An annual report from the Islands Safeguarding Children Partnership (formally the Islands Child Protection Committee) highlights a number of positive signs in relation to multi-agency efforts to protect vulnerable children.
The report, the seventh to be released by the Partnership since it was established in the Children (Guernsey and Alderney) Law 2008, which was implemented in 2010, says a significant positive is that the number of children being looked after off-island continues to fall.
Additionally, child protection registrations remained low and stable across the year and the level of early help being provided through the Multi-Agency Support Hub remains high.
The report also highlights the ISCP’s plan for 2018, which identifies the need for continued attention on four strategic priorities: maximising capacity and resources, managing partnership and engagement, ensuring focus on vulnerable groups, and embedding learning and improvement.
Independent Chair of the ISCP, Simon Westwood, said it recognised that there is a lot of good work being done to safeguard children in the islands, although there is always more that can be done.
He said 2017 had been a year of embedding improvements, recognising the importance of supportive and nurturing environments for children, young people and families:
“The ISCP has recognised a need to understand more about what can be done to support the emotional health and wellbeing of young people. There are many examples of good work and this progress should be celebrated, however neither the ISCP nor agencies involved in protection of children will ever be complacent. We will continue to challenge partner agencies to consider what more can be done to meet the emotional welfare needs of children in the islands.”
The principal objective of the Islands Safeguarding Children Partnership (ISCP) is:
“to co-ordinate what is done by each agency represented on the Committee for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.”
The Committee is also intended to:
- promote effective co-operation between all persons involved in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children;
- provide guidance to employees working with children in Guernsey and Alderney; and,
- review any case or incident where a child has died or suffered serious harm.
