The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing reported on the work undertaken to safeguard children and young people in Bridgend.  She stated that safeguarding is the action taken to promote the welfare of children and to protect them from harm.  The Council is committed to safeguarding children and young people from harm and all practitioners have access to a number of key documents which provide guidance and structure to their practice. 

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing outlined the current arrangements in operation in terms of providing overarching support, specialist input and monitoring a range of services, by chairing meetings and tracking issues in relation to complex cases, leading on child practice reviews and facilitating / undertaking case file audit activity.  This was achieved through working with partners under the Western Bay Safeguarding Children’s Board.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that core business was undertaken through established Management Groups and it was expected that these Groups review, establish, monitor and report to the Safeguarding Board against individual work plans and address individual actions set out within the Board’s strategic priorities.  She stated that the Independent Reviewing Service has an important Quality Assurance function and works towards ensuring all children within the care of the Council have a robust, effective care and support plan.  The Independent Reviewing Officers independently review the care and support plans of all looked after children and children who are on the child protection register. 

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee of the current activity in relation to child protection, in that there are currently 179 children on the Child Protection Register and currently 385 looked after children in Bridgend.  She highlighted the actions being taken to improve practice and to safely reduce the number of children being placed on the register.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing also informed the Committee of the process in relation to Public Law Outline, Care Proceedings and set out the arrangements for Child Practice Reviews.  She stated that Bridgend was currently undertaking three Child Practice Reviews following the identification of concerns where criteria had not been met.  The purpose of the reviews is to identify learning for future practice and is intended to generate professional and organisational learning and promote improvement in future practice.  The recommendations from Child Practice Reviews are reported to and monitored by the Western Bay Safeguarding Children’s Board and she stated that she would share the recommendations of the current reviews with the Committee. 

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee of the practices in place to tackle Child Sexual Exploitation and the partnership working undertaken with the police.  She stated that there are currently 37 children in Bridgend who are subject to monitoring under the CSE protocol and good collaboration with the police is essential to tackling CSE.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing also informed the Committee that the Safeguarding Service is responsible for dealing with and managing allegations of abuse against a professional staff member or volunteer in contact with children and vulnerable adults.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing highlighted the approach Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements which are a set of arrangements to manage the risk posed by the most serious sexual and violent offenders.  The arrangements bring together lead professionals from the Probation Service, Mental Health Service, Housing, Public Protection and Children’s Services on a fortnightly basis. 

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that safeguarding is the responsibility of all and not the responsibility of Safeguarding service alone and is of paramount importance that all Members prioritise Safeguarding activities across the Council. 

The Committee questioned whether there is a trend for children being placed on the register or whether there is one factor greater than another.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that neglect was likely to be the highest category and she undertook to provide the Committee with details of the reasons for children being placed on the register. 

The Committee questioned whether more awareness raising could be done in schools on the issue of Child Sexual Exploitation.  The Head of Education and Early Help informed the Committee that every child in year 8 receives training in the subject, the potential for increasing awareness raising amongst other year groups has been discussed but there was a capacity issue in pursuing this.  She stated that teachers also receiving training in CSE.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that the SCDWP also deliver CSE awareness raising training which would be delivered to Members in the near future.  The Committee commented on the effectiveness of the training delivered to schools and were keen to see it delivered and reinforced to year 10 pupils.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that a corporate safeguarding policy had been developed, with corporate leads in each Directorate and a safeguarding group established to get a better understanding of safeguarding.  It was intended to roll out this training corporately.  She also informed the Committee that Cabinet /CMB meetings have a standing item on safeguarding which highlights corporately the importance of safeguarding.  The Cabinet Member Resources informed the Committee of her involvement in leading the Domestic Violence Group in the Llynfi Valley where children receive healthy relationship training and that she would link in the Head of Education and Early Help on the potential for delivering this training to children across the Borough. 

The Committee referred to a recent case in Pembrokeshire which involved a child was home educated and had suffered neglect and questioned whether this Council has powers to monitor children in the Borough who are educated at home.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that there is no requirement on local authorities to monitor children who are home tutored.  She stated that attempts were made by professionals in the Pembrokeshire case to visit the child which was met with resistance by the child’s parents.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that she would bring a report on the recommendations made in this case which suggested annual checks of children who are home educated to the Committee.  She stated that where officers are met with resistance by families to see children who are home educated would be discussed by the Directors of Social Services and Regional Board.  The Head of Education and Early Help informed the Committee that the authority has no statutory powers to have access to children who are home educated; however a network has been developed locally with parents who educate their children where parents can also have peer support.  She stated that approximately 70 children in the Borough are home educated. 

A member of the Committee questioned how access could be gained to Child Practice Reviews.  The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing informed the Committee that Child Practice Reviews are always publicised and there is an agreed protocol for the release of information on Child Practice Reviews and lessons learned would be looked at. 

RESOLVED:           That the developments in safeguarding of children and young people across the County Borough of Bridgend be noted and a report be brought to the Committee on the outcome Child Practice Reviews.