Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Subgroups

The work of the subgroups is reported to the DDSCP Executive Board meetings held every four months.

The DDSCP subgroups are:

• Quality Assurance Groups (one in each area - Derby and Derbyshire)
• Child Safeguarding Practice Review Groups (previously known as Serious Case Review Panels, one in each area - Derby and Derbyshire)
• Education Groups (one in each area - Derby and Derbyshire)
• Exploitation and Vulnerable Young People Groups (one in each area - Derby and Derbyshire)
• Policies and Procedures Group
• Learning and Organisational Development Group
• Districts’ Safeguarding Group (covering all district council areas)
• A Stakeholders' Group 

Quality Assurance Groups

Each group looks at how well agencies are working together to keep children safe in their area and is responsible for coordinating the monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the local arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

The quality assurance groups report on performance and audit findings to advise partners on ways to improve.

Child Safeguarding Practice Review Groups

Each group reviews individual serious cases in their area to identify what improvements are needed to the way people work to keep children safe.

The groups are responsible for carrying out reviews of cases where abuse or neglect of a child is known or suspected, a child has died or a child has been seriously harmed, and there is cause for concern as to the way in which the local authority, other agencies or other relevant persons have worked together to safeguard the child.

The groups are responsible for carrying out Rapid Reviews and reporting the findings to the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.

Education Subgroups

Each group works with schools and colleges to support them in their work to drive forward safeguarding in their settings.

The education subgroups are responsible for

• helping to develop and update safeguarding procedures and guidance for schools and colleges 
• making sure that schools and colleges are reviewing how they keep children and young people safe in their own setting and demonstrating how they are helping their pupils to be safe.

Exploitation and Vulnerable Young People Groups

Each group looks at particular difficulties experienced by young people and how agencies can help to keep them safe. There is a joint strategy across Derby and Derbyshire to Safeguard children and young people at risk of exploitation which includes the oversight of arrangements to keep children and young people safe from: 

• Criminal Exploitation (including County Lines)
• Child Sexual Exploitation
• Going Missing form Home, Care and Education (Including children who are electively home educated)
• Self-harm, including substance misuse
• Associating with serious youth violence
• Radicalisation and extremism
• Offending
• Contextual Safeguarding
• Young People in Custody
• Peer Abuse
• Online Safety
• Homelessness

Policy and Procedures Sub Group

The Policy and Procedures subgroup is responsible for developing new policies and procedures for safeguarding and promoting the welfare and updating existing ones. This involves all agencies so that the best possible information is available for professionals and families to help them understand what steps should be taken if concerns begin to be identified about a child’s safety or welfare, including thresholds for intervention.

Learning and Organisational Development Group

The Learning and Organisational Development Group (previously the Workforce Group) is responsible for helping ensure that all agencies provide the right support, training and development for professionals and volunteers so that they are able to keep children safe.

Districts’ Safeguarding Group (covering all district council areas)

District Councils have and will retain essential safeguarding responsibilities. The District Councils will continue to actively participate in their existing joint arrangements to coordinate their safeguarding duties. The effectiveness of their arrangements will be reported and they will be supported by the Districts' Safeguarding Group as active stakeholders in their roles to keep children safe in their local areas.

A Stakeholders' Group 

A wide range of agencies and organsations who provide services for children and their families will be brought together twice a year to participate in events to help drive forward local arrangements. This may includ hearing about local learning reviews and themes that have emerged where we can all make a difference to keeping children safe. National and local speakers will be invited to talk about their research or developing areas of practice that are proving to be working well to safeguarding arrangements.