Our Constitution

Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB) seeks to ensure that all children are safe by ensuring that local services focus on supporting their needs and those of their parents, carers and families.

WSCB is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

In line with Working Together 2015, Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board has a business plan with a set of key priorities that are reviewed every 3 years. The business plan needs to ensure that:

1. There are effective safeguarding arrangements in place through a demonstrated commitment of partner agencies by attending Board meetings, and by having an adequately resourced Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board.
2. Policy and procedures are in place, regularly reviewed and updated in line with new legislative and statutory guidance to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people - see WSCB Policies and Procedures
3. That the requirements to safeguard children and young people are consistently applied to all children living away from home and to children with disabilities.
4. To monitor what is done by the Board agencies individually and collectively to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to advise on ways to improve, by completing a bi-annual agency Section 11 Compliance monitoring document.
5. To communicate to the community, agencies and organisations the need to safeguard children by raising awareness of how they can do this and encouraging them to do so.
6. To make sure all those who work with children are 'suitable' by ensuring appropriate selection and recruitment standards are in place which comply with ISA registration (Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006).
7. To respond to the requirements identified by the Licensing Acts.
8. To review and investigate Serious Case Reviews and Unexpected Childhood Deaths.
9. To ensure the continuous development of services to safeguard and promote the welfare of Children and Young People.
10. To develop the skills and knowledge of workers in relation to safeguarding children in conjunction with the Children's Workforce Strategic lead through the provision of a comprehensive training development and support programme see WSCB/WSAB Learning and Improvement Framework 2017-19

 The Board Committees are: Serious Case Review Child Death Overview Law, Policy and Procedure Learning and Development - Joint Learning and Improvement Framework 2017-19 Sexual Exploitation, Missing and Trafficked Children (SEMT)  Strategic and Operational Quality and Performance - Quality Assurance Framework (WSCB) Communication and Engagement

 

Working Together 2018 requires Child Death Review Partners (CCG and Local Authority) to make arrangements to carry out child death reviews.

New arrangements have now been published and will take effect from 30 June 2019.

Click here for the new arrangements.

Safer Recruitment:

All organisations engaging people in 'Regulated Activities' must have robust and transparent recruitment procedures in place to ensure children, young people and vulnerable adults are safeguarded and they should be familiar with the Local Safeguarding Children Board policies and procedures.

Before recruiting staff (whether paid or unpaid), the following should be considered:

The application process should include the organisations commitment to safeguarding in for example the Job Description and any other documentation;

Thorough checks should be made of an applicant's identity, work history and references including any gaps in time;

Referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service:

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (SVGA) places a legal duty on Regulated Activity Providers (employers, volunteer managers and personnel suppliers) to refer any person who has:

Harmed or poses a risk of harm to a child or vulnerable adult;Satisfied the harm test; or Received a caution or conviction for a relevant offence.

Under the provisions of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act, 2006, the following groups have a power to make a referral to the DBS:

Local authorities (safeguarding role);Education and library boards;Health and social care (HSC) trusts (NI);Keepers of registers eg General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council;Supervisory authorities eg Care Quality Commission, Ofsted.

Click here for Notification of Serious Child Care Incident Form

When a child dies, and abuse or neglect are known or suspected to be a factor in the death, local organisations should consider immediately whether there are other children at risk of harm who require safeguarding.

Click here to view NSPCC Learning from Case Reviews 

Serious Case Reviews published in last 12 months	Date published
Serious Case Review report - Child N	Oct 2019
Serious Case Review Statement - Child N	Oct 2019
Serious Case Review Report - Child K	May 2019
Serious Case Review Statement - Child K	May 2019

BASIC SAFEGUARDING E-LEARNING

Wolverhampton Safeguarding partners ( all public sector, private sector and voluntary sector organisations based in the city and / or delivering services or support to Wolverhampton residents) that don't have access to their own e-learning platforms can access the City of Wolverhampton Council's e-learning Guest Area FREE OF CHARGE.

Please read the guidance below and then click here to request safeguarding e-learning licences

Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

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About the Safeguarding Boards' free e-learning courses

 The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) agenda at both local and national levels acknowledges the gendered nature of domestic and sexual violence in that the majority of victims are female. However, it cannot be over-emphasised that the local and national strategies recognise that there are female and male victims and perpetrators, and that strategies encompass work with women, men, girls and boys. VAWG includes the following types of violence and abuse:

• Domestic Violence and Abuse
• Female Genital Mutilation
• Forced Marriage
• Honour Based Violence
• Sexual Violence

Click here for the Wolverhampton Tackling Interpersonal Violence & Abuse Strategy 2019-2022

Click here for Wolverhampton's Overarching Domestic Violence Protocol and Guidance  2018

Click here for the expectations of partner agencies 

Click here for the Dash Risk Assessment and guidance 

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West Midlands Forced Marriage & Honour Based Abuse 24hr Multi Lingual Helpline 0800 953 9777       

Click to download -   HBV Leaflet 1   HBV Leaflet 2

Forced marriage is a CRIME. It is a form of  domestic violence against women and men,  a serious abuse of human rights, and where a minor is involved, child abuse.

A 'forced' marriage (as distinct from a consensual "arranged" one) is defined as one, which is conducted without the valid consent of at least one of the parties and where duress is a factor. Duress cannot be justified on religious or cultural grounds.

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Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) includes all procedures involving total or partial removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It's also known as ‘female circumcision’ or ‘cutting, and by other terms such as sunna, gudniin, halalays, tahur, megrez and khitan, among others. FGM has no health benefits, and no religious texts require girls to be ‘cut’, however FGM is carried out under the banners of culture and religion within families and communities in the mistaken belief that it benefits the girl in some way, eg. preserve/prove her virginity as a preparation for marriage.

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Practices vary across communities with girls/women being ‘cut’ at any time from two days after birth, before puberty, during pregnancy, or following delivery of their first child. The most prevalent age group is 0-15 years,and some recent reports suggest that the age range is getting younger.

In addition to general safeguarding duties, since October 2015 all registered health and social care professionals and qualified teachers have a personal professional duty to report FGM in girls under 18years; professional registration can be affected by non-compliance with this duty. 

To report call 101, record information and reference number , update safeguarding lead

KEY FACTORS TO LOOK OUT FOR:The family belongs to a community which practices FGM, are making plans to go on holiday / requested extended leave from school.

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IS EVERYONE'S BUSINESS!!

All voluntary, community and faith organisations need to understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities (alongside those of other organisations and services) to help keep children and young people safe from abuse and neglect, and promote their wellbeing.

There is a range of help and support for voluntary, community and faith organisations working in Wolverhampton from Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council. This includes safeguarding support which you can access as follows:

1. Specific support for faith groups

• There are over 250 faith groups in Wolverhampton which you can find details for all of these on the Wolverhampton Faith Map
• To access this support, please contact Pavitter Kaur Mainn - (Faith Engagement Worker) by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone: 07538 105780

2. Individual and group support for any voluntary or community organisation