Issue - meetings

The Panel considered the report of the Southampton Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) outlining the activity of the Safeguarding Children Partnership during 2023 - 2024 in response to the strategic priorities 2023 – 2026.

Scott Mackechnie, Independent Scrutineer of the Southampton Safeguarding Children Partnership, Councillor Winning - Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, and Rob Henderson - Executive Director for Children’s Services and Learning were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

The Panel explored a number of issues including:

• Performance against the 5 strategic priorities of the Safeguarding Partnership, particularly:
  • Confidence that the Youth Justice Service and partners are working effectively to reduce levels of serious youth violence in Southampton.
  • What the increase in cases of neglect tells us about the effectiveness of the work of the Partnership’s approach to neglect.
  • The profile of the issue of education participation amongst partners and if there is now a greater recognition by partners of the impact that school attendance has on a range of outcomes across the city.
  • Partners enthusiasm about the Family Safeguarding Model.
• The merger of the Adult and Children Safeguarding Boards, the advantages and risks of this decision, and whether the Independent Scrutineer was aware of other local authorities that have combined their safeguarding boards. 

RESOLVED that following the creation of the Southampton Children and Adults Safeguarding Partnership (SCASP), the Panel invite the Independent Scrutineer to a meeting of the Panel in 2025/26 to consider the effectiveness of the new safeguarding partnership arrangements.