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Assurance

Multi-agency quality assurance

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    Introduction

    The statutory functions of the local safeguarding children partnership (LSCP) include monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of what is done by partners, both individually and collectively, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and advise them on ways to improve.

    This should include:

    • assessing the effectiveness and impact of the help being provided to children and families, including early help
    • quality assuring practice, for example through joint audits of case files involving practitioners, and identifying lessons to be learned
    • assessing whether partners are fulfilling their statutory obligations (under Section 11 of the Children Act 2004) and parallel duties, and asking board partners to self-evaluate.

    Multi-agency audits

    The role of the ERSCP is crucial in determining the attitude of agencies towards improving practice on a multi-agency basis. To establish a culture which will permeate through to front-line practice we need:

    • effective partnership working through the LSCP
    • a robust and systematic approach to quality assurance
    • to develop a model of continuous learning in response to constructive challenges.

    Multi-agency audits should be solution-focused and conducted in a spirit of open learning, with the intention of further improving outcomes for children. An audit will:

    • allow areas of weakness to be identified and acted upon
    • make sure that policies and procedures are being followed
    • provide evidence of best practice
    • demonstrate the quality of our work to external bodies and inspectors.

    The actual process of carrying out an audit can sometimes be as beneficial as the outcomes. It provides staff with the time and space to reflect critically on practice. Where different agencies are involved in an audit, there is an opportunity to learn about different roles and responsibilities.

    Who should be involved in an audit

    It is helpful to have people with a variety of different perspectives within the audit group. The group should therefore include staff from different levels and roles or, where appropriate, different agencies. It is best practice for an audit to be led by someone other than the manager for the area under consideration.

    Strategic Delivery Group

    The function of the Strategic Delivery Group is to:

    • develop a multi-agency audit tool to monitor the effectiveness of work undertaken by partners and the impact of services on outcomes for children and young people
    • plan and undertake themed audits in relation to relevant areas of interest or areas requiring further analysis as a result of:
      • performance information
      • inspection findings
      • the child death overview panel
      • local child safeguarding practice reviews
    • undertake a rolling programme of multi-agency audits and lead on the development of improved systems across partner agencies, to implement recommendations following audit findings
    • make periodic presentations on audit findings to practitioners within key partner agencies, to raise awareness and understanding of core requirements and gather feedback to inform service improvement.

    Section 11 audit

    The Children Act (2004) places a statutory obligation on a number of agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people whilst carrying out their normal functions. One of the functions of the LSCP is to monitor the effectiveness of these arrangements in a locality which is, in our case, the East Riding. This includes monitoring the effectiveness of organisations’ implementation of their duties under, and in compliance with Section 11 of Children Act 2004 and Section 175 of Education Act 2002.

    An East Riding Safeguarding Children Partnership (ERSCP) Section 11 audit is completed bi-annually by partner agencies.

    In order to add extra value to the process the ERSCP hold a reflective challenge event, facilitated by the independent scrutineer of the partnership, with attendance from each agency. The purpose of this event is to offer further challenge and accountability into each Section 11 audit that is returned. This process allows both agency representatives and the partnership an opportunity to examine the responses, challenges, and successes within the child safeguarding practice system in the East Riding.