Agenda item

To receive and consider the Corporate Safeguarding Board Activity Report.

Background:

• A follow up meeting was held on the 12^th of September and the Health & Care Committee would receive that activity report shortly. The next Corporate Safeguarding Board meeting was planned for the 12^th of December.

Review of Progress against Actions in the Safeguarding Regulatory Tracker:

• Excellent progress had been made with item 96, showing member compliance at 100% and staff compliance at 95.5%. Mandatory training had become an embedded item across the service in terms of performance monitoring. It was agreed that this item would be marked as closed and completed.
• Tracker item 97 was agreed to be closed and completed.
• Tracker item 99 would be kept open and reviewed at future board meetings.

Regional Safeguarding Board Update:

• Scrutiny members were welcomed to attend the 2024 Regional Safeguarding Board Conference hosted by Ceredigion Council on Thursday 14^th November. The theme would be ‘right place, right time’.
• It was agreed that Child Practice Review and Adult Practice Review summaries be brought to future Board meetings as a standard agenda item to take on a summary of learning.
• Positives of National Safeguarding Week were noted.

Safeguarding in Housing, Including Young People (16/17-Year-Old) Housing:

• The Board discussed the Council’s use of Bed & Breakfasts and emphasised the importance of minimising time spent in these and other temporary accommodations, in line with the rapid rehousing approach.
• At the end of October 2023, 46 households were placed in Bed & Breakfasts, by the end of June 2024 this had reduced to 12 which resulted in £20,000 savings per week.
• The Board reiterated that there was zero-tolerance around 16–17-year-olds being placed in bed & breakfasts. The Housing Service agreed that was the goal.
• Assurance was requested from the board that if a 16 - 17-year-old in education had to be placed into temporary accommodation, everything would be done not to affect their learning. It was confirmed that wherever possible, the wider needs of the household would be taken into consideration and the best would be done to keep people local.

Mandatory Safeguarding Training, Including VAWDASV:

• The Board noted that mandatory safeguarding training in schools had dropped. It was confirmed that priority was given to the completion of mandatory training and networks had been set up to support governors that had safeguarding responsibilities to help ensure compliance was achieved.
• Powys sat second in completion of ‘ask and act training’. It was felt that an e-learning module like Ceredigion Council’s would not be appropriate to replicate but other options were being explored.

Adult Social Care Safeguarding Performance, including Deprivation of liberty Safeguarding Update:

• The Board picked up on a delay in DBS checks and certificates from Dyfed Powys Police. Work was being done with Dyfed Powys Police to understand these delays. 

Annual Private Fostering Report:

• The Annual Private Fostering Report was presented to the Board and would be added to the Governor’s Newsletter.
• Information sharing with Powys Teaching Health Board was confirmed to be ongoing.
• The Children Missing Education Pilot that Powys County Council were undertaking with Welsh Government had suggested an annual exchange.

JICPA:

• Confirmation was received that the JICPA Action Plan was being monitored by PLOG (Powys Local Organisation Group) and a six-monthly update against the Action Plan would be provided at a future Committee meeting.

Safeguarding in Education, including Elective Home Education and Fixed Term Exclusions:

• It was noted that comparative data would be provided in future meetings.
• The Board asked whether poor behaviour exclusions were being reviewed following medical diagnosis. It was confirmed this was being worked on and support was being provided to schools around ALN.

Over the summer of 2024, Audit Wales conducted a follow up inspection focussed on the Corporate Safeguarding Arrangements, the draft report for this was expected at the end of September 2024 and would be presented to a future scrutiny meeting and Corporate Safeguarding Board meeting.