Agenda item

To submit a report by the Director of Social Services.

 Submitted – a report by the Director of Social Services on the overview of the work of the Corporate Safeguarding Board and the priorities for the future.

The Director of Social Services reported that the Social Services Department deal with Safeguarding issues daily as regards to referrals regarding individuals who may be at risk.  However, Safeguarding is a responsibility across every Service within the Council and every member of staff is given training and be aware of their role within safeguarding matters. 

The Service Manager – Safeguarding and Quality Improvement gave a presentation to the Committee and said that every organisation that works with children, young people and adults should be committed to safeguarding and improving their well-being. There is a duty on the Council to ensure that it discharges its functions in a way that safeguards and promotes the well-being of children and adults who could be at risk.  She noted that the Corporate Safeguarding Policy gives clear guidelines to each Officer on the expectations of them. Each Head of Service is responsible for the safeguarding arrangements within their service.  A Strategic Corporate Safeguarding Board was established by the Council to provide assurance of the effectiveness of the Council’s safeguarding arrangements.  An Operational Corporate Safeguarding Board has also been established with group membership which includes safeguarding champions from all the services of the Council.  The Service Manager – Safeguarding and Quality Improvement further said that each Head of Service must include their safeguarding priorities within their service Annual Business Plan and are thereafter monitored in accordance with the Council’s monitoring procedures.  She said that she believed that this matter is evolving into a natural overlap between community safeguarding agenda i.e. Prevent and Modern Slavery.  Handling cases where individuals are considered to be at risk and corporate safeguarding matters.

The Service Manager – Safeguarding and Quality Improvement further said that the Authority has a Corporate Safeguarding Action Plan (included as Appendix 1 to the report) which focuses on actions that are mainly cross cutting across the whole authority and are not single service matters.  She said that corporate responsibility for this area is strengthening within the Council and the establishment of the Strategic Corporate Safeguarding Board has maximised the profile across the Local Authority.   A recent internal audit report has highlighted that there is governance risk that the Strategic Corporate Safeguarding Board meetings are not recorded so the Board cannot evidence its discussions/decisions.  It was noted that this matter is now being addressed and the Board notes will be specifically recorded as such. The Service Manager noted that she considered that there is risk is to the reputation of the Council should there be a safeguarding error which leads to harm to individuals.  She referred to examples of organisation that had suffered reputational harm due to safe workforce matters. The Audit Report has also highlighted the need to strengthen the role of the Strategic Board to make sure that the internal services are implementing the framework and policies that have been put in place by the Authority.  She noted that the Corporate Safeguarding was introduced into the new Self Assessments this year to give the Corporate Strategic Safeguarding Board assurance that individual services within the Council was undertaking its responsibilities.  It was confirmed that the Strategic Corporate Safeguarding Board will build on what has been achieved in order to ensure an overview of the wider safeguarding agenda, and strengthen the arrangements for challenging and holding services to account.   

The Committee considered the report and raised the following matters:-

·      Questions were raised as to how the Authority engage with the public as regards reporting incidents of Modern Slavery.  The Service Manager – Safeguarding and Quality Improvement referred to the usual channels which the local authority use to publicise and report concerns about individuals who may be at risk.  She noted that there is a North Wales Modern Slavery Partnership Board with the Deputy Chief Executive as this Authority’s representative.    The Deputy Chief Executive said that the Partnership Board arranges conferences which deal with a number of topics as regards to the awareness of modern slavery; North Wales Police is leading on the awareness of modern slavery through the introduction of posters, and mobile apps to allow people to contact the relevant organisations.  She noted that the Town and Community Councils Forum has discussed the issue of modern slavery at its meeting recently;

·      Reference was made that the Action Plan 2018/19 – 2019/20 shows that requests for nominations for the task group to develop the safeguarding section of the intranet remains outstanding.  The Service Manager noted that the Strategic Corporate Safeguarding Board must and will challenge itself to ensure responsible individuals within the authority will nominate staff to achieve this priority action.

·      Reference was made that it is important that services map out the compliance of their staff against the mandatory safeguarding training requirements.  This will support a co-ordinated approach to ensuring that individuals have the relevant training to carry out their role.  Managers within the Authority need to make sure that all staff comply with the requirements and are aware of the safeguarding issues.  The Service Manager – Safeguarding and Quality Improvement responded that there are some staff who do not have an email address and they are unable to access any e-learning.  Every effort is made to ensure they receive mandatory training through alternative means.

It was RESOLVED:-

·      To note the arrangements that are in place, as well as the areas that the Strategic Corporate Safeguarding Board are driving to ensure that the statutory duties is met

·      That an Annual Report on the Corporate Safeguarding Arrangements be submitted to the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee.

ACTION : As noted above.