Issue - meetings

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, which highlighted the key changes to Local  Safeguarding Children’s Boards (LSCB).

The Board was advised that legislative changes, introduced through the Children and Social Work Act 2017, made a number of recommendations that would enable a revised framework to be developed locally and sub-regionally. However, it was noted that it was no longer a statutory requirement for the LSCB to exist.

The report set out a proposal for future arrangements built on existing pan-Cheshire arrangements, which included Halton, Cheshire East and Warrington. In addition, the report also made recommendations for the scrutiny of safeguarding practice in Warrington to be strengthened.

RESOLVED: That

1)    in principle, work continues across the four areas to develop a model which enhances the current Pan-Cheshire approach to safeguarding children;

2)    these developments are considered within a framework of strategy, policy and practice;

3)    each area uses these themes to ensure that robust arrangements remain in place to quality assure and scrutinise strategy, policy and practice at local level;

4)    building on initial discussions, partners develop a clear operating model for monitoring future safeguarding arrangements, which includes governance, financial arrangements and sub-groups, including the Child Death Overview Panel, both local  and Pan-Cheshire level;

5)    existing funding arrangements remain in place for an agreed minimum period (2020/2021), whilst funding is reviewed, recognising that this would require the agreement of all existing funding partners across current LSCB arrangements; and

6)    Executive Board receive an update report with firm recommendations in December 2018 following this period of consultation at local and sub-regional levels.