Appendix 3 - CPC Standards and Quality Report 2023 - 2024 - Executive Summary
Perth and Kinross Council · 4 December 2024
Back to Perth and Kinross Council — 4 December 2024 and its agenda
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1 Appendix 3 Protecting Children and Young People: It is Still Everyone’s Job Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee Standards and Quality Report 2023/2024 Executive Summary
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2 Executive Summary Preface The Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) Standards and Quality Report for 2023/2024 is supported by the Chief Officers of public sector organisations in Perth and Kinross, including the Council, NHS Tayside, and Police Scotland. The report emphasises the collective commitment to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children and young people, ensuring they are protected from harm, abuse, and exploitation. Introduction The report covers the period from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024, providing an overview of multi-agency activities aimed at protecting unborn babies, babies, children and young people. Key initiatives include the implementation of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021, the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM), and the establishment of the Bairns’ Hoose model in Tayside. Local and National Context Perth and Kinross is a diverse area with both rural and urban communities. The CPC's vision aligns with the Tayside Plan for Infants, Children, Young People 2023 – 2026, focusing on five priorities: best start in life, positive contributions to communities, good physical and mental health, protection of rights, and safety. Nationally, the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scottish law in July 2024 is a significant development. Management Information and Performance Outcomes The CPC plays a crucial role in gathering and analysing data on child protection. Key trends include a steady increase in Child Concern Reports (CCRs), a decrease in Inter-Agency Referral Discussions (IRDs), and a downward trend in Child Protection Investigations (CPIs) and Joint Investigative Interviews (JIIs). The number of children on the Child Protection Register (CPR) has also decreased. The reasons for these decreases in numbers need further exploration but it is noted that they may be indicative of the realignment of resources towards early intervention which took place in 2022. The Quality Assurance Working Group will consider this issue in more depth in the coming months. Key Initiatives and Improvements • Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM) and Bairns’ Hoose: These initiatives aim to provide a trauma- informed approach to interviewing children and young people who have been victims or witnesses of abuse and to provide coordinated support for them from across services. • Child Protection Planning Meetings (CPPMs): Continued improvement work has led to better coordination and support for families, with a focus on providing consistency and reducing re- traumatisation. Easy read information has been produced for families. • Participation: Youth Services are supporting young people’s participation through the Youth Forum and Champions Boards. These forums are ensuring that young people benefit from a collective advocacy approach to share their views on issues that are important to them. The Rights Respecting Schools initiative continues to ensure that children are informed about their rights and encouraged to use them. • Involvement in Decision Making: Efforts to involve children, young people and their families in decision-making processes continue to be strengthened. Independent Advocacy Perth and Kinross offer individual support to children, young people and their families to attend meetings and have their views represented. The Connecting Relationships Empowering Supporting Together (CREST) Team
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3 promotes the participation of children, young people and families through Family Group Decision Making and the creation of Family Plans. Quality Assurance and Self-Evaluation The CPC has undertaken various audits and evaluations to ensure continuous improvement. There have been three desktop audits and one full multi-agency audit undertaken. The areas covered in the desktop audits have been contacts recorded as ‘ECS – Other’, outcomes from the Multi-Agency Screening Hub and Child Protection Core Groups and Plans. The multi-agency audit looked at responses to young people aged 11 – 18 who had had more than 3 contacts made to Children and Families Social Work in one calendar year. Key strengths included the quality of immediate responses, good and pro-active information sharing, and relationship-based work with families. Areas for improvement include SMARTer (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound, evaluation and review) planning, earlier intervention, and meaningful inclusion of children and young people. Development of Practice Guidance and CPC Community of Practice The CPC has developed two new major guidance documents this year – Interim Joint Protocol: Guiding Principles for Safe Transition between, within and across Children’s Services and Adult Services which was produced in partnership with the Adult Support and Protection Committee and the P&K CPC Joint Protocol Care and Risk Management (CARM) for young people who pose a risk of serious harm to themselves or others. Both of these guidance documents are in the process of being operationalised. The CPC have begun updating their guidance documents and websites to become more accessible and user friendly. The CPC have instituted a Child Protection Community of Practice. Topics covered so far have been Professional Curiosity and Working with Fathers, Male Carers and Social Fathers. Here is an introduction to the Community of Practice. Impact on Staff and Community The CPC has provided a wide range of learning and development opportunities for staff, ensuring they are well- equipped to protect children and young people. Staff feedback regarding the CPC learning and development courses continues to be positive. The National Child Protection Learning and Development Framework (2024) has been fully incorporated into the CPC training offer. Public information and engagement efforts have been enhanced through social media and the CPC website. Leadership and Governance The CPC's governance structure supports effective partnership working and continuous improvement. The CPC, in collaboration with the Children, Young People and Families Partnership (CYPFP), the Perth and Kinross Protecting People Coordination Group (PPCG) and the Chief Officers’ Group (COG), continues to provide strong leadership and direction for the children’s services workforce. Conclusion and Future Plans The CPC remains committed to continuous improvement and will develop a three-year self-evaluation strategy and audit plan. The CPC will also focus on engaging with practitioners and communities. The CPC is committed to working as closely as possible with the other public protection partnerships in Perth and Kinross to ensure a whole family, whole of life approach to Public Protection.
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