Safeguarding chief reveals Laming implementation plan

In a letter to Children's Secretary Ed Balls, published today alongside the government's full response to Lord Laming's report on child protection, Sir Roger Singleton said he would "advise, monitor, challenge and report on the coherence of government departments' strategic priorities, policies and approaches to safeguarding children especially as they impact on practitioners working at the front line".

He added: "I hope to promote better collaborative working between the professionals at all levels, encourage the development of fresh ideas and new thinking, and enhance public understanding of what safeguarding vulnerable children involves."

But speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, shadow children's minister Tim Loughton, said the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit was "an extra bit of bureaucracy, whose merits in achieving qualitative outcomes are questionable".

Singleton, who was appointed chief adviser in March when Ed Balls announced the government would accept all 58 of Laming's recommendations, has established a chief adviser's expert group to assist him in his role.

A partnership network will be established to work with the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit to investigate issues that impact on safeguarding.

The government action plan says the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit will "act as a bridge between national policy development and local implementation".