BM15-03/15M
15th Meeting of the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland
To be held on 26th March 2015 at 3.00pm-5.03pm,
The Spinning Room, Mossley Mill
PUBLICMINUTES- RECORD OF ATTENDANCE
Name / Title & Organisation / Present / ApologyGlenys Johnston / Independent Chair Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland /
Neil Anderson / National Head of Service for N. Ireland NSPCC /
Dr John Devaney / CMR Panel Chair /
Paul Douglas / Lay Member /
Kieran Downey / Executive Director WHSCT / By Phone
Dr Martin Cunningham / GP Partner, Queen’s Health Centre /
Dr Theresa Donaldson / Chief Executive LisburnCastlereagh Council /
Liam Hannaway / Chief Executive Banbridge District Council /
Dr Carolyn Harper / Director of Public Health /
Mary Hinds / Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professions /
D/Chief Superintendent George Clarke / PSNI /
Declan McGeown / Chief Executive Youth Justice Agency /
Paddy Kelly / Director Children’s Law Centre /
Hugh Hamill / Acting Director, PBNI /
Pauline Leeson / Chief Executive Children in N. Ireland /
Dr Clare Mangan / Chief Executive BELB /
James Marshall / Lay Member /
Dr Cathy MacPherson / Designated Paediatrician /
Fionnuala McAndrew / Director of Social Care and Children HSCB /
Carmel McKinney / Lay Member /
Paul Morgan / Dir. Children & Young People’s Services SHSCT /
Dawn Shaw / Operational Director Action for Children NI /
Brendan Whittle / Director of Children’s Services SEHSCT /
Marie Roulston / Director of Children’s Services NHSCT /
Una Turbitt / Safeguarding Nurse Consultant PHA /
Lynda Wilson / Director Barnardo’s NI /
Cecil Worthington / Director of Child Care BHSCT /
Paddy Mooney / Director Include Youth /
In Attendance
Sharon Beattie / Director of Operations SBNI
Margaret Burke / Professional Officer
Lisa McEneaney / Minute Taker
John Toner / Independent Safeguarding Panel Chair
Dr Bridie Pilkington / Independent Safeguarding Panel Chair
Board Meeting 15–26.03.15 Public Minutes v0.21
BM15-03/15M
Summary of Actions
Action No. / Page No. / Action: / To be completed by:1 / 6 / The Chair to send an email to invite nominations for position of Vice Chair. / Independent Safeguarding Board Chair
2 / 7 / SBNI to write to the Department and the Faith Groups to confirm Board Membership. / Independent Safeguarding Board Chair
3 / 7 / Inter Faith Sub Group Terms of Reference to be shared with Board Members / SBNI Director
4 / 8 / Information Sharing Agreement to be shared with SIROs prior to wider consultation. / Office Manager
5 / 8 / Executive Summary / Professional Brief to be developed for Professionals re ISA / Professional Officer
6 / 8 / Board members to respond to Information Sharing Agreement by the 16th April / Board Members
7 / 9 / Ms McAndrew to provide an update in relation to cross border engagement with particular reference to separate children / Ms McAndrew
8 / 9 / Executive Summary / Professional Brief to be developed for Professionals regarding CSE policy / Ms Burke
9 / 9 / CMR Policy to be amended as reflected by the Chair before going out for wider consultation. / Ms Burke
10 / 10 / Effectiveness and Improvement Model to be amended as necessary following consultation which ends on the 16th April / Ms Campbell/Board Members
11 / 10 / Standing Orders to be amended to allow Board members to propose agenda items up to 24hrs prior to Board meeting / SBNI Director
12 / 10 / Three new Board members to sign the Members’ Agreement / Independent Safeguarding Board Chair
13 / 11 / Chair to write to the Department to ask how the Female Genital Mutilation Guidance was being taken forward / Independent Safeguarding Board Chair
14 / 12 / Board comments on the Business Plan to be received by the 16th April. / Board Members
Summary of Board Approval
Board Approval / Page No. / Approval / Comments1 / 5 / Risk Register / Full Agreement
2 / 5 / Assurance Statement / Full Agreement
3 / 5 / Inter-Faith sub group / Agreement – 18 in Support 6 Against
4 / 8 / Agreement for CSE policy to be go out for public consultation / Full Agreement
5 / 10 / Effectiveness and Improvement Model / Full Agreement (subject to amendments from consultation)
6 / 10 / SBNI Vision Statement and Values / Full Agreement
7 / 12 / SBNI Engagement Strategy and engagement process / Full Agreement
Board Meeting 15–26.03.15 Public Minutes v0.21
BM15-03/15M
Preliminaries: Apologies, Quorum, Conflict of Interest, Complaints
The Chair welcomed the Board members to the meeting. She advised there were a number of speakers who she will introduce at the appropriate times.
The Chair welcomed Mr Whittle who is the Director of Children’s Services for the South Eastern Trust.
Ms Beattie confirmed apologies from Dr Donaldson, Dr Mangan, Ms Leesonand Ms Wilson. Ms Beattie advised that there were a number of deputy’s attending the meeting, representing Ms Lamont was Mr Hamill from the Probation Board. She advised Ms McKinney had to leave the meeting at the end of the confidential section.
Quorum
The Board was quorate.
Conflict of Interest
There were no conflicts of interests noted.
Complaints
There have been no complaints.
1/15/15P
1.1The Chair invited any comments and gave an update on the public minutes from the meeting held on the 9th January.
1.2Dr Devaney asked if the final sentence on page 4 of the public minutes could be amended to ‘the Chair advised that professionals required multiagency policies that were more up-to-date’.
2 15/15P
2
2.1The Chair gave an update on the matters arising from the meeting held on the 9th Januaryand advised that the amended SBNI Regulations had been circulated, the risks in relation the Thematic Review and Policies and Procedures had been added to the Risk Register and that the CMR Guidance would go out for consultation.
3/15/15P
3
3.1The Chair advised the Board she would welcome nominations for the position of Vice Chair of the Board and would welcome expressions of interest by email in the coming weeks.
4/15/15P
4
4.1Ms Beattie advised that there were three items from the Directors report that required Board approval. They included the updated Risk Register, the Inter-Faith sub group and the SBNI Assurance Statement. Approval was given to all 3 items. Discussion around the Inter-Faith sub group took place.
4.2Ms Beattie thanked the PSNI and NSPCC for their support on the work to date.The Board were then briefed by D/Chief Superintendent Clarke on his involvement, membership of the group and the agreement to be presented to the Church Leaders on the 24th April. Mr Marshall raised the size of the Boardand whether more individuals should join the Board at this stage. The Chair stressed she felt that the faith groups were an important contributorand would support the recommendation to join the Board.
4.3Mr Worthington advised that if the Board agreed to Faith membership, then the Board should review membership process for all agencies to ensure a process of transparency and openness.
4.4The Chair advised that the proposal was toestablishan Interfaith Sub Group, for the Chair of this subgroup to rotate around the membership and for the Chair to be a full member of the Board.
4.5The Chair agreed to share the Terms of Reference with the Board Members.
4.6The Board reached a majority view with 6 Board members not supporting membership at this stage. Although all of them welcomed the inclusion of the Faith Groups, they felt that membership should not be extended until the completion of the external review. Members who did not support inclusion at this stage included Ms Turbitt, Mr McGeown, Mr Marshall, Ms Kelly, Dr Devaney and Mr Hannaway.
5/15/15P
5
5.1Ms Beattie discussed the Assurance Statement and highlighted the irregular expenditure as the Thematic Review Business Case had not been approved to date by the Health Minister. Mr McGeown asked whether the Board would be accountable for this overspend, to which the Chair advised members would not be.
6/15/15P
6
6.1The Chair introduced D/Inspector Marks from the PSNI, Ms Burke, SBNI and Ms Dargan, NHSCT to take questions from the Board in relation to the Information Sharing Agreement (ISA). Ms Beattie advised that the ISA was based on the MARAC ISA and Ms Burke advised that in drawing up the ISAconsiderable consultation had already taken place. Mr McGeown asked for clarification re consultation timeframes to which it was advised that the plan was the document would go out for wider consultation after the Easter holidays. Dr Harper asked for the document to be shared with SIROs before wider consultation to which the Board supported this recommendation.
6.2Board members also requested that an Executive Summary / professional brief be development for Professionals.
6.3Ms Beattie agreed that the Board members would review the ISAin the same time fame as the SIROs. Timeframe was agreed for 4 weeks until the 16th April 2015.
6.4The Chair asked to what extent the Board had arrangements with cross border agencies. Ms McAndrew advised that the Department led on a piece of work in relation to this. She advised that in terms of the UK border agencies there was work underway particularly in relation to separated children; however she would need to look into this in greater detail and provide an update to the Board.
7/15/15C
7
7.1The Chair introduced D/Inspector Anne Marks and Ms Margaret Burke to introduce the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Policy and invited the Board to ask questions. Mr Marshall asked would there be a short guide developed for professionals to which the Chair advised there would be.
7.2The Chair requested that section 10.15 last sentence i.e. ‘it would be important to monitor and review the child on an on-going basis’ be made more explicit. The Chair also noted that section 10.42 required clarification.
7.3Dr Devaney asked if the two policies presented to the Board today would form part of the amended policies and procedures. Ms Beattie advised that this would be the case and they would be made available electronically.
7.4The Chair advised that the CSE policy has now been approved for consultation pending the changes raised by the Board which will go out after Easter for 6 weeks consultation.
8/15/15P
8
8.1Ms Campbell gave a presentation on the Effectiveness and Improvement Model. (See Board paper BM15-03.15P5). The Board approved Model but was subject to amendments following consultation process which would end on the 16th April.
9/15/15P
9
9.1Ms Beattie advised that in the Members Pack the Strategic Plan had been updated to reflect the changes to the SBNI Vision Statement and Values agreed by Board Members at previous development workshops. The Board accepted these amendments.
9.2The Chair advised an amendment to the Standing Orders to allow Board Members to propose agenda items up to 24hrs prior to the Board meeting.
9.3Ms Beattie advised that Board Members had signed the Member’s Agreement however; the Chair would need to ensure new Members sign the document.
10/15/15P
10
10.1Ms Beattie introduced the draft business plan and highlighted the request by Ms Turbitt,NSPCC and the Policies and Procedures Committee to consider whether Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)should be included in the plan. Mr Worthington gave an updatefrom the Policy and Procedures Committee highlighting that a paper had been produced by the Department but no action had been taken forward. He thanked the NSPCC for their useful document and Mr Anderson confirmed the lack of direction from Government in relation to FGM. Ms Turbitt mentioned the Royal College of Nursing training event in this area and stated there needed to be more awareness raising. Mr Worthington asked if Ms Beattie or the Chair would write to the Department on behalf of the SBNI to enquire how the FGM guidance was being taken forward to which the Chair agreed.
10.2Ms Beattie asked the Board members to respond to the draft Business Plan by the 16th April. Ms Beattie advised that the Safeguarding Panel workplan was not as prescriptive as last year following feedback. She advised that the Panels would devise their own local work plans.
10.3Ms Beattie advised that the Child Death Overview Process (CDOP) was on the business plan however the legislation was not enacted, but highlighted there was work requirements to be taken forward in this financial year as outlined in the Plan.
10.4Dr MacPherson advised that Ms Sinead Magill has been a key member of staff in collating data in relation to the Child Death Overview process. The Chair reiterated her support for CDOP.
11/15/15P
11
11.1The Chair welcomed Ms Keenan to speak about the proposed strategy for engaging children and young people. She apologised for the delay and lack of time to cover the issue.
11.2Ms Keenan she had conducted desktop research and had spoken to members of the Board, Panels and Committees to try and distil what the key messages where in terms of going forward. Ms Keenan stressed that in setting up a model of engagement there must be a variety of channels. She advised there was potential for joint engagement. Ms Beattie added that the SBNI have set aside monies for engagement and development of an action plan. She advised that the SBNI could do this in partnership such as the CYPSP. Ms Kelly advised that any policies must be in accessible formats to which Ms Beattie advised that this would be the case.
11.3Ms Beattie asked that the Board would support the strategy and the outsourcing of the Engagement process to which they agreed. The Chair thanked Ms Keenan and CiNI for their support in this matter.
12/15/15P
12
12.1Ms McAndrew gave an update from the HSCB in relation to children who display harmful sexual behaviour. Paper provided within Board Papers
Date and Time of Next Meeting:
Development Day
28th May 2015
Mossley Mill
Signed by Chair: 27.03.15Date:
Board Meeting 15–26.03.15 Public Minutes v0.21