The Calderdale Safeguarding Children Board (CSCB) consists of the following elements:
-
The Board (see below)
-
Local Area Safeguarding Practitioner Forums
-
The Safeguarding Unit
The Board
The Board
Central
to CSCB is the Board which consists of designated,
named, senior strategic managers (i.e. Chief
Executive Officers / Senior Directors of member
agencies) who can:
-
Speak for their organisation with authority
-
Commit their organisation on policy and practice matters
-
Hold their organisation to account
In addition, the Group Director for Children and Young People’s Services will also be a Board Member and Vice Chair of the CSCB. The Group Director will also act as the primary link to the Children and Young People’s Management Group of which s/he is Chair. There should be an opportunity for representatives of Service Users and the Community to be full (non executive) members of the Board.
Role
The Board will meet on a quarterly basis with
meeting dates set a year in advance. It will have
the key strategic role in ensuring that the overall
aims and objectives of the CSCB are met.
1. To develop and approve the Strategic Development and Annual Business Plans of CSCB.
2. To ratify all CSCB policies and procedures.
3. To take responsibility and be accountable for ensuring the implementation of the Strategic Development and Business plans.
4. To monitor inter-agency performance through receiving regular reports from the Safeguarding Unit and the Sub-groups.
5. To receive action plans / progress reports and executive summaries on Serious Case Reviews and Child Death Reviews.
6. To receive reports on emergency issues.
Scope of Authority
Whilst CSCB has a role
in co-ordinating and ensuring the effectiveness of
local individuals’ and organisations’ work to
safeguard and promote the welfare of children, it is
not responsible for their operational work. Each
Board partner retains their own existing lines of
accountability for safeguarding and promoting the
welfare of children by their services as set out in
Section 11 Guidance of the Children Act 2004 and
their own terms of reference. CSCB does not have the
power to direct other organisations.
Decision Making
Each member agency of CSCB will have a single vote.
Voting will be by a show of hands and a simple
majority will approve all decisions. The CSCB Chair,
will have the casting vote.
Board Meetings
These will be chaired by the CSCB Chair
(or one of the Vice Chairs in their absence) and
held on a quarterly basis. The meeting will work to
a previously set agenda developed by the Chair, the
two vice Chairs and the Safeguarding Manager.
The agenda will be sent out at least one week in
advance of the meeting and will include items
submitted by Board members in addition to items
agreed by the Board in previous meetings.
Agenda items submitted by Board members should be
sent in writing to the Safeguarding Manager at least
two weeks prior to the meeting.
Board members unable to attend should notify the
Safeguarding Manager prior to the meeting and ensure
that an agency replacement (at a suitable level of
seniority) attends in their place. This should be a
named substitute who can carry the same level of
responsibility and authority on behalf of the agency
as the named Board member. A register of attendance
will be kept.
All Board meetings will be minuted by a Safeguarding
Administrative staff member and the minutes sent out
to members within three weeks of the meeting.
The
Chair
The Board will have an Independent Chair
who will have a crucial role in ensuring that it
operates effectively and secures an independent
voice for the CSCB. There will also be two vice
chairs, namely, the Group Director for Children and
Young People’s Services and a nominated Board member
(elected by a simple majority of the Board if more
than one candidate) respectively. The Board will be
supported and serviced by the Safeguarding Manager
and Unit.
It is the responsibility of Calderdale Council,
after consultation with CSCB partners, to appoint
the Chair.
The Chair will act as a non-executive member of the
CSCB and will be independent of the Local Authority.
However, the Chair will be accountable for the
effectiveness of his or her work and performance to
the Board and the Local Authority, via the Chief
Executive. The Chair will also be accountable to the
CSCB membership and may only make decisions when
mandated to do so by the Board.
The CSCB chair will have sufficient standing and
expertise in the area of child protection and
safeguarding to command the respect and support of
all partners. The Chair should act objectively and
distinguish their role as CSCB chair from any other
employment or interests.
The appointment of the CSCB Chair should be
confirmed every three years by a simple majority of
the CSCB. For further information regarding the
profile and role of the CSCB Chair please see
Appendix 4 ‘Terms of Reference for the Independent
CSCB Chair’.
Current Membership
The Calderdale Safeguarding
Children Board is made up of the following members,
as of 9 February 2010:
| Mike Stow | Independent Chairperson |
| Janet Donaldson | Group Director, Calderdale Children and Young People's Services |
| Viv Hobman | Head of Care Services |
| Vacancy | Chief Law and Admin Coordinator |
| Virginia Whitehead | Head of Probation for Calderdale |
| Vacancy | NSPCC |
| Ralph Berry | CAFCASS |
| Noreen Young | Director of Nursing, South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust |
| Jonathan Phillips | Group Director, Calderdale Adult Health & Social Care Services |
| Sue Cannon | Executive Director, Quality and Engagement, Calderdale Primary Care Trust |
| Helen Thomson | Director of Nursing, Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary |
| Robin Tuddenham | Group Director, Safer and Stronger Communities |
|
Chief Superintendent Alan Ford |
West Yorkshire Police |
|
Craig Ferris |
Nurse Consultant, Safeguarding Children Team, Calderdale Primary Care Trust |
|
Dr Adnan Muhamed |
Consultant Paediatrician, Calderdale & Huddersfield Primary Care Trust, Calderdale Royal Hospital |
|
Paul Sharkey |
Safeguarding Manager |
