Merton Safeguarding Children Board and CSF - CSC

1. Merton Safeguarding Children Board and CSF - CSC WE ARE learning from our Serious Case Review Conference January 2014

2. Current context • Deficit reduction and welfare benefit changes • Changes for partner agencies: Health, Police, VCS, schools and academies • Local population changes • Increased public expectations on service and tougher inspection regimes • Safeguarding maintains high national profile as does adoption

3. Lessons from SCRs • Voice of the child • Think child, think family, think child • Information sharing • Optimism and false positives • Toxic trio – domestic violence, substance misuse, mental ill health • Lots of lower level triggers – accumulative effect

4. Tia Sharp SCR 2013 Although there were lessons to be learnt and areas in which services can be improved, there was no information known to any agency which would suggest that Tia’s life would end as it did, or that indeed that she was at any risk of physical harm.

5. Recommendations for the Board • Disseminate the key messages arising from the SCR ensuring that schools are reminded of the links between non-attendance and safeguarding children • Assist staff in responding to parental misuse of alcohol and illegal drugs, including challenging parents who are complacent about the use of cannabis Merton Safeguarding Children Board

6. Recommendations for the Board • Ensure that the ‘voice of the child’ is heard across all partner agencies, and that this is evidenced in working practices and service developments • Ensure there are clear arrangements for working with hostile and resistant families and for supporting staff appropriately. Merton Safeguarding Children Board

7. Recommendations for the Board • Work with partner agencies to deliver a clear public message about the harmful medical and social effect of cannabis use and its potential for damaging family life • Review and strengthen arrangements for recognising the enduring consequences of domestic abuse and providing assistance to families affected by this Merton Safeguarding Children Board

8. How are we responding • SCR action plan with regular review • Individual agency IMR and action plans • Lunchtime workshops • Today’s conference • MASH; restructure of children’s social care and enhanced services and the tools to support our work

10. Responding to these changes • Restructured CSF: CSC & YI, MASH, Transforming Families and Supporting Families • Refreshing tools to support: CYPWB Model, Common & Shared Assessment (CASA), Single Assessment, referral pathways • Commissioning of external early intervention services

11. Children’s Trust Values • Keeping the child/young person at the heart of our work. • Equality, equity, inclusion and valuing diversity – judged on our impact on the most vulnerable • Local accountability and partnership • Making a difference – continuous improvement • Promoting a learning culture • Promoting a culture which listens to, responds to and which values C&YP

12. Our local strengths • Retained a strong partnership ethos and commitment, despite turbulence – ethos of co-operation – collaboration – integration • Good services; improving services – a strong focus on continuous improvement • Actively using evidence of what works • Learning from SCRs, IMRs, good and best practice and each other

13. Today’s conference • Neglect and adolescents – Prof. Mike Stein – York University • Hidden victims of sexual abuse – cross generational abuse – Rob Tucker, Independent Child Care Consultant • The impact of parental substance misuse on children and young people – Dr Hedy Cleaver – Emeritus Prof. Royal Holloway college University of London • Cries unheard – Outside Edge “Theatre in the Round”