About Us
If a child is in immediate danger please call 999
Welcome to the website for the Local Safeguarding Partnership (BSCP) for Barnet. The site aims to inform professionals, parents, carers and, most importantly, children and young people, about the work of the partnership.
Barnet Multi-Agency Children Safeguarding Arrangements
In 2015 the government commissioned a review into Local Children’s Safeguarding Boards by Alan Wood. The report published in 2016 made a number of recommendations on how safeguarding partners, such as Local Authorities, Police and Clinical Commissioning Groups should work together.
The government supported a number of findings, agreeing that effective multi-agency arrangements were ones that were responsive to local circumstances and engaged the right people. They agreed that the current system for local child safeguarding partnerships was too inflexible and needed to change. The government set out the new framework for safeguarding partners with the Social Work and Children Act 2017 and statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018.
Barnet Children Safeguarding Partnership’s new multi-agency arrangements for child safeguarding can be viewed here.
What’s different?
The BSCP has taken the opportunity to look afresh at how as partners we work together to improve outcomes for children and young people in Barnet.
We have made a number of key changes to our governance to streamline the number of meetings and improve the effectiveness of working when we do come together.
We are focused on working with families, local communities and local services to provide our children with the support and opportunities they require at all stages of their life. We recognise how strong partnerships and communities are essential to making sure that Barnet’s children and their families receive the best possible start in life and the best possible care and help when they need it. It is our ambition is to drive forward a strong partnership that enables children and families to thrive and achieve and this.
The safeguarding partners in Barnet
Kay Matthews Chief Operating Officer Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group
John Hooton Chief Executive London Borough of Barnet
Barry Loader Detective Superintendent, Head of Safeguarding Barnet Brent and Harrow Boroughs
For more information on Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership please contact bscp@barnet.gov.uk
Our vision
At the heart of our vision for the Barnet safeguarding children partnership is the concept of Resilient Families and Resilient Children. Our ambition is to drive forward a strong partnership that enables children and families to thrive and achieve.
Our Purpose is to support and enable local organisations and agencies to work together in a system where:
- children are safeguarded and their welfare promoted
- partner organisations and agencies collaborate, share and co-own the vision for how to achieve improved outcomes for vulnerable children
- organisations and agencies challenge appropriately and hold one another to account effectively
- there is early identification and analysis of new safeguarding issues and emerging threats
- learning is promoted and embedded in a way that local services for children and families can become more reflective and implement changes to practice which are shaped by the experiences and concerns of Barnet children and families
- information is shared effectively to facilitate more accurate and timely decision making for children and families.
We will coordinate our work through:
The Leadership Forum who provide the strategic direction for the partnership with a membership of the three senior leaders from the London Borough of Barnet, London Metropolitan Police and Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group.
Terms of reference here.
The Performance and Quality Assurance Group will provide insight to the Leadership Forum on the effectiveness of local arrangements for safeguarding children and young people, through multi-agency audits, thematic review, performance reporting and service user feedback.
Terms of reference here.
The Thematic Learning and Review Group an independently chaired meeting looking at serious incidents and deaths involving children and young people.
Terms of reference here.
Information Sharing
What is an information sharing protocol or agreement?
An information sharing protocol or agreement provides a framework for the secure and confidential obtaining, holding, recording, storing and sharing of information between participating partner agencies or organisations. Organisations that provide public services have a legal responsibility to ensure that personal information is lawful, securely controlled and protective of the rights of individuals.
Why do we need to share information?
Sharing information about individuals between public authorities is essential to keeping people safe and ensuring they receive the best services. This sharing must only happen when it is legal and necessary to do so. In addition, adequate safeguards must be in place to protect the security of the information.
Our Information Sharing Protocol:
The website contains information about a variety of the aspects of our work including training and guidance/ advice. It has sections giving information about how to ensure the safety of children and young people. It is a tool designed to raise awareness and highlight how we can all work together. Please remember that "safeguarding children is everyone's business".
I hope you find the website and its contents useful and any feedback is most welcome.