Review Reveals Safeguarding Children Boards Are Stuck In Operational Role
Local safeguarding children boards across England are playing an operational rather than strategic role, according to a Government report. The Department for Education and Skills’ report Local Safeguarding Children Boards: A Review of Progress, examines how the boards progressed between September and December 2006.
Researchers found some boards were waiting to secure a funding agreement between partners for 2006/07 even though the financial year had begun. The report recommends adequate funding for boards.
David Hawker, chair of the safeguarding children board and director of children’s services at Brighton & Hove City Council, agreed with the finding: “This is in the Government’s hands, it should give a grant to local safeguarding children boards. “Some boards are reasonably well resourced, others are on a shoe string.”
Other recommendations include clarifying the relationship between boards and children’s trusts. Bob Cook, principal manager of policy and standards at children’s charity Barnardo’s, said: “It’s important that there is clarity between the role of the partnership board and the safeguarding board.”
Hawker added: “There does need to be further clarity there, it’s something we have worked on at a local level but it did take us a little while to work out what the relationship should be.”
The report says the joint responsibility of statutory partners should be re-emphasised and that there should be help for boards making the transition from the operational approach of area child protection boards to the strategic role of safeguarding boards. It says: “The boards’ plans show they are at varying stages in making the transition.”
The report also recommends boards are told what they are doing well and that they should carry out serious case reviews when necessary.
Cook said while there was a summary of evidence from children and young people, Barnardo’s would have liked to have seen stronger evidence on how the participation of children and the work of the boards can be taken forward.
