Issue - meetings

The Committee is asked to:

1.    Approve the Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk Policy 2024-2028; and

2.    Approve to delegate authority to the Strategic Safeguarding Lead in consultation with the Chair of the Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee to approve minor amendments and updates to the Policy.

Committee considered the report that sought approval of the revised Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk Policy 2024-28.

The Committee asked that training be arranged for members with regard to safeguarding. This had previously been requested at the Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee at which time they were advised that training would be provided by Surrey County Council (SCC). The Community Development Manager and Safeguarding Operational Lead advised that she had spoken to SCC and that they had agreed to expediate the training.

The Committee advised that there were some points within the report that needed reviewing so the Chair requested that the officer liaise with members to discuss any amendments required. It was resolved that the report would be reconsidered at the next meeting of the Committee on 09 December 2024.                                    

Committee is asked to:

1.    Make a recommendation to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to approve the Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk Policy 2024-2028.

 2. Make a recommendation to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to delegate authority to the Strategic Safeguarding Lead in consultation with the Chair of the Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee to approve minor amendments and updates to the Policy.

The Community Development Manager presented the report on the Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk Policy 2024-2028.

The current safeguarding policy had been updated to comply with statutory requirements. The main amendments to the policy included a revised continuum of support, updated guidance on referrals and captured new information on data sharing when dealing with safeguarding incidents.

The Committee queried the scope of Spelthorne’s Strategic Safeguarding Board and how it fed into the wider County safeguarding function. The Community Development Manager advised that the board was held quarterly with agenda items featuring training updates, learning from serious case reviews and any concerns around referrals. The current focus was on developing  appropriate safeguarding training for Councillors. Spelthorne worked in partnership with the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) and the Surrey Adult Safeguarding Board (SSAB) and referred all safeguarding concerns to Surrey County Council as they had the statutory responsibility for this in Surrey.

The Committee asked whether communications between all safeguarding agencies in Surrey were sufficient enough to ensure a streamlined reporting process. The Deputy Chief Executive clarified that at Spelthorne there was a streamlined procedure for Safeguarding Champions to make referrals however it was for Surrey County Council as the lead authority to comment on the investigation of referrals.

The Committee requested an indicative timeline of when Councillor safeguarding training will be scheduled. The Community Development Manager suggested there were a number of training options to consider and logistical points to clarify including choosing a provider and whether they could facilitate online training. Lisa agreed to explore training options and anticipated this will be confirmed in the next three to six months.

The Committee resolved to:

1.    Make a recommendation to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to approve the Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk Policy 2024-2028.

2.    Make a recommendation to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to delegate authority to the Strategic Safeguarding Lead in consultation with the Chair of the Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee to approve minor amendments and updates to the Policy.