Designated Officer had overall responsibility for managing and coordinating allegations against those who worked with children in Bromley.

During the 2015/16 financial year, a total of 193 allegations had been reported to the Local Authority which represented a 73.87% increase in the number of referrals received and recorded from all agencies across the Borough compared to the previous year.  A number of factors had been identified as contributing to this increase, including the robust recording of all allegations whether or not they met the threshold for further action (which had been further supported by the introduction of a new IT application), the delivery of regular multi-agency Allegation Management Briefings and the drive to raise awareness of allegation management procedures.  Where it was identified that the threshold for harm or potential harm to a child was met or there were concerns that a professional might not be suitable to work with children, a strategy meeting was convened.  In 2015/16, 112 strategy meetings were convened as a result of allegations, following which 47 referrals were made to the Police for investigation.  Where the threshold for a strategy meeting was not met, referrals were passed back to employers for internal management action which might involve training, a formal warning or disciplinary management investigation.

In considering the report, the Chairman was concerned to note the low number of referrals from Health partners and the Police.  The Local Authority Designated Officer highlighted that this was a common issue across local authorities, but that work was being undertaken to raise awareness of allegation management procedures with all key partners and to encourage participation in training.  The Bromley Safeguarding Children Board had requested a ‘deep dive’ review be undertaken to investigate this issue, and was working with the Quality Improvement Service to raise awareness of ‘other’ agencies, such as faith groups and sports clubs.  An Early Years Quality Improvement Manager and Safeguarding Lead was working to support increased reporting by the Early Years sector.

In response to a question from Councillor Nicholas Bennett JP, the Local Authority Designated Officer confirmed that the allegations management process was applicable to professionals where concerns about their personal lives raised questions about their suitability to work with children, including inappropriate physical chastisement of their own children, and that clarification on the current position in law around the physical chastisement of children would be provided to Members following the meeting.  Statutory guidance setting out the role of the Local Authority Designated Officer would also be provided to Members of the Sub-Committee following the meeting, and the Local Authority Designated Officer report for the 2016/17 financial year would be provided to the next meeting of the Sub-Committee on 26^th September 2017.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.