CYP Now - Safeguarding boards lack NSPCC rep

One third of local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) in the UK are missing out on having an NSPCC representative, despite the fact that government recommendations describe the need to involve the child protection charity as "important".

Working Together to Safeguard Children, the Department for Children, Schools andFamilies guidance on inter-agency working, says NSPCC members should be added to local safeguarding children boards where possible,and rates their involvement on the same level of importance as GPs or school representatives.

However, the NSPCC does not currently have the capacity to supply staff members to every LSCB, and can only provide representatives for two-thirds of them.

Sue Woolmore, national safeguarding children board advisor for the NSPCC, told CYP Now:

"Because we sit on so many local safeguarding children boards we are able to share best practice."

The experience of the NSPCC and other voluntary sector organisations is because they often have more contact withmarginalised groups of children than social services.

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