Merton Safeguarding Children Board and CSF - CSC

WE ARE learning from our Serious Case Review Conference January 2014

Current context

• Deficit reduction and welfare benefit changes • Changes for partner agencies: Health, Police, VCS, schools and academies • Local population changes • Increased public expectations on service and tougher inspection regimes • Safeguarding maintains high national profile as does adoption

Lessons from SCRs

• Voice of the child • Think child, think family, think child • Information sharing • Optimism and false positives • Toxic trio – domestic violence, substance misuse, mental ill health • Lots of lower level triggers – accumulative effect

Tia Sharp SCR 2013

Although there were lessons to be learnt and areas in which services can be improved, there was no information known to any agency which would suggest that Tia’s life would end as it did, or that indeed that she was at any risk of physical harm.

Recommendations for the Board

• Disseminate the key messages arising from the SCR ensuring that schools are reminded of the

links between non-attendance and safeguarding children

•

Assist staff in responding to parental misuse of alcohol and illegal drugs

the use of cannabis , including challenging parents who are complacent about

Merton Safeguarding Children Board

Recommendations for the Board

• Ensure

that the ‘voice of the child’ is heard

across all partner agencies, and that this is evidenced in working practices and service developments • Ensure there are

clear arrangements for working with hostile and resistant families

and for supporting staff appropriately.

Merton Safeguarding Children Board

Recommendations for the Board

• Work with partner agencies to deliver a clear public message about the

harmful medical and social effect of cannabis use

and its potential for damaging family life •

Review and strengthen arrangements for recognising the enduring consequences of domestic abuse

and providing assistance to families affected by this

Merton Safeguarding Children Board

How are we responding

• SCR action plan with regular review • Individual agency IMR and action plans • Lunchtime workshops • Today’s conference • MASH; restructure of children’s social care and enhanced services and the tools to support our work

Responding to these changes

• Restructured CSF: CSC & YI, MASH, Transforming Families and Supporting Families • Refreshing tools to support: CYPWB Model, Common & Shared Assessment (CASA), Single Assessment, referral pathways • Commissioning of external early intervention services

Children’s Trust Values

• Keeping the child/young person at the heart of our work.

• Equality, equity, inclusion and valuing diversity – judged on our impact on the most vulnerable • Local accountability and partnership • Making a difference – continuous improvement • Promoting a learning culture • Promoting a culture which listens to, responds to and which values C&YP

Our local strengths

• Retained a strong partnership ethos and commitment, despite turbulence – ethos of co-operation – collaboration – integration • Good services; improving services – a strong focus on continuous improvement • Actively using evidence of what works • Learning from SCRs, IMRs, good and best practice and each other

Today’s conference

• Neglect and adolescents – Prof. Mike Stein – York University • Hidden victims of sexual abuse – cross generational abuse – Rob Tucker, Independent Child Care Consultant • The impact of parental substance misuse on children and young people – Dr Hedy Cleaver – Emeritus Prof. Royal Holloway college University of London • Cries unheard – Outside Edge “Theatre in the Round”