Agenda item

To consider a report (copy attached) by the Team Leader, Education Social Work which outlines the referral activity of schools to Children Services over the last school year, updates the Committee on the Safeguarding Action Plan relating to procedures in education and of training offered to schools.

The Education Social Worker Team Leader (ESWTL) submitted a report (previously circulated) updating the Committee on safeguarding activity within education and on the safeguarding action plan undertaken in response to the September 2011 Pembrokeshire County Council report.  The Committee were asked for their endorsement and support to the future actions undertaken to address the areas of weakness identified in the annual audit of schools and to address cross service safeguarding issues.

ESWTL explained to the Committee significant changes had taken place during the previous 12 months in Wales.  Following the Pembrokeshire County Council report (Sept 2011), which was used as a template of areas of concern, issues were raised at Ministerial level.  The Minister wrote to each Local Authority requesting audits be carried out.

All referrals are automatically copied to ESWTL for audit.  If referral is not  considered serious enough to be dealt with by the Safeguarding Unit, or the reason for the referral is unclear, the ESWTL  contacts the school to ascertain reasons why the referral was made.   A rolling programme of yearly training was now provided to all schools.  Details of staff unable to attend training are sent back to the Headteacher to ensure training is undertaken within the school year.

Projects delivered through Cymorth funding on the Local Authority’s behalf had also been made aware of the importance of safeguarding matters and the need to develop safeguarding policies.  This had resulted in an audit being undertaken of the agencies’ child protection and safeguarding policies. 

As Cymorth funding was coming to an end, the Corporate Director, Demographics, Wellbeing and Planning (CD: DWP) clarified that new contracts awarded under the Families First initiative would specify the need for HR processes to deal with child protection matters and that safeguarding would form part of the contract monitoring process.

Dr Dawn Marjoram, Co-optee Member declared her specialist interest was children with special needs and disabled children were particularly vulnerable to be abused.  Dr Marjoram asked if both staff working within special needs schools and staff in main stream schools, who deal with special needs children, were given specific training, particularly those staff that looked after children with communication problems.  The ESWTL confirmed that there were staff with specialist knowledge working in schools and they would be able to identify any circumstances which were a cause of concern.  It was conveyed within the training sessions that it was not only the responsibility of the staff to safeguard the children but also the responsibility of the Local Authority, which included school governors.  Key services within Denbighshire County Council had the relevant knowledge to deal with issues.

CD:DWP confirmed that the Joint Risk Assessment Panel met on a twice weekly basis and these meetings were attended by Education, Social Services, Police and Health representatives.  Information was collated regarding the nature of assistance a child or family may require, so that a team could be built around the family to support them.

Dr Marjoram enquired if the child from outside the county was educated at a Denbighshire school, how would this affect the process?  ESWTL explained there was a clear system to deal with a child from outside Denbighshire.  There was an expectation from the management team that the Local Authority was contacted, this ensured Denbighshire was being proactive and not reactive.  The management team had recently attended Level 2 training in order to heighten awareness including when appointing representatives to governing bodies.

ESWTL clarified the audit was presented to the Safeguarding Children’s Board.  Following the Board meeting, any issues were then incorporated within the training programme.

Councillor Gwilym Evans questioned the IT system currently in place and whether it was sufficient to deal with the issues as and when they arose.  ESWTL clarified if a problem arose regarding the IT system, an alternative interface would be contact by telephone.  All schools had contact numbers for Children’s Services to enable a verbal referral.  Therefore, problems with the IT system would not cause any referral delay.

RESOLVED that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the Press and Public be excluded from the meeting for the following business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 12 and 13 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

PART II

Training was also provided to School Crossing Patrol staff, which had been especially tailored to meet their needs, and William Mathias School Music Service staff in Conwy and Denbighshire.  Leisure Centre managers and staff have undergone training.  Youth Service staff were scheduled to undergo training within the next month.  John Saxon, Co-optee Member, enquired if Headteachers received extra training. ESWTL confirmed that Headteachers received both level 1 and level 2 training.  Level 1 and 2 training gave wider awareness of safeguarding around schools, e.g. staffing, recruitment, HR and wellbeing of children. 

Discussion took place regarding school transport and escorts.  The ESWTL confirmed that his staff worked closely with the Licensing Department.  Dr Marjoram asked if there was a structure in place for escorts and if so, it should also be in place for taxi/school bus drivers.  The ESWTL confirmed that taxi drivers, licensed with Denbighshire, have an enhanced CRB check.  CRB checks were also carried out on all bus drivers by the Passenger Transport Section.  Also if there was a suspended taxi driver from another county, this information would be passed on ensuring the suspended driver was unable to work in another county.  Such processes were to be made more rigorous and robust following the publication of the All Wales Child Protection Procedures.

The Chair, Councillor Dewi Owens, enquired about taxi drivers who work without a school escort.  The ESWTL clarified that it was not compulsory for school escorts to accompany all children travelling in a taxi. 

John Saxon, Co-optee member asked if all school buses/coaches were fitted with cameras.  The ESWTL was not completely sure on this point and suggested that clarification be sought from the Section Manager Passenger Transport to ascertain whether this was the case.  Dr. Marjoram also suggested there was a need for child on child safeguarding to be looked into on school transport.

The ESWTL confirmed to the Committee that every school was required to undertake an annual audit within which 127 questions required responses.  This information was sent to ESWTL who then audited the information.  The Committee:

RESOLVED that subject to the above observations:

(a)               to note the actions undertaken to date to address cross service safeguarding issues, and endorse future actions to address the areas of weakness identified in the annual audit of schools to address cross service safeguarding issues; and

(b)               that school governors are requested to monitor on a regular basis that all their school staff and volunteers have current relevant safeguarding checks in place and have undertaken the safeguarding training relevant to their role.