NCL Safeguarding Event - 5th July 2024

 Tell us about this conference and the topics discussed? North Central London (NCL) Integrated Care System (ICS) hosted a Safeguarding Event on 5th July 2024 to look at some of the key themes identified in Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPRs), Rapid Reviews (RR), Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs). The event was co-produced with the NCL System Learning Group, the safeguarding leads from across the NCL health and care system. 100 delegates attended from acute and community health providers, local authorities, education,  the police, and voluntary sectors.

 Safeguarding Reviews often highlight reoccurring challenges and themes such as information sharing, professional / cultural  curiosity, neglect, mental health and looked after children. Learning from safeguarding reviews is an important way to improve day to day practice and help protect children, young people and vulnerable adults. This event provided a reflective multi- disciplinary opportunity to explore in detail how these reoccurring themes for learning may present in different organisations and to collectively consider what works well and can be developed within the current processes and what else we can do to take learning back to improve practice and support the delivery of safeguarding statutory duties across all agencies involved in safeguarding.

 Why are events like this so important to our sector? Whilst professionals meet in multi-agency settings, whether these be multiagency safeguarding meetings or in learning settings, we don’t often have an opportunity to meet in person, for a whole day, to reflect and look in detail to key safeguarding themes.  The event provided an opportunity to explore these issues through an interactive case study, with colleagues from different agencies / professions without the pressure of this being a family that we are worried about. 

 What were the three biggest takeaways from this event?

 The evaluations from the delegates highlighted the following:

1. The importance of multi-agency partnership working; sharing and not sharing safeguarding information
2. The significance of professional curiosity, challenge and escalation
3. Safeguarding Reminders – we developed the Tote bags with the intention of delegates using them as conversation starters, to share the learning from the event with colleagues and partner agencies

 Who from the NCL ICS / ICB was involved and what were they talking about? The event was co-facilitated by the NCL ICB safeguarding Designate nurses/professionals, and our partners from the the Safeguarding Childrens partnerships and safeguarding adult boards.

 Elaine Ruddy, Safeguarding Transformation and Policy Lead NHS England, London Region, presented the NHS Safeguarding Case Review Tracker (S-CRT), explaining the purpose of the Tracker and Provided the regional and local summary of themes and learning.

 What is one thing that staff can do to upskill themselves on safeguarding? No single person or team can deal with safeguarding alone. There is a duty of care which is everyone’s responsibility. Best practice in safeguarding is about being informed, knowing where to access helpful resources, guidance, and tools to support good and effective decision making. Always be curious in these challenging times when everyone is trying to do more with less. If we are overwhelmed or weary it is often our curiosity that waivers. Act: talk with your supervisor or a colleague. If we lack curiosity children/adults are less safe. Safeguarding Information sharing is a vital element to Partnership working and curiosity.  Knowing who and when you should be sharing safeguarding information is vital to preventing serious safeguarding incidents taking place.

 What is the ICS currently doing in the safeguarding space? The NCL System wide learning group has facilitated the sharing of learning from local & national reviews.  These have been presented via online and in person training at local, regional & national safeguarding forums and webinars and through information sharing on the ICB intranet and internet. This group is attended by a range of health professionals including provider safeguarding leads, primary care, and designated professionals, who all have a role in sharing system learning across their own organisations.

It also provides a platform for promotion of online & in person learning events, seminars, webinars across the NCL health system

NCL ICB have supported the development of a system discharge and safety planning protocol and the provision of specialist supervision training for NHS safeguarding leads at borough and system level.

Next Steps: A summary report detailing feedback and outcomes will be shared via a number of platforms for Safeguarding Boards/Partnerships to consider how they will take the learning forward. Repeat evaluation scheduled for six months' time to consider any changes to practice as a result of this event

Our thanks to all that attended and planned the day!