Keeping Children Safe Organisational Responsibilities
Keeping Children Safe Organisational Self-Assessment 2023/24
In setting out how they will work with relevant agencies, safeguarding partners: “should be clear how they will assure themselves that relevant agencies have appropriate, robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place and how information will be shared amongst all relevant agencies and the safeguarding partners.”
Working Together to Safeguard Children (Chapter 2, section 74)
This reporting period included year one of the assurance cycle for relevant agencies and included a full self-assessment against the safeguarding standards outlined in section 11 of the Children Act 2004.
The purpose of the self-assessment is to:
- Enable agencies to scrutinise and reflect on their safeguarding governance, processes, and practice, and to identify how arrangements could be strengthened.
- Enable agencies to highlight areas of good practice where positive outcomes for children can be evidenced.
- Provide a feedback mechanism to the safeguarding children partnerships on progress against areas for improvement, including any barriers to partnership working.
This continues to be a key mechanism used by the safeguarding partners to discharge these functions. The self-assessment was undertaken by relevant agencies in quarter 1 of 2023/24 and a thematic report was scrutinised by the safeguarding partners and the independent scrutineer in quarter 2.
The HSCP Keeping Children Safe Organisational Self-Assessment aligned in timescales to the Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton (HIPS) self-assessment. This allows for agencies crossing local authority borders to submit one self-assessment and supports the identification of local and regional themes.
In total, 40 self-assessments were returned.
The HSCP Executive also agreed a Safeguarding Partner Panel, to review a selection of the HSCP returns in 2023/24, providing an additional layer of scrutiny. This panel, supported by the HSCP team, consisted of senior safeguarding partner representatives. Five agencies were randomly selected to present to the panel considering significant changes since their last self-assessment and a select number of standards. These standards cover the areas of:
- staff safeguarding responsibilities and competencies,
- clarity of accountability within the organisation for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children,
- induction, training and appraisal for staff/volunteers on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
This mirrored the approach undertaken across HIPS. The Panel members and presenting agencies reflected on the effectiveness of the panels, providing high support and high challenge, offering opportunity to explore the evidence presented robustly. From the panel perspective it was noted that the process highlighted effective practice.
Overall it was noted that the quality of self-assessments have improved since the previous return. Every agency was provided with individualised feedback and those agencies presenting to panel received a record of the panel discussion.
The organisational self-assessment was accompanied by a staff survey allowing agencies and safeguarding partners to triangulate their evidence. Take up of the staff survey was higher than in previous years, with significant input from particular agencies. Following review of the staff survey, it was identified that responses from NHS providers could not be broken down to organisational level. This will be rectified in future surveys. There was a close correlation in most cases where data was identifiable by organisation.
Areas of strength
Multiple areas of good practice were noted. The strongest universal self-assessment ratings were seen in a range of standards, for example, leadership and management, staff awareness of safeguarding policies and procedures and how to apply them and the management of allegations.
The panel noted the internal assurance work that some agencies included in their presentations and reflected on the helpfulness of sharing learning across the wider multi-agency system.
The safeguarding partners noted the collaborative approach used by agencies to form their self-assessments, reaching into teams within their agencies and across functions such as Human Resources.
The HSCP team have presented to Designated Safeguarding Leads across the District, Borough and Town Councils, to share their collective strengths and challenges from the district submissions. It is recognised each submission has strengths and increased collaboration maybe helpful.
The panel reflected on the value of the panel process, which allowed the “safeguarding culture” of the organisation to shine in the agencies presentation and discussion with the panel.
Areas for Development
Due to the breadth and diversity of agencies that completed returns, the identification of consistent themes was challenging. Some patterns were observed and warranted highlighting. This included ensuring staff are aware of the guidance and resources available to them through HSCP. It also highlighted the need for agencies to maintain focus on disabled children and the HSCP safeguarding practice development includes Learning Workshops on Children with Complex Needs and Supporting Disabled Children, which has been promoted to agencies.
Commissioning Bodies – Standard 12 was applicable to those organisations who commission services. A number of organisations identified the need to make further checks or take opportunities to update contracts with links to HIPS Safeguarding Procedures and commissioning standards as they are renewed to ensure compliance. This is reflected within the agencies action plans.
Emerging themes from the HIPS Keeping Children Safe Organisational Self-Assessment
- A continuing need to increase awareness and use of Thresholds Charts and HIPS/HSCP toolkits.
- Evidence of continued strengthening of safeguarding arrangements across agencies and planning in place to support further improvements.
- Consistent theme of increasing complexity of the needs of/risks to children and families.
- There was considerable evidence of single agency assurance around safeguarding practice. It was identified this should be shared more routinely across the partnerships, both in terms of planning where possible and the themes, activity arising from this.
- Agencies appeared clear in their response to safeguarding concerns, however, the response to early identification of needs was not always as well evidenced, therefore the understanding of early help services could be further developed to ensure effective early intervention for children and families.
Each relevant agency as part of this self-assessment process received individual feedback acknowledging areas of improvement, plus a plan containing any actions they identified to support progress. Action plan progress will be formally reviewed by the safeguarding partners as part of the assurance cycle in 2024/25. This will include an optional staff survey. It is for each agency to determine how they will achieve the actions they have identified in their self-assessments and provide assurance to the HSCP.
This process has provided safeguarding partners with assurance of agencies’ safeguarding arrangements and led to increased promotion of the resources, guidance and safeguarding practice development to agencies across the Hampshire footprint. It has also led to the development of an HSCP Early Help Toolkit, and additional multi-agency scrutiny of the early help offer. This is due for completion in quarter 1 2024/25.