Issue - meetings

That the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report be noted, prior to it being published.

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 decisions on this item can be called in by the Children and Education Select Committee]

As Mrs Alex Walters, the independent chairman of the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board (SSCB) was unable to attend this meeting to present their annual report 2012 – 2013, the Cabinet Member for Children and Families introduced it. She said it was a statutory, multi agency board and their annual report detailed the effectiveness of safeguarding and child protection practice by partner organisations in Surrey and was presented to Cabinet for information.

The period covered by this report had been one of considerable change for the Board and all its partner agencies, which had involved Budget constraints and major organisational restructure. It also set out the significant amount of work that had taken place regarding safeguarding. Finally, the Cabinet Member referred to the six recommendations of the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board report and in particular, referred to reducing the impact of domestic abuse on children (recommendation 1) and stressed the importance of listening to young people.

The Cabinet Member for Public Health and Health and Wellbeing Board confirmed that both this report and the Surrey Safeguarding Adults Board report would also be considered at a forthcoming Health and Wellbeing Board.

RESOLVED:

That the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report be noted, prior to it being published.

Reasons for Decisions:

The Board was 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 set out the statutory functions of the LSCB.

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

Accepting the recommendation would provide evidence that the council had fulfilled its obligations under Section 13 of the Children Act 2004.