BM09-03/14M
9th Meeting of the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland
To be held on
27th March 2014 1.00pm,
Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey
MINUTES- RECORD OF ATTENDANCE
Name / Title & Organisation / Present / ApologyHugh Connor / Chair Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland /
Neil Anderson / National Head of Service for N. Ireland NSPCC /
Ashley Boreland / Chief Executive, Ards Borough Council /
Dr John Devaney / CMR Panel Chair /
Paul Douglas / Lay Member /
Kieran Downey / Executive Director WHSCT /
Dr Martin Cunningham / GP Partner, Queen’s Health Centre /
Liam Hannaway / Chief Executive Banbridge District Council /
Dr Carolyn Harper / Director of Public Health /
Pat Cullen / Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professions /
ACC Mark Hamilton / PSNI /
Paula Jack / Chief Executive Youth Justice Agency /
Paddy Kelly / Director Children’s Law Centre /
Cheryl Lamont / 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 /
Brian McCaughey / Northern Ireland Prison Service /
Carmel McKinney / Lay Member /
Paul Morgan / Dir. Children & Young People’s Services SHSCT /
Brian McCaughey / Northern Ireland Prison Service /
Dawn Shaw / Operational Director Action for Children NI /
Ian Sutherland / 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 /
Koulla Yiasouma / Director Include Youth /
In Attendance
Sharon Beattie / Director of Operations, SBNI
Helen McKenzie / Professional Officer SBNI
Margaret Burke / Professional Officer SBNI
Margery Magee / Communications SBNI
Bridie Pilkington / Independent Safeguarding Panel Chair
Carol Carson / Thematic Review Project Coordinator
Eugene O’Loan / Director of Legal Government Services
Margaret Hills / Minute Taker
Patricia Cuthel / Business Support Officer
Board Meeting 09 – 27/03/14 Minutes v0.2 draft1
BM09-03/14M
Summary of Actions
Action No. / Page No. / Action: / To be completed by:1 / 5 / Ms Beattie to bring SBNI Income and Expenditure to the Board. / Ms Beattie
2 / 5 / The Chair to update Board in respect of Board Quorate Regulation amendment. / The Chair
3 / 6 / Board members to provide feedback on the e-safety terms of reference. / All
4 / 6 / Ms Beattie to advertise for voluntary membership to the e-safety forum. / Ms Beattie
5 / 7 / CMR detailed guidance to be brought to the Board. / Ms Burke and Dr Devaney
6 / 7 / Ms Magee to collate feedback on Annual Report by 14th April / Ms Magee
7 / 7 / Ms Beattie to include key Northern Ireland child protection / safeguarding information within the Annual Report. / Ms Beattie
8 / 8 / Ms Beattie to provide information to the PSNI regarding Access NI. / Ms Beattie
9 / 9 / CSE definition and practice guidance to be communicated to Board Members once guidance has been finalised. / Ms McKenzie
10 / 10 / Ms Burke to obtain nominations from Member Agencies to attend MACIE Exercise. / Ms Burke
Board Meeting 09 – 27/03/14 Minutes v0.2 draft1
BM09-03/14M
- Welcome and Apologies
The Chair welcomed Board Members to the Public Section of the meeting.
Apologies were noted from Dr Clare Mangan and Mr Liam Hannaway.
Mr Marshall noted the item ‘MACIE Exercise’ to be included under AOB
ii.Minutes
The Chair asked Member if they wished to make any changes to the minutes of the Board meeting of 9th January 2014.
Ms Jack noted on Page 6, 3rd paragraph, Conflict of interest was not mentioned, and asked that an email is sent to confirm this.
iii Matters Arising
Missing Children Guidance
Ms McAndrew gave an update on the regional protocol for children who go missing from residential care. The protocol is current being revised. She highlighted a decision to separate the protocol for ‘looked after children’ who go missing from children who go missing from home.
ACC Hamilton stated that 2012 protocol had been challenged by VOYPIC and noted the importance of not rushing the review given the complex issues.
The Chair asked the Members for comment.
ACC Hamilton stated the purpose of the protocol was to detail the roles and responsibilities of PSNI and Social Services in relation to children and young people within residential settings. If SBNI sought additions to this protocol then this required the approval of both agencies.
Ms Beattie noted that the CSE Committee highlighted the need for a missing children protocol for all agencies that dealt with all those who went missing and not just those who were ‘looked after’.
The Chair asked Ms McAndrew, if there was a definitive date for the issue of the revisedprotocol. Ms McAndrews stated she would bring further details to the Board when available.
iv. Declaration of Interest
There were none raised.
v. Chairman’s Business
The Chair expressed congratulations to Ms McAndrews on her promotion to temporary Chief Executive of the Health and Social Care Board.
The Chair noted the End of Year Assurance statement was to be presented to the Public Health Agency (PHA)Audit & Risk Committee.
The Chair highlighted an under-spend of £125k as a result of the SBNI not commencing its work programme until September. The Chair also noted an irregular expenditure of £6k that was identified by Internal Audit. A retrospective direct award contract was put in place to resolve this. The Chair asked the Board Members if they had any comments.
Mr Downey noted that it would be helpful to see a breakdown on the income and expenditure of the SBNI. Ms Beattie stated that this would be brought to the Board.
The Chair met with Mr Douglas to discuss SBNI engagement with children and young people. A Communication and Engagement Strategy was currently being worked on and the Board would be briefed in due course.
The Chair noted that changes to the Case Management Review (CMR) criteria had been approved by the Health Committee and would come into force on the 2nd May 2014.
The Chair advised that guidance had also been sought in relation to Board Quorate Regulations and hadrequested the DHSSPS to review.
E Safety Forum
The Chair reiterated to the members that the E-Safety report was successfully launched at the Long Gallery in January of this year and had recommended the creation of an E-Safety Forum. Ms Beattie noted that a draft copy of the Forum’s Terms of Reference had been distributed to Members and asked for comments. She also asked for agreement in relation to the membership of the forum and requested advice on how voluntary membership should be selected. Ms Yiasouma suggested a process similar to how the Board voluntary membership was selected.
Action 3Board members to provide feedback on the e-safety terms of reference.
Action by:All
Action 4
Ms Beattie to advertise for voluntary membership to the e-safety forum.
Action by : Ms Beattie
Ms Beattie stated that a 3 day e-safety risk assessment training had been held at the beginning of March. Ms Beattie stated that a train the trainer event also took place and that this could be rolled out within member organisations.
1. Case Management Reviews (CMRs)
Dr Devaney advised that to date the CMR Panel had received 17 CMR notifications and had recommended that 7 would proceed. All of these CMRs are at different stages of development.
Dr Devaney stated that 2 CMR Reports would be ready for the Board by the summer. Dr Devaney also discussed the paper distributed to Members prior to the Board. Dr Devaney highlighted that over the last 15mths the CMR notification process had been refined. ACC Hamilton queried whether child homicides should be notified to the SBNI. Dr Devaney responded that when a young person dies the criteria that should be considered is whether abuse or neglect was suspected. Acts of omission or commission are areas that must be looked at.
Ms Beattie noted that the SBNI were developing further guidance for Case Management Reviews and were also working with the Public Health Agency in the development of procedures for reviewing all child deaths. Ms Burke stated that clarity was required in relation to ‘significant harm’. The Chair noted that this required further discussion.
Action 5CMR detailed guidance to be brought to the Board.
Action By: Ms Burke and Dr Devaney
2. Annual Report
Ms Magee gave an update on the progress of the Annual Report and asked that Members forward comments by 14th April 2014. She also stated that a more ‘user friendly’ addition would also be produced.
Dr Devaney asked if we could provide an overview of the child protection picture in Northern Ireland within the report. Ms Beattie advised that Safeguarding Boards in the UK do this and if Board agreed could include information collected by the Children’s and Young People’s Partnership (CYPSP). This was agreed.
Ms Yiasouma suggested that the reference to UNCRC within the report was related to the business plan objective in respect to positive parenting and therefore this section should be amended.
Action 6Ms Magee to collate feedback on Annual Report by 14th April.
Action by: Ms Magee
Action 7
Ms Beattie to include key Northern Ireland child protection / safeguarding information within the Annual Report.
Action by: Ms Beattie
3. Section 12 Audit
Ms Burke stated that responses had been received from 45 organisations and that an overview had been provided within the Annual Report. There had been a delay in receiving all responses which would result in a delay to individual feedback.
In summary the audit highlighted that organisationshadin the main been compliant but noted there was areas for improvement. Ms Burke also noted the intention of developing an electronic version of the audit which would make data collection simpler and easier for agencies to complete.
Ms McAndrews noted that whilst organisations were compliant, should key areas of learning be shared? The Chair highlighted an issue raised within the audit in respect to difficulties associated with Access NI checks for some European workers. ACC Hamilton asked for these issues to be sent to him.
Action 8Ms Beattie to provide information to the PSNI regarding Access NI.
Action by:Ms Beattie
The Chair expressed his thanks to Mr Hannaway for his work with the Councils. Ms Burke stated she had met with the Chairs of the Safeguarding Panels to see how they could link to the councils in respect of safeguarding and the outcomes of the audit.
4.Child Sexual Exploitation Definition
Ms McKenzie updated the Members with regard to the CSE Definition and how it was developed. Ms McKenzie advised that the definition was for professionals only.
The Members were advised that the definition would be accompanied by a briefing note. ACC Hamilton stated that the definition was not a legal definition but should clearly be used for practice and training. He also commented that it was a well thought out definition and would take it back to his own organisation.
Ms Jack suggested that it will be beneficial to engage with Ms Marshall who was undertaking the CSE Inquiry, to ensure there was no confusion over the use of different definitions. Ms Beattie acknowledged this and had confirmed that SBNI had met with the Inquiry team and that they had presented to the CSE Committee.
ACC Hamilton suggested using the definition regionally for a period of 12 months and then evaluating its usage.
Ms Shaw suggested that awareness training for operational staff would be required. ACC Hamilton noted that inter-agency training would be important but was content to use this definition and review in one year.
Ms Beattie noted that the Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP) would be undertaken further work on the practice guidance and would also undertake research into the role of the perpetrator.
Board members agreed to the use of the definition within Northern Ireland and evaluating after one year.
Action 9CSE definition and practice guidance to be communicated to Board Members once guidance has been finalised.
Action by Ms McKenzie
5. Any other Business
Mr Marshall advised the Members of a simulated child protection training event (‘MACIE’) to be run in liaison with the PSNI in May and requested nominations.
Action 10Ms Burke to obtain nominations from Member Agencies to attend MACIE Exercise.
Action by Ms Burke
Other items noted included an invitation to Children’s Law Centre event, as well as Paper forwarded by Ms Kelly on the Review of Children’s Strategy. The SBNI were asked if SBNI would submit a response of which Ms Beattie confirmed.
5.Date, Time and Venue of Next Meeting
19th June 2014 at 1pm
The Spinning Room, Mossley Mill Newtownabbey
The Chair brought the meeting to a close.
Signed by Chair: Date:
Board Meeting 09 – 27/03/14 Minutes v0.2 draft1