MPs to get vote on LSCB replacement plans
Neil Puffett
Monday, February 26, 2018
Plans to scrap serious case reviews and replace local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) with new arrangements will be subject to a vote by MPs and members of the House of Lords within a matter of weeks, the government has said.
On the back of recommendations made in Sir Alan Wood's 2016 review of LSCBs, the current system is set to be scrapped and replaced with a new way of investigating child deaths.
The review's key recommendations have been made law through the Children and Social Work Act 2017, which received Royal Assent in April 2017, but have yet to be formally enacted.
Responding to a consultation on revisions to the guidance governing the way local agencies safeguard children - Working Together to Safeguard Children - the Department for Education confirmed that the legislation is subject to the affirmative parliamentary procedure, meaning it will be debated and voted on by both houses of parliament.
In its response to the consultation, the DfE said this will take place "in the spring".
Concerns have previously been raised that the changes could risk "confusing and distracting" the sector. But the DfE said the response to the draft guidance around the changes was "generally positive".
However, it has said it will amend some elements of the proposed guidance to address points raised in the consultation.
One of these relates to the role of schools in safeguarding arrangements, with the DfE stating that, throughout the consultation, a significant number of respondents expressed the view that "education" should be included as the fourth safeguarding partner.
The DfE said it will seek to give greater emphasis to the role of schools in the published guidance but added that primary legislation - in the form of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 - defines statutory safeguarding partners, and the statutory guidance is not able to amend the structures set out in law.
Meanwhile, many respondents said they felt that the guidance would benefit from greater emphasis on an appropriate level of seniority and expertise for safeguarding partner representatives.
"We therefore intend to revisit the drafting of chapter 3 [of the guidance] to ensure that [it] sets out clearly the appropriate levels of seniority for those representing their agencies," the government response states.
Councils and their safeguarding partners will be given up to 15 months to replace LSCBs. This will consist of 12 months to agree the new arrangements, and three months to implement the changes.
