Social Care and Health

In Bradford, safeguarding children is everybody's business. Safeguarding Children means protecting children from physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect. It also means improving their life chances by supporting children to grow up to be confident, healthy and happy adults.

If you are concerned about the safety or welfare of a child in the Bradford District, these are the numbers that you can call for advice and to make a referral:

• During office hours call Children's Social Care Initial Contact Point - 01274 437500 - (8.30am - 5.00pm Monday to Thursday, 4.30pm on Friday)
  
• At all other times, Social Services Emergency Duty Team - 01274 431010
  
• If you have reason to believe that a child is at IMMEDIATE RISK OF HARM, contact the police on 999

If you have concern that a child is being harmed as a result of abuse or neglect, you must not keep these concerns to yourself. Keeping children safe is everyone's responsibility.

You need to ensure that you speak to the appropriate organisations who can listen to and record your concern, and then take appropriate action.

What does the Safeguarding and Reviewing Unit do for Bradford Safeguarding Children Board ( B.S.C.B.) agencies?

• Provides a duty consultation service for professionals.
• Maintains the list of children subject to a Child Protection Plan.
• Chairs and minutes Child Protection Case Conferences and Reviews.
• Monitors adherence to the BSCB’s procedures and assists with writing new procedure.
• Supports BSCB activities including sub-groups and serious case reviews.
• Contributes to multi-agency safeguarding training.
• Quality Assurance functions for Child Protection.
• Undertakes the multi-agency allegations management function for all those working or volunteering with children in Bradford.

Duty Consultation Service

• Information regarding Children subject to a Child Protection Plan.
• Other information regarding child protection enquiries.
• Information regarding potentially dangerous adults.
• Advice regarding procedures.
• Duty can be contacted on 01274 434343, Monday – Friday, 10.00am – 4.00pm.

Children subject to a Child Protection Plan

• Children living in the community who are assessed as being at risk of significant harm, and who require a child protection plan to safeguard their welfare.
• A child protection plan can only be started via an Initial Child Protection Case Conference.
• A child protection plan addresses the assessed needs of a child suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm. The plan allows for a core group of agencies in conjunction with parents to deliver a coordinated package of support.
• The Safeguarding and Reviewing Unit is responsible for maintaining an analysis of children subject to child protection plans to inform the planning of services to children and their families.

Child Protection Case Conferences and Reviews

• These are multi-agency meetings, involving parents, carers and children where appropriate.
• Conferences and reviews consider information and assessments from agencies and information from parents/carers.
• If a child is made subject to a child protection plan a lead social worker must be identified, a core group established and a date set for the first Child Protection Review.
• The first Child Protection Review must take place within 3 months of the Conference. Subsequent Reviews must be at intervals of no more than 6 months.

Safeguarding Children Procedures

• These are the local arrangements for the implementation of the requirements of “Working Together to Safeguard Children”, and its supplementary guidance.
• The main part of the safeguarding procedures is common to all BSCB agencies.
• All of the up-to-date child protection procedures are held on the BSCB website

Bradford Safeguarding Children Board Membership

• BSCB has an independent Chair Professor Nick Frost of Leeds Metropolitan University
• NHS Bradford and Airedale
• The Strategic Director Services to Children and Young People, Bradford MDC
• Education Bradford
• West Yorkshire Police
• Early Years
• Localities Department of Services to Children and Young People Bradford MDC
• The National Probation Service
• CAFCASS
• NSPCC
• Crown Prosecution Service
• Youth Offending Team
• Voluntary Sector
• Connexions
• Bradford Social Services

Functions of BSCB

The scope of the Board in line with the guidance contained in Working Together 2010 is firstly to identify and prevent the maltreatment of children ensuring that all children growing up receive safe and effective care. Secondly to work to safeguard and promote the welfare of groups of children while potentially more vulnerable than the general population and to develop responses to children identified as in need under the Children Act but not suffering significant harm. And thirdly to ensure there is a robust protective response to protect children who are suffering or are likely to suffer significant harm. The Board supports a range of multi-agency activities in pursuing these functions including:-

• To ensure guidelines are in place that enable agencies to work together to safeguard children;
• To monitor adherence to the guidelines;
• To support agencies in developing their own procedures;
• To provide a programme of inter-agency training;
• To undertake Serious Case Reviews when appropriate to ensure that when a child has come to serious harm agencies and individuals learn lessons to prevent this reoccurring;
• To ensure all agencies discharge their responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.