I am pleased to announce that we have appointed a new Independent Scrutineer, Jenny Pearce (OBE). Jenny is Professor of Young People and Public Policy at the University of Bedfordshire, where she works with The Safer Young Lives Research Centre. She is a Visiting Professor at Goldsmiths College, London, and an International Senior Research Fellow at the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway, Ireland. Jenny works as an Independent Scrutineer with Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships in the London Boroughs of Havering and the London Borough of Bexley and is a trustee with The Association of Safeguarding Partners (TASP) where she has conducted research into the role and function of Independent Scrutiny of UK Safeguarding Children arrangements post 2018.

 

We look forward to working with Jenny and hope many of you will get the opportunity to meet with her soon either directly or within GSCP work groups and events.

 

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel recently published their third annual report, which highlights learning from serious child safeguarding incidents (where children have died or been seriously harmed, and abuse or neglect is known suspected). The report looks at the child safeguarding system, based on serious child safeguarding incidents occurring between 1 January and 31 December 2021. It sets out patterns in practice for national government and local safeguarding partners to better protect vulnerable children. Download a copy: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel: annual report 2021

 

We will be undertaking our section 11 audit over the next few weeks. The safeguarding partners are responsible for ensuring that agencies are meeting their statutory responsibilities to safeguard children and young people, as outlined in the guidance in The Children’s Act 2004. To achieve this, we are asking all front-line staff to complete a survey. Please look out for the survey and disseminate across your agencies.

 

Nicky Pace
Independent Chair