THe partnership working between Blackburn with Darwen Council, the police and NHS to protect vulnerable children has been praised as 'strong' by government inspectors.

A joint report by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, said 'aspirational' and 'committed' council leaders have 'taken decisive and effective action to expedite work to ensure that vulnerable children and their families can quickly access locally delivered help, support and protection'.

The report comes just over a year on from the damning Ofsted report into children's services in the borough, which was deemed to require improvement in all areas, triggering a £1 million action plan to bring it back up to scratch.

This fresh report also highlighted areas where improvement is needed, following the five day inspection in May.

On areas where the council can do better, the report listed: 

  • consistent records when professionals identify children in need or at risk of harm;
  • the quality with which the voices of children are recorded;
  • formal multi-agency processes to consider referrals that do not meet child protection thresholds;
  • involvement of health professionals, police, schools and children’s social care in decisions about next steps to help and protect children;
  • contingency planning for children who are the subject of repeated referrals or child in need or child protection plans;
  • the effectiveness of management supervision;
  • accurate performance management analysis; and
  • the involvement of children and their families in creating services.

The joint inspection also highlighted a number of strengths in the child safeguarding work going on in the borough.

The report said: "Aspirational BwD leaders have taken decisive and effective action to expedite work aligned to the Pan-Lancashire Children's Safeguarding Assurance Partnership (CSAP) shared priorities to ensure that vulnerable children and their families can quickly access locally delivered help, support and protection.

"Recent changes in the BwD senior leadership team have been a catalyst to this transformation, intended to enhance the quality of practice with vulnerable children.

"These changes have supported the framing of shared objectives and a culture of high expectation, where understanding the child’s experiences is driving improvements.

"Partnership working is strong. The Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board and NHS trusts’ safeguarding leads, the police and children’s social care are equal partners and active contributors in the development and implementation of the revised safeguarding partnership arrangements.

"Action by BwD senior partners to include local school leaders is a significant improvement."

But the report did note it is "too early" to see the full impact of changes made, and told the council it needs to send written statement of proposed action responding to the findings of the report by October.

Strengths listed in the report were: 

  • children at immediate risk of significant harm receive a prompt, proportionate and effective response;
  • children and their families benefit from responsive, well-coordinated universal and multi-agency targeted early help services, including out of hours;
  • children who go missing from home or are at risk of sexual and criminal exploitation receive effective protection from the police-based multidisciplinary Engage team;
  • schools provide excellent support for children and families;
  • the highly-effective multidisciplinary weekly ‘transforming lives panel’ ensures that individual children are provided with the right level of help from the most relevant professionals; and
  • resolute practitioners and accomplished leaders across agencies work well together.

Blackburn with Darwen Council children's service boss, Councillor Julie Gunn, said: “We are really pleased with the report and how it recognises leaders working together.

"Our main objective is to ensure children benefit from skilled and committed front-line early help.

"We will continue to make sure that social care and health practitioners, police officers and school staff work collaboratively to support children and their families and to prevent risk and harm escalating.

“Communication across all agencies must remain a priority.

"Senior leaders are working together to develop a children’s safeguarding board, specifically designed to provide high-quality child-centred services.”

Conservative spokesperson for wellbeing in the borough, Cllr Kevin Connor, said: "There are indeed positives particularly in the recognition of the aspirations of leadership.

"However there are eight areas where the report suggests improvements and which implies shortcomings in the current system.

"Going forward regular internal audit of the system should be an essential part of the process to ensure it is fit for purpose."

The council's children’s services and education director, Joanne Siddle, added: “We recognise that the report has indicated areas for development.

"We will of course endeavour to meet all those targets.

"We are on our continuous improvement journey and strive to achieve good in all areas.

"We are also extremely pleased at the recognition of the important role that schools play in identifying risks and supporting families at the earliest opportunity."

Assistant Chief Constable of Lancashire Police, Sam Mackenzie, said: “I am confident that the partnership can deliver the areas highlighted for improvement.”