A word from the CSCP Independent Scrutineer Keith Makin

I have now been the Independent Scrutineer in the Borough for five months and I’m beginning to develop a much better idea of the safeguarding needs here in Croydon.

I have to say that I have been and continue to be really impressed with the commitment and drive of all the people I have met so far. There is definitely an energy in the Borough which is infectious and a “can do” approach which is impressive. The support from the safeguarding partnership team, to me and to all the various members and parts of the partnership is second to none.

There are a few emerging priority areas which are receiving attention from the core partners in the Executive in a positive way. Housing is an area that needs to be fully engaged in the safeguarding of children and young people in the Borough and initiatives are underway to ensure that all housing colleagues are focused on safeguarding, with investment into a new post and work on new protocols. The opportunities for improving on and developing the relationship between safeguarding in adult services (through the SAB – the Safeguarding Adults Board – and the children’s partnership – the CSCP) are in the process of being developed. A very helpful joint meeting was held between the two partnerships, identifying the similarities in themes across SARs (Safeguarding Adults Reviews) and SPRs (Safeguarding Children Reviews), as well as DHRs (Domestic Homicide Reviews). The transition from childhood to adulthood presents a particular focus for both partnerships and there is a commitment to strengthening this point of handover. Both partnerships have hearing the voices from the community as a priority. For the CSCP this is meaning a focus on making sure that the voices of children and young people are heard in all of our planning and decision making. The aim is to create a clear thread between what the felt experiences of being a child or young person are and what the partners do as a result of hearing those voices. This will require a shift in the way that we do things, opening up real opportunities for children and young people to take a direct part in planning and making sure that we know what they want, making no assumptions about what we think they want!

The partnership team are busily reworking how we collect, analyse and interpret the various datasets that are drawn from partners. They are also revamping how different aspects of safeguarding in the Borough are presented to the Executive Group. For example, the analysis of what we are learning from all the reviews taking place is now presented in an easy read and really helpful way. Partners have said that they really appreciate this.

I am asking all partners (including the wider partnership, which includes the voluntary sector and the Safer Croydon initiatives) for views on what are the current priorities for the partnership. I’ll be doing that every month, with the intention that my contributions to these newsletters will capture the feedback from people. It is early days in this, but, so far, people have said that the transition from childhood to adulthood is a real priority for focus from a safeguarding perspective and that serious youth crime is of prime importance for partners, particularly knife crime. I want to hear from you – just email me on …… with anything you’d like to bring to my attention: things that you think need some attention as well as things that you are proud of as good practice examples.