The Protection Of Children In England: A Progress Report

Central Hall, Westminster Thursday April 2nd 2009

Th e Pr ot ect ion o f Ch ildr en in E ng lan d: A P ro gr es s Re por t Lord Laming’s findings and the Government’s response

Jenn y Gray Professional Adviser, Safeguarding Children Policy Unit

Central Hall, Westminster Thursday April 2nd 2009

Background • Announced by Ministers 12 November 2008 • Wide ranging remit. Set out in letter from Secretary of State 17 November: – What good prac tic e has been successfully achieved in safeguarding children since the publication of the Victoria Climbié Inquiry Report? – What are the key barri ers , including in the legal process, that may impede efficient and effective work with children and families that may be preventing good safeguarding practice from becoming standard practice everywhere, for example in deciding whether an application should be made to take a child into care? – What spec if ic ac tions should be taken by Government and national and local agencies to overcome these barriers and accelerate systematic improvements in safeguarding practice across the country?”

• Report, and Government’s immediate response, published 12 March 2009

Methodology • Over 100 written submissions from key stakeholders and over 200 letters from a range of individuals including professionals across the children’s workforce • The report team visited six local areas and met key staff from local authorities, education, health and the police • Three national seminars to gather the views of national stakeholders, local leaders and frontline staff • Lord Laming and the team also met national stakeholders, trade unions, Government officials and some MPs • They also surveyed chairs of Local Safeguarding Children Boards and asked 11 Million to survey young people

Lord Laming’s headline findings • Robust legislative, structural and policy foundations are in place. Every Child Matters: – “clearly has the support of professionals, across all of the services, who work with children and young people” and – provides “a sound framework for professionals to protect children and promote their welfare”

• Progress is being made and the frontline is making a positive difference to children: – “A great deal of progress has been made” – “Every day, thousands of children are helped, supported and in some cases have their lives saved by these staff”

Lord Laming’s headline findings • But he is also clear that:

“There n ow ne eds to b e a s te p c han ge in the arr an gem ent s to pr ote ct ch ildren fr om ha rm ” • He challenges national Government to “inject greater energy and drive into the implementation of change and support local improvement..” • And he challenges leaders of local services to “accept their responsibility to translate policy, legislation and guidance into day to day practice on the frontline of every service”

Recommendations • 58 recommendations designed to strengthen the implementation of child protection arrangements • They seek to: – strengthen national leadership to ensure that best practice in many areas of the country is being universally applied in every area of the country; – improve local accountability so that all services know exactly what they need to do to keep children safe; and – provide more support for both local leaders and the front-line workforce.

The Government’s response • Government accepted all 58 recommendations and published an immediate response, in the form of a reply from the Secretary of State to Lord Laming, on 12 March • The response goes beyond Lord Laming’s recommendations in some key areas • Immediate action set in train to take forward some recommendations • Detailed Government response promised by the end of April

The Government’s response Natio nal le ade rs hi p an d accou ntabilit y • Sir Roger Singleton has been appointed to a new role of Chief Adviser on the Safety of Children – to advise on the effective implementation of policy and report annually to Parliament on progress • Government will establish a new cross-Government National Safeguarding Delivery Unit - reporting to the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Children, Young People and Families - to provide stronger national leadership and effective support and challenge to Children’s Trusts and local authorities as they carry out their safeguarding responsibilities • Working Together to Safeguard Children will be revised and updated to reflect Lord Laming’s recommendations on policy and practice, including in relation to Serious Case Reviews

The Government’s response Local le ad ers hi p and accou ntabilit y • Government will strengthen local governance arrangements and clarify the relationship between Children’s Trusts and Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs), building in more robust challenge, a presumption of independence for the chairing of LSCBs, and greater engagement of the local community through the appointment of two lay members • DCSs and Lead Members have central roles. Both should always be members of both the Children’s Trust Board and the LSCB • LA Chief Executives and Council leaders also have critical roles. They should make an annual assessment of the effectiveness of local governance and partnership arrangements

The Government’s response Local le ad ers an d the front-lin e work force • Better support for DCSs, aspirant DCSs – a new leadership programme from autumn 2009, an Executive Leadership programme from 2010/11 and a succession planning strategy • A programme of intensive support and coaching for social work team leaders and first line managers, particularly those working in child protection • Action to improve skills and capacity in child protection in police forces • A new `Action on Health Visiting Programme’ and work to improve training, development and support for the health workforce on safeguarding

The Government’s response Local le ad ers an d the front-lin e work force • Social Work Task Force (SWTF) established to carry out a `nuts and bolts’ review of the social work profession and look at how frontline social work practice should be improved • Immediate action announced to improve support for frontline social workers, address recruitment and retention, and to begin to raise the morale of the profession, e.g. access to intensive induction for all newly qualified social workers starting this year, a new Advanced Social Work Professional status, and action to attract social workers back into the profession • SWTF to review the Integrated Children’s System and the way in which it is being implemented locally • An independent review, led by Francis Plowden, of the impact of court fees in the care proceedings system

Next steps • Work with partners to develop detailed Government response in the form of an action plan by end April, and put in place arrangements for monitoring its delivery • Define more precisely the role of, and establish, the new National Safeguarding Delivery Unit, working with the Chief Adviser and others

Some key issues • How can the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit best work with partners to support improvements in standards of safeguarding and child protection? What would help? What would not? • What improvements in local practice can be made quickly, in advance of the Social Work Task Force’s findings? How can we inject immediate pace into this? • What further guidance would be helpful in clarifying the roles of Children’s Trusts and LSCBs?

Th e Pr ot ect ion o f Ch ildr en in E ng lan d: A P ro gr es s Re por t Lord Laming’s findings and the Government’s response

Jenn y Gray Professional Adviser, Safeguarding Children Policy Unit

Central Hall, Westminster Thursday April 2nd 2009