To receive the annual report of the Central Bedfordshire Safeguarding Children Board.

The Executive Member introduced the Chairman of Central Bedfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (CBSCB) and recorded his thanks for the Chairman’s hard work and commitment.  The Chairman of CBSCB informed the Committee that the annual report had been agreed by the Board but there were no fundamental changes to the version presented to the Committee. 

In light of the report the Committee commented and discussed several issues in detail as follows:-

·                    The need to reinforce work underway to increase the involvement of GPs and schools, especially academies.  The Chairman of CBSCB explained he had attended several meetings to understand and advise on issues relating to safeguarding in schools.  The CBSCB also provided training that had been attended by Headteachers and designated safeguarding persons in schools.

·                    The financial implications of disaggregating the joint business support arrangements for the Safeguarding Children’s Boards of Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough, which the Chairman of CBSCB did not consider to be significant to the work of the Board.

·                    Concerns that several online training courses were not listed in appendix C to the annual report.  The Chairman of CBSCB explained that the appendix detailed only that training which had been organised by CBSCB, there was further training provided by individual agencies that had not been included.

·                    Concerns that the annual report had not been published until October.  The Chairman of CBSCB explained that the report had been delayed due to the late publication of statutory guidelines and the development of a standard national framework for drafting the reports.

·                    CBSCB should be congratulated on the high feedback rates to the training that had been provided.

·                    The annual report demonstrated the increasing demand for children’s services and the importance of budgets being allocated appropriately in order to respond to demand.

·                    The importance of engagement with and participation of children and the need to ensure that the Council responds to the outcomes of this engagement.  It was also suggested that the Committee should try to engage with young people, for example with the Youth Parliament, more frequently.

·                    Concerns regarding the high numbers of children who have been the subject of a plan on more than one occasion.  The Chairman of CBSCB explained that these figures were higher than expected and there were several possible reasons that he would investigate further.

·                    The importance of identifying children who were also carers.  The Acting Assistant Director commented that this was a very pertinent issue for the Council and work was underway with schools to identify children.  The Chairman of CBSCB also commented on the importance of schools and GPs leading in this area.

·                    Whether the Council would be aware of any support provided to families who lived in Central Bedfordshire but received support in Bedford or Luton.  The Chairman of CBSCB explained that he met regularly with the Chairmen of the other local Boards in order to discuss concerns although this was an ongoing challenge.

In addition to the issues raised by the Committee the Chairman of CBSCB was invited to raise issues with the Committee as appropriate.  It was also suggested that an appendix be added to the report detailing the feedback that the CBSCB had received from those committees to which it had been presented.

RECOMMENDED that the comments of the Committee as detailed in the Minutes be noted.

(Meeting adjourned at 1109 and reconvened at 1114)