Area Safeguarding Children Committees

Introduction

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.

Meeting Dates

To follow

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 this 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

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
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Probation Trust
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

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