Safeguarding Children

London Councils’ safeguarding children work is delivered through the London Safeguarding Children Board, a multi-agency strategic support body hosted and part funded (with the Metropolitan Police Service) by London Councils.

The London Board is responsible for co-ordinating child protection activity in the capital, leading on a broad range of work including the development of policy and guidance on complex issues; the provision of a range of support to elected members and other professional groups; and the organisation of pan-London safeguarding activity on areas such as the 2012 Games. The Board also provides a strong unified voice for London in response to government reviews and consultations and regularly influences national policy development.

The Board is chaired by Cheryl Coppell, Chief Executive at LB Havering and its membership includes key decision makers from the full range of agencies working to keep children safe in London including:

• Directors of Children’s Services
• London Local Safeguarding Children Board Chairs
• The Metropolitan Police Child Abuse Investigation Command
• NHS London
• CAFCASS
• The UK Border Agency
• London Probation Service
• Crown Prosecution Service
• National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
• Barnardo’s.

Recent initiatives from the Board include:

• a programme of sector led improvement for London children’s services, rolling out targeted improvement work in a number of local authorities and completing good practice projects in areas such as adoption, youth justice, early help and multi-agency information sharing
• new documents to help LSCBs work more closely with local minority ethnic communities and faith groups to help safeguarding children living in minority ethnic, cultural or faith communities or groups
• a collation of new guidance and recognised good practice for professionals working with trafficked children
• a multi-agency project to develop better information sharing arrangements between the range of agencies working with children and young people, with a particular focus on the quality of partnership work when child protection referrals are initially received
• a London-wide pilot to improve learning from serious cases
• launching and establishing the London Safeguarding Children Awards, which showcase and celebrate good and promising practice in safeguarding and child protection.  Follow this link for more information on the 2012 Awards.

For more detailed information on the work of the London Safeguarding Children Board, and to download the Board’s quarterly update paper, see www.londonscb.gov.uk.