Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

What does this mean for Councillors in Northampton?

21 June 2012

Objectives

• Understand what is meant by safeguarding children and vulnerable adults within the wider context of promoting better outcomes

• Understanding the safeguarding policy context• Identify key roles and responsibilities, including the role

of council members • Identify the evidence councillors require to ensure the

council is doing all it can to safeguard children and vulnerable adults

• Gain an understanding of the local position

Local Context

What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding is everyone’s business

What is abuse?

• Physical • Sexual • Psychological• Financial or material• Neglect and acts of omission• Discriminatory

Key roles and responsibilities

– Lead authority– Other agencies– Local Safeguarding Children Board– SOVA (Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Board)– Scrutiny– All Councillors

Council’s duties and responsibilities

• County Council has the lead responsibility for the protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults

• District Councils have a duty to promote the well-being of children and young people and to cooperate with the County Council in delivering its safeguarding duties

• District Councils are responsible for establishing appropriate policies and procedures to ensure that the Council’s activities promote the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and vulnerable adults, e.g. safe recruitment policies, safe working practice

All Councillors

• Residents of Northampton• Local authority members will need to be aware of

issues relating to the protection of children and vulnerable adults at a strategic level as well as those relating to cases of institutional and individual abuse.

The process (and what to expect)

• Referral–0300 126 1000

• Inter-agency working• Outcomes

Lead and Designated Safeguarding Officers

Organisational Lead and Board Representative

Lesley Wearing, Director of Housing

• Fran Rodgers Ext 7595• Catherine Wilson Ext 7377• Tim Ansell Ext 8756• Nicci Marzec Ext 7431• Ian Swift Ext 7225

• Marion Goodman Ext 8273• Debbie Ferguson Ext 8731• James Ogle Ext 8950• Adam Evans Ext 8319• Judy Goodman Ext 7409

Policy development and implementationSilvina Katz, Corporate Policy and

Consultation Manager Ext 7573

More Information• More information and NBC Safeguarding Action Plan for

2012/13 available on NBC website:www.northampton.gov.uk/safeguarding

• Training information available from:www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/traininganddevelopment

• Links to webpages for further information on safeguarding:Adults:

http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/social-care/safeguarding/pages/default.aspxChildren:

http://www.lscbnorthamptonshire.org.uk/

What happens next…

Questions & Answers