About the LSCP
The Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children's Partnership (LSCP) is a statutory multi-agency partnership board.
Our vision is that children and young people are safeguarded, supported and their lives are improved. We can achieve this by all agencies working together.
Find out more about what we do:
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Constitution
- Annual report
- Business plan 2018-21
- Interim business plan 2021-22
- Policy and procedures
Our work is delivered through a governance structure that includes:
- Assurance executive
- Strategic management group
- Operational delivery group
- Sub groups
LSCP members:
- Chris Cook - independent chair
- Stacey Waller - business manager
- Mandy Radley-Mitchell - audit and policy officer
- Mary-Ann Round - learning and development officer
- Rachel Thomas-Friend & Laura Priestly training officers
- Dan Hawbrook - e-safety officer
- Lisa Tomlinson - e-learning officer
- Rachael Powis/ Kim Murray - local authority designated officer
- Erica Coney and Jo O'Boyle - LSCP administrators
- Hannah Page - child death overview panel administrator
- Trevor Stratton - LSCP Analyst
- Lay members - community members who help to support stronger public engagement in local safeguarding issues
- Liaison officers - search our directory to find a liaison officer
If you need any more information about the LSCP please email lscp@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
LSCP sub groups
Sub-groups are made up of representatives from agencies who form the membership of the Operational Delivery Group.
The LSCP’s work will be conducted through a number of permanent or temporarily convened sub-groups.
Policy, Procedure, Education and Training Sub Group (PPET)
The purpose of PPET is to promote effective working relationships, between member agencies, groups and voluntary organisations.
Its main functions are to:
- develop, maintain, monitor and review all LSCP policies, education and training
- to ensure all partners put the learning from serious case reviews into practice
Chair: James Hoyes, Lincolnshire Police.
View the terms of reference for PPET.
Significant Incident Review Group (SIRG)
Professionals and organisations in Lincolnshire with a role in protecting children, need to reflect on the quality of services and learn from their own practice and that of others.
Good practice should be shared so that there is a growing understanding of what works well. Equally, when things go wrong, there needs to be a robust and objective analysis of what happened and why. Lessons can then be learnt and services improved to reduce the risk of future harm to children
The purpose of SIRG is to oversee all open serious incident case, the associated action plans and consider examples of good multi-agency practice.
Chair: John O'Connor, children's services, LCC
View the terms of reference for SIRG.
Child Exploitation and Missing Sub Group (CE)
The purpose of the group is to develop, review, and maintain strategies, processes, and resources to ensure children are safeguarded and live free of the threat of exploitation and other emerging threats to their safety and well-being. The group will focus on:
- child sexual exploitation
- child criminal exploitation (including County Lines)
- missing children
- trafficked children
The CE&M Sub-group provides governance to the Operational MACE.
Chair: Andy Cook, LCC – Future4Me.
View the terms of reference for CE.
Education Sub Group (ESG)
To engage education providers in the business of the LSCP and build a shared understanding of priorities to support schools and colleges in promoting the welfare of their pupils. The group aims to help Schools manage the fine balance between the need to educate children whilst meeting the requirement to safeguard pupils and promote their welfare.
Chair: Kathryn Creaser, Priory Federation of Academies.
View the terms of reference for ESG.
Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP)
The Child Death Overview Panel will fulfil the requirements as described in Chapter 5 of Working Together to Safeguard Children to collect and analyse information about every death of a child aged under 18 years of age in Lincolnshire with a view to:
- identifying any matters relating to the death or deaths that are relevant to the welfare of children in the area and to public health and safety
- considering whether it is appropriate for any action to be taken by anyone in relation to their findings
- taking action to inform the necessary person
Chair: Dr Julian Saggiorato, designated doctor, South West Lincolnshire CCG
View the terms of reference for CDOP.
Find out more about the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership multi-agency arrangements.
Training
We offer a variety of safeguarding training to support practitioners who work with children, young people, adults and their families.
It is delivered through a mix of with face-to-face training and e-learning courses.
Our programme identifies the aims and learning outcomes for all courses and identifies which groups of staff the training is appropriate for.
We use the National Competency Framework for Safeguarding Children and Adults.
Your safeguarding learner record goes with you, so please do not re-register if you already have an Enable learner record. If you are unsure as to whether you have a Learner Record please contact safeguarding_training@lincolnshire.gov.uk with the previous email address(s) used so the team can locate any previous Learner Records.
For training queries, email safeguarding_training@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
Please note that the e-learning courses work best through the Google Chrome internet browser.
A charge will apply for e-learning, face to face training and virtual workshops for academy schools, independent schools, further and higher education settings and private organisations.
Free e-learning courses
Under the Free e-learning courses section can all text be replaced with:
The below e-learning courses are free to all organisations through the Online Training System Enable:
- Domestic Abuse Awareness – short course
- Friends Against Scams e-Learning
- Introduction to Safeguarding Everyone in Lincolnshire
- Tackling Exploitation and Modern Slavery in Lincolnshire
Our partners at Virtual College have also produced a range of free e-learning courses
Resources
Our online manual contains all policies and procedures for the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership.
Visit the policies and procedures manual
New policy for schools and colleges
- Annex A - sexual harassment and violence in schools threshold
- Annex B - best practice guide for indecent images
- Annex C - matrix for harmful sexual behaviours and sexual harassment
- Annex D - exemplar risk assessment - sexualised behaviour
- Peer-on-peer sexual harassment resources
- Sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools flowchart
- Sending and sharing of nude images in schools and colleges pathway
Report a child death
If you become aware of a child death, it is your responsibility to notify the designated person for the LSCP in the area in which the child lived.
The Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) is responsible for reviewing all deaths occurring in Lincolnshire.
Child safeguarding practice reviews
Decisions on local and national reviews
Partners must make arrangements to:
- identify serious child safeguarding cases which raise issues of importance
- consider if a case is appropriate for a review to be undertaken
- consider whether a case meets the criteria for a local review
National reviews
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, decide if it is appropriate to commission a national review of a case.
Transition arrangements
If a serious case review was commissioned under the old arrangements of: 'Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015' these must continue to completion.
Report a concern about a staff member or volunteer
If you suspect a person who works with children, has:
- behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child
- possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child
- behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates that he or she may pose a risk of harm to children
- behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children
A referral should be made to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) by filling out the LADO referral form.
The Managing Allegations of Abuse Made Against Persons who Work with Children and Young People procedure applies when an allegation or suspicion arises within:
- an individual's own work
- with his or her own children
- with other children living outside the family
- historical allegations
If you are unsure whether a LADO referral form should be completed, make contact with the LADO service on 01522 554674 to discuss your concerns.
Both the referrer and the LADO should be clear about who will be taking what action, or that no further action will be taken.
The LADO will make a record of this decision.
If the LADO agrees that LADO threshold is met, the referrer (if a professional) must complete the LADO referral form within 24 hours. Repeating all relevant information and any agreed actions.
If you prefer you can complete a Microsoft Word version of the referral form and return it by email to LSCP_LADO@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
Child exploitation
What is child exploitation?
A child or young person can be groomed or coerced into an exploitative situation. This could be in the form of sexual exploitation or criminal exploitation.
Exploitative relationships are characterised by an imbalance of power. The use of controlling behaviours are used to keep the child or young person in a dependent position.
Child Exploitation Screening Tool
Professionals should complete a Multi-Agency Child Exploitation Screening Tool if you are concerned that a child is being sexually or criminally exploited.
The tool is designed to be completed by any professional who has knowledge regarding:
- a potential victim
- a person of concern
- a location of concern
Always complete the form with the child or young person if they could be a victim of exploitation unless it is not safe to do so.
Weekly MACE
The weekly MACE meeting draws together information from different partner agencies to explore the options available for tackling child exploitation in the community.
All submitted forms are reviewed at the MACE pre-screening meeting. This meeting ensures:
- all relevant information is shared with partner agencies
- advice and guidance is provided to the professional regarding next steps
- confirmation if there is an identified need to be discussed further at weekly MACE
Strategic MACE
The key purpose of the Strategic MACE is to provide an overview of child exploitation in Lincolnshire.
Partnership Information Report
Please complete a Partnership Information Report if:
- you are a member of a partner agency, and
- have information that you believe is relevant to assist the police
We have a multi-agency system of sharing information with Lincolnshire Police. It helps to support vulnerable children and adults. This is known locally as Operation Insignia.
A Partnership Information Report should only be used when there is no clear route to inform the police of the information. Your information will help form a picture around the situation. It may allow the police to take further action in investigating an issue.
This could include but is not limited to information that is indicating:
- child exploitation (criminal and sexual)
- human trafficking
- modern slavery
- county lines
- cuckooing
- knife crime
Please note: if you wish to report a crime or you require prompt attention, ring 101 or 999, or report the crime on the police website.
Complete a Partnership Information Report
The report should be for matters at a lower level than you would notify the police by ringing 999 or 101, but still important to share.
Once received Lincolnshire Police will grade the information based on reliability, accuracy and origin. This process will take time.
A Partnership information Report is not to answer current safeguarding concerns or matters of urgency. The form is not a means to ensure safeguarding actions.
If the form is about significant harm to a child or vulnerable adult, normal safeguarding procedures apply. Never assume someone else has passed on the information you have.
Training
The LSCP provides an e-learning module: Safeguarding Children from Abuse by Sexual Exploitation. It is designed to improve awareness.
The LSCP recommends all agencies make the e-learning module mandatory for staff. Especially those who come into contact with children and young people.
Resources
The LSCP recommends the following principles when using child exploitation resources with children and young people:
- make sure resources are appropriate to the child or young person’s emotional needs and experience
- familiarise yourself with the young child or young person’s environment before using resources
- avoid materials, particularly films, which use harrowing examples and depictions to shock young people
- avoid resources that erase the actions of the offender/perpetrator or teach children that the decisions they made led to them being abused
Child Protection Conference
All agencies should make information available to the conference if they:
- have participated in a Section 47 Enquiry
- or, have relevant information about the child or family members
They should do this by using the appropriate reports.
The report should include details of:
- your agency involvement with the child and family
- information concerning your agency knowledge of the child’s developmental needs
- the capacity of the parents to meet the needs of their child within their family and environmental context
You should discuss with colleagues before preparing your contribution. This ensures it contains all relevant and available information from your agency.
You should ensure key issues in your report are shared with the parents and child (if old enough) before the conference.
Schools Safeguarding Assurance
Every year we seek assurance from you that your safeguarding responsibilities are being met. These are set out under sections 157 and 175 of the Education Act 2004.
To assist you in providing this assurance to us, you can utilise any of the following methods:
- complete the Safeguarding in Schools self-assessment audit tool (this must be completed by all maintained schools)
- complete your own trust's safeguarding audit, which should be available to view on request
- utilise other proof that safeguarding is monitored regularly and that effectiveness is evaluated. Evidence of which should be available on request
- utilise the LSCP minimum standards safeguarding checklist
The assurance must be provided by a non-teaching member of your Governing Body or Board of Trustees (or Head Teacher or equivalent if your setting does not have a Governing Body or Board of Trustees).
Academy Trusts/Federations can provide this assurance on behalf of all of their schools if appropriate and have one overarching governing body/board.
This can be done by completing our online form:
Complete the safeguarding assurance form
Completed audits should not be sent with the assurance.
If you cannot assure the LSCP, we will ask you to please let us know your intended action plan. This will then be referred to the Local Authority Education Team.
Any questions regarding our Schools Safeguarding Assurance can be sent to: lscp@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
Early Help and Team Around the Child
In Lincolnshire we believe Early Help is a collaborative approach, not a provision. Every professional working with or engaging with children and families, regardless of organisation, status or position has a responsibility to deliver Early Help and support the family to access appropriate services.
Early Help is defined as anything that supports children, young people and their families to achieve their potential, by either preventing difficulties, or stopping things getting worse.
It is really important, that the moment an early help need is recognised, someone has a conversation with the child or family and their support network about that concern, what it looks like and how it affects the child's life, as well as what everyone is doing to keep them happy and safe. The EHA is a tool to help and aid you in having this conversation.
When we identify that the family need support, we will begin the Team Around the Child (TAC) process. This is where all the people who care about or are working with a child form a team that helps to support them. One professional takes the lead to ensure that services are co-ordinated, coherent, and achieving intended outcomes. They act as a single point of contact for the child and their family.
The Lead Professional can be any professional, from any service or agency, who is a part of the team around the family. It is important that the family are involved in the discussion of who is best placed to co-ordinate the support and services being offered to the family.
Resources:
The LSCP 6 year safeguarding training pathway identifies courses to develop knowledge and understanding for professional working alongside children and families and to support you in your Early Help and Team Around the Child work.
Voluntary and third sector resources
The Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP), Lincolnshire Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB), Safer Lincolnshire Partnership (SLP) and the Lincolnshire Domestic Abuse Partnership recognise the unique role of Safeguarding Officers/Leads in the voluntary and third sector.
This page has been designed to signpost you to useful resources and information.
Voluntary sector conference
- looking at different perceptions
- looking at different listening skills
- how to pick up and carry on those conversations whilst reflecting on safeguarding and supporting processes beyond
Resources:
- Voluntary sector toolkit
- Posters and leaflets (additional leaflets and posters will be available on partner websites)
LSCP and LSAB voluntary sector briefing – 7 June 2022
LSCP and LSAB voluntary sector briefing – 16 March 2022:
- Wellbeing Lincs service PowerPoint presentation
- Early help and team around the child PowerPoint presentation