Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of Children and Families presenting the Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2023/24. The report outlines the activity that has taken place across the year in relation to the Safeguarding Partners’ statutory duties to work together in exercising their functions of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including developments in practice, progress with priorities, learning, scrutiny, inspections and statutory responsibilities. 

The Director of Children and Families submitted a report presenting the Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report for 2023/24. The report outlined the activity that had taken place during the year in relation to the Safeguarding Partners’ statutory duties to work together in exercising their functions of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Included within the update were details regarding developments in practice, and the progress made in relation to priorities, learning, scrutiny, inspections and statutory responsibilities.

The Board welcomed David Derbyshire (Independent Scrutineer), Gill Marchant (Head of Safeguarding/Designated Nurse Safeguarding Children and Adults, NHS) and Superintendent Dan Wood (West Yorkshire Police) to the meeting for the consideration of this item.

In introducing the report, the Executive Member highlighted how the LSCP annual report provided an overview of the city’s arrangements for safeguarding children during 2023/24. It was noted that such arrangements had been reviewed over the past year, a process supported by the new Independent Scrutineer, David Derbyshire.  The positive outcomes from the recent Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) into serious youth violence were highlighted, including the strong multi-agency relationships of the LSCP partners.

The Director of Children and Families highlighted that the submission of the annual report was in line with the reporting requirements as set out in the Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 statutory guidance. It was also noted that the report provided an update on the progress made against the agreed priorities during 2023/24 and also on the work undertaken to review safeguarding arrangements to ensure that they were in line with statutory guidance.  The commitment to continued improvement in this area was reiterated.

Thanks was extended to all those involved in the crucial work of safeguarding children throughout the city, including frontline practitioners and their managers.

David Derbyshire, Independent Scrutineer, addressed the Board, providing an overview of his experiences since taking up this role nearly one year ago and highlighting the key points arising from his statement as included within the LSCP annual report.

A Member highlighted the progress which had been over the past year, the work which had been undertaken and the positive way in which challenges had been responded to.

Responding to an enquiry regarding unregulated care homes in Leeds, it was undertaken that the Director would meet with the Member in question on this issue to provide further detail. However, assurance was provided that the Council did work closely with Ofsted on such matters.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the work undertaken to further strengthen the safeguarding children arrangements in Leeds, as set out within the submitted report, be endorsed;

(b)  That the Board provide its continued support for the city’s multi-agency safeguarding arrangements for children and young people.