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Roles and responsibilities of elected
members and senior officers in local
safeguarding services
Cllr Shireen Ritchie
Cabinet Member for Family and Children’s Services,
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Cheryl Coppell
Chair, London Safeguarding Children Board and
Chief Executive, London Borough of Havering
Simon Hart
Independent Chair, Barking and Dagenham LSCB
Lead Member - role
• The Lead Member for Children’s Services
(LM) has political responsibility for the
leadership, strategy and effectiveness of local
children’s services.
• As elected representatives they should be
proactive in developing the local vision and
driving improvements for local people.
• They should communicate this vision for
children to the Cabinet, Executive and other
councillors, and to the boards and
partnerships on which they are either present
or represented.
Lead Member –
New responsibilities
• Politically accountable for safeguarding.
• Assure effective co-ordination of work with
other agencies with relevant responsibilities
(e.g. police, NHS).
• Assure effective quality assurance systems
are in place and functioning effectively in the
LA.
• Challenge partner agencies on how they fulfil
their responsibilities.
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Lead Member –
New responsibilities (2)
• Ensure that the local authority fulfils its
responsibilities to the children for which it is
the corporate parent.
• Be well-informed about safeguarding practice
in their area (via regular updates from the
DCS).
• Receive ongoing training to help them
scrutinise and challenge safeguarding service
delivery.
• Be a “participant observer” of the LSCB.
• Work closely with the other elected members
involved with adult social care services to
assure that effective transition arrangements
are in place.
Working with the DCS
“Lead Members should negotiate a
productive relationship with the DCS
and, based on their own experience,
challenge constructively as
appropriate. That relationship is
likely to be subject to creative
tension.” (Statutory guidance para 2.3)
LSCB Chair
• Presumption that the LSCB is chaired by
someone independent of the local statutory
agencies, so that the LSCB can exercise its local
challenge function more effectively. (2.17)
• “DCS will be held to account for the effective
working of the LSCB by their Chief Executive and
challenged where appropriate by their Lead
Member.” (3.29)
• “Where an independent Chair is in place, he/she
will be accountable to the DCS for the effective
functioning of the LSCB.” (London LSCB Chairs
Guidance - July 2009 {WT 3.49})
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LSCB Chair (2)
• Recognition that this is a new and emerging
role
• Increasing emphasis on role of partners and
corporate services
• Changing relationship to Children’s Trust
• Need to ensure challenge and Independent
voice of LSCB
• London Board guidelines available to help
…some must do’s
• Oversee the business of the Board
• Regularly review membership and
attendance –ensure ‘fit for purpose ‘
• Have regard to work of Sub Committees and
CDOP
• Commission (or otherwise) Serious Case
Reviews
• Annual Report & CYPP
• Overview and Scrutiny
…and some opportunities
• Support safeguarding at highest levels within
the local partnership
• Challenge performance (London ‘triggers’)
• Support corporate assessment and
inspection
• Encourage and accelerate engagement
• Ensure personal development and that of
other Board members
• Role in local media strategy
Local authority Leaders
and Chief Executives
• Monitor the performance respectively of the
Lead Member and DCS in securing better
outcomes for children and young people;
• At least once a year report formally on their
assessment of arrangements for
safeguarding children;
• Provide support to the Lead Member and
DCS in the discharge of their responsibilities;
and
• Support the Lead Member and DCS in
ensuring that children and young people’s
well-being is reflected in corporate and
partnership working.
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...so how might we achieve this?
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Member Development
Programme
• Induction/ refresh
• Policy forum
• Action learning sets
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Triggers
• Lord Laming’s emphasis on importance of
local political leadership
• Need to have awareness of local risk
• Annual Report to Local Strategic Partnership
• Holding partners to account
• Understanding use of resources against local
priorities
• ‘Triggers’ guidance provides balance of
information
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Joint work programme:
London Board – GOL
• Enhance capacity to undertake serious case
reviews
• Support to Independent LSCB Chairs
• Casework audit and peer review
• London Child Protection Procedures
• Children affected by violence or sexual abuse
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Some questions…
1. How might Lead Members develop
greater influence with Partner
organisations?
2. What would a development
programme for Independent LSCB
Chairs look like?
3. What themes need to be developed
for Members’ annual policy forum?
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