Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Accepted
We asked the Department for Education what is being done to review multi-agency safeguarding partnerships...
Conclusion
We asked the Department for Education what is being done to review multi-agency safeguarding partnerships to ensure they work better and to stop horrific events, such as the cases of Star Hobson and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes from recurring. The Department for Education said there are 135 safeguarding partnerships across the country covering 151 local authority areas. It is looking at recommendations from the children’s social care review on the operation of the multi-agency partnerships, and the expertise of those involved in child protection by looking at the development of early career framework training.32 The Department for Education said it needed to continue working area by area to understand where there are risks and intervene in the places where there is weakness. The Department for Education said it has a “ladder of intervention” but did not expand on how this worked.33 27 C&AG’s Report, paras 15, 2.11 28 Q 97 29 Q 106 30 Q 95 31 Q 96 32 Q 106 33 Qq 106, 107 Support for vulnerable adolescents 13 2 Using data and learning to improve outcomes for vulnerable adolescents Embedding lessons into day-to-day practice
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.