Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Ed Grimshaw, Democratic Support Officer  023 8083 2390

Items
No. Item

51.

Disclosure Of Personal And Pecuniary Interests

In accordance with the Localism Act 2011, and the Council’s Code of Conduct, Members to disclose any personal or pecuniary interests in any matter included on the agenda for this meeting.

 

NOTE:  Members are reminded that, where applicable, they must complete the appropriate form recording details of any such interests and hand it to the Democratic Support Officer.

Minutes:

Councillor Bogle declared an interest in that she was a Council appointed representative to Southampton University Hospital Trust and had held the position of Cabinet Member for Children’s Services in the last 6 months and remained in the meeting and took part in the consideration and determination of the item on the agenda.

52.

Statement from the Chair

53.

Minutes of the Previous Meetings (including matters arising) pdf icon PDF 6 KB

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 20th March and 2nd April 2014 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED: that the minutes for the Panels meetings held on 20th March and 2nd April 2014 be approved and signed as a correct record.

54.

Local Safeguarding Children Board - Update pdf icon PDF 730 KB

Report of the Director People detailing an update for the Panel on matters relating to the Local Safeguarding Children Board, attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Panel considered the report of the Director, People detailing an update for the Panel on matters relating to the Local Safeguarding Children Board and the substantial transformation programme Children and Families were going through.

 

The Panel noted that Appendix 6 of the report should have been a confidential appendix in accordance with the Councils Constitution, specifically the

Access to Information Procedure Rules contained within the Constitution and the press and public be excluded from the meeting in respect of this appendix.  This was based on Categories 7 and 7A of paragraph 10.4 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules.  The information contained therein was potentially exempt as it related to information relating to any action taken or to be taken in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime and information which was subject to any obligation of confidentiality.  Accordingly the appendix had been withdrawn from the website. 

 

Keith Makin, Independent Chair, Southampton Local Safeguarding Children Board, Cllr Chaloner, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Alison Elliott, Director, People and Statutory Director for Children’s Services were in attendance and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting.

 

The Panel particularly noted the significant changes that were taking place within the Local Safeguarding Children Board since the appointment of the new Chair in October 2013; these included a review of membership and functions to ensure the Board was fully compliant with the new requirements of Working Together 2013.  Guiding principles and areas for development had been established which would see the Board providing more strategic direction and delegating more responsibilities to the Executive and Sub Groups.  Some of the emerging themes for development included children sexually exploited, involvement in the Board of children and young people who used the services and the continuation of ongoing work with GP’s.  Partner agencies had acknowledged the difficult period the Board had gone through and were engaged and committed to the new way of working and had contributed to a multi agency comprehensive data set which would provide the rigour of challenge and ability to make decisions in accordance with an evidence base.  A new Threshold document and Universal Help Tool had been approved by the Board.  Thresholds were not considered to be an issue although stepping children and young people down had been previously but the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and Early Intervention Teams which went live as of 31st March 2014 would provide a service to those being stepped down from threshold and would in the long term see a reduction of children and young people coming into care by 2017/18.  Southampton’s MASH was one of the largest in the country and had good multi-agency representation that would provide a single point of contact for delivery of safeguarding services.  A single recording system had also been introduced as part of the MASH and the LSCB would be responsible for and monitor the progress of the MASH.

 

 

Reference was made to the new Family Justice Bill that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.