London Board terms of reference

The London Safeguarding Children Board is established to enable London organisations responsible for the safeguarding of children in London to meet the requirements of the Children Act 2004 and the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, and to do this in line with the guidance set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfES, DH, Home Office, 2006).

The aims of the group are to:

• Promote consistency by all member organisations in their response to and management of safeguarding children issues, including particularly through the London LSCBs;
• Provide impetus and strategic leadership to the safeguarding children activities of all member organisations;
• Identify and seek appropriate responses to London-specific factors which impact on member agencies activities to safeguard London children;
• Identify and promote adoption of best practice by member organisations, for safeguarding London children;
• Lead the development of procedures, particularly multi-agency procedures, for safeguarding London children;
• Promote the development of London protocols for the sharing of information to safeguard children and promote their welfare;
• Promote good practice to ensure that the voices of the individual child and children collectively, are heard;
• Lead the development of a training strategy to address the needs for multi-agency safeguarding children training;
• Develop a communication strategy and systems to:
  - Enable active links with other strategic London, national and international bodies
  - Ensure all members of all partner organisations are aware of the role, purpose and outputs of the Board
• Influence and inform the development of policy and practice relating to safeguarding children issues;
• Identify and promote changes to legislation to improve the safeguarding of children.