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Save Local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs)
Local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) are the key statutory mechanism for agreeing how the relevant organisations in each local area will cooperate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and for ensuring the effectiveness of what they do.
The scope of the LSCB role falls into three categories:
- they engage in activities that safeguard all children and aim to identify and prevent maltreatment, or impairment of health or development, and to ensure that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with safe and effective care;
- they lead and coordinate proactive work that aims to target particular groups; and
- they lead and co-ordinate arrangements for responsive work to protect children who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.
County-level and unitary local authorities (LAs) are responsible for establishing an LSCB in their area and ensuring that it is run effectively. LSCBs should have a clear and distinct identity within local Children’s Trust governance arrangements. It is the responsibility of the LA to appoint the LSCB Chair. Membership of the LSCB is made up of senior managers from different services and agencies in a local area, including the independent and voluntary sector. In addition, the Board receives input from experts, for example, the designated nurse or doctor.
Statutory guidance on LSCBs
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010) sets out how individuals and organisations should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It replaces the previous version of Working Together, which was published in 2006.
Chapter 3 of Working Together sets out the role, functions, governance and operation of LSCBs.
Practice guidance for consultation
In his report The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report (2009) Lord Laming commented on the positive impact LSCBs are having on services for protecting children. He also found that there was greater potential for LSCBs to drive improvements more effectively.
Lord Laming recommended that, following the publication of Loughborough University’s research on LSCBs, the Government provide them with further guidance on how to operate as effectively as possible. A research brief based on the final report’s findings has been published.
As a preliminary step in the development of the guidance the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit (NSDU) issued A summary outline for consultation and a call for evidence in December 2009. The call for evidence invited examples of models or templates of effective local practice, exemplars of good practice and case studies.
Having received this evidence, the NSDU has decided to focus on a few key areas that have been identified by practitioners and available research as crucial in supporting LSCBs. The guidance and associated resource pack includes:
- advice on measuring the effectiveness of LSCBs' strategic partnership working
- information on developing local measures which demonstrate the difference LSCB activity is making in specific safeguarding areas
- an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of different models of delivery in terms of Board structure and membership
- further advice on LSCB lay members and the LSCB annual report.
To support the practice guidance a resource pack has been developed, this includes further information and advice on specific issues and a set of examples of local practice provided in many cases by LSCBs themselves.
The draft practice guidance is being issued for consultation alongside the fully revised statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children. It should be read alongside 'Chapter 3' of that document, which sets out the statutory functions of an LSCB. The separate statutory guidance on Children’s Trust Boards is also relevant.
The NSDU welcomes comments on the coverage and content of the practice guidance and further examples of local practice to add to the resource pack being published in parallel with this guidance.
The NSDU will set up a national practitioner group to develop final practice guidance over the next few months. This group will help identify key areas where guidance would be useful and will advise on the appropriate level of detail.
You can have your say and respond to this consultation by 9 June 2010 via email.
Resources
Working Together to Safeguard Children
Exemplars of LSCB effective local practice (July 2008)
The LSCB challenge and improvment tool (July 2008)
Safeguarding disabled chidlren: A resource for LSCBs
List of the chairs of LSCBs
Training resource for Working Together to Safeguard Children
Cumbria and Lancashire protocol for working with sexually active under-18-year-olds
South West LSCBs' protocol on dealing with sexually active under-18-year-olds
Surrey Safeguarding Children Bboard protocol on working with sexually active under-18-year-olds
LSCBs: A review of progress (June 2008)
LSCBs national event documentary (March 2007)
Letter from Kevin Brennan regarding local protocol development for professionals working with sexually active under-18s
Associated documents
Local Safeguarding Children Boards: Resource pack (March 2010)
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as a Word Document
Last updated on 18/03/2010
