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Website URL : http://www.bexley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4790

Bexley Local Safeguarding Children Board

The Local Safeguarding Children Board ( LSCB) is a statutory requirement set out in the Children Act 2004 which gives duties to ensure that all agencies work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

The main responsibilities of the LSCB as set out in section 14 of the Children Act 2004 are to co-ordinate and quality assure the safeguarding children activities of member agencies in Bexley.

Bexley LSCB operates a two tier structure. The main Board meets quarterly and is chaired by Deborah Absalom the Director of Children and Young People's Services. The LSCB has senior representatives from the local authority children's services, health services, Metropolitan Police service, probation, CAFCASS and the voluntary sector.

The LSCB sets the strategic priorities that reflect both government and local priorities for the safeguarding agenda. The strategic agenda is then driven forward by the LSCB executive board which is chaired by Sheila Murphy Deputy Director children and Young People' s Services Social Care. The safeguarding priorities this year in Bexley reflect the Government's Staying Safe Action Plan and include:

  • Making communities safer for children and young people through work on combating racism, harassment and bullying, domestic violence, and E Safety
  • Increasing the participation of children and young people in the work of the Board and developing staying safe materials
  • Ensuring that our organisations working with children are safe through the work on Safer Recruitment and Managing Allegations against staff and volunteers

As well as the core business of child protection these priorities are reflected through the LSCB training programme.

The Working Together Guidance and the Statutory Guidance on Making Arrangements to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children under Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 outline in further details the role of the LSCB in the training and development of staff and volunteers to help them to safeguard and promote the welfare of children effectively. This includes being able to recognise when a child may require safeguarding and knowing what to do in response to concerns about the welfare of a child. Practitioners and managers also need to be able to work effectively with others both within their own agency and across organisational boundaries.

Individual agencies have a responsibility to ensure that their staff are competent and confident in carrying out their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting children's welfare. The development of this LSCB training programme reflects the LSCB's commitment to supporting this responsibility with the aim of making Bexley a safer place for children and young people to live and thrive.

Deborah Absalom
Director Children and Young People's Services

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