Issue - meetings

Report by Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet member for Children’s Services and Final report of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Task Group.

Councillor Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services presented the Executive’s response to the Final Report of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Task Group.

A Safeguarding Improvement Board was established to formulate an improvement plan. The Task Group had been established following the outcome of a multi-agency Ofsted inspection undertaken in March 2012 which rated the overall effectiveness of safeguarding services as inadequate. The Task Group met on 16 occasions in addition to many other evidence gathering activities. Its Final Report detailed a total of 41 recommendations grouped under the following work themes:

·         Communications

·         Children’s social care workforce

·         Locality working

·         Members and safeguarding

The Children’s Select Committee endorsed these recommendations at its meeting on 28 March 2013.

Cllr Mayes presented an Appendix which gave the Executive’s response to each of the 41 recommendations, highlighting which of those had already been actioned, those where actions were being taken and those which were being considered before a decision was made on them.

Cllr Jon Hubbard, Chairman of the Task Group cited this item as an excellent example of constructive collaboration between scrutiny and the executive. He paid tribute to the Leader who had ensured he had access to all the information he required to enable the Task Group to carry out its work. The Leader agreed and emphasised that whilst the authority was a political organisation, the priority of all members was to serve Wiltshire and especially the vulnerable members of our communities. She also stressed that all Councillors had corporate parenting responsibilities.

Cllr Hubbard thanked members of the Task Group who had worked extremely hard to consider all the issues and arrive at its recommendations. Henry Powell, Senior Scrutiny Officer was also thanked for his excellent work in supporting the Task Group.

Resolved:

That Cabinet note the action already taken and actions planned in response to the Final Report of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Task Group.

Reason for decision

This report is being presented to Cabinet at the request of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Task Group. The recommendations from the Task Group were supported by Children’s Services Select Committee.