Subgroups

A number of subgroups are overseen by the DSCB Executive group.  There are seven main subgroups and a number of “themed” subgroups focussing on specific issues relating to safeguarding.

To promote consistent and effective practice across organisations working with children, the Policy, Procedures and Service Development subgroup develops policies and procedures regarding the safeguarding and promotion of welfare of children on behalf of the DSCB.  This subgroup also oversees a number of key themed subgroups including the Domestic Violence and Abuse subgroup, the Private Fostering subgroup, the E-Safety subgroup and the Substance Misuse subgroup.

The Quality Assurance, Audit and Complaints subgroup monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of what is done by the DSCB partner agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and advise them on ways to improve.

This group is tasked with undertaking multi-agency audits of practice, quality assuring the Section 11 audits of partner agencies, overseeing the implementation of Serious Case Review recommendations and considering ContactPoint shielding requests appeals from members of the public.

The Training and Workforce Development subgroup is responsible for managing the identification of multi-agency training needs in relation to the safeguarding of children and promotion of their welfare, feeding those into the planning and commissioning of training; and evaluating multi-agency training to ensure it is meeting local needs. In addition to taking a strategic overview of training, the subgroup (and its members) is directly involved in the operational work of developing and delivering training.

The Publication, Communications and Communities subgroup is responsible for developing and implementing the communications strategy for the DSCB, including improving inter-agency communication, listening to the views of children, young people and their families, raising public awareness and working with the local media.  This subgroup is also tasked with developing links with different communities and faith groups across Devon in respect of the safeguarding agenda.

The Health Services Safeguarding subgroup co-ordinates an effective safeguarding children response by all Health agencies within the DSCB, scrutinising strategic and operational safeguarding functions in relation to universal and specialist health services.

The Serious Case Review Panel is independently chaired and must be convened if a child dies and abuse or neglect are known or suspected to be a factor in the death, regardless of whether Children’s Social Care has been involved with the family. In addition a panel may be convened if:

• A child sustains a potentially life threatening injury or serious and permanent impairment of health and development or:
• Has been subjected to particularly serious sexual abuse or:
• Their parent has been murdered and a homicide review is being initiated, or:
• The case gives rise to concerns about inter-agency working to protect the children.

The purpose of the panel is to establish whether there are any lessons to be learned about the way the organisations have worked together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, in order to improve inter – agency working in future.   The role of the panel is not to decide how the child died or whom, if anyone is culpable.

The Child Death Overview Panel is operated on a peninsula level and is responsible for reviewing all deaths of children aged 0-18 years who were resident in Devon at the time of their death.  The main purpose of this panel is to identify patterns or trends and consider how such deaths might be prevented in the future.

The Executive also oversees three locality based forums bringing together operational staff with an aim of improving working together arrangements.  These forums review locality performance and co-ordinate bi-annual workshop for local agencies to learn lessons and review performance unique to the locality itself.