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For the attention of Deputy R Ward
Chairman, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel
By email: a.harris5@gov.je
18th September 2019 Dear Deputy Ward
Thank you for your letter of the 5th September 2019 inviting me to make a written submission regarding projects led by the Safeguarding Partnership Board and in particular:
"Safeguarding Partnership Board" – p.9 of R.91/2019 and p.38 of the Government Plan.
The background to the project is a comprehensive independent review of the Safeguarding Partnership Boards (SPB) undertaken in 2018[1]. This review found that the development of the SPB structure had been positive for Jersey and had resulted in areas of significant improvement. It also concluded, however, that more is needed to be done to improve awareness of safeguarding and safeguarding practice and that additional investment was required. The monies set out in the draft government plan represent this additional investment.
There are 5 main components to the project which seeks to achieve a step change in the culture of learning and access to training, providing advice and guidance to practitioners, the third sector and community groups, raising the profile and awareness of safeguarding, developing potential Pan Island arrangements for safeguarding partnership work and strengthening assurance and accountability. I will provide a brief update on each area:
Developing a culture of learning including enhanced access to training
To support organisations to develop a learning culture, a new "Safeguarding Partnership Learning Hub" will be developed in 2020.
The Learning Hub will bring together information from safeguarding audits, learning from serious case reviews, data, feedback from service users and practice challenges raised by frontline staff to underpin safeguarding learning improvement programmes and support to an expanded network of "safeguarding champions".
The Learning Hub will encompass the enhanced training provision developed in response to the Jersey Care Inquiry[2], with independent evaluation of the quality and impact on practice, funded via the proposed government plan monies. In addition, new training will be developed in line with developing needs and risks in areas such as child sexual exploitation.
Working with Research in Practice, tools to measure impact on practice will be developed which will be tailored to individual organisations.
Advice and guidance
The Safeguarding Partnership recognises organisations including third sector and community groups need access to high quality and timely advice and support to enable them to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm.
A refreshed "offer" will be developed including telephone advice, network events and an overhaul of the website to ensure user friendly access to guidance, information and for booking courses. Exploration of developing a Safeguarding App to ease access for busy colleagues will be progressed.
Raising the profile and awareness of safeguarding
Building on the successful PANTS[3] campaign which aims to keep children safe from sexual abuse, further public facing campaigns will be developed linked to the priorities of the Safeguarding Partnership including domestic abuse and neglect.
Where possible, such campaigns will involve third sector and community groups to maximize the impact of messages and resources.
Developing potential Pan Island Safeguarding Partnership arrangements
As the first ever Pan Island Independent Chair for Safeguarding Partnerships, I will prepare an Option Appraisal for potential Pan Island arrangements. This will include clear success criteria so that opportunities for sharing knowledge, resource and access to expertise can be "tested" to ensure improved safeguarding outcomes, service improvements and efficiencies.
A Governance Framework will be developed and agreed to ensure Ministers can scrutinise proposals ahead of any preferred option being agreed.
Strengthening assurance and accountability
A new Board Assurance Framework will be developed to ensure Ministers and the wider public can be confident that there is constructive challenge of safeguarding practice, and that all agencies are held to account for ensuring the safety of vulnerable children and adults. The Board Assurance Framework will include updated multi agency performance reporting, annual accountability reviews of Safeguarding Partnership Board members, a revised Risk Register and review of key business processes.
Alongside the work undertaken by the SPB to strengthen assurance and accountability, the Department of Strategic Policy, Performance and Population will also be developing the draft legislation necessary to establish the SPB in statue (Phase 2 of the Children's legislation programme)[4]. This will be fundamental to enable the Safeguarding Partnership to achieve the impact required through the work outlined above.
I hope the above will assist members in their review of work programmes within the Safeguarding Partnership to deliver the recommendations of the independent review of the Safeguarding Partnership and I would be pleased to provide any further information required.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Elliott
Pan Island Independent Chair for Safeguarding Partnerships