Independent Scrutiny

The functions of the independent scrutiny role are to:

• Provide safeguarding partners and relevant agencies with independent, rigorous, and effective support and challenge at both strategic and operational level
• Provide assurance to the whole system in judging the effectiveness of the multi-agency safeguarding arrangements through a range of scrutiny methods
• Ensure that statutory duties are being fulfilled, quality assurance mechanisms are in place, and that local child safeguarding practice reviews and national reviews are analysed, with key learning areas identified and effectively implemented across the safeguarding system
• Ensure that the voice of children and families is considered as part of scrutiny and that this is at the heart of arrangements through direct feedback, informing policy and practice.
• Be regarded as a ‘critical friend’ and provide opportunities for two-way discussion and reflection between frontline practitioners and leaders. This will encourage and enable strong, clear, strategic leadership
• Provide independent advice when there are disagreements between agencies and safeguarding partners and facilitate escalation procedures
• Evaluate and contribute to multi-agency safeguarding published arrangements and the annual report, alongside feeding into the wider accountability systems such as inspections.

The all-age partnership aims to achieve improvement by developing good practice based on what we know works well, using an evidence-based approach. These local arrangements for independent scrutiny:

• Provide assurance in judging the effectiveness of multi-agency arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, adults and young people in Windsor & Maidenhead
• Provide assurance there is effective identification and review of serious child/young people and adult safeguarding cases
• Act as part of a wider system which includes the independent inspectorates’ single assessment of the individual safeguarding partners
• Consider how effectively the arrangements are working for children and families, adults and young people, as well as for practitioners and how well the safeguarding partners are providing strong leadership
• Provide objectivity, act as a constructive critical friend and promote reflection to promote continuous improvement
• Make recommendations to the designated safeguarding partners

A programme of work for scrutineers is agreed and their work and findings are reported on a quarterly basis to the Executive Steering group.

Scrutiny work can be undertaken through interviews, focus groups, data analysis, observations, and peer review. Scrutiny takes account of the voice and experience of children and their families, and adults and young people.

In addition to external scrutiny from Aidhour, the Partnership is fortunate to have two voluntary Independent Persons who consider the effectiveness of the partnership's arrangements.

Scrutineers are provided with learning from local safeguarding practice reviews, national reviews and thematic reports. Multi-agency dashboards and multi-agency audits provide a basis on which scrutineers can review progress against agreed priorities.

The scrutiny function is focused on the impact that decision makers are having on outcomes for children, adults and young people, through their leadership of the system. This means working to challenge the partners on:

• what their priorities are and why
• what they know about the quality of practice
• resources for and the effectiveness of the partnership
• how they operate as a team
• how learning from serious events is understood by practitioners
• how they can be assured the system is as safe as is possible
  
  

The Designated Safeguarding Partners will review the effectiveness of the scrutiny function annually.