Safeguarding Children

Slough Safeguarding Partnership

Slough Local Safeguarding Children Board (SLSCB) is the key statutory means:

• to agree on how relevant organisations in Slough will work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and
• to make sure this work is effective.

The Slough LSCB has an independent role to challenge partner organisations. It has an independent chair and membership is made up of senior managers from partner organisations. The independent chair is Nick Georgiou, who can be contacted at Nick.Georgiou@slough.gov.uk.

Partner organisations are under a legal obligation to support the board and have nominated representatives (senior managers) who can speak with authority and hold their organisation to account.

Section 11 of Children Act 2004 places a duty on key individuals and bodies to make sure their functions are discharged with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The application of this duty will vary according to the nature of each agency and its functions.

Regulation 5 of the Local Safeguarding Children Board Regulations 2006 sets out the functions of the SLSCB are to:

• develop policies and procedures to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in Slough
• develop policies and procedures to guide any action to be taken where there are concerns about a child’s safety or welfare, including thresholds for intervention
• train those who work with children or in services that affect the safety and welfare of children
• to recruit and supervise those who work with children
• to investigate allegations on those who work with children
• check on safety and welfare of children who are privately fostered
• cooperate with neighbouring children’s services authorities and their Board partners
• communicate to persons and bodies in Slough, the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, raising their awareness of how this can best be done and encourage them to do so
• monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of what is done by the council and their Board partners individually and collectively to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and advise them on ways to improve
• help to plan the services for children in Slough
• undertake reviews of serious cases and advise the authority and their Board partners on lessons to be learned.

SLSCB does not deliver services directly to children, young people or their families.

Our key message is the same as stated by Working Together 2015:

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer)

A referral should always be made to the LADO if there is an allegation or concern that a person who works with children has:

• Behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;
• Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child;
• Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she may pose a risk of harm to children

If you are unsure whether your concern meets these criteria you can contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for further advice and guidance. The LADO will:

• Provide advice and guidance to employers and voluntary organisations
• Provide management and oversight of allegations against staff and volunteers who work with children
• Liaise with the police and other agencies
• Monitor the progress of cases to ensure they are dealt with as quickly as possible and that the processes followed are fair and consistent.

The LADO can be contacted using the following details:

• Email: LADO@scstrust.co.uk
• Phone: 07927 681858 / 01753 690906

Where possible, please use the LADO Referral Form.