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Independent Scrutiny

The Safeguarding Partnership have developed a system of scrutiny and appointed an independent scrutineer to provide assurance, monitoring and challenge to the quality of work, in order to judge the effectiveness of the multi-agency arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in Greenwich. The scrutineer will act as a constructive critical friend and be a key driver to promoting reflection for continuous improvement across the partnership.

The Independent Scrutineer will consider how effectively the arrangements are working for children and families as well as for practitioners, and how well the safeguarding partners are providing leadership and will:

• Provide assurance in judging the effectiveness of services to protect children
• Assist when there is a disagreement between agencies
• Support the GSCP to be a learning organisation

Independent Scrutiny is provided by a single individual with a view to generating usable learning for system improvements and is independent from the statutory partners. Our Independent Scrutineer’s role includes:

• Attending the Executive Group, Development, Monitoring and Challenge Group , as well as other sub groups
• Reviewing and contributing to the Partnership’s annual report
• Reviewing audits and performance data, including section 11 audits
• Ensuring regular thematic peer reviews
• Determine the effectiveness of arrangements to identify and review serious child safeguarding cases
• Involvement in the escalation and conflict resolution process
• Have a direct line of sight to frontline practice including conversations/feedback with frontline practitioners
• Ensuring the voice of the child and service users is at the heart of all aspects of scrutiny by talking with and receiving direct feedback from children, young people and families to test the interconnectedness between performance, practice and the voice of the child, young person and family
• Embed scrutiny as a positive process with learning as its outcome

Read the Independent Scrutineer’s reports below.

Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub and Early Help Report (Front Door arrangements)- August 2019

Children Held in Custody – February 2020

Multi agency involvement in Child Protection Conferences December 2020

Domestic Abuse in Greenwich Independent Scrutiny Report August 2021