1. Local safeguarding
children board.

2. Learning objectives

At the end of this session participants should be
able to;
Outline the functions of the local safeguarding children
board.
Recall the board partners.
Describe the purpose of serious case reviews.

3. Local Safeguarding
Children Board

 The Children Act (2004) demands that each local
authority creates a local Safeguarding Children
Board.

4. The board partners that make up the local
safeguarding children board

 The Safeguarding children board must include a
representative from the local authority and each of
the remaining board partners including;
 District council.
 Chief police officer.
 Local probation trust.
 Youth offending team.

5. The board partners that make up the local
safeguarding children board.

NHS commissioning board.
NHS trusts.
Cafcass.
Governor /director of a secure training centre.
The governor /director of any prison in the area that detains
children.
Two lay members.
The governing body of a maintained school.
The owner of a non-maintained special school.
The leader of a city technology college or an academy.
The governing body of a further education institution.

6. Statutory objectives of the LSCBs
(Children Act ,2004)

 “To coordinate what is done by each person or body
represented on the board for the purposes of
safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in
the area; and
 To ensure the effectiveness of what is done by each
such person or body for those purposes”
 (HM.Government , 2013:58 )

7. Functions of the local
safeguarding children board

 Creating policies to promote the safety and wellbeing
of children.
 Appropriate responses to be taken when there are
concerns about a child.
 Training.
 Recruitment and supervision of staff who work with
children.
 Investigation of allegations against staff who work
with children.

8. Functions of the safeguarding children board
cont.

Promote the safety and wellbeing of children
who are privately fostered.
To work cooperatively with neighbouring
children’s services, authorities and their
board partners.
Raise awareness of how relevant
organisations and individuals can safeguard
children.

9. Functions of the safeguarding children board
cont.

Monitoring the effectiveness of safeguarding
practice within their area.
Contribute to the planning of children's
services within their area.
Complete serious case reviews and
communicate the lessons to be learnt.

10. Serious case reviews

 “ The prime purpose of a serious case review is for
agencies and individuals to learn lessons to improve
the way they work both individually and collectively to
safeguard and promote the welfare of children.” (
HM, Government,2010: 233)

11. Serious case reviews

 As well as evaluating how relevant organisations
worked together to safeguard children serious case
reviews should clearly state areas for improvement
offering time scales for enhancements.
 “Serious case reviews are not inquiries into how a
child died or was seriously harmed. These are
matters for coroners and criminal courts”(
HMGovernment, 2010:234).

12. Serious case reviews

 The experience of the child on a day to day basis
and insights into his or her welfare, needs and
feelings should influence the serious case review.

13. Serious case reviews

 Any professional can refer a case to the local safeguarding
children’s board
 Local safeguarding boards are required by law to undertake
serious case reviews.
 The criteria for a serious case review is;
 Abuse or neglect is known and suspected and either the child
had died (in these cases a serious case review should always
be performed).
 A serious case review should be considered when a child has
been seriously harmed (serious harm includes life threatening
injury and permanent impairment of physical/ mental health)
and there is concern about how relevant agencies have worked
together.

14. Serious case review
overview report

 This reports should include;
 Introduction
 The facts
 Analysis, conclusion and recommendations
 An executive summary should be produced reflecting
the main issues within the report;
 The executive summary should be made public.

15. References

“The Children Act 2004” cited in H.M.Government,2013. Working together
to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and
promote the welfare of children. London: DfE.
H.M.Government ,2010. Working together to safeguard children: a guide
to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Nottingham: DCSF Publications.
H.M.Government ,2013. Working together to safeguard children: a guide
to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
London: DfE.