SLSCB BUSINESS PLAN – ACTIONS, TIMESCALES, OUTCOMES AND RAG RATINGS
PRIORITY 1a Early Help and Prevention
Strategic Lead from SLSCB Executive: Nancy Barber/Jill King (BHFT) Chair of Quality and Performance Sub Group
OBJECTIVES:
SLSCB to take a robust role in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Early Intervention Strategy.
To improve the effectiveness of universal services to reduce the number of children requiring early help and targeted
services
To reduce the number of children referred into child protection and other specialist safeguarding services though more
effective integrated early help that improves outcomes for CYP
Specific Actions
1. To ensure that the Early Intervention Strategy
addresses safeguarding priorities by engaging in
the consultation on, and agreement to, the
Strategy.
2. Support the implementation of the Early
Response Hub to ensure that safeguarding
priorities are to the fore. Allocation of Munro
training monies to support programme of multiagency training to support effective
implementation of Early Response Hub operation
Timescale/
Target
Strategy
agreed and in
place by April
2012
Training
programme to
run across
financial year
2012/13
Lead
Chair of SLSCB
Pan-Berkshire
Training SubGroup and Early
Intervention Sub
Group of
Children’s
Partnership
Output/Outcome
measurement
Strategy agreed and in
place by April 2012.
(Agreement to strategy
secured at joint meeting of
SLSCB and CP on 11th April
2012)
Target number of staff
across each agency?
RAG
rating
Evaluation of staff
understanding/operational
effectiveness
Early help data in scorecard.
1 3. Support the implementation of the Referral Hub
co-ordinated by Thames Valley Police. Receive
first evaluation of operation of Hub and determine
if further actions required to secure operational
effectiveness.
Evaluation of
Jim Reeves
Hub to be
received in
June/July 2012
Review of Hub
operation
completed by
September
2012
Any new
arrangements
in place by
September/Oct
ober 2012
4. Monitoring of the impact of Early Intervention
Strategy in terms of their effectiveness in
delivering early help and the planned reduction in
the numbers of children referred into child
protection/tier 3 and 4 services
Performance
Chair of Quality
scorecard
and Performance
reporting to all Sub-Group
meetings of
the Quality and
Performance
Sub-Group,
Executive and
SLSCB
Targets set on
indicators met
Evaluation reported to
SLSCB July 2012
SLSCB and other
partnership responses
secured by September 2012
Any responsive action taken
by September October 2012
Reduction in number of
inappropriate referrals to
Duty Team.
Report back to SLSCB in
December
Performance Data
Overall:
Proportions of child population
in tier 1, 2, 3 and 4 services
Rate of referrals into child
protection
Number of children ‘stepped
down’ from tier 3 and 4 into tier
2, Early Help provision
Specific data:
1. Incidence of bullying
reported in schools and
2 other settings
2. The number of CAFs
carried out
3. The proportion of
referrals received by
children’s social care
that already have a
CAF/Proportion that do
not
4. Repeat incidents of
domestic abuse where
children live in the
household
5. MARAC Data – number
of cases reviewed/repeat
rate/number of children
in the household
6. Number of children that
have run away from
home/care
7. Repeat attendance at
hospital A&E and
analysis of ‘walk-in’
centre data
8. Health Visitor initial
home visit data – % of
visits taking place within
required timescales and
number triggering crossagency referral
Qualitative evidence
1. Multi-agency audit of
3 CAFs – testing multiagency engagement
in assessment and
service delivery
2. Multi-agency audit of
referrals into child
protection with and
without CAFs
Priority 1b: Quality support to children that require formal child protection and/or care
Strategic Lead: Assistant Director, Children, Young People and Families
To secure efficient and effective safeguarding practice when children are in the child protection and care services both in
terms of adherence to working together requirements, timeliness of action and quality of provision
To secure quality partner contributions to services/support to children who have a child protection plan or are in the care
of the local authority.
To assess the effectiveness of partner contributions in securing improved outcomes
Specific Actions
Timescale/
Lead
Target
To receive reports on and to scrutinise and
Performance
Chair of Quality
challenge all actions within the Safeguarding
scorecard
and Performance
Improvement Plan in relation to ‘Social Care
reporting to all Sub-Group
Practice’ and ‘Capacity and Capability’
meetings of
the Quality and
Performance
Sub-Group,
Executive and
SLSCB
Output/Outcome
measurement
Overall performance
outcomes sought:
RAG
rating
Effective safeguarding
practice
Reduction in the number of
children in both child
protection and care
Performance Data:
Targets set on
indicators met
Contact, Referral and
4 Assessment
1. Total number of contacts
received by social care
2. Total number of referrals
received by social care
3. Source of referrals
4. Number/% of referrals
that progress to Initial
Assessment (IAs)
5. Rate of IAs completed
within 7 days
6. Conversion of IAs to
Core Assessments(CAs)
7. Rate of CAs completed
within 35 days
8. Number of Section 47
enquiries
9. Number of Section 47
enquiries proceeding to
CP conference
Child Protection
1. Number of children
subject to Child
Protection Plan (CPP)
2. Categories of abuse –
number and rate –
across Neglect, Physical,
Emotional, Sexual,
Multiple
3. CPP reviews within
timescale
4. CPPs ceasing after 2
5 5. Number of children
subject to a CPP for a
second or subsequent
time
6. Ethnicity of children
subject to CPP
7. CPP cases allocated to a
QSW
8. Attendance of agencies
at core groups
9. Engagement of agencies
in CPPs
Looked After Children
1. Number of children in
care
2. Number of children
looked after with more
than three placements in
a year
3. % of under-16s that have
been in care for at least
2.5 years that are in
stable placements
4. % of LAC care plans that
include clear outcomes
that are understood by
children and parents
5. Number of LAC who
have visited the dentist
within last 12 months
6. Number of LAC that
have had their annual
6 7. Educational
Achievement data for
LAC at KS2 and KS4
8. Care Leaver
accommodation data:
 With
parents/relatives
 With former foster
carer
 Supported
lodgings
 Independent living
9. % of LAC that
participated in their LAC
Review
10. % of LAC with allocated
qualified social worker Undertake audits to qualitatively test the quality of
service provision.
Multi-Agency Audits
 The effectiveness of
Core Groups in
defining and
reviewing outcomes
that facilitate ‘stepdown’ of cases to
earlier help services;
 The effectiveness of
permanency planning
for children under-5 in
care.
7 Priority 2: Targeting Areas of Risk in Slough
Strategic Lead: Jim Reeves, Thames Valley Police
Objectives: To improve performance on Domestic Abuse and Children Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking
To investigate the need for action on E-Safety, Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Misuse, forced marriage/FGM/Honourbased violence/unlicensed circumcision/fabricated illness and Neglect.
Specific Actions
Timescale/
Target
Lead
RAG
rating
Performance data
Domestic Abuse
Test whether all agencies have appropriate
arrangements in place to identify and respond to
incidents of domestic abuse.
Output/Outcome
measurement
Monitor data
on scorecard
as above
Sophie WingKing
1. Repeat incidents of
domestic abuse
where children live in
the household
Domestic Abuse audit
Support the implementation of the Referral Hub coordinated by Thames Valley Police, receive reports
on its performance and take any actions arising from
See 1a 3.
above
Jim Reeves
See 1a 3. above
review of performance
Child Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation
1. Establish sub-group to lead on CSE/Children
Missing
2. Develop and effective local strategy to ensure
that there is a co-ordinated response
3. Map level of prevalence/need in Slough
June/July 2012 Jim
Reeves/Helen
July/August
Gore
2012
April – July
Sub Group established
Strategy agreed and
published
Data presented to SLSCB
8 4. Report to SBC Scrutiny Committee
5. Monitor ongoing prevalence and responses
6. Increase understanding and awareness of
CSE/Trafficking
7. Safeguard and promote the welfare of groups of
children that are potentially more vulnerable on
basis of needs analysis.
8. Establish effective links with other local
authorities and national agencies
2012
July 2012
Scorecard
reporting to all
Board cycles
Develop
training and
awareness
programme
Ongoing
monitoring of
scorecard
Berkshire and
TV Chairs
meetings
Report to SBC Scrutiny
Scorecard reporting to
SLSCB
Training evaluations
reported
Scorecard reporting
E-Safety
During 2012/13 the following will be undertaken in
preparation:



identification of lead person
investigative work to assess prevalence;
audit work undertaken in
neighbouring/similar authorities
Work to be
Julian King-Harris Report to determine whether
completed by
area becomes a priority in
January 2013
2013/14
to enable
consideration
for Business
Plan 2013/14 +
Mental Health – including parental mental health
During 2012/13 the following will be undertaken in
preparation:



identification of lead person
investigative work to assess prevalence;
audit work undertaken in
neighbouring/similar authorities
Work to be
Jill King
completed by
January 2013
to enable
consideration
for Business
Plan 2013/14 +
Report to determine whether
area becomes a priority in
2013/14
9 Drugs and Alcohol Misuse
During 2012/13 the following will be undertaken in
preparation:



identification of lead person
investigative work to assess prevalence;
audit work undertaken in
neighbouring/similar authorities
Work to be
Julia Wales
completed by
January 2013
to enable
consideration
for Business
Plan 2013/14 +
Report to determine whether
area becomes a priority in
2013/14
Work to be
Sophie Wingcompleted by
King
January 2013
to enable
consideration
for Business
Plan 2013/14 +
Report to determine whether
area becomes a priority in
2013/14
Geoff Gurney
Work to be
completed by
January 2013
to enable
consideration
for Business
Plan 2013/14 +
Report to determine whether
area becomes a priority in
2013/14
Forced marriage, genital mutilation, honourbased violence, unlicensed circumcision and
fabricated illness
During 2012/13 the following will be undertaken in
preparation:



identification of lead person
investigative work to assess prevalence;
audit work undertaken in
neighbouring/similar authorities
Neglect
During 2012/13 the following will be undertaken in
preparation:



identification of lead person
investigative work to assess prevalence;
audit work undertaken in
neighbouring/similar authorities
10 Priority 3: Board Effectiveness
Strategic Lead: Paul Burnett, Interim Independent Chair of the SLSCB
Objectives:
To implement recommendations from C4EO Review of SLSCB
To implement new governance arrangements
To agree budget to enable SLSCB to operate effectively
To implement the new business plan
To implement robust quality assurance and performance management framework including:
 performance data
 multi agency audits
 communication and engagement with service users
 communication and engagement with front line staff
To improve commissioning of services that provides better outcomes from partnership working
To act on proposing arising from Munro, new Ofsted frameworks for inspection etc
Specific Actions
C4EO review
Timescale/
Target
August 2012
Lead
Independent
Chair
Output/Outcome
measurement
All actions implemented
RAG
rating
Implement all actions from Audrey Williamson’s
C4EO Review of SLSCB (See annex 1 for detailed
list of actions and current RAG rating
Governance
Agree new governance arrangements for Board,
Executive and Sub-Groups
April 2012
Independent
Chair
New governance
arrangements in place
Agree constitution, all TOR, operating frameworks
June 2012
Independent
Chair
All paperwork in place
11 SLSCB meets statutory
requirements of Working
Together
Effective partnership engagement and performance
March 2013
Independent
Chair
Proxy measure through
attendance rates at
meetings
SLSCB able to evidence it own impact on
performance in safeguarding and promoting the
well-being of children and young people.
Budget
March 2013
Independent
Chair
As evidenced by scorecard
and audits
Agree formula for agency contributions.
April 2012
Independent
Chair
Formula agreed
Agree overall budget requirement to deliver
functions/support
April 2012
Total budget agreed
Calculate and secure agency contributions
July 2012
Identify other resources – both financial and ‘in kind’
that are being invested by agencies in support of
SLSCB activity
Business Plan
July 2012
Budget commitment
secured
Resources identified and
secured
Formulate and secure agreement to the Business
Plan
April 2012
Independent
Chair
Business Plan in place
Ensure effective communication of the Plan to all
constituent agencies and secure the relevant
support/resource deployment to enable all actions
July 2012
Independent
chair
Plan circulated and support
secured
12 to be delivered
Monitor performance against the Business
All cycles of
Board
Business
Manager
Reports to Quality and
Performance, Executive and
SLSCB
Revise the existing Quality Assurance and
Performance framework to reflect the outcomes of
this Business Plan.
June 2012
Q+P Sub Group
New scorecard in place
Ensure robust performance reporting from all
agencies.
Quarterly
reporting of
data from all
agencies
Q+P Sub Group
All scorecard reports
completed
Ensure that the SLSCB is provided with exception
reporting on performance that is ‘Red’ on the RAG
rating by the Quality and Performance Sub-Group
Multi-Agency Audit Programme
Reports to all
SLSCB
meetings
Q+P Sub Group
All scorecard reports
completed for SLSCB
meetings
April 2012
Q+P Sub Group
Audit and action plans
completed
Quality and Performance Management
Carry out the agreed programme of multi-agency
audits as follows:
 The effectiveness of the CAF in securing
effective multi-agency ‘early help’;
 The effectiveness of CAF in reducing
referrals for child protection
 The effectiveness of Core Groups in defining
and reviewing outcomes that facilitate ‘stepdown’ of cases to earlier help services;
 The effectiveness of permanency planning
for children under-5s in care.
 The effectiveness of multi-agency
responses to domestic abuse.
April 2012
August 2012
November
2012
To be
confirmed
13 Complete the analysis of Section 11 compliance
across all agencies, secure action plans from those
agencies not compliant and monitor performance
against these action plans
May 2012
Q & P Sub Group
Run second Section 11 audit
May – July
2012
Pan Berkshire
Section 11 group
Work with Children’s Partnership, Safer Slough
Partnership and Health and Well-Being Board to
ensure that safeguarding requirements cross-cut all
commissioning plans for services to children, young
people and families.
April – July
2012
Independent
Chair
Present SLSCB Business Plan and SLSCB Annual
Report to these partnerships to secure
understanding of key safeguarding priorities to be
reflected in commissioning plans.
July/August
2012
Support cross-partnership scrutiny and challenge of
plans and subsequent performance
March 2013
Commissioning Alignment
Links between strategic
partnerships secured
Incorporate proposals from Munro/new
inspection frameworks
14 Priority 4: Communication and Engagement – Raising the Profile of the SLSCB
Strategic Lead: Julie Penney, CAFCASS
Objectives are to improve communication and engagement with:




Children and young people
Communities
Front line staff
Partner agencies
Specific Actions
Set up Communications and Engagement SubGroup to lead this work
Timescale/
Target
June 2012
Lead
Business
Manager
Output/Outcome
measurement
Communication and
Engagement Sub-Group in
place
RAG
rating
Children and Young People
Formulate and agree an CYP Communication and
Engagement strategy
Chair of Comms
and Engagement
Sub-Group
Strategy in place
Review with existing children and young people’s
engagement arrangements to determine the extent
to which SLSCB engagement can be secured
through existing routes and put in place
arrangements to secure this.
Review undertaken
Following review above consider whether any
bespoke arrangements need to be put in place for
SLSCB
Bespoke arrangements in
place
Feedback secured
15 Secure feedback from engagement activities into
the Business Planning process for 2013/14
Evidence of views of
children and young people
influencing strategic
priorities, business plan
objectives, service
improvements.
SLSCB receiving views of
children and young people
from specifically vulnerable
groups – including those
with CPPs and LAC.
Evidence of children and
young peoples views of
services at the point of
delivery e.g. CYP views on
LAC reviews.
Communities
Develop a community communication and
engagement strategy to raise awareness of
safeguarding across the Borough.
Appoint Lay Members to represent community
perspectives and devise a programme of work for
lay members to engage with communities and
represent community perspective in the main Board
May 2012
Chair of Comms
and Engagement
Sub-Group
Strategy in place
Business
Manager
Lay Members recruited
Evidence of views of
community influencing
strategic priorities, business
plan objectives, service
improvements.
16 SLSCB receiving views of
specifically vulnerable
communities.
Front-line staff
Develop and implement communication and
engagement strategy for front line staff to raise
awareness of the Board, its priorities, their role in
implementing these priorities.
March 2013
Chair of Comms
and Engagement
Sub-Group
Enabling engagement of front-line staff in business
of the Board to incorporate a front-line perspective
in planning and implementation of
change/improvement
Evidence of community
views of services at the
point of delivery
Front-line staff
communication and
engagement strategy in
place.
Staff surveys to test
awareness and
engagement.
Evidence of views of frontline staff influencing
strategic priorities, business
plan objectives, service
improvements.
SLSCB receiving views front
line staff e.g. through multiagency audit processes
Partner agencies
Develop and introduce communication and
engagement strategy that:
Chair of Comms
and Engagement
Sub-Group
Communication and
engagement strategies in
place.
17 

Better informs chief officers of partner
agencies about the business, priorities, work
and impact of the SLSCB
Better informs managers across the
Partnership of the business, priorities, work
and impact of the SLSCB
Survey evidence to test
effectiveness of
communication and
engagement activity
Consider means by which partner agencies can
better inform the SLSCB of key developments,
priorities, work and impact in their individual
organisations
18 Priority 5: Workforce Development
Strategic Lead: Bev Searle PCT
Objective: To ensure appropriate training and development provision in place across all levels from induction to
specialist safeguarding provision
All partner agencies responsible for providing
relevant staff with appropriate safeguarding
induction and basic level training
March 2013
All SLSCB
agencies
% of relevant staff new
starters CRB checked
No. of allegations against
staff
SLSCB – through East Berkshire Training SubGroup to formulate and deliver programme of multiagency training and specialist training to reflect
needs identified in Business Plan
July 2012
Jathinder
Matharu
Proportion of relevant staff
trained to Level 1/2
Proportion of relevant staff
trained to Level 3/4
Proportion of relevant staff
trained to Level 5+
This quantitative data to be
supplemented by regular
reporting from training
evaluation processes
covering:
 Relevance, currency
and accuracy of
training content
 Quality of training
delivery
 Short, medium and
longer term outcomes
19 
Impact on Working
Together and interagency partnership
working
Twice yearly reports from
LADOs with agreed data set
20 APPENDIX 1
ACTION LOG FOR C4EO RECOMMENDATIONS
No.
1
2
3
4
5
The SLSCB and Children’s Partnership should develop a
programme of key issues and themes to be scrutinised by
SLSCB, for example Early Intervention services as
recommended in the Munro Report.
Slough Health and Well-being Board to consider inviting the
chair of SLSCB to sit on the Board to ensure that safeguarding
children continues to be a priority.
Action to be taken
Completed at Joint Meeting
11.4.2012
Draft protocol has been drafted
and will be presented to the
Slough Well-Being Board in
December 2012
Slough Safer Partnership and SLSCB to agree reporting
There is now regular
arrangements on issues of joint concern such as Domestic
representation from the SSP at
Abuse
the SLSCB and sharing of the
Annual Plans has been
undertaken
Lead Member for Children’s Services, Chief Executive, the Process agreed and reports
DCS, Chief Constable, Thames Valley Police and Chief taking place
Executive of NHS Berkshire to receive regular reports from the
Chair of SLSCB on multi-agency safeguarding issues in
Slough.
SLCSB to agree with NHS Berkshire on reporting
arrangements through the newly established Quality and Risk
Group.
SAB and SLSCB to agree reporting arrangements for brief
updates on issues of joint concern.
RAG rating
Completed
In process
In process
Completed
Arrangements agreed – BHFT
chairing the Sub-Group
Completed
In process
7
Meeting held between chairs
and Directors and priorities for
action agreed – joint meeting
being planned
Sub group terms of reference and work plan to be agreed by Completed
Completed
8
9
the Executive Board.
Reporting schedule to be agreed and monitored.
Executive Board to consider how to progress
Completed
Completed
6
RECOMMENDATION
Completed
the Sub-Group established and
21 10
11
12
13
first meeting to be held on
13.6.2012
Procedure now in place and
operational
Completed
Report presented to SLSCB at
July meeting
Completed
Head of Service has agreed to
report to Q+P
Appointment completed with
partner engagement
In process
Completed
14
Delivery of short development session, facilitated by the author Event held in January
of this review by January 2012 to agree priorities.
Completed
15
Business
plan
to
include
implementation
of
the Business Plan includes all
recommendations from this report that are agreed by the C4EO recommendations
Improvement Board.
Completed
16
Business Plan to be monitored at the Executive Board on a Business Plan is being
quarterly basis.
reported to both Executive and
Completed
17
18
19
20
Communication and Engagement Strategy within existing
resources.
SLSCB Representatives on Berkshire wide and East Berkshire
sub groups to be confirmed and to formally report back to the
Executive on progress.
CDOP representative to submit a report by the end of the
financial year with recommendations on informing frontline staff
on lessons learned.
Audits from the mental health services to be reported to the
Quality and Performance sub group.
Partners continue to play a full role in the next round of
recruitment of the Independent Chair.
Board in every cycle
Development session as recommended above (12) to reEvent held in January and new
present constitution and roles and responsibilities of SLSCB
governance and constitution
members
agreed
LSCB budget to be increased through additional contributions Increased contributions for
from Thames valley Police and Slough Borough Council.
both 2011/12 and 2012/13 are
received
The post of LSCB manager to be re-designed to become full- No action to date since budget
time and requiring a qualification related to safeguarding work.
not yet secured in full –
dependent on school
contributions to SLSCB
The Budget to become a Standing Item on the LSCB Executive Budget is being reported to all
agenda to enable partners to agree and monitor spending
meetings of Executive and
Completed
Completed
In process
Completed
22 21
22
23
24
25
26
Board
SLSCB to progress recruitment of Lay Members
Two lay members are
appointed are currently
receiving induction and will
attend their first Board meeting
in December.
School representative to sit on the Executive Board.
School contributions to Board
are now agreed and place on
Executive has been allocated.
Schools will determine who
takes up the place
TVP to consider level of senior representation on SLSCB
Agreed
SLSCB to monitor attendance at the SLSCB Partnership Attendance is being recorded
Forum, Executive Board and Sub Groups and agree standard
of attendance.
Chair of SLSCB to formally follow-up failure to meet the agreed Arrangement in place
standard with heads of agencies.
Development session as recommended above to agree the
Agreements to both level of
above and prioritisation of attendance at SLSCB
representation and target
Completed
In process
Completed
Completed
Completed
Completed
attendance levels are agreed
27
SLSCB to relook at the performance information it receives with All in place
a view to developing a multi-agency data set that will comply
with the Munro recommendations.
Completed
28
Further work is undertaken to enable SLSCB to make full use
All in place with new scorecard
of this dataset to develop an understanding of the operation of
the whole system.
Development session as recommended above to clarify roles Event held and roles and
and responsibilities.
responsibilities clarified in new
Completed
29
31
TOR and constitution
Communication and challenge to be addressed in a short Event held and challenge
development session as recommended above.
culture agreed
Evaluation of Safeguarding Event to be reported to the Done
32
Executive Board of SLSCB, December 2011.
The impact and progress of the wider Improvement Plan on
30
Arrangements in place through
Completed
Completed
Completed
Completed
23 practitioners understanding of their responsibilities in
safeguarding to be considered by the Executive Board at
SLSCB on a regular basis.
scorecard and audit reporting
Updated 7.12.12
24