Bedfordshire LSCB has been established to ensure that organisations work together effectively to safeguard children and promote their welfare. In Bedfordshire this includes social care services, education, health, the police, probation, the voluntary sector, youth offending team, Connexions, early years services as well as District councils and Yarlswood – in fact, any organisation providing services for children.

Website: www.bedfordshirelscb.org.uk

Download: Local Safeguarding Board Policies and Procedures Action Plan January 2008

Download: Bedfordshire LSCB - Generic Standards Audit - Monitoring and evaluating work done by the local authority and partner organisations

The above document contains a suite of forms that are designed to facilitate “self-auditing” by organisations and teams within the Local Authority and LSCB Partners.

Link: Safeguarding Children Resource Pack

Imformation

Private Fostering Arrangements -  What are the implications for Voluntary Organisations?

There is no specific duty laid upon voluntary organisations to inform the LA  when they become aware of a PFA.  However, Section 44 of the Children Act 2004 and the Replacement Children Act 1989 Guidance on Private Fostering makes it clear that:

"Local authorities when undertaking awareness raising activities, should involve other agencies such as schools and GPs' surgeries, so as to enable professionals in turn to encourage private foster carers and parents to notify the local authority.  Other agencies need also to be aware that failure by a private foster carer or parent to notify a local authority of a private fostering arrangement is an offence, and if local authorities are not aware of such arrangements they cannot carry out their duty to satisfy themselves that the welfare of the children concerned is being satisfactorily safeguarded and promoted.

Education, health and other professionals should notify the local authority of a private fostering arrangement that comes to their attention where they are not satisfied that that the local authority has been or will be notified of the arrangement, so that the local authority can then discharge its duty to satisfy itself that the welfare of the privately fostered child concerned is satisfactorily safeguarded and promoted."    

The HM Government booklet ' What to do if you're worried a child is being abused - Summary'  which all agencies & organisations which come into contact with children & families should have, clearly states in the Introduction - Safeguarding children that:

"All those who come into contact with children and families in their everyday work, including practitioners who do not have a specific role in safeguarding children, have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children." 

Effectively, the implications for VO's re PFAs'  are no different then they are in any other child protection/safeguarding situation.

VOs' can find more information on the following websites:  www.everychildmatters.gov.uk, www.baaf.gov.uk. 

From: maggie.kimble@bedscc.gov.uk

Training

Download: LSCB Approved Training Programme 2007

Common Assessment Framework in Bedfordshire

Download: CAF Process Version 8

The latest CAF referal form is at:

www.bedfordshirelscb.org.uk/publications.php

Future Events

To be advised