Safeguarding policy, procedures, protocols and practice policy

Annex E: The role of district councils in safeguarding checklist

Last updated April 2023

The Local Government Association recommends that district councils should be able to demonstrate the following at a policy level:

Demonstrate	Council Response
Senior management commitment to the importance of safeguarding and promoting children's welfare	See Section 6 ‘Approach to Implementing the Policy’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
A clear statement of the council's responsibilities towards children, available for all staff	See Section 3 ‘Policy Statement’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy and Annex C: Staff and Elected Member Roles and Responsibilities
A clear line of accountability within the organisation for work on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children	See Section 6 ‘Approach to Implementing the Policy’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
Service development that takes account of the need to safeguard and promote welfare - and is informed by the views of children and families safe recruitment procedures	See Section 6 ‘Approach to Implementing the Policy’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
Training on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children for all staff working with, or in contact with, children and families, including work on case studies - for example, The Victoria Climbie Inquiry showed that there was a gross failure in the system to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children	See Section 6 ‘Approach to Implementing the Policy’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
Effective information sharing	See Section 4 ‘Effective Information Sharing’ of Safeguarding Policy

As important as is the role of frontline district council staff, volunteers and contractors may also come into contact with children and young people in a variety of ways. In addition to having had Disclosure Barring Scheme (DBS) checks, they will need appropriate training on:

Demonstrate	Council Response
Issues of safe working practices and on creating safe environments for children	See Annex C: Staff and Elected Member Roles and Responsibilities
Indications that a child may require safeguarding from harm	See Annex F ‘Types of Abuse of Children and Adults’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
Contact details for advice about referral	See Annex A ‘Flow Chart for Reporting Disclosures’ and Annex E ‘Essential Contacts, Lead Agencies and Protocols’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
Sharing information	See Section 4 ‘Effective Information Sharing’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
Managing and reducing risk	See Council’s Safeguarding Policy

Although the children’s services authority convenes the LSCP, district councils in the local government area are key partners and are expected to fulfil their duties under the Children Act 2004.

Expectations for district councils

District councils undertaking a ‘stock take' of their safeguarding arrangements might want to consider the following questions.

Question	Answer
Do you have a senior manager with responsibility for championing, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children?	See Section 6 ‘Approach to Implementing the Policy’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
What are the lines of accountability for ensuring the safeguarding of children and young people?	See Section 6 ‘Approach to Implementing the Policy’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
Do elected members and managers know what responsibility the council has in relation to safeguarding?	See Annex C ‘Staff and Elected Members Roles and Responsibilities’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
Are all staff well informed about their responsibilities for ensuring the safeguarding of children and do they know what to do?	See Section 6 ‘Approach to Implementing the Policy’ of Council’s Safeguarding Policy
How do you know that you have safe recruitment practices?	See Annex E: Essential Contact, Lead Agencies and Protocols
Have you collaborated with the other districts in your area to ensure effective representation and feedback within the children's trust arrangement at children services authority level?	Member of Worcestershire District Councils Network.
Have you identified individual and joint district planning priorities as part of the consultation on the children and young people's plan?	Member of Worcestershire District Councils Network.
Does your district take an effective part in the LSCB - how do you know?	Member of Worcestershire District Councils Network.
Is the LSCB helping you achieve your objectives - for instance, by supporting sharing of expertise? Is service development taking account of the need to safeguard and promote welfare?	Member of Worcestershire District Councils Network.
Is service planning and monitoring informed by the views of children and families?	Yes service planning and monitoring is informed by all of our communities including children and families
Have you reviewed your policies, procedures and practices for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children as part of delivering your services?	Periodic reviews are in place

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