Agenda item

To consider a report by Councillor Bobby Feeley (copy enclosed) which  proposes the adoption of a Corporate Safeguarding Policy and the establishment of a joint Member/Officer Corporate Safeguarding Panel.

Councillor Bobby Feeley presented the report, 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).

RESOLVED:- that Cabinet agrees:-

(a)          the adoption of the Corporate Safeguarding Policy.

(b)          the establishment of a Corporate Safeguarding Panel with terms of reference as described in Appendix 8 to the report, and

(c)          that safeguarding training be mandatory for all Elected Members within the first twelve months of appointment to office.

Councillor Bobby Feeley presented the report, 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).

Councillor Feeley explained that Denbighshire’s proactive approach to ensuring compliance with its safeguarding responsibilities had been outlined in the report.  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.

It was explained by the CDMW that the key responsibility to be discharged across a complex multi-functional organisation had never been clarified or separately resourced.  Successive authoritative reports, which included the Waterhouse, Laming, Pembrokeshire, had made it abundantly clear that challenges to the resilience of safeguarding arrangements evolved in many different places, and safeguarding had to be “Everybody’s Business”.

Over the last ten years Denbighshire had developed several approaches to maintaining a corporate profile and an overview for safeguarding issues and these had been detailed in the report. 

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 had been summarised in the report and the Appendices provided 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.

The CDMW explained 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 would be threefold had been outlined in the report.  It was confirmed 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.

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.  Cabinet were informed that the WLGA had produced a guidance document on Elected Members use of social media which could be of assistance.

The Corporate Governance Committee had considered and expressed their support of the adoption of the Policy, guidance and Panel.  However, they had raised some issues about the document’s internal consistency, which had subsequently been addressed.  Members had made some specific suggestions about additions to the policy/items for the work programme, particularly relating to advice and good practice guidance on the use of technology/social media. These had been accepted and it was proposed that work on a single policy covering legal, HR and safeguarding implications be taken forward.  The suggestion that the Safeguarding Policy/guidance/Panel should be reviewed after 3 years had been accepted, and a formal review date had been added to the front of the Policy.

Members considered recommendation 3.3 of the report and agreed that safeguarding training be mandatory for all Elected Members within the first twelve months of appointment to office.

RESOLVED:- that Cabinet agrees:-

(a)          the adoption of the Corporate Safeguarding Policy.

(b)          the establishment of a Corporate Safeguarding Panel with terms of reference as described in Appendix 8 to the report, and

(c)          that safeguarding training be mandatory for all Elected Members within the first twelve months of appointment to office.