Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 3
3
Accepted
Critical local multi-agency safeguarding partnerships are still not working well enough, which risks those vulnerable...
Recommendation
Critical local multi-agency safeguarding partnerships are still not working well enough, which risks those vulnerable adolescents that need support and help falling through the gaps. While in some places multi-agency safeguarding partnerships may work well, in other places, sadly, they do not. In May 2022 the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel found multi-agency safeguarding arrangements “are not yet fit for purpose everywhere” and are more fractured and fragmented than they should be, with weak links between the leadership and the front line risking vulnerable adolescents that need support and help falling through the gaps. The three statutory partners—police, health and local authorities—have a shared and equal duty to protect children and young people. We are concerned that if no one is solely responsible, the buck will be passed. We note that education is not a statutory partner and that the independent review of children’s social care has already recommended that schools be named as a fourth safeguarding partner. The Department for Education tells us it is continuing to improve multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and it considers that professional curiosity and good quality leadership across the three partners are key. It tells us it works area by area to understand where there are risks and has recently restructured to bring its regional focused teams together. However, the Independent Children’s Social Care Review found the existing mechanisms for independent scrutiny to be ‘relatively weak’ and it is not clear to us how the Department knows where to focus its support. Recommendation: Government should set out within six months how it plans to improve the way multi-agency safeguarding partnerships work.
Government Response Summary
The government published 'Stable Homes, Built on Love', an implementation strategy and consultation in February 2023, setting out commitments to ensure all agencies play a full role in protecting children. It is also rolling out responses to recommendations from reviews, including support from national facilitators, and amending guidance to strengthen multi-agency leadership.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 3.2 The government is committed to strengthening local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. Stable Homes, Built on Love: implementation strategy and consultation published in February 2023 set out commitments to ensure that all agencies play a full role in protecting and promoting the welfare of children and young people. 3.3 Following the publication of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel national review into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson, and the Independent Review for Children’s Social Care, Ministers from the Department for Education, Home Office and Department for Health and Social Care wrote to all local authorities, police and health authorities (the three safeguarding partners) to put out a call to action to take forward the important recommendations. 3.4 The DfE has already started rolling out its response to these recommendations. In November 2022, the new cross-government Child Protection Ministerial Group was established. It is supported by the newly formed Multi-Agency Safeguarding Partner Performance Board made up of senior officials across government. 3.5 The DfE has developed a support offer to multi-agency safeguarding arrangements so that agencies work together more effectively. The department has extended a national offer of support to safeguarding partners led by health, police and local authority National Facilitators. Alongside this, the Panel are developing a support offer to maximise the impact of learning from safeguarding reviews, a pilot of which will begin in Spring 2023. 3.6 The DfE will further strengthen multi-agency leadership by amending guidance to safeguarding partners. This will ensure leaders with the right level of authority are making key decisions and effectively overseeing the system. The department will also explore how the role of education can be strengthened, including consulting on whether or how it should become a safeguarding partner. The department will also build on its support offer to safeguarding partners once their roles and responsibilities have been clarified next year in Working Together. 3.7 The department will continue to monitor safeguarding partners through single agency inspections and through joint targeted area inspections. This government is prepared to intervene where arrangements are not fit for purpose.