National inspection to identify children in need – praises partnerships in Blackburn with Darwen

A national inspection has highlighted the strength of partnership processes in Blackburn with Darwen to identify children in need or at risk of harm, praising partners as ‘aspirational’ and ‘committed’.

The joint targeted area inspection (JTAI), which took place in May this year, looked at the multi-agency response to identification of initial need and risk by Blackburn with Darwen Council, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria and Lancashire Police.

The JTAI (only 6 – 12 inspections take place nationally every year), was conducted by inspectors from Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

The report highlights the robust partnerships in the borough and makes clear that children are safe here. It notes that leaders have taken decisive and effective action to ensure that vulnerable children and their families can quickly access locally delivered help, support, and protection.

Partnership working is also praised as equal and active and claims that recent changes in BwD senior leadership have been a catalyst to this transformation. Relationships with local schools are seen as having an important role to play by supporting families and vulnerable children early.

Inspectors said – “The Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board and NHS Trusts’ safeguarding leads, the police and children’s social care are equal partners and active contributors in the development and implementation of the revised safeguarding partnership arrangements. Action by BwD senior partners to include local school leaders is a significant improvement.”

Councillor Julie Gunn, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said:

“We are really pleased with the report and how it recognises leaders working together across BwD. Our main objective is to ensure children benefit from skilled and committed front-line early help. We will continue to make sure that social care and health practitioners, police officers and school staff work collaboratively to support children and their families and to prevent risk and harm escalating.

“Communication across all agencies must remain consistent and a priority. Senior leaders are working together to develop a children’s safeguarding board, specifically designed to provide high-quality child-centred services.”

The report also said that there are shared objectives and a culture of high expectation from all agencies. This then means that understanding the child’s experiences is driving improvements.

Assistant Chief Constable at Lancashire Police, Sam Mackenzie said:

“With the inspection identifying positive areas of leadership and practice, I am confident that the partnership can deliver the areas highlighted for improvement.”

The partnership have now put plans in place to build upon on the existing strengths to create an environment where children’s voices are consistently central to safeguarding decisions, both strategically and operationally.

As well as identifying many strengths including:

• Children and their families benefit from responsive, well-coordinated universal and multi-agency targeted early help services, including out of hours, which are helping to reduce harm.
• Schools provide a range of excellent proactive support for children and families.
• Resolute practitioners and accomplished leaders across agencies work well together to understand the experiences of individual children in their families. Working relationships across the partnership are extremely positive, and staff at all levels know each other well.

There are also some improvements that have been listed in the report, including:

• The quality and consistency with which the voices of children and their lived experiences are recorded in referrals, assessments, plans and multi-agency reviews.
• Communication with and involvement of health professions, police, schools, and children’s social care in meetings and in decisions about next steps to help and protect children.
• Contingency planning and effective challenge by health professionals, police, schools, and social care for children who are the subject of repeated referrals or child in need or child protection plans.

It is also stated that practitioners across all agencies in BwD benefit from effective safeguarding children training, (which is developed and delivered in the respective organisations using a range of mediums).

Professor Sarah O’Brien, Chief Nursing Officer for Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said:

“We are pleased with the findings of the inspection and would like to thank staff and partners for their hard work in implementing revised safeguarding arrangements. It is really good that our collaborative approach towards supporting vulnerable children and their families has been recognised.

“We are fully committed to taking forward the recommendations in the report, and acknowledge that there are areas where we can improve. By working together and having a shared vision we can ensure that vulnerable children are safe and protected, and can benefit from having access to locally-delivered help at the earliest opportunity.”

Going forward the report also accepts that leaders are outward looking and welcome external scrutiny. They fully accept the findings of the inspection. They know their services and the population needs well and have a clear understanding of their strengths and challenges.

Strategic Director of Children’s Services and Education, Joanne Siddle said:

“Our focus remains on continuous child-centred improvement. We recognise that the report has indicated areas for development; we will of course endeavour to meet all those targets.

We are on our continuous improvement journey, as a directorate are ambitious, and strive to achieve good in all areas.

We are also extremely pleased at the recognition of the important role that schools play in identifying risks and supporting families at the earliest opportunity. Our educational institutions are an extremely valued strategic partner.”

The full report has now been published on the Ofsted website on Friday the 14th of July 2023. Read the full report here.