To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies had been received from Jan Frances (Co-opted member families’ representative).

To receive details of members nominated to attend the meeting in place of a member of the committee.

No named substitutes had been received.

To receive declarations of interests from members of the committee in respect of items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 26 November 2024.

The minutes of the previous meeting were received.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 26 November 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and be signed by the Chairperson.

To receive any written questions from members of the public.

A document containing questions received from members of the public and the responses provided was published as a supplement to the agenda on the Herefordshire Council website. Supplementary questions and responses given, are attached at Appendix 1 to the minutes of this meeting.

To receive any written questions from members of the council.

No questions had been received from members of the council.

To provide the committee with the safeguarding children partnership’s annual review of effectiveness for the period 2023-24.

The Independent Scrutineer introduced and provided and overview of the report focusing on the progress, challenges and future actions of the Herefordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP).

It was explained that the report covered the period from April 2024 to March 2024 and evaluated governance, data management and multi-agency collaboration in safeguarding children. It was noted that the partnership structure had undergone revisions to align it with the ‘Working Together 2023’ national guidance.

Progress and key achievements

It was pointed out that multi-agency governance processes were clearer and more structured, which had led to an improvement in accountability.

The partnership had developed a multi-agency data set to track safeguarding issues across services. More effective data sharing had helped partners to identify risks faster, and the use of audits, performance reviews and case studies had increased insight into the service effectiveness.

The improved response to child exploitation was noted and the ‘Get Safe’ team was highlighted as an example of effective multi-agency collaboration. Police intelligence had been used to identify hotspots for exploitation risks and there had been stronger information sharing between agencies, which had led to more timely interventions.

There had been increased training for social workers and police officers to recognise and address safeguarding concerns. New policies and procedures had been introduced for case audits and performance management.     

The role of independent scrutiny had been strengthened to ensure objective evaluation of the partnership’s performance and the lead safeguarding partners had approved a new scrutiny plan, which aligned with national expectations.

Challenges Identified

The Independent Scrutineer explained that embedding the Working Together 2023 guidance had required policy updates, training and procedural changes and that full implementation was still in progress.

It was noted that whilst data sharing had improved, analysis across agencies still needed refinement. Each agency collected separate data, making it difficult to form a unified picture of child safeguarding issues, but the quality and effectiveness group had been working on integrating and analysing multi-agency data more effectively.

Staff turnover in social work and key safeguarding roles remained a challenge, but the partnership was focusing on retention strategies and improving supervision quality.

Regarding case file quality and documentation issues it had been noted that some care plans and assessments lacked child-centred language, which made it hard to track meaningful interventions. It had been pointed out that social workers needed to improve recording and documentation especially for children with complex needs. It was also stated that managers needed to ensure better oversight of case work to prevent delays in interventions.

Future Actions and Next Steps

The Independent Scrutineer outlined the next steps for the partnership. There would be a need to strengthen and enhance governance measures to hold agencies accountable for safeguarding performance, along with regular multi-agency reviews to ensure ongoing progress.

The multi-agency data system would need to be refined to provide clearer insights on child safety trends and ensure better coordination between the police, social care and health sectors.

Additional training needed to be provided for frontline workers to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

To provide the committee with the summary letter following Ofsted’s monitoring visit to review how the council and its partners protect vulnerable children from extra-familial risk.

The Interim Corporate Director Children and Young People introduced and gave an overview of the report, which focused on the summary letter following the Ofsted monitoring visit that had reviewed Herefordshire Council and its partners' efforts in protecting vulnerable children from extra-familial risk, particularly child exploitation. An overview of the directorate’s responses to the Ofsted findings was also provided. The key points covered are detailed below:

The Interim Corporate Director Children and Young People explained that the purpose of the Ofsted monitoring visit had been to assess the effectiveness of multi-agency safeguarding, with a primary focus on how Herefordshire’s children’s services, police, and partners protected children from exploitation and extra-familial risks (such as gang involvement, criminal/sexual exploitation, and abuse outside the home). The visit was part of an ongoing review following previous criticisms of Herefordshire’s child protection services.

Areas of Improvement

The Multi-Agency Working and "Get Safe" Specialist Team was praised as an effective multi-disciplinary hub focused on identifying and addressing child exploitation risks. The team worked across various agencies, including police, education, health services, and children’s social care. Information-sharing between agencies had significantly improved, making interventions more timely and targeted.

Early Help and Risk Identification was being used effectively to screen cases quickly and provide intervention at the right time. The front door services (referral and assessment processes) enabled timely risk assessments, helping children access appropriate support before risks escalated.

There was evidence of proactive intervention regarding disruption and prevention work. The police had identified and disrupted exploitation hotspot and multi-agency teams had been working together to prevent exploitation. Schools, social workers, and police were engaging in awareness campaigns and intervention efforts.

Ofsted had noted an improved quality of risk assessments and had noted that social workers had a clear understanding of risks and that case assessments were detailed and comprehensive. Risk assessments were leading to effective protective actions for children.

Social workers and frontline staff had expressed confidence in leadership, stating that senior managers were visible, supportive, and committed to improvements. A strong culture of improvement and accountability had also been noted among staff.

Areas for Improvement

The Interim Corporate Director Children and Young People noted that Ofsted had described some child protection plans as "formulaic" rather than being tailored to individual children’s needs. While social workers had been able to verbally describe bespoke plans, written records had sometimes lacked specific, child-focused language.

The Interim Corporate Director Children and Young People explained that with regard to parental engagement and initial meetings, the findings noted that parents and young people were not always involved early enough in risk assessment meetings. Ofsted suggested securing parental consent and engagement earlier to improve the effectiveness of initial safeguarding interventions.

The findings indicated that some vulnerable children with complex needs were experiencing multiple placement moves, increasing their risk of exploitation. Ofsted had flagged concerns about teenagers in care struggling with placement stability, making them more vulnerable to extra-familial risks.

Ofsted had noted that supervision was taking place regularly, but it was not always  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

To consider the work programme for the committee.

The committee agreed to hold a work programme meeting at an unspecified date.

Tuesday 18 March 2025, 2pm

Tuesday 18 March 2025, 2pm

Supplementary questions from members of the public – Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, 21 January 2025