Agenda item

To consider a report by the Corporate Director: Modernisation and Wellbeing (copy enclosed)

 

A copy of a report by the Corporate Director: Modernisation and Wellbeing (CDMW) (circulated previously) on the proposal for the adoption of a Corporate Safeguarding Policy and the establishment of a joint member/officer Corporate Safeguarding Panel (CSP).

 

The CDMW explained that the key responsibility to be discharged, across a complex multi-functional organisation had never been separately resourced. Successive authoritative reports over the last 10 years, which included Waterhouse, Laming, Pembrokeshire had made it abundantly clear that challenges to the resilience of safeguarding arrangements in fact arise in many different places, such that safeguarding has to be “Everybody’s Business”.

 

Denbighshire’s proactive approach to ensuring compliance with its safeguarding responsibilities had been outlined in the report.  It was explained that despite a range of approaches Denbighshire could not be confident that robust safeguarding practice had been embedded across all the Council’s functions.  Details of the development of approaches adopted to maintain a corporate profile and overview for safeguarding issues had been provided in detail.

 

A draft Corporate Safeguarding Policy and Guidelines, based heavily on that recently adopted in Gwynedd following an Estyn Inspection and as the result of requirements set out by the Inspectorate, had been circulated with the report.  The proposal submitted would provide a logical development to the work previously undertaken with the Corporate Accountabilities Framework and on the Corporate Safeguarding Action Plan.  The aim of the policy and guidelines would be to establish a structured means for ensuring that safeguarding was an issue taken on by every service in the Council as well as all elected Members.

 

Key aspects of the policy and guidelines were that:-

 

-  both children and adults were covered.

-  it had been based around safeguarding, not just protection.

-  it included the notion of Designated Managers within every service for dealing with safeguarding matters (who receive appropriate training).

-  designated managers would come together with senior officers and Lead Members to form a CSP which would be accountable to Cabinet.  The CPS would be expected to produce an Annual Report for reporting internally and also to the LSCB.

-  every service would be expected to have safeguarding policies and procedures covering their particular area of the business.

-  the responsibilities of Elected Members would be covered.

-  core dataset would be included for reporting purposes.  This would include some of the usual PIs and key HR data (CRB checks, reference compliance, plus a percentage of Councillors attending safeguarding training).  There would be some overlap with Corporate Plan reporting and the dataset would need to evolve to ensure it added value to current reporting.

 

The appendices provide further detail relating to:-

 

-  basic information about signs of abuse and referral pathways, which would link to child and adult protection procedures.

-  a useful section on Code of Conduct and Safe Working practices.

-  a section setting out the training support to be provided initially, which would need to be developed over a period of time.

-  cross referencing with our Safe Recruitment (Human Resources) Policies.

-  guidelines for Councillors on safe contact.

-  dealing with allegations of professional abuse, including links with child and adult protection procedures.

 

It was felt that the package would provide a credible approach to making a reality of safeguarding as a corporate concern, and would foster consistency of approach and accountability and be tailored to the issues facing particular services.  The main cost implications, which would be threefold, had been outlined in the report.  Confirmation was provided that the adoption of the Policy and Panel arrangements could have positive implications, especially for older people and disabled people, and no negative implications had been identified.

 

The Committee were informed that although guidelines were currently sparse, HR were undertaking work to produce a policy on social media use.  The CDMW confirmed that the remit of the further work in this area would be incorporated in the remit of the CSP.  The HLDS informed the Committee that the WLGA had produced a guidance document on Elected Members use of social media which could be of assistance.

 

In response to the following concern raised by Mr P. Whitham:-

 

-               the CDMW agreed that Appendix 7 be amended to included reference to Cabinet to receiving an Annual Report from the CSP.

-               the need to review the Policy and Guidelines on a regular basis, and the inclusion of a fixed review period within the Terms of Reference.

-               there being no direction in the Terms of Reference to the CSP monitoring the progression of technology.

 

The CDMW explained that the issues raised could be addressed and that the role of the CSP included the identification of any potential gaps in the Policy. 

 

Councillor M.L. Holland expressed the view that attendance at Safeguarding training sessions should be mandatory.  However, Councillor S.A. Davies felt the decision to attend such training sessions should remain with the respective Member.

 

During the ensuing discussion, Members agreed that the Safeguarding Policy and Panel be reviewed after 3 years.

 

RESOLVED – that the Corporate Governance Committee agrees:-

 

(a)          the adoption of the Corporate Safeguarding Policy.

(b)          the establishment of a Corporate Safeguarding Panel with terms of reference as included in the report, subject to the suggested amendments, and

(c)          the Safeguarding Policy and Panel be reviewed after 3 years.

(SE to Action)