Issue - meetings

Members to discuss the form of their engagement with social services systems.

With reference to the earlier item regarding ‘Safeguarding’, it had been suggested that as the new structures and systems had been formulated, it would appropriate in the new civic year for Members to engage themselves in these systems to monitor their efficacy. In particular, Members had expressed a desire and interest in observing the Social Care Services to enable them to gain even more understanding and insight into the child’s journey through the statutory process.

Cath Knowles outlined how such a process could be managed:

• A strategy discussion in respect of s47
• A legal gate keeping meeting where there is a potential for children to be placed in care.
• Shadowing/observing staff in the new Children’s Assessment Team
• Observing an Initial Child Protection Case Conference
• Observing a Core Group Meeting
• Shadowing/observing staff in the Child in Need/Child Protection Team
• Shadowing/observing staff in the Safeguarding Unit.
• Observing the LSCB in action, including an opportunity to meet the Chair
• Opportunity to follow a child’s journey through the various stages of the statutory process.

Furthermore, it was explained how at any given time during this observation Members would have an opportunity to ask further questions/challenge processes through an agreed protocol, which would ultimately assist Members in gaining an overall sense of the experience of how statutory intervention was managed.

RESOLVED – That the Committee favour the approach outlined and in the new civic year would take up the proposal.