Issue - meetings

Ann Graham, Divisional Director, Complex Needs and Social Care, presented the Barking and Dagenham Safeguarding Children Board (BDSCB) Annual Report 2013/14, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, which demonstrated the impact of the work of the BDSCB partners in safeguarding children and young people within the Borough.  In line with statutory guidance the Annual report has been shared with the Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and the wider partnership and would also be shared with the Children’sTrust.

The Boards attention was drawn to five priorities identified by the BDSCB for 2014/15, the details of which were set out in the report.  The evaluation of priorities would be provided in the next BDSCB Annual Report.

The Chair commented that she would wish to see more information on child exploitation and what we were doing to identify potential victims or vulnerable children.  Councillor Turner informed the Board that a brief had been sent to all Councillors, a specialist from the Home Office would be visiting the Borough and Ofsted had also undertaken some work.  Councillor Turner said it was important not to switch resources to the trends of the day but to identify local needs and concentrate on those. Councillor Turner also raised the issues of witch craft and spirit exorcism, female genital mutilation and missing children.  Councillor Turner added that child exploitation and trafficking was a national problem that crossed different local authority and police force boundaries.  Sean Wilson commented that the issues were very complex with those trafficked being too scared of reprisals on families back home or of being deported to come forward and there was often denial by the individual that they were victims.

Ann Graham advised that LBBD had been selected as an area of interest and support due to indicators such as deprivation and teenage pregnancy rates.

The Board:

(i)  Noted the Barking and Dagenham Safeguarding Children Board (BDSCB) Annual Report 2013-14

(ii)  Noted that a report on child exploitation would be provided to the Health and Wellbeing Board in due course.