The Protection of Children in England: action plan The Government’s response to Lord Laming

1. The Protection of Children in England: action planThe Government’s response to Lord Laming Launch event6 May 2009

2. Background • Announced by Ministers 12 November 2008 • Wide ranging remit. Set out in letter from Secretary of State 17 November: • What good practice has been successfully achieved in safeguarding children since the publication of the Victoria Climbié Inquiry Report? • What are the key barriers that may be preventing good safeguarding practice from becoming standard practice everywhere, for example in deciding whether an application should be made to take a child into care? • What specific actions should be taken by Government and national and local agencies to overcome these barriers and accelerate systematic improvements in safeguarding practice across the country? • Report, and Government’s immediate response, published 12 March 2009

3. Lord Laming’s headline findings (1) • Robust legislative, structural and policy foundations are in place. Every Child Matters: • provides “a sound framework for professionals to protect children and promote their welfare” • “clearly has the support of professionals, across all of the services, who work with children and young people” • Progress is being made and the frontline is making a positive difference to children: • “A great deal of progress has been made” • “Every day, thousands of children are helped, supported and in some cases have their lives saved by these staff”

4. Lord Laming’s headline findings (2) • But he was also clear that: “There now needs to be a step change in the arrangements to protect children from harm” • He challenged national Government to “inject greater energy and drive into the implementation of change and support local improvement..” • And he challenged leaders of local services to accept their responsibility to “translate policy, legislation and guidance into day to day practice on the frontline of every service”

5. Recommendations • 58 recommendations designed to strengthen the implementation of child protection arrangements. They seek to: • strengthen national leadership to ensure that best practice in many areas of the country is being universally applied in every area of the country; • improve local accountability so that all services know exactly what they need to do to keep children safe; and • provide more support for both local leaders and the front-line workforce.

6. The Government’s response (1) • Government accepted all 58 recommendations and published an immediate response on 12 March. This went beyond Lord Laming’s recommendations in some key areas and set in train immediate action to take forward some recommendations • Detailed Government response and action plan launched today • In your packs: • Government Action Plan in response to Lord Laming • Social Work Task Force first report • Letter from new Chief Adviser setting early priorities • Government’s detailed response to the Singleton Review of safeguarding arrangements in independent schools, non-maintained special schools and boarding schools

7. The Government’s response (2) National leadership and accountability • Stronger central guidance: Working Together to Safeguard Children to be revised and updated by end 2009 to meet Lord Laming’s recommendations on policy and practice (including early action on Serious Case Reviews) • Chief Adviser on the Safety of Children: Sir Roger Singleton appointed from 1 April 2009 to this new role to advise Government on strategic priorities, the effective implementation of policy and report annually to Parliament on progress from April 2010. Chief Adviser’s Expert Group announced today • Cross-Government National Safeguarding Delivery Unit: Government will establish, from July, a new National Safeguarding Delivery Unit - reporting to a new Ministerial subgroup - to provide stronger, co-ordinated national leadership and effective support and challenge to Children’s Trusts and local authorities as they carry out their safeguarding responsibilities. Work programme published September 2009. Partnership Network established from today • A more rigorous inspection framework: Action from Ofsted, Care Quality Commission, HMIC and HMIP, including a new rolling 3 year programme of safeguarding inspection and a new annual inspection of child protection in local authority children’s services, and a stronger focus on safeguarding in school inspection

8. The Government’s response (3) Local leadership and accountability • Strengthened local governance arrangements and a clearer relationship between Children’s Trusts and Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs), building in more robust challenge, a presumption of independence for the chairing of LSCBs, and greater engagement of the local community through the appointment of two lay members. Amendments brought forward in Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill 5 May • DCSs and Lead Members have central roles. Revised statutory guidance to be issued in June. Both should always be members of both the Children’s Trust Board and the LSCB • LA Chief Executives and Council leaders also have critical roles. They should make an annual assessment of the effectiveness of local governance and partnership arrangements

9. The Government’s response (4) Local leaders and the front-line workforce • Better support for DCSs and aspirant DCSs – a new leadership programme from autumn 2009 with initial intake of 24, an Executive Leadership programme from 2010/11 and a succession planning strategy • C4EO research briefings and national workshops – from June 2009 • A programme of intensive support and coaching for social work team leaders and first line managers, particularly those working in child protection • Action to improve skills and capacity in child protection in police forces - a new Strategic Framework for delivering Protective Services with child protection as an initial priority and updated specialist training for police forces by December 2009 • A new Action on Health Visiting Programme announced 12 March and agreed at joint DH/Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association summit 5 May plus wider work led by Dr Sheila Shribman to improve training, development and support for the health workforce on safeguarding

10. The Government’s response (5) Social work reform: the short term • Government announced in March a range of measures to improve recruitment, status and quality of social workers in the short term: • returners to social work programme • Advanced Social Work Professional status • enhanced induction support for Newly Qualified Social Workers their first year • development of Masters programme • action to support management and leadership • Today we are announcing a Social Work Transformation Fund of £58m to support these measures

11. The Government’s response (6) Social work reform – Social Work Task Force • Today SWTF have published their first report, setting out: • advice about reforming the Integrated Children's System • advice about implementing Lord Laming's recommendations on social work • initial findings about some of the key challenges to be addressed in reforming social work, including training, support, supervision, leadership and public understanding • Task Force advice based on extensive consultation with professionals, though there is more to come in October. Government committed to bringing forward long-term proposals for the reform and renewal of the profession in response to Task Force advice.

12. The Government’s response (7) Delays in care proceedings and court fees • Commitment to reducing delays in court proceedings by establishing a system-wide target for reducing delays, drawing in all participants within the care proceedings system • An independent review, led by Francis Plowden, of the impact of court fees in the care proceedings system, to report to Ministers by September 2009

13. Action plan • All 58 recommendations from Lord Laming are addressed • Chief Adviser’s first annual report will include progress reporting on delivery against these recommendations • Partnership working crucial – the Partnership Network starts this month • Keeping children safe – the responsibility of us all

14. The Protection of Children in England: action planThe Government’s response to Lord Laming Launch event6 May 2009