Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director, Children’s Services

The Assistant Director, Children’s Services, submitted a report (previously circulated) to enable Members to consider and comment on the Annual Report of the Darlington Safeguarding Partnership (DSP) for the period 2022/23.

It was reported that Local Safeguarding Partnerships are required to produce an Annual Report to account for the Partnerships achievements over the previous year and make an assessment of the effectiveness of multi-agency safeguarding arrangements within the local area.

The Annual Report summarised and reflected on the work of the Partnership over the period 2022/23, drawing upon a range of data and information, to outline the progress made and to illustrate the effectiveness of multi-agency safeguarding partnership arrangements across Darlington, and highlighted that the year continued to be shaped by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the national safeguarding context had been an evolving landscape as services continued to adapt, many organisations facing national recruitment challenges. 

The submitted report outlined significant organisational change during the year with the introduction nationally of Integrated Care Boards and a new iteration of Working Together to Safeguard Children, along with the implementation of Local Authority Adult Regulatory inspections.

Ann Baxter, Independent Chair of the Darlington Safeguarding Partnership attended the meeting to outline the Annual Report and answer Members questions thereon.

Members entered into discussion on the introduction of the Integrated Care Boards, and the advantages and disadvantages associated with the reorganisation; and thanked Ann for the worked of the Darlington Safeguarding Partnership.

RESOLVED – That the Darlington Safeguarding Partnership Annual Report for 2022/23, be noted.