This report is a review of the arrangements put in place by London Safeguarding Children Board and partners for safeguarding children and young people during the period of the Olympics and Paralympics 2012. It explores the original concerns about the impact of the Olympics on children and young people living in and visiting the capital, the arrangements that agencies put in place to address this, the setup of the single point of contact arrangements, together with a description of the ensuing activity that the Olympics and Paralympics generated. 

  Safeguarding children and young people during the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games: review of arrangements

London Child Protection Procedures, 5th Edition, now out for consultation

A multi agency editorial panel, working with colleagues from Tri.x (appointed by London Councils following an open tendering process) have completed the first stage of the revision of the Pan London Child Protection Procedures. The principles underlying this revision of the procedures have been to separate out procedures from practice guidance and to update the procedures in accordance with Working Together 2013 and other developments in social work practice.

The consultation is available online at http://www.londoncp.co.uk/consultation/.

This stage of the consultation process will focus on Part A of the new procedures, Core Procedures, although we are also inviting comment on the proposed content of Part B, Practice Guidance. The consultation period for these procedures will be last for six weeks, commencing on the 1st May 2013. We aim to publish the revised procedures in July 2013 with a formal launch later in the year (at the London Safeguarding Children Conference in the autumn). The practice guidance will follow but also be completed in time for the formal launch in the autumn.

Comments on the procedures should be sent to Ian Dean, Manager of the London Safeguarding Children Board, either directly via email (ian.dean@londoncouncils.gov.uk) or using the feedback form on the consultation page at http://www.londoncp.co.uk/consultation/, by Friday 14th June.

Working Together 2013: London SCB Briefing 

New guidance on effective multi-agency working to safeguard children has been released, representing a radical shift in the way that the child protection system will operate in England. This includes a new approach to the oversight of serious case reviews, new guidelines for assessing the needs of vulnerable children, and a huge reduction in the level of national child protection guidance. The new guidance is available to download below:

  Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013

The briefing below summarises the key points from the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children, released on 21 March 2013, highlighting any significant changes to existing guidance and considering the implications for London. 

  London SCB Briefing: Working Together 2013

Barnet LSCB have produced a powerpoint presentation highlighting the main changes, which is available to download below:

 Working Together powerpoint presentation

Full details on the application process for the 2013 London Safeguarding Children Awards are now available, with an entry form and guidance notes located online at http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/policylobbying/children/safeguardingchildren/safeguardingaward2013.htm.
The closing date for applications is Friday 28 June.

The Board will welcome entries from all agencies working to safeguard children in London, and the Awards will continue to have a strong focus on innovative local practice.

The 2012 Safeguarding Children Award was won by Barnet Youth Shield. Led by young people from Barnet, Youth Shield have carried out research with hundreds of children and young people to build a detailed picture of child safeguarding in the borough. Youth Shield now act as formal advisers to the local safeguarding children board, highlighting the key issues that currently concern young people - such as peer to peer violence and sexual exploitation.

Other shortlisted projects included the Haringey Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), Tower Hamlets’ work to tackle parental substance misuse through MPACT and RB Kensington and Chelsea’s Involved by Right initiative to ensure children’s views are included in child protection planning.  Full details of all projects are available online at http://www.londonscb.gov.uk/files/2010/diary/conference2012/awards_booklet_2012.pdf. 

London children in care research

London Councils recently undertook a small piece of research to identify the factors behind a fall in the number of children in care in London, which goes against a national trend of increasing numbers of children looked after by local authorities.

The final report was published in February 2013, and is available to download in full at http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/policylobbying/children/publications/lacanalysis.htm.

The study draws out significant differences in trends between Inner and Outer London, considers the impact of changes to the care arrangements for unaccompanied asylum seeking children, and highlights the importance of a proactive strategy for ensuring that the local authority is looking after the right children at the right time. The report also finds some evidence to suggest that a well resourced children’s services department is better able to provide a range of effective alternatives to care, supporting positive social work interventions to return children home safely and potentially generating long term savings without the need for lengthy and resource intensive care placements.

Safeguarding London Children's Conference 2013 - Monday 9 December

The date for the 2013 Safeguarding London's Children conference has now been set for Monday 9 December, at the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster. The conference will open for bookings in September 2013, so please check back for full details then.

Details and presentations for the 2012 Safeguarding London's Children's Conference can be found at http://www.londonscb.gov.uk/diary/2012conference/