Councils praised for multi-agency child protection work

Joint targeted area inspections (JTAI) of Central Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire conducted by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP), highlight several areas of positive work in each local authority.

Central Bedfordshire’s judgment letter reveals that partnerships in the local authority area “demonstrate a clear and collective determination to improve services for children and young people”, adding that this is evident in overarching strategic priorities and plans.

“The local authority, as the lead agency, provides a clear strategic vision that is championing improvement,” the letter states.

“Agencies generally work well together, and the single point of access safeguarding hub and social care assessment teams effectively provide a timely response to the range of problems that children and young people experience.

“In particular, children and young people generally receive high-quality services at the first point of contact with children’s social care.”

However, inspectors did say that improvements set out in strategies and plans are not always translated into changes to practice on the ground to tackle child sexual exploitation.

“Although there are examples of innovative practice in all agencies, there is too much variability in the responses that children at risk of exploitation receive from police and health services, youth offending services and the community rehabilitation company,” the letter states.

“At times there is an over-reliance on the local authority, which is working effectively to take action.”

Oxfordshire’s judgment letter praises the area's work to improve its response to child sexual exploitation in the wake of seven men being jailed in 2013 for abusing six girls in Oxford, between 2004 and 2012.

"Oxfordshire now has a highly developed and well-functioning approach to tackling exploitation," the judgment letter states.

"The specialist, multi-agency child sexual exploitation team, Kingfisher, is pivotal to the operational responses of the local authority, police and health services, and this ensures that there is a high standard of inter-agency working with sexually exploited children.

"A significant strength of the key agencies is their ability to learn lessons from joint investigations and to use these to improve performance."

However, inspectors said the high-quality of practice seen in child sexual exploitation and missing children cases is not always replicated across the services offered to other children and families when they are first referred to children’s services.

“Although no children were identified as at risk of harm, in some cases poor processes and practice were seen at the ‘front door’," the letter states.

"This is the first point of contact for all children and young people not identified as at risk of exploitation or abuse. This means that not all children and young people receive the same safe and responsive level of service as exploited young people.

"Although senior leaders in children’s services have firm plans in place to improve this situation, implementation of these has been too slow to take effect, given the pressure on the service."

Last month a JTAI of services in South Tyneside criticised health services for criticism for failing to properly assess risks to children.

A total of six JTAI inspections are due to take place by September, with agencies being given a notice period of nine working days.