Agenda item

To provide an update on Safeguarding Governance arrangements.

Ms Kara Haskayne, Head of Safeguarding Children and Strategic Partnership Boards, presented a report outlining the new children’s safeguarding arrangements for Blackpool. Following the ending of Pan-Lancashire safeguarding arrangements, partners had decided to review the joint safeguarding arrangements in 2022 following concerns that they had led to a lack of strategic focus on local areas. Following this review, partners had agreed to cease Pan-Lancashire arrangements and move to a place based model allowing a greater focus on local need.

As a result of this decision the Council met with safeguarding partners at a workshop event in March 2023 to agree the strategic safeguarding priorities for Blackpool. This meeting established that the partnership would set up Strategic Delivery Groups responsible for each priority which would report assurance to a Blackpool Children Safeguarding Partnership Assurance Board (CSAP). The first meetings of these group began following the first CSAP meeting in May 2023. Ms Haskayne reported that all the groups had met excect the Domestic Abuse Children and Families Strategic Delivery Group, which had not met due to a delay in Lancashire Constabulary nominating a Chair. However she added that this nomination had been received in January 2024 and therefore it was hoped that the group would begin work soon.

Ms Haskayne also reported on the work to develop the governance arrangements for the CSAP. These had been developed following the publishing of the Department for Education’s “Working Together” consultation in September 2023. This had led to the agreement that the Board should be chaired by one of Blackpool’s statutory “Delegated Strategic Leaders”, Blackpool Council, Lancashire Constabulary and the Integrated Care Board (ICB). For the first year of the CSAP would be chaired by the ICB’s Director of Safeguarding.

Further to this, the CSAP had also appointed an Independent Scrutineer, whose role was to hold members of the partnership to account and ensure that it delivered against its strategic priorities. Ms Haskayne added that the Independent Scrutineer would produce an annual report which would be brought to the Committee in June 2024. This report would set out the CSAP’s business plan and the work being undertaken by the Strategic Delivery Groups.

The Committee welcomed the update on the role of the Independent Scrutineer and asked that to enable greater understanding of their role that they be invited to a pre-committee briefing to meet Members and explain the work they would be undertaking.

In order to ensure greater joined up working and that safeguarding governance would be brought together, Ms Haskayne informed Members that a Blackpool Partnership Business Unit had been established. She would be responsible for this unit as Head of Safeguarding Children and Strategic Partnership Boards. This unit would ensure that the CSAP, Blackpool Safeguarding Adult Board and BSafe Community Safety Partnership would work together effectively to deliver safeguarding for children, adults and communities.

The role of co-production in safeguarding was discussed with Ms Haskayne emphasising its importance in designing services. In respect of the selection of parents to take part in this process she explained that clarity on how this was undertaken was key. Learning on how this could take place had been gained from “Blackpool Families Rock” and ensured that a wide and diverse sample of parents would be used. This would ensure creative solutions could be developed to the challenges faced.

The Committee agreed:

1.That the report be noted; and

2.That the Independent Scrutineer be invited to a pre-committee briefing.