The first Joint Chief Inspectors’ Report on Safeguarding (Chief Inspector of Social Services et al, 2002) and the statutory inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié (DH and Home Office 2003) emphasised the importance of joint working to safeguard children.
Subsequent reports and policy developments, underpinned by the Children Act 2004, have all aimed to ensure an integrated approach to services.
Their intention is for children to achieve their potential in terms of being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving. Children should also make a positive contribution and achieve economic wellbeing.
Working Together to Safeguard Children (DH 2013) highlights that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
For services to be effective, each professional and organisation should play their full part.
Effective safeguarding requires clear local arrangements for collaboration between professionals and agencies.
The Children Act 2004 (Sections 10, 11, 12, 13) states that a wide range of agencies need to work together. That is in order to promote wellbeing and safeguard children and young people.
Working Together to Safeguard Children (DH 2013) sets out the statutory obligations of Local Safeguarding Children’s Board(LSCB) partners to make sure children are safeguarded from harm.
There are four LSCBs in Cleveland, where there is a history of collaborative working. The PCC is asked to make a financial contribution to the running of all four LSCB