Tameside Safeguarding Framework

Section 9 - Quality Assurance

• Performance Monitoring Activity
• Training & Development
• Overview
• Quality Assurance by individual agencies
• The Process of responding to complaints about Child Protection Conferences
  - Immediate Resolution
  - Stage 1 - Exploration by Conference Chair
  - Stage 2 - Formal Consideration by Complaints Panel
  - Reconvened Conference
  - Further Challenge
• Resolution of conflict involving dissent to decisions
  - Practitioner Dissent at Referral and Enquiry Stage
  - Practitioner Dissent regarding the Implementation of a Child Protection Plan
• Whistle-blowing systems

9.1 Tameside SCB assures the quality of safeguarding work through several activities, namely:

• Performance Monitoring
• Training & Development
• Overview
• Quality Assurance by individual agencies
• Complaints process
• Resolution of conflict involving dissent
• Whistle-blowing policy 

9.2 This section provides basic information about each of these activities. Further information (including the identity of the designated Quality Assurance Manager) is available from the Tameside SCB website and/or the TSCB office.

Performance Monitoring Activity

9.3 In order to ensure the effectiveness of local agencies' policy and practice to safeguard and promote the welfare of children TSCB conducts monitoring via a selection of methods such as self-evaluation, performance indicators, joint audit and peer review. Its aim is to: 

• Promote high standards of safeguarding work
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement
• Identify and act on weaknesses in services
   

9.4 A quarterly report on performance is provided for the scrutiny of the board of Tameside SCB. 

9.5 TSCB itself is subject to scrutiny by inspection authorities, for example, Ofsted. Tameside Council as the local authority is responsible for taking action when necessary to improve TSCB's effectiveness and efficiency.

Training & Development

9.6 Tameside SCB recognises the importance of multi-agency training and development in the continuous improvement of safeguarding practice. A comprehensive programme of multi-agency training and development is provided by TSCB. Further information about this is available on the TSCB website.

Overview

9.7 Tameside SCB's Overview Panel has responsibility for identifying any matters of general concern for the safety and welfare of children in Tameside. This includes drawing lessons from Serious Case Reviews. Where appropriate, the Overview Panel will make recommendations to the chair of the SCB about the actions that individual agencies should take in the light of its findings. 

9.8 Tameside SCB is also responsible for having procedures in place to ensure that there is a co-ordinated response by member agencies of the SCB and other relevant persons to an unexpected death of a child. 

9.9 From 1 April 2008, Tameside SCB has responsibility for the overview of all child deaths in Tameside, identifying any general public health or safety concerns arising from the death of children.

Quality Assurance by individual agencies

9.10 All Tameside SCB member agencies should take actions to ensure that the key single and multi-agency duty of the SCB to safeguard and promote the welfare of children is met. 

9.11 Effective workload management and information systems should be implemented to: 

• Clearly track responses to referrals
• Collect quantitative and qualitative data on the work of the teams and the outcomes for service users
• Plan and resource services to meet local needs 

9.12 Complaints about individual agencies, their performance and provision (or non-provision) of services should be made and responded to in accordance with the relevant agency's own complaints management process. 

9.13 For example, if a parent or child is dissatisfied with any aspect of the s.47 enquiry or the provision of services arising from an assessment then these complaints should be referred to the individual agency responsible for these aspects of service delivery.

The Process of responding to complaints about Child Protection Conferences

9.14 Parents/carers and, on occasion children, may have concerns about which they may wish to make representations or complain, in respect of one or more of the following aspects of the functioning of Child Protection Conferences: 

• The process of the conference
• The outcome, in terms of the fact of and/or the category of primary concern at the time the child became the subject of a Child Protection Plan
• A decision for the child to become, or not to become, the subject of a Child Protection Plan or not to cease being the subject of a Child Protection Plan. 

9.15 Complaints about aspects of the functioning of conferences described above should be addressed to the conference chair who should immediately inform the Quality Assurance (QA) manager in Children's Social Care. 

9.16 All parties must be made aware that this complaints process cannot itself change a conference decision and that during the period of the complaints process, the decision made by the conference stands.

9.17 The outcome of a complaint will be either that a conference is re-convened under a different chair, that a review conference is brought forward, or that the original decisions and Child Protection Plan are confirmed.

Immediate resolution

9.18 If a child or parent expresses concern about a conference in the course of the meeting, it should be noted and an attempt made by the chair to resolve it with the parent or child. 

9.19 If the matter remains unresolved the parent or child should be reminded of the conference complaints process, and invited (and if necessary assisted by the children's social worker) to write to the QA manager within 28 days of receipt of the minutes. 

9.20 If the complainant does not wish to submit the complaint in writing then the QA manager may consider receiving the complaint verbally and will complete a record of the complaint to be affirmed by the complainant.

Stage 1 - Exploration by Conference Chair

9.21 When the conference chair receives the parent or child's letter or affirmation of complaint, s/he should inform the designated complaints manager, the relevant Children's Social Care manager and all Practitioners who attended the conference.

9.22 Complaints made outside the 28-day time limit may, in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the designated complaints manager be accepted. 

9.23 The chair should meet with the complainant (who may be supported by an advocate, friend or relative) within 10 working days of receipt of the complaint so as to:

• Ensure the complainant sufficiently understands the child protection process
• Clarify the grounds for, and the nature of, the complaint/s
• Establish the outcome desired by the complainant
• Ensure the complainant understands the scope and relevance of this complaints process with regard to their circumstances
• Gather relevant information

9.24 At the meeting with the complainant the chair should be accompanied by a colleague who can take minutes. 

9.25 Within a further 10 working days, the chair should provide a written response to the complainant including notes of their meeting. This letter should include information on how to pursue concerns further if the complainant remains dissatisfied. 

9.26 The response provided to the complainant should be copied to the QA manager.

Stage 2 - Formal Consideration by Complaints Panel

9.27 If, within 28 days of receipt of the stage 1 letter the complainant notifies the QA manager that s/he remains dissatisfied and specifies reasons, arrangements will be made to convene, within 28 days, a panel of a minimum of three individuals from Tameside Safeguarding Children Board. 

9.28 Arrangements for this meeting will be made by the complaints manager/QA manager, and the role of the chair will normally be fulfilled by the representative of the agency least directly involved in the case. 

9.29 The panel membership should include at least two from amongst Children's Social Care, Police and health agencies and the individuals should have had no previous or present direct line management responsibility for the case in question. 

9.30 The panel must be provided with the following documentation by the complaints/QA manager: 

• A formal request to convene
• A copy of the relevant conference minutes and the reports that were made available to the conference
• Stage 1 meeting notes and correspondence
• A list of names, addresses and contact details of the conference chair, all other Practitioners involved and the family concerned 

9.31 The complaints manager/QA manager will liaise with the complainant throughout, and be available at the panel, to advise on relevant processes. 

9.32 The panel should be convened within 28 days of the receipt of the complainant's letter and consider whether:

• Relevant inter-agency protocols and procedures have been observed correctly; and
• If any decision in dispute follows reasonably from the processes employed and information presented 

9.33 The panel will:

• Hear (either directly or in writing) from the complainant, the chair of the relevant Child Protection Conference and any other relevant person
• Consider written material
• Reach a decision
• Agree the content of their decision letter to the complainant

9.34 The panel's conclusions should be put in writing to the complainant within 7 days of its meeting and will: 

• Confirm membership of the panel
• State the decision reached
• Provide concise information about how the decision was reached 

9.35 A recommendation must be made to re-convene the conference under a different chair if: 

• Procedures relating to the conference were not correctly followed and this was material to the complaint or
• The procedures were correctly followed but the decision of the conference was unreasonable

9.36 If the panel concludes that the procedures relating to the conference were correctly followed and that the decision/s reached were reasonable, it must confirm that the conclusions of the original conference stands and will be routinely reviewed when the review conference is held. 

9.37 The panel should also consider any specific concerns that may be relevant to communicate to agencies involved with the case and may make recommendations relating to practice or procedure to any Tameside SCB member agency.

Reconvened Conference

9.38 The chair of a reconvened Child Protection Conference (either an initial or a review) must ensure that all those present have seen or are briefed at the conference about the decisions reached by the panel. 

9.39 A distinction must be made by the chair between the need to discuss the conclusions of the panel and the task of the Child Protection Conference, which is to consider the child's current circumstances.

Further Challenge

9.40 No further internal processes exist in those cases where the panel concludes that all relevant processes were followed and that the decisions that were made were reasonable.

9.41 A complainant who nonetheless remains dissatisfied may wish to pursue her/his grievances via the Ombudsman or Judicial Review. 

9.42 In what is likely to be a very rare case, where a reconvened conference has been recommended and held, and the complainant does not accept the outcome, the same panel may, (at the discretion of the complaints manager/QA manager) be asked to reconvene and review any remaining and clearly specified concerns.

Resolution of conflict involving dissent to decisions

9.43 There is considerable research evidence to show that children are best protected and provided with effective services when practitioners from all agencies have clear expectations of each other's roles and responsibilities. Where practitioners disagree over the appropriate course of action the following steps can be taken either at the referral & enquiry stage or at the stage of implementing the Child Protection Plan.

Practitioner Dissent at Referral and Enquiry Stage

9.44 Disagreement over the handling of concerns at the referral and enquiry stage typically occur when: 

• Children's Social Care concludes that further information should be sought by the referrer before the referral is progressed
• Information or advice is sought through consultation and Children's Social Care concludes that a referral is required
• Children's Social Care believe that an initial assessment can be started without invoking child protection procedures
• Children's Social Care consider that child protection procedures must be initiated
• A referral does not meet eligibility criteria for assessment by Children's Social Care
• Children's Social Care disagrees with the Police investigation team on the need for a s47 enquiry/criminal investigation
• There is disagreement about whether or not an initial case conference should be convened 

9.45 Concern or disagreement may also arise over another practitioner's decisions, actions or lack of actions in relation to a referral, an assessment or an enquiry. 

9.46 In all such circumstances, practitioners should first attempt to resolve differences through discussion and/or meeting within a working week or a timescale that protects the child from harm (whichever is less). 

9.47 If the practitioners are unable to resolve differences within the timescale, their disagreement must be addressed by more senior staff, e.g the first line manager. These first line managers should seek advice from their agency's named/designated child protection adviser. 

9.48 If agreement cannot be reached following discussions between the above first line managers within a further working week or a timescale that protects the child from harm (whichever is less), the issue must be referred without delay through the line management to the equivalent of service manager/detective inspector/head teacher or other designated senior practitioner. 

9.49 The practitioners involved in this conflict resolution process must contemporaneously record each intra- and inter-agency discussion they have, sign and date the record and place a copy on the child's file together with any other written communications and information.

Practitioner Dissent regarding the Implementation of a Child Protection Plan

9.50 Concern or disagreement may arise over another practitioner's decisions, actions or lack of actions in the implementation of the child protection plan, including the timing, quoracy or decision-making of core group meetings, progress of the plan or Practitioner practice. 

9.51 Again, practitioners should attempt to resolve differences in line with the actions outlined above. But if practitioner differences remain unresolved, the matter must be referred to the heads of service for each agency involved.

9.52 In the unlikely event that the issue is not resolved by the steps described above and/or the discussions raise significant policy issues, the matter should be referred urgently to the QA Manager in Children's Social Care for resolution.

9.53 Practitioners in all agencies have a responsibility to act without delay to safeguard the child e.g. by calling for a case to be allocated or for the arrangement of a strategy meeting, core group meeting, child protection conference or review conference.

Whistle-blowing systems

9.54 It is essential to the safety of children that all agencies have in place effective systems and a management and practice culture, which promote the sharing of concerns by staff with their managers. Child protection concerns about colleagues or managers are difficult for staff to raise because of the potential repercussions in working together. 

9.55 Senior managers in each agency should ensure the provision of an independent, well-publicised whistle-blowing procedure that provides alternative methods of reporting concerns and covers all commissioned, as well as internally provided, services. Externally commissioned services must have their own internal whistle-blowing procedures. 

9.56 Information should be available for staff in each agency to publicise the whistle-blowing procedure. This should provide information about Public Concern at Work, an independent charity whose lawyers can give free confidential advice about how to raise a concern about malpractice at work.