Plymouth Multi-Agency Child Safeguarding Arrangements
Plymouth has published its revised multi-agency safeguarding arrangements for children in Plymouth.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 is the statutory guidance that transferred strategic local safeguarding arrangements from Local Safeguarding Children Boards to three new statutory partners, namely the Local Authority, Clinical Commissioning Groups and the chief office of police. This guidance permitted local arrangements that covered more two or more local authorities. Following consultation and relevant cabinet and executive approvals it was agreed that the two existing Local Safeguarding Children Boards within Plymouth and Torbay would be replaced with one Plymouth and Torbay Joint Strategic Safeguarding Partnership, such partnership to be underpinned by proportionate strategic and operational structures that directed and promoted safeguarding practices and responses across Torbay and Plymouth.
This new multi-agency safeguarding arrangement was published, in accordance with Department for Education requirements on 29 September 2019.
Since that date the Torbay Local Authority has evaluated the suitability of this arrangement in light of the dissolution of the joint arrangement and Director of Children’s Services in January 2020, and the need to maintain the rate of improvement needed for Torbay children. They have concluded that they need a single strategic safeguarding partnership.
The document below sets out the new multi-agency safeguarding arrangements to be implemented within the city of Plymouth.