Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Director of Children’s Services on the Enfield Child Safeguarding Board Annual Report 2015-16.               (Report No:  96)

Council is asked to note the progress being made to safeguard children and young people and specifically note this report and the Enfield Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report which is attached as an appendix to this document.

Please note that this report has been referred on, for information, from Cabinet at their meeting on 19 October 2016, and has also been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board. 

Councillor Orhan moved and Councillor Vince seconded the report of the Director of Children’s Services on the Enfield Adult Safeguarding Board Annual Report 2015-16. (Report No:  96) 

NOTED

1.               That the report had been referred on to Council, for information, from Cabinet at their meeting on 19 October 2016 and had also been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board. 

2.               The Cabinet Member for Education, Children’s Services and Protection recognition of the enormous progress made and the thanks to the department for their work including the independent Chair Geraldine Gavin for her exceptional work.  Progress had been made in facilitating safe living with fathers, and strides in highlighting the issues of female genital mutilation and radicalisation of the young.  Some children suffered unimaginable difficulties due to the complex dangers of the ever changing world, including from knife and gun crime, neglect and addictions. 

3.               Working collectively with the partner authorities, creating a strong voice and ensuring funding were crucial. 

4.               Thanks were also made to Councillor Vince, Children and Young People’s Services, as well as Councillor Jemal for her work with the Child Sexual Exploitation Task Group. 

5.               The welcome of the joint working with Haringey in bidding for joint funding and working across borough boundaries.

6.               The need to deal holistically with children at risk from child sexual exploitation, to ensure that there are no unintended consequences from House of Lords amendments to the current bill on child trafficking and that the Governments’ Child Abuse Enquiry was completed in a timely fashion. 

7.               The request that members view, like and follow the Children’s Safeguarding Board twitter feed and Facebook pages. 

8.               The support of the Opposition for the report and for the outstanding work of the Chair, Geraldine Gavin, but also concerns:

a.     That the report should include more detailed statistics so that trends could be identified, including numbers of cases, logging actions taken, prosecutions, the effectiveness of actions taken and more information from the Police on radicalisation and the work being done to fight ISIS. 

b.     About the staff leaving the related service and not being replaced. 

9.               The summing up of the Cabinet Member for Education, Children’s Services and Protection, that the work of the board should be celebrated and with thanks to members for their contributions, and a promise that the comments would be taken on board.  A huge amount of work had been done and some of it was set out at the back of the report. 

AGREED to note the progress being made to safeguard children and young people and specifically note this report and the Enfield Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report which was attached to the report as an appendix. 

A report from the Interim Director of Children’s Services is attached. This presents the Enfield Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2015-2016. (Non key)

(Report No.96)

(8.25 – 8.30 pm)

Councillor Ayfer Orhan (Cabinet Member for Education, Children’s Services and Protection) introduced the report of the Director of Children’s Services (No.96) presenting the Enfield Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2015-2016.

Geraldine Gavin, Independent Chair of the Safeguarding Children Board, was welcomed to the Cabinet meeting and invited to present the Annual report to Members.

NOTED

1.               The progress being made to safeguard children and young people as outlined in the report and the Enfield Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2015-2016.

2.               That 2015/16 had been a successful year for the work of the Board with continued effectiveness in assessing and driving forward safeguarding practice which kept children and young people at risk safe. There was a good multi-agency response to safeguarding concerns with strong systems and structures in place across the partnership. Councillor Orhan acknowledged the enormity and value of the work carried out by the Board and the partner organisations. Thanks and appreciation, were expressed to all involved including the members and officers and in particular, to the leadership and tremendous contribution of the Chair of the Board, Geraldine Gavin. Councillor Orhan as a member of the Board stated the commitment of all involved in continued improvement and effectiveness in keeping children and young people safe from harm.

3.               Geraldine Gavin acknowledged the work which had been achieved by the Board in 2015/16 as set out in the annual report. She paid tribute to the contribution made by two exceptional lay members and highlighted the significance of their work.

4.               The membership of the Board and its sub-committees which was regularly reviewed and refreshed to ensure continued effectiveness and improvement.

5.               Geraldine Gavin drew Members’ attention to the main aims of the Board as set out in full in the annual report. It was noted that the annual report had previously been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board where the main issue of discussion had focused on awareness raising around the issue of female genital mutilation (FGM).

6.               Members welcomed the annual report and acknowledged the valuable work which continued to be undertaken. Suggestions were made for increasing awareness among parents on issues such as PREVENT – the national anti-radicalisation agenda.

7.               Members also acknowledged the commitment of Councillor Ayfer Orhan to the Board and the work undertaken.

8.               Councillor Doug Taylor, on behalf of the Cabinet, expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Board and in particular to Geraldine Gavin, Independent Chair.

Alternative Options Considered: Not applicable to this report.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL,that the Enfield Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2015-2016, be received for information.

Reason: Enfield Safeguarding Children Board would require the commitment and support from multiple partners and from colleagues across the Council in order to continue to focus on improvements with the clear aim of reducing harm.

(Non key)