AREA SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN COMMITTEES (ASCCs)

Terms of Reference

1 Introduction

Cambridgeshire Local Safeguarding Children Board is the key statutory mechanism for agreeing how organisations in Cambridgeshire will co-operate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children across the county. It also has a monitoring role in relation to the Children and Young Peoples Strategic Partnership. In order to facilitate this work the LSCB has established three Area Safeguarding Children Committees within the county, ie: Huntingdonshire, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City.

The ASCCs will have a local strategic and monitoring role in relation to safeguarding, with a key responsibility for ensuring that multi- disciplinary work within their area is of a high quality. There will be a strengthened link with the Local Practice Groups ensuring that everyone involved is kept updated with local issues and practice developments, thus developing an effective inter-agency local network and shared understanding between agencies.

2 Purpose and Function

• To ensure that safeguarding and the promoting the welfare of the child is incorporated in the work of all organisations working with children and young people in the area
• To promote of a positive inter-agency learning culture in relation to safeguarding.
• To ensure an appropriate response to policy, practice guidance and procedures as determined by the LSCB, and to recommend any necessary amendments or developments to policy, procedures, protocols guidance etc.
• To implement the recommendations of serious case reviews, audits, inspections and other reports and reviews.
• To monitor local performance relating to safeguarding within wider context of Area Performance Management processes of Area Partnerships.
• To highlight issues to the Area Management Team and Locality Teams, ensuring that the safeguarding agenda is integrated into joint operational arrangements.
• To ensure that multi-agency/disciplinary working is effective and where difficulties arise which cannot be resolved locally these are taken to the Business Committee.
• To ensure that all involved in multi-disciplinary work share information regarding each other’s situations which may have an impact on their ability to focus on safeguarding.
• To commission reports involving research studies and analysis of activity and trends within the area to develop models of best practice.
• To identify training needs – feeding findings into the LSCB Strategic Training and Practice Development Group and, working with the group to meet local need.
• To organise local seminars and events in collaboration with local organisations and community clusters.
• To discuss and monitor issues raised by the Local Practice Group
  

3 Membership

The Area Director, Office Children and Young People’s Services will chair the ASCC on behalf of the LSCB. It will meet bi- monthly in the first instance.

Membership should reflect local circumstances, but must ensure an effective multi-disciplinary response to the committee’s responsibilities.

The core membership of the Area Safeguarding Children committee is:

• Area Director – OCYPS (Chair)
• Area Manager Social Care
• Police
• Named Doctor
• Named Nurse
• Education Welfare
• Representatives of local Primary and Second schools.
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
• Youth Offending Team
• District Council(s)
• Voluntary Sector
• Area Manager Additional Needs
• Probation
• Child Protection and Review Manager
• Locality Managers
• PCT representation
• Local Hospital representation ( if applicable)
  

Supported by:

• Area Manager Performance Planning and Partnerships OCYPS
• LSCB Business Manager

And be able to call upon contributions from:

• Drug and Alcohol Services
• Domestic violence services
• Adult mental Health
• Adult Learning Disability Partnership
• CAFCASS
• Youth Service
• Faith Groups
  

4. Relationships with LSCB

The ASCC’s work will be informed by the LSCB (Executive Board and Business Committee), by the LSCB sub groups, the Local Practice Group and by issues identified locally by members of the Area Committee.

An LSCB representative will attend meetings.

The Chair of the ASCC or a representative will be a member of the LSCB Business Committee and will feedback to the LSCB issues arising from the ASCCs.

The Area Planning and Performance Manager will be a member of the LSCB Quality and Effectiveness Group.

5. Relationship with the Area Strategic Partnership

The ASCC will report to the Area Partnership on safeguarding issues by exception, providing challenge and support to the Partnership where issues arise.

The ASCC will contribute to quarterly progress report for the Area Partnership against Area Children and Young Peoples Plan. It will also contribute to annual report for the Area Partnership.

The LSCB will be represented on the Area Partnerships to ensure that an effective feedback process is in place, draw attention to any safeguarding issues and avoid duplication of agendas between the LSCB, the ASCC and the Area Partnership.