Agenda item

To consider a report of the Chair of the Stockport Safeguarding Children Board.

The purpose of this Annual Report is to review the work of Stockport Safeguarding Children Board (SSCB) and to provide an outline of the main activity and achievements of SSCB from 1st April 2015 to 31st March 2016. It seeks to make a transparent assessment of the performance and effectiveness of safeguarding activity in Stockport. The report seeks to identify gaps in services and any challenges ahead. The publication of this report also provides the means by which SSCB can be held to account.

The Board is invited to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Una Hagan, 0161- 474-5657, una.hagan@stockport.gov.uk

Gill Frame, Independent Chair of the Stockport Safeguarding Children Board, and Una Hagan, Board Performance and Development Manager, attended the meeting to present the Board’s Annual Report for 2015/16 (copies of which had been circulated) that set out the key activities and achievements of the Board and priorities for the future.

The following issues were highlighted:-

·         2015/16 had been a challenging year with five serious case reviews, and the Chair standing down.

·         The key priorities for the Board were quality assurance, learning, transition, and acting as a critical friend to the Stockport Family programme.

·         This coming year would focus on drawing together the themes to have emerged from the serious case reviews into an action plan.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Concern was expressed about the number of Serious Case Reviews and whether this should be a cause for concern? In response it was stated that there was a rigid criteria for determining whether an incident should be subject to a Review, some of which might not otherwise have been subject to such a process. There had been no such reviews in the previous six years. It was further clarified that the number of reviews did not reflect a significant problem with bad practice, but that each Review nevertheless provided an opportunity to learn, which was a key priority for the Board.

·         Further information was sought on the higher than national average levels of injuries for children requiring hospital admission. In response it was stated that analysis of the data indicated that each was an appropriate admission and that the likely cause of the higher rate was due to more robust coding of this data locally. It was confirmed that the data was nevertheless monitored for trends.

·         Clarification was sought on whether data was collected about the length of time children were missing from home. In response it was confirmed that this was collected, but caution needed to be taken with this data more generally as it often masked the range of contributing circumstances. In part the reporting of children ‘missing’ was due to a risk averse procedure, particularly in relation to care homes, when children were in effect ‘absent’ although they were known to be at their parents’ home. It was also confirmed that there was a steering group of partners that tracked the children involved to work with those at risk or prone to becoming missing.

·         The proportion of mothers who smoked at the point of death of their child was disappointing given the lower rates of smoking mothers generally in Stockport. In response it was confirmed that work was ongoing to address some of these issues, building on work in the North West to reduce neonatal deaths.

·         The challenge of preventing Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) was significant. In response this challenge was acknowledged, but it was commented that children in Stockport generally received an excellent service that protecting children well from this threat.

·         Further information was requested in relation to work with the Coroner in relation to legal highs, online safety and the associated risk of suicide. In response it was stated that there was a case with the coroner at the moment that was connected to legal highs and that the link between suicide and legal highs would be explored. It was commented that there was a very small evidence base for the effect of legal highs on young people.

·         The lack of investment in mental health, alcohol and drug services was reflective of over investment in hospital services.

·         There remained challenges for partners in sharing information, particularly because of risk aversion from smaller providers who fear fines from the Information Commissioners. Partners, working through Stockport Together, should consider offering insurance to smaller providers to help overcome this reluctance.

·         Further information was sought on efforts to tackle cyber bullying. In response it was stated that there was an online safety sub-group looking to share best practice and provide resources to schools and parents. It was commented that schools were working hard in this area and actively participated in the sub-group activity. It was further commented that the scale of the challenge was immense and young people often had a better knowledge of online landscape than their parents and agencies. Caution was needed in encouraging parents to monitor online activity as over involvement may lead to young people engaging in risky online activity secretly. It was important to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to understand how to remain safe online.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and that Gill Frame and Una Hagan be thanked for their attendance and presentation.