Lead Safeguarding Partners (LSPs) set the strategic plan and priorities for the multi-agency arrangements. They focus on the key issues which promote multi-agency practice, this allows them a direct view to its effectiveness.
Key areas for LSPs to determine include:
- priorities for the multi-agency partnership
- establishing local learning reviews and the learning framework
- assessment of the performance and effectiveness of multi-agency practice
- model of independent scrutiny
- resourcing and funding of the arrangements
- structure of the RBWM AASP
- data and information sharing policies
- communication and engagement strategy with relevant partners, children and adults
These issues will be agreed on a three-year timescale with a triennial review.
The delegated safeguarding partners (DSPs) for the three lead partners meet regularly as an Executive Steering group and invite representation from Education and Probation in recognition of the important roles they have in ensuring effective multi-agency safeguarding arrangements in Windsor & Maidenhead.
The DSPs focus on driving improvement in practice and delivering the agreed priorities and ensuring practices of police, health, education and local government children’s services professionals are as effective as they can be to help protect children. Like the LSPs, DSPs must act as a team and not be a spokesperson for their agency alone.
The decisions made by DSPs should be reported back to the LSPs by the Executive Steering group. The executive group members should not need to refer upwards to LSPs to seek approval for operational decisions or changes in the arrangements of multi-agency services, including the sub-structure of the RBMW AASP.
The Executive Steering group will be held to account through the scheme of delegation to:
- provide evidence about the quality/performance of multi-agency practice
- update on the progress of meeting the RBMW AASP priorities
- identify and anticipate new challenges to the work of multi-agency teams
- direct the RBMW AASP support team to minimise bureaucracy and duplication
- provide analyses of trends in practice from intelligent interpretation of data
- report on the engagement of schools and other relevant partners
- respond to messages from learning reviews
- report on the performance of the support team and use of allocated budgets
- advise on any issues DSPs cannot agree on