Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

Councillor Jones introduced the report and explained that safeguarding was a corporate priority and a discipline that all portfolios were expected to observe and support as good corporate practice.

The corporate safeguarding panel was established in December 2015.  The report set out the robust corporate safeguarding arrangements that had been put in place, which included:

• Working with North Wales Police on Operation Encompass, an initiative to support children and young people who were subject to or witnessed police attended domestic abuse incidents;

• Theatr Clwyd delivered Justice in a Day workshops. This interactive performance involved a workshop with a team of professional actors and a participatory visit to Mold Magistrates' Court where an actual Magistrate took part; and

• Providing safeguarding training to over 400 taxi drivers to ensure they recognised the signs of potential abuse and knew how to make a report;

Flintshire was committed to its responsibilities and had taken positive steps to ensure that there were robust arrangements in place for protecting children, young people and adults.

The Chief Officer (Social Services) explained that The key actions to be completed during 2020/21 included participating in National Safeguarding Week 2020 to raise public awareness of safeguarding issues including modern slavery; encouraging employees to complete the Welsh Government’s eLearning module “Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Against Women” to achieve 100% completion rate by March 2021; and raising awareness of the new Wales Safeguarding Procedures

He thanked all colleagues for their input into the report. 

In response to a question from Councillor Bithell on Elective Home Education and safeguarding, the Chief Officer (Education and Youth) said it was challenging but Welsh Government (WG) were making progress on a nationally established register so that agencies knew where children were.  If the child had been in school and then removed for Elective Home Education, the authority and agencies would be aware of them.  However, if they had never attended school they would not be known, or where they were.  She welcomed the introduction of a national register.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That Cabinet be assured that work is being undertaken to improve corporate arrangements for safeguarding children and adults; and

(b)       That the Corporate Safeguarding Annual Report 2019/20 be approved, prior to publication.