Safeguarding
Introduction and welcome
Welcome to the annual report covering the work of Barnsley’s Safeguarding Children Partnership (BSCP) undertaken 2022/23. The report provides an overview of this year’s multi-agency safeguarding activity and reflects the hard work and dedication of all our partner agencies as they've worked to safeguard and promote the welfare of Barnsley’s children and young people. Our shared Healthy Barnsley 2030 ambition is that children and young people have the right support, with early help at the right time, so that everyone has the resources they need to look after themselves and their families.
The national context has been an evolving landscape as services continue to adapt after the global pandemic. The legacy of lockdown continues to affect the lived experiences of children and young people: greater numbers of adults find themselves parenting in hardship, the cost-of-living crisis continues, and Health, Education, Police and Children’s Services are faced with national recruitment challenges.
Our lead Partner’s representatives changed when Carly Speechley was appointed as the new Executive Director of Children’s Services in July 2022 and Simon Wanless was appointed as Chief Superintendent, Barnsley District Commander of SY Police in September 2022. Jean Imray, our Independent Scrutineer, departed and was replaced by David Radford in the combined role of Independent Chair and Scrutineer in January 2023.
This year’s annual report begins with a look at Service Development, outlined in last year’s report as one of our new strategic priorities. A Joint Targeted Area Inspection in May 2022 recommended seven areas for development in the Partnership’s work. These, alongside the findings of a Local Government Association peer review in March 2022, findings from an Ofsted children’s home inspection, and a commissioned independent review in Children’s Social Care in summer 2022, led to a request to the new Executive Director of Children’s Services (from the Leader and cabinet representative) to conduct a review of Children’s Services’ current operations and effectiveness.
The review, and a resultant action plan, are overseen by a Children’s Services Development Board. Membership includes Barnsley Council leaders, Education representatives and Health and Police partners. The BSCP is fully supportive of the work of the Board and the governance of the Development Board and Safeguarding Children Partnership has been coordinated to avoid duplication and ensure joint working across shared areas. The additional funding to Children’s Services and focus brought through the presence of the Development Board have made a positive contribution to furthering the Partnership’s strategic priorities and our shared aims.
Health has also seen significant organisational change with the introduction nationally of Integrated Care Boards in September 2022. During this challenging time, Health agencies have maintained their commitment to both regional and local partnership working to safeguard children. Our third statutory Safeguarding Partner, South Yorkshire Police, has been given independent endorsement of the way they have developed their response to vulnerable adults and children, including safeguarding. In February 2023, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) published its Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) inspection findings for South Yorkshire Police for 2021 – 22, which described its work with children as highly effective.
Our annual report recognises the progress that has been made in working together to keep children safe from harm, the challenges that have been met and the work ahead of us. We are grateful to all of our partners and their dedicated front-line staff for their support and steadfast commitment to safeguarding children in Barnsley.
Carly Speechley - Executive Director for Children's Services, Barnsley Council
Jayne Sivakumar - Chief Nurse (Barnsley), NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
Simon Wanless Chief Superintendent - Barnsley District Commander, South Yorkshire Police
Annual reports
These documents define and guide the work of the Safeguarding Children Partnership throughout the year.