Issue - meetings

The purpose of this report is to advise the Executive of the recent changes to the Council’s Safeguarding Policy of 2017.

Recommendation

It is recommended that Executive recommends adoption of the updated Safeguarding Policy for Children and Adults at Risk to Full Council.

80.1     Cllr David Beaman, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Health and Wellbeing, introduced the report and revised Safeguarding Policy. The revisions to the Safeguarding Policy were not related to the current emergency, but reflected changes in Surrey County Council’s structures and arrangements for Children’s Services in response to their 2018 OFSTED inspection report on services for children in need of help and protection.

80.2     The principles set out the in the policy were unchanged, but the revised policy included Surrey County Council’s new multi-agency approach, Effective Family Resilience, and expanded on Contextual Safeguarding including Modern Day Slavery, Child Exploitation, online bullying and grooming, and anti-Semitism and hate crime. Cllr Beaman endorsed the revised Safeguarding Policy for Children and Adults at Risk, and the recommendation that it be submitted to Full Council for adoption.

80.3     Cllr Jerry Hyman spoke to endorse the revised Policy, and drew attention to an editing error in Appendix 5 that would need to be corrected before it was put to Full Council for approval.

80.4     Cllr Jenny Else commended the revised Policy but noted that she would have liked to see a clearer statement of councillors’ responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and how councillors should respond when they had safeguarding concerns about children or adults. Cllr Else also had some concerns about how information sharing was covered in relation to someone without mental capacity; and, how the safeguarding approach included care homes and domiciliary care organisations.

80.5     Cllr Paul Follows noted that he shared concerns that the council might assume too much of the county council’s responsibilities under the revised Policy, as this would not be funded. However, he recognised the importance of the Policy and recommended it to Council for adoption.

The Executive RESOLVED to recommend to Council that the Safeguarding Policy for Children and Adults at Risk be adopted.

Reason: It is a statutory responsibility for local authorities to have in place effective safeguarding arrangements.