Safeguarding Children

ARRANGEMENTS FOR SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN

Introduction

The safeguarding of children and young people has gained increasing prominence over the past few months, following the publication of the following reports:

Safeguarding Children. A Review of Arrangements in the NHS for Safeguarding Children (2009)
Monitor – Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts letter (2009).

Each of the reports focuses on ensuring that NHS organisations have robust systems and procedures in place to minimise the risk of harm to children and young people. This paper provides assurance that the organisation is compliant with regard to meeting its obligations to safeguard children, particularly with regard to those areas identified in the above documents as detailed below:

STANDARD	TRUST POSITION/ACTION BEING TAKEN
Foundation Trusts meet the statutory requirements with regard to the carrying out of Criminal Records Bureau checks (CRB).	The Trust fulfils its statutory obligations in relation to conducting enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosures for all staff working with children. All staff who have direct access to children, including employees within the organisation whose role changes are required to have enhanced CRB clearance prior to taking up post. CRB checks are carried out for all new staff to the Trust where the position meets the eligibility criteria. Where a position meets the criteria specified within the Protection of Children Act (PoCA), a PoCA check is also undertaken as part of the enhanced CRB check. The Independent Safeguarding authority’s Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) will be implemented upon its introduction in 2010.
Child protection policies and systems are up to date and robust, including a process for following up children who miss outpatient appointments, and a system for flagging children for whom there are safeguarding concerns. The Trust’s ‘Safeguarding Children and Young People’ policy and procedure provides comprehensive guidance relating to the management of safeguarding concerns that are identified.	The Trust’s ‘Safeguarding Children and Young People’ policy and procedure provides information and guidance for staff in relation to safeguarding children. The document is based on, and mirrors the LSCB’s document entitled ‘Lancashire Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy and Procedure’. The Trust’s guideline for the Management of babies, children and young people who fail to attend their outpatient appointment (DNA process) describes the process to be undertaken for following up children who miss outpatient appointments. Clinical records are reviewed at the time of admission to identify whether any previously identified safeguarding concerns have been documented, or whether a ‘Safeguarding/Child Protection Admission Checklist’ has previously been completed. Work is currently underway to develop an electronic alert system for identifying children for who there are safeguarding concerns.
All eligible staff have undergone and are up to date with safeguarding training.	The Trust’s Risk Management Training Needs Analysis identifies the training requirements for each staff group in relation to Child Protection, together with the learning outcomes/ objectives for each of the levels. The Trust is on trajectory to deliver this standard by the end of December 2009.
Designated and/or named professionals are clear about their roles and have sufficient time and support to undertake them.	Designated and named doctors, together with the Trust Lead Nurse for Safeguarding and the Named Midwife for Safeguarding are in post and are clear about their roles. The Trust Lead Nurse’s role is a full time substantive post, as is that of the named midwife. The designated and named doctors have the responsibilities of the roles outlined in a job description/job plan.
There is a Board level Executive Director lead for safeguarding, the Board reviews safeguarding across the organisation at least once a year and has robust audit programmes to assure it that safeguarding systems and processes are working.	The Nursing Director, who is a member of the LSCB, undertakes the role of Children’s Champion within the acute Trust, and as such, advises the Board in relation to safeguarding matters. Safeguarding risks are assessed and included in the Board Assurance Framework. Safeguarding issues are discussed at the Trust’s Children’s Steering Group, and a quarterly safeguarding report is presented to the Clinical Governance sub-committee. Reports from this committee are presented to the Trust Risk Management Committee (a sub-committee of the Board of Directors). An annual report on children’s services, of which safeguarding is a component, is presented to the Board of Directors. In addition, periodic reports are presented to the Board of Directors on relevant issues as they arise throughout the year. Third party assurances are derived from feedback from Internal Audit reviews. Safeguarding reviews are conducted annually within the organisation. Safeguarding reviews are conducted as part of the clinical audit programme. The audit programme is designed to provide assurance that the safeguarding policy and procedure and practices are effective across the organisation.
There is effective collaboration between organisations.	The Nursing Director is a member of the LSCB. Interface meetings involving representatives from both the acute and primary care trusts, together with the Police, CAMHS services and the Children Integrated Care Team are held regularly. A joint protocol relating to the undertaking and management of Serious Case Reviews is in existence, and is used by both the acute Trust and the PCT. The Trust partakes in the joint area review.
Review of Internal Management Reviews (IMRs).	Action plans based on the findings of IMRs are formulated and monitored.
Compliance with national standards for safeguarding.	The Trust is compliant with both the CQC’s Core Standard: C2, Safeguarding Children and Standard 5 of the NSF for Children, Young People and Maternity Services.

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