Venue: / St Olaves, St Peter’s School, York.
Present: / (RT) Roger Thompson, Independent Chairperson
(JC) Joe Cocker, CYSCB Manager
(DC) Dee Cooley, Safeguarding Advisor Children’s Workforce, CYSCB
(CW) Caroline Williamson, Safeguarding Advisor Education, CYSCB
(PD) Pete Dwyer, Director of Education, Resource Management, CYC
(JO) John Owen-Barnett, CP Lead, St Peters School
(DR) Debra Radford, Children’s Service Manager, NSPCC
(CR) Carol Runciman, City of York Councillor
(ER) Eoin Rush, AD, Childrens Specialist Services, LCCS, CYC
((NC) Nigel Costello, DCI, North Yorkshire Police
(JA) Joanne Atkins, Area Manager Public Protection, North Yorkshire Probation Service
CA) Claire Anderton, North Yorkshire Local Medical Committee
(SO) Sarah Olorenshaw, Quality Assurance Manager, CYC
(MP) Melanie Perara, Principal Solicitor, CYC
(NS) Nick Sinclair, Substance Misuse Pathways Officer, CYC
(RB) Dr. Robin Ball, Designated Doctor, York Hospital
(CW) Craig Waugh, York CVS
(LC) Lynda Corker, Programme Manager, PACT Project
(SP) Simon Page, Head Of Integrated Youth Support Services, CYC
(CR) Carol Redmond, Service Manager, C&AMHS
(AD) Amanda Dickinson, CYSCB Administrator, Minutes
Apologies: / (JR) John Roughton, 0-10 Group Manager, CYC
(SR) Sue Roughton, Designated Nurse Child Protection, NY&YPCT & YAS
(MH) Margaret Harvey, Cafcass representative
(JS) Jen Slaughter, Associate Director Safeguarding& Child Protection, NY&YPCT
(LB) Lesley Barringer, Head teacher, Osbaldwick Primary School
(SW) Steve Waddington, Head of Housing Services, CYC
(AB) Ann Bygrave, Assistant Director Assessment & Personalisation, CYC
(BR) Bill Redlin, Director Of Standards, NY & Y PCT
(SF) Susan Field, HMP Askham Bryan
(BS) Bill Scriven, Headteacher All Saints RC School
(JH) Jill Hodges, Assistant Director of School Improvement and Staff Development, CYC
Introduction: RT welcomed everyone to the City of York Safeguarding Children Board and thanked partners for attending. RT again thanked JOB for the use of St Olaves facilities and refreshments provided.
The minutes from the CYSCB meeting on the 12th January 2011 were agreed as an accurate account.
1. –Matters Arising from CYSCB minutes
Item: Pg 5 Point 5
AD has to date not received the Dental referral route for vulnerable groups of people from Richard Balmer. JC will chase this up with Richard Balmer
Matters Arising from CYSCB Executive Minutes
ER reported that Debra Radford has accepted the role of vice chair of the CYSCB Executive and confirmed that the Executive group would be focusing mainly on the CYSCB Business Plan.
2. Unit Reports– JC, DC & CW
Item: Newsletter
The X family SCR Executive summary has been published on the CYSCB website and the X Family authors newsletter has received some minor amendments and is ready for publication following the Boards endorsement.
Discussion: There was general concern around the children being identified and it was agreed that before placing the newsletter on the website JC would discuss with MP. It was also suggested that the family be informed. RT stated that it was important for the newsletter to go out on a multi agency basis subject to amendments.
Item: Thematic Review
The thematic review continues to make progress although the planned completion date of May 2011 has been extended to October 2011. It will be a substantive item on the Oct 2011 agenda.
Discussion: PD would like the reference to the thematic review in the newsletter to be more substantive.
Item: Distribution Of Child Protection Conference Minutes.
Following the investigation by the CYSCB Manager into the issue in February 2011 when confidential information relating to an adult persons sexual offending was mistakenly sent to an unrelated family, steps have been put in place to minimise the likelihood of reoccurrence. A system has been instigated for monitoring data security breaches and a review of information being distributed before and after a conference was undertaken.
Additionally, in the interim, the CSC QA Manager has put in place instructions, which are listed in the unit report.
The breach was reported to the Information Commissioner and it has been published on their website.
Discussion: SO reported that there is an issue around information sharing and around practitioners not receiving reports in time to read them before the conference. It was felt that there is an enormous amount of unnecessary information sharing and risks should be minimised. ER stated that the security breach had been an unwanted but healthy experience. CSC’s response to it had been prompt and rapid and resulted in interim procedures being put in place. The CYSCB agreed the proposed recommendations.
Item:SCR Update
Most of the IMRs have been received and are now going through the quality assurance process.
RT has agreed a 3-month extension to the deadline due to the ongoing police investigation and difficulties in speaking to the family. The final report will therefore be tabled at the October CYSCB.
Item: Health Visitor Attendance at Child protection Meetings
Following receipt of a letter from CYSCB to the Director of Integrated Care NY & YPCT, outlining why the Board was unable to support the NY&Y PCT s proposals in respect of Health Visitors attendance at child protection meetings, the PCT have replied that they are “aware of the strength of feeling around the issue” and accepted the need to support CSC as effectively as possible. The PCT propose to undertake an audit to assess the impact of the arrangements and keep the issue under review.
Discussion: TD confirmed that the PCT are the commissioners but no longer the providers this now sits with the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. RB will email Jan Aspinall to confirm this audit is still going ahead with new providers and ask for a report to the July / October CYSCB.
Item: Munroe Review
Comments about the review have been very positive. Full report available to download The Government response is due October 2011. JC requested that it be a substantive item on the October 2011 CYSCB
Item: CRB Checks
An issue has arisen between the Primary Head Teachers Forum and the Local authority regarding repeated / regular CRB checks. The CYSCB is recommending that CW (Safeguarding Advisor for Education) works with the LA and representatives from the Schools Heads Forum to develop a consistent approach to vetting and develops guidance for all employers for providing services for children in respect of vetting.
Discussion: The recommendations were agreed by the CYSCB. PD suggested that the letter from the Primary Head be included with a letter to Ofsted seeking guidance.
Item: Domestic Abuse Statistics
Jo Beilby has reported a quality issue with domestic abuse data collection and has decided not to publish statistics.
Lewis Raw (NY Police) is to lead a “Problem Profile” exercise on domestic abuse looking at data collection. A pilot will be run in Harrogate for teenagers involved in DA.
Item: Domestic Abuse Tasking Group
The group will meet on 10th May and one of the main issues will be the development and implementation of processes to deliver domestic homicide reviews locally. There is an expectation from 13th April that local areas will undertake a multi agency review following a domestic violence homicide. The Community Safety Partnership is currently developing a protocol around SCRs/DHRs
Discussion: NC reported that they are looking at running the DHR process similar to the current SCR process. It is possible that both processes could run at the same time. There is a funding issue. NG will circulate guidance before July CYSCB. NG also reported on the domestic abuse, stalking, harassment and honour based violence (DASH) training which is a comprehensive risk assessment checklist to be completed by first responders and is regarded as national best practice. ER stated that it was one of the areas of consideration identified by the peer review that needs to be prioritised by the Board for frontline officers.
3. Item: PVP –Organisational Structure -NC
The tabled report explained the organisational structure and contact details of the four PVP units within North Yorkshire Police and its area of business that encompasses 6 sub- divisions. PVP units will investigate the more serious nature of offences of child abuse, domestic violence, vulnerable adults, Mappa (sex offenders & violent offenders) and other related portfolios.
4. Item: Children’s Services Safeguarding Peer Review- ER
The Peer Review was a positive process and the reviewing team felt that they had received a really good welcome and excellent co-operation and support throughout the process. They stated that it was evident that people they met with were interested in learning and continued development. Some strengths identified by the team included:
- Committed and outstanding strategic leadership
- Strong and effective performance and prioritisation
- Committed and loyal staff and good partnership working
- Research based developments and leading edge projects and pilots and sound financial management.
Areas for consideration included:
- Systems to routinely evidence the good outcomes achieved for children and young people
- Strengthen communication with staff during periods of change
- Interface with health including commissioning during a time of national change
- Strengthen responses when children go missing
- Potential to further improve overview and scrutiny processes
The team gave positive comments around the functioning of the CYSCB including working well as a partnership and that safeguarding is a priority across York also that the Board provides clear leadership and has a well developed business plan. Some areas for consideration included case file auditing, engaging frontline staff in the work of the CYSCB, producing a newsletter and appointing lay members.
Discussion: PD confirmed that an action plan would not be produced but that homes for all the recommendations have been found in the annual review of Children & Young Peoples Plan, the CYSCB Business Plan and service plans of individual sections will encompass some. JC confirmed that the newsletter had been produced and will be sent out following amendments to multi agency staff.
5. Item: Children Educated At home - CW
The current arrangements in York to monitor education of children educated at home meet the LA’s statutory obligations, and does go beyond the minimum requirements in that every child’s education is assessed annually. The arrangements are however, hampered by the fact that parents are not obliged to inform the local authority that they intend to home educate unless the child is already registered at a school. This means ultimately that the LA are unaware of some children in the city who are being educated at home, if their parents have chosen not to inform the LA.
However if a child is already registered at a school parents have a duty to inform school of the reasons for withdrawing the child. If there are already concerns around that child he/she will be more closely monitored.
Discussion: The Board agreed that the Education Advisor, whilst home visiting these children, should be equipped to notice safeguarding issues and clear about making referrals. Presently the Education Advisor would report any issues to the Principal Education Welfare Officer. ER stated that he is keen to encompass this role in the New Front Door arrangements.
6. Item: Children Missing From Home - SS
Presentation (tabled)– PS Steve Snodgrass – North Yorkshire Police
The presentation was based on upon the Oct 2009 – Oct 2010 strategic assessment of Missing from Home (MFH) reports received by north Yorkshire police. The reports as a whole were subject to an analytic review, which highlighted trends between differing groups by age/ health etc. areas of concern were highlighted including process issues, data issues and certain high-risk individuals.
Discussion: CR enquired who informs schools when children are MFH. SS stated that a report goes from the Police to CSC who then should inform the school. ER confirmed that this issue would be picked up under the New Front Door arrangements.
7. Item: Child Sexual Exploitation - DC
The CYSCB has identified Child Sexual Exploitation as a development area it wishes to tackle. The CYSCB objective related to this issue commits the Board and its member agencies to:
Ensure children are safeguarded from sexual exploitation through the development and implementation of processes that raise professional awareness, develop practical intervention skills and facilitate effective interagency working. Specific issues may include the vulnerability of children via the Internet and to commercial exploitation.
The CYSCB has liased with North Yorkshire LSCB in the development of its strategy and action plan, and will use relevant components tailored to a York context
A current piece of work by the University of Bedfordshire is a trial of a data collection system to facilitate consistent data collection for localities and for the research team to analyse data nationally The CYSCB is asking all member and other relevant agencies to assist in this data collection trial by identifying individual children and young people, using the definition below, they are working with, who are at risk of, or involved in sexual exploitation, and completing an individual assessment form for each individual.
Definition: Sexual exploitation of children and young people under 18 involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where young people (or a third person or persons) receive “something” (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money) as a result of them performing, and/or another or others performing on them, sexual activities. Child sexual exploitation can occur through the use of technology without the child’s immediate recognition: e.g. being persuaded to post sexual images on the Internet/ mobile phones without immediate payment or gain. In all cases, those exploiting the child/young person have power over them by virtue of their age, gender, intellect, physical strength and/or economic or other resources. Violence, coercion and intimidation are common, involvement in exploitative relationships being characterised in the main by the child or young persons limited availability of choice resulting from their social/ economic and/ or emotional vulnerability.
Discussion: It was agreed that it is a massive piece of work for the CYSCB. DC stated that there was lots of work going on nationally. NC agreed it was a big national policy agenda. Uk nationals are the third biggest of trafficked people. DR suggested that the definition needs sharpening up as very widespread.
Agencies will be issued with the Individual Assessment word document distributed by the project team (which has guidance notes) and should be returned to DC. The Board agreed the recommendations subject to amendments to definition and nominated RT as lead Board member for this issue to help drive the agenda forward strategically.
8. Item: Case File Auditing - JC
The Peer Review identified the undertaking of regular case file auditing as an area for consideration for the CYSCB. Having explored a range of options to multi- agency auditing, the London’s LSCB’s model presents as being a useful, tried and tested approach.
Areas that require auditing will be determined by the CYSCB and the responsibility will rest with the Professional Practice Monitoring Group, which will identify task groups for each specific piece of work. Lessons and recommendations emerging from the audits will be presented to the CYSCB for endorsement.
Discussion: JC stated that the process would not commence until 2012. A paper will be tabled at the October CYSCB and areas identified for audit.
9. Item –CYSCB Annual Report – DC
The Annual Report is ready for publication on the website subject to formal approval by the Board. Agencies should be aware that it is a public document.
The Board approved the report subject to amendments listed in summary of actions and recommendations below.
10. Item: New Front Door Arrangements & Quality Assurance – JR & Er
In September 2010 following a period of extensive consultation, the Adult, Children and Education Directorate Management Team gave approval for work to begin on the implementation of a new advice and early intervention service (“New Front Door”)
The New Front Door launches on the 16th May 2011 and will provide a new route for both professionals and members of the public to obtain advice and information about services for children and young people who are vulnerable and at risk and to access services at tiers 2 and 3 of the preventative strategy. It will help practitioners deliver the right help to the right children and young people at the right time and maintain the development and implementation of integrated working arrangements across YorOK partner agencies.
ER would like to draw the Boards attention to the QA service review report and requested feedback when members have read through it. It will be tabled at the next meeting