Agenda item

5a  Barnsley Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnership Annual Report 2021-22 – Cover Report

5b  Barnsley Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnership Annual Report 2021-22

The following witnesses were welcomed to the meeting:

Carly Speechley, Executive Director, Children’s Services, BMBC

Keeley Boud, Head of Safeguarding & Quality Assurance, Children’s Services, BMBC

Annette Carey, Strategic Safeguarding Partnership Manager, Children’s Services, BMBC

Cllr Trevor Cave, Cabinet Spokesperson – Children’s Services

Superintendent Emma Wheatcroft, South Yorkshire Police (SYP)

Dawn Gibbon, Head of Safeguarding, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (BHNFT)

Angela Fawcett, Designated Nurse Safeguarding Children and Looked After

Children, South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board

Becky Hoskins, Deputy Director of Nursing & Quality, Barnsley Hospital NHS

Foundation Trust (BHNFT)

Emma Cox, Associate Director of Nursing, Quality & Professions, South West

Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SWYPFT) and Jean Imray, Independent Scrutineer, BMBC were also in attendance virtually to answer Members detailed questions.

Members were invited to consider a report of the Executive Director Core Services (Item 5a) and the Barnsley Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnership Annual Report 2021-22 (Item 5b).

C Speechley introduced the report, in which it was highlighted that 2021- 22 was a period of challenging circumstances for both families and the workforce. The report summarised the key achievements of the Board, and also set out the priorities for the following year.

In the ensuing discussion, and in response to detailed questioning and challenge the following matters were highlighted:

Members discussed concerns surrounding digital exclusion that the borough’s young people faced, such as lack of access to Wi-Fi and mobile devices. The service undertook a piece of work during the pandemic to provide equipment to vulnerable young people and informed families that they could use Family Hubs to access free Wi-Fi. It was noted that this was an area of work that could be explored in more depth.

Online harms and bullying are a key concern for the Board. One of the most significant areas of contextual safeguarding is online harms, and this was contextualised in the Section 175 Audits. The service had implemented a range of training for both young people and parents which surrounded this. In Safeguarding Awareness Week, workshops with parents which focused on online harm and bullying took place. Students are not allowed to use mobile phones in lesson time at school, but concerns were raised about students accessing mobile phones in downtime, and also smartwatches in lessons, which meant they could experience online harms and bullying whilst in school. Members were assured that work would be undertaken with schools to ascertain policies around mobile phone and smartwatch use. Young people in the Borough had a keen interest in tackling online harms and bullying. The Tackling Bullying Commitment had been implemented by schools with check and challenge provided by young people acting as peer inspectors. These check and challenge inspections by young people would help inform the Board on how well the bullying commitment was being implemented.

Members suggested that the Partnership would benefit from engaging with the Area Councils. Area Councils had specific funds that the Partnership could utilise in specific localities. This would be picked up, with the suggestion that the Executive Director should attend the Area Council Chairs Forum.

The Cost-Of-Living crisis would be a key issue for the Partnership over the coming months. The Partnership provided support for families, such as Family Centres in every locality, and should receive £3 Million of additional Family Hub funding for their early help offer . More parents and carers parenting in adverse circumstances could mean there is a potential saturation point where demand outstrips level of services. The service would be looking at alternative funding solutions and efficiency and integration to combat this.

Access to schools was more difficult than it had been historically. The Service hold regular meetings with designated safeguarding leads in schools to share information and identify training needs. It was noted that children who had access to family support workers had regular direct contact with practioners who would speak to them alone and share feedback. It was hoped Front Door services would work towards better connections with schools and a pilot has been undertaken with social workers linked in with schools to improve communication. Health colleagues noted that pre-Covid Partnership meetings took place in schools on occasion, and met with young people after, which provided invaluable insight to the Partnership. Training in schools was provided on issues such as self-harm and bullying, supported by Compass.

Availability of CAMHS services for young people is a national problem, with an increase in the volume and complexity of referrals. To reduce waiting times further, CAMHS had engaged in partnership working with organisations such as Compass who provided support in schools. There had been an increase in EHCPs surrounding children who were unable to go to school or had a fear of school. The service had been working closely with both CAMHS and Compass to bridge the gap in service in this area. This had led to an increase in Elective Home Education across the borough, which was regularly audited by the Partnership.

The Partnership had engaged in a vast amount of work in relation to safe sleeping arrangements. The Partnership reported no deaths since last year’s update. The Partnership had undertaken significant work to reduce deaths related to unsafe sleeping and abusive head trauma via the roll out of the ICON programme.  Both of these had been significant pieces of multi-agency work, with staff being trained to provide brief interventions and champions appointed to keep the good work of the programme going. The Partnership produced a radio campaign which had been replicated across the country and developed risk assessment tools so practioners feel confident in having conversations with parents and carers around this risk.

The Partnership collated feedback through various mechanisms. The Council operates various forums such as the Youth Council and SEND Youth Group, which are established groups of young people who regularly feedback into services. Audits, observations of practice, and walk the floor exercises with the Cabinet support Member for Children’s Services provided quality assurance for the service. The Council also has a feedback and improvement service in which families could submit feedback and complaints.

Staffing in Children’s Social Care services is a national issue. The Council had vacancies in Front Door services, which could lead to sickness and absence due to additional capacity pressures on staff. The service had developed a recruitment and retainment strategy, with various communications such as a micro site developed jointly with the Communications and HR teams.

RESOLVED that

(i)          Witnesses be thanked for their attendance and contribution and the report be noted

(ii)          Members to be provided with information on mobile device usage policies in schools

(iii)        Witnesses, including SYP, investigate the possibility of working with Area Councils

(iv)       Members to be provided with information on self-harm training and education in schools

(v)        Witnesses to further investigate the impact of digital exclusion; including progress against the South Yorkshire Broadband project

(vi)       Witnesses to increase the promotion of good partnership working in annual reports, e.g., the safe sleep project

(vii)      Members to promote the Children’s Services recruitment offer

(viii)     Members to consider the added value of the partnership as a whole at future scrutiny sessions, not just focusing on the performance of individual services

(ix)       Witnesses should be cognisant of those living in private rented accommodation and whether they are disproportionately affected by the cost of living crisis; and

(x)        Executive Director to inform the Chair of the Committee of the outcome of the bid to provide support through Family Centres.