Issue - meetings

1.   Prior to it being published, the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report be noted.

2.   The provision of paper copies of the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report to Surrey libraries be agreed.

Reasons for Decisions:

The Board is constituted Under Section 13 of the Children Act 2004; its objectives are set out in Section 14 of the Children Act 2004. Regulation 5 of the Local Safeguarding Children Board LSCB) Regulations 2006 sets out the statutory functions of the LSCB.

Section 14a of the Children Act 2004 requires that the independent Chairman publishes an Annual Report on the effectiveness of child safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the local area.

Accepting the recommendation will provide evidence the Council has fulfilled its obligations under Section 13 of the Children Act 2004.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Families, Mrs Angell, introduced the Annual Report of the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board (SSCB) for 2013/14 which it is a statutory, multi agency board, chaired by an independent chairman, Mrs Alex Walters. She commented that 2013/14 had been a difficult year with budget constraints and a major restructure within Children’s Services and that the Board had played a key role in monitoring and evaluating changes. Mrs Angell invited Mrs Alex Walters, to present the detail of the report.

Mrs Walters began by explaining that there had been a statutory duty to have the SSCB since 2006 and that it was a strategic partnership and not a delivery board. Its primary function was to coordinate safeguarding arrangements and look at the effectiveness of safeguarding. She signposted Members to the four priority areas of achievement from within the report and outlined the key achievements of the SSCB. She commented on the publication of the Serious Case Reviews and highlighted the evidence of learning from these. Mrs Walters then praised the positive engagement of partner agencies before referring to the key messages at the end of the annual report.

Cabinet Members queried attendance at the board and were reassured that Mrs Walters felt that engagement was increasing and the work of subgroups was helping with this.

The Cabinet Member for Schools and Learning commented that she was very pleased to see that section 11 had been completed for schools.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Families thanked the Chairman and Board Members for their hard and the step up in performance made.

The Leader of the Council concluded the discussion by providing his personal thanks on behalf of the 272,000 children in Surrey.

RESOLVED:

1.   Prior to it being published, the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report be noted.

2.   The provision of paper copies of the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report to Surrey libraries be agreed.

Reasons for Decisions:

The Board is constituted Under Section 13 of the Children Act 2004; its objectives are set out in Section 14 of the Children Act 2004. Regulation 5 of the Local Safeguarding Children Board LSCB) Regulations 2006 sets out the statutory functions of the LSCB.

Section 14a of the Children Act 2004 requires that the independent Chairman publishes an Annual Report on the effectiveness of child safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the local area.

Accepting the recommendation will provide evidence the Council has fulfilled its obligations under Section 13 of the Children Act 2004.