Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership

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:

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.

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

East Midlands Children and Young People Sexual Assault Service (EMCYPASA).

The referral pathway and sexual assault services for children and young people under the age of 18. A PowerPoint is available for download on this topic.

Resources

We also produce a range of resources for campaigns we lead on or take part in with other partners.

Joint Working Protocol JDP March 2020

Preventing children and young people from formally entering the Youth Justice System is central to Lincolnshire's approach to tackling youth crime; with a strong emphasis on understanding the underlying causes of behaviour in order to achieve long term positive outcomes.

Lincolnshire Police and Lincolnshire Children Services have an overarching belief in utilising restorative principles within the Joint Diversionary Panel to underpin this aim. The panel in partnership seeks to ensure that children and young people are offered quality assessment and timely intervention and support to meet their individual needs. The duty to victims is embedded within the panel and seeks to ensure that it provides support to victims and create positive opportunities for restorative justice.

For further information please open the attached document

Campaign timetable 2021-2022

Subject Date
Self-Harm Awareness 12-19  May 2021
Safer Sleep - refresh 27-30 May 2021
National Child Safety Week 1-6 June 2021
Safer Feeding Week 26 June- 2 July 2021
Private Fostering 17-23 July 2021
Positive Body Image TBC Autumn 2021
16 Days of Action against Domestic Abuse. LSCP to retweet/distribute 25 Nov- 10 Dec 2021
Christmas Online Safety 22 December 2021 - 1 January 2022
Online Safety -Safer Internet Day (online campaign) 5-11 February 2022
National CE awareness Day 12-18 March 2022
Safer Sleep for Infants TBC March 2022

Campaign details
 

LSCP and LSAB Christmas and New Year Online Safety Campaign 2021

The campaign will start on the Monday 20th December 2021 and run until Sunday 2nd January 2022.

Each year the LSCP runs an additional online safety campaign over the Christmas and New Year period. This year we are working in collaboration with the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Adults Board to also raise awareness of online safety for adults in our local community.

Private Fostering Awareness Campaign 2021

The campaign will run from the 17 to 23 July 2021.

Private Fostering Awareness is an important campaign, in that many people are unaware exactly what private fostering means. It is estimated that 10,000 children in England are privately fostered; however, many of these are unreported.  The LSCP has chosen to undertake a private fostering awareness campaign as we understand the importance of raising awareness of what private fostering is and the resources that are available in Lincolnshire. 

Order of upload:

Child Safety Week 2021

This year’s Child Safety Week runs from Monday 7 June to Sunday 13 June 2021.

Serious accidents can have a huge impact on the lives of families but most are easy to avoid. This year the theme for National Child Safety Week is: "Share Because You Care"

Please can the pack be uploaded in the following order:

Safer sleep campaign 2021

This campaign will commence on Wednesday 26 May 2021 and run until Tuesday 1 June 2021. The campaign seeks to promote the LSCP's newly published multi-agency policy and procedure which promotes safer sleep principles for infants.

Campaign Pack:

LSCP self harm awareness campaign

The campaign will start on Wednesday 12 May and run until Wednesday 19 May 2021.

Self-harm can sometimes be misunderstood by adults working with or supporting children and young people. Unfortunately it can be viewed by some as "attention seeking behaviour" or that it is automatically indicative of an underlying mental health condition. This campaign seeks to assist all stakeholders to promote and/or access appropriate services. It also seeks to assist all stakeholders to recognise that self-harm is a behaviour.

Campaign Pack:

Safer Sleep for Infants Awareness week 2021

The LSCP is supporting the Lullaby trust safer sleep week to raise awareness for everyone looking after a young baby and those supporting parents. 'Safe Sleep for Infants week aims to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This campaign will run from Sunday 14 March 2021 to Saturday 20 March 2021"

Campaign Pack:

Child Exploitation Communications Campaign 2021

The campaign will commence on the Sunday 14 March 2021 and run until Saturday 20 March 2021. National Child Exploitation (CE) Awareness day is on Thursday 18th March 2021. LSCP has a strategic priority for 2018 to 2021 to "Tackle Child Exploitation."

Safer Internet Day - an internet we trust: exploring reliability in the online world 2021

The campaign starts on Sunday 7 February until Saturday 13 February 2021. Safer Internet Day falls on Tuesday 9 February 2021.

Each year the LSCP supports the national Safer Internet Day Campaign. This year we are making use of national, recognisable resources that have been produced by the UK Safer Internet Centre.

This resource pack contains links to social media posts and supporting infographics. We would encourage you to make use of these across all social media platforms that are available to you.

The national pack also includes links to video's and other targeted resources. We also encourage partners to make use of the local resources that are available and listed below.

Objectives:

  • to raise the awareness of key messages relating to Safe Internet Use and the reliability of online information
  • to raise awareness of the resources available to support children, young people and families
  • to raise awareness of the resources available to support professionals working with children/young people

Toolkit:

If you have any enquiries please contact Zoe Walters, Audit and Policy Officer, Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership at Zoe.Walters@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

Safer feeding 2020

This year’s Safer Feeding campaign will run from Monday 29 June to Sunday 5th July 2020. This pack contains useful information and guidance for professionals, parents and carers.

Healthy relationships 2020

This campaign, running from 8 to 14 June 2020,  seeks to consider positive healthy relationships in the broadest contexts and situations where they occur, rather than the emphasis being placed upon sexual relationships. This campaign aims to provide links to practical sources of support to children, young people, parents, carers and professionals.

NSPCC

Following the Education Secretary’s announcement on 19 April, the Government is providing the NSPCC with funding to expand and promote their adult helpline in order to further protect children from harm during Covid-19 lockdown. The NSPCC helpline number is 0808 800 5000.

Self-harm awareness 2020

This campaign seeks to assist all stakeholders to promote and/or access appropriate services. It also seeks to assist all stakeholders to recognise that self-harm is a behaviour.

Suicide prevention

If you have taken part in any of our campaigns please take a few moments and give us your feedback.

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. 

Report a child death

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. 

Current Serious Case Reviews:

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.

Make a LADO Referral

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

You should complete a Multi-Agency Child Exploitation Screening Tool if you are worried that a child may be involved in, or at increased risk of entering, an exploitative relationship or situation.

Please complete the form with the child or young person unless it is unsafe to do so.

Please read the Multi Agency Child Exploitation Guidance before completing your screening.

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. 

You should make a referral to MACE if:

  • the child has links to a known or suspected perpetrator of either sexual or criminal exploitation
  • there is a significant risk of exploitation to the child from an unknown perpetrator

Use the referral section at the end of the CE Screening Tool to inform MACE of your concerns.

Strategic MACE

The key purpose of the Strategic MACE is to provide an overview of child exploitation in Lincolnshire.

Partnership Information Report

If you have information about a person at risk, please complete a Partnership Information Report. This is known locally as Operation Insignia.

It is a multi-agency system of sharing information with Lincolnshire Police. It helps to support vulnerable children and adults. 

Your information will help form a picture around their situation. It will also allow 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: this form is for low-level information only, to enable Lincolnshire Police to build a picture on concerns. It is in no way a method to report crimes. The right methods are: ringing 101 or 999, or using the online crime reporting system.

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.

It is not to answer current safeguarding concerns or matters of urgency, and the form is not a means to ensure safeguarding actions. 

If it is about significant harm to a child or vulnerable adult, normal safeguarding procedures apply.

Once received Lincolnshire Police will grade the information based on reliability, accuracy and origin. 

Never assume someone else has passed on the information you have.

If you have any queries about completing the form, contact PVP-ISO@lincs.pnn.police.uk.

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.

Access e-learning

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.

View resources

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 our Safeguarding in Schools self-assessment audit tool
  • 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).  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. 

Resources:

LSCP and LSAB voluntary sector briefing – 7 June 2022

LSCP and LSAB voluntary sector briefing – 16 March 2022:

LSCP and LSAB voluntary sector conference 2021: 

LSCP and LSAB voluntary sector briefing - 1 December 2021: