Introduction to the Safety Net Quality Assurance scheme for non-profit organisations working with children, young people and families in Brighton and Hove

1. Improving Child Safety in Brighton
and Hove
Simple Quality Protects
Lynne Charmer - Safety Net
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
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2. Acknowledgments
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3. Simply Quality
Protects
• Licence purchased summer 2011
• Roll out began October 2011
• 29 organisations involved in the process so far
• 2 GOLD AWARDS
• 6 SILVER AWARDS
• 8 BRONZE AWARDS
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4. Simple Quality Protects:
Quality Assurance for the cvs
Sector-friendly, sector-designed
Safeguarding roots
Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels
Management Committee & Service-user participation
Assessed by Safety Net
Recognised by Local Authorities, Funders and
Commissioners
Localised / signposting
Reviewed annually
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5. Background – third
sector research
Children’s Workforce Development funding 2008-2011
• Training Needs Analysis
• Core Skills & Knowledge Programme
• ‘Core of the Core’ Research
• Quality Assurance Consultation
• Safeguarding & Child Protection training courses
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6. Findings
MAY 2010 TO FEBRUARY 2011
53 groups expressed an interest in a Quality Assurance
scheme
38 for commissioning & funding reasons
6 for organisational reasons (developing good practice)
All 62 groups welcomed any support for safeguarding
training, policy development and networking
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7. The ‘Let’s Protect’ Offer
• Free training for small community groups and all
volunteers working with CYP & families
• 1:1 Support with understanding and applying for
CRB checks; consultation, dealing with
disclosures
• Help with developing Best Practice and safer
Policies & Procedures
• A free Quality Assurance scheme for the sector
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8. Key Successes
• 29 organisations involved in Simple Quality
Protects Oct ‘11 to Sept ‘12
• 16 awards; 13 pending
• Positive links with the LSCB, CVSF, Sports
Development Team and Safe Network
(NSPCC)
• Safeguarding Forum established
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9. Key Successes continued
• Sharing of good practice across the city
• Increase of take-up on Core Skills Programme
• 15% increase of CRB applications
• 91 organisations registered with the Safe
Network
• ‘Nuggets of Gold’ outcomes
• Development of new training courses
• Organisations ‘contract ready’
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10. Nuggets of Gold: for
groups
• Checklist for parents/carers
• Understanding safer recruitment
• Equipment inventory
• Clear roles & responsibilities
• Developing shared protocols
• Improved links and networks
• Better clarity - thresholds for child protection
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11. What Groups Told Us
Ability to create a solid staff & volunteer induction list
Clarity about who needs a CRB and why
Being able to verify the safety of their work to other
members of the community
A better understanding of Risk Assessments
Being able to provide their safety to funders and
partners
Clarity on the responsibilities of parent helpers
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12. What Groups Told Us
Improved organisation of policies – “They are now
all in one place”
Having the support to change and develop policies
Creating new policies - outdoor work, fires and use
of knives and equipment
Feeling relieved that they are doing everything „right‟
Having the opportunity to help us to create new
training courses
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13. Nuggets of Gold: for the
sector
• Intelligence about less visible organisations
• Supporting the emergence of new groups
• Monitoring of professional expertise / gaps
• Identifying gaps in Safeguarding & Child
Protection awareness
• Insight into the sector experiences of ACAS
• Mapping & growing inter-agency structures
• Identifying child safety issues arising
• Joined-up practice
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14. Simple Quality Protects: Local
Safeguarding Children’s Board
Sector-friendly, sector-designed
• It has helped us to evidence Section 11
requirements for smaller groups
• Fed into the safeguarding annual report for the
LSCB
• Enabled us to give a presentation to the LSCB
to demonstrate how the community and voluntary
sector is meeting its safeguarding requirements
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15. Training May ‘11-April ‘12:
Total 83 groups
• An Introduction To Safeguarding/Child Protection
61 organisations / 141 individuals
• Bespoke Safeguarding/ Child Protection
7 organisations / 105 individuals
• An Introduction to Protective Behaviours
12 organisations / 48 individuals
• Professional Boundaries training
3 organisations; 36 individuals
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16. CRB support
• Visits to organisations
• Individual and group support
• Telephone and email advice
• National updates
• Confidential advice on disclosures
• Supported application procedure
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17. Promoting Safeguarding
• Safer Recruitment including CRB, referencing,
supervision
• ‘Live’ Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy
• Equality & Diversity Policy and Procedures (Includes
Bullying)
• Staff & Volunteer Training / Support
• Online Safety Policy
• Code of Ethics and Conduct
• Health and Safety Procedures
• Risk Assessments
• Confidentiality & Data Protection Policies
• Links with other Agencies & Networks
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18. Promoting Child Protection
• Designated Child Protection Officers
• Live and Relevant Child Protection Policy and
Procedures
• Understanding Signs and Symptoms of Abuse
• Knowing what to report / how/ who to
• Handling Disclosure
• Clear lines of accountability
• Partnership working / multi agency working
• Involving Social Care Teams / Police/ Other Agencies
• Data Protection / Confidentiality Protocols
• Specialised Training (where appropriate)
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19. Policy Development – QA
Scheme
Safeguarding &
Child Protection
Health & Safety;
Code of ethics
Risk
and conduct
Assessments
Whistleblowing Equality &
& Managing Diversity (incl
Allegations Anti Bullying)
Online Safety &
Social Media
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20. Lets Protect! 2012-
13
Forward Planning:-
• Gathering intelligence on the sector’s Safeguarding/Child
Protection practices via a three tier system:
• TIER ONE – small/medium groups via the SQP Programme
• TIER TWO – medium groups via the Safeguarding Survey
• TIER THREE – larger orgs – Section 11 Audits
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21. Lets Protect! 2012-
13
Generic and tailored training programme
Resource Pack to accompany the SQP
Continued roll-out across the sector
Developing parent and child community consultation & involvement
Safety Net leaflets for parents – checklist of safety
Shared policies and procedures online
Workshops & seminars for policy development (i.e. Social media)
Promotion of programme at Local Action Team meetings
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22. SQP – limitations?
• Need for regular review
• Paperwork and admin processes v safe activities/
environment
• Service user feedback / opinion
• Kitemark Complacency
• Participation and Consultation
• Translation for communities
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