Date of meeting: 4 June 2025

Agencies represented:

Croydon Council Children, Young People and Education;

Croydon Health Services;

South West London Integrated Care Board (ICB);

Metropolitan Police;

Croydon Housing;

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM);

Independent Scrutineer

CSCP Business Team.

Chair: June Okochi, Director of Quality – Croydon Place, Integrated Care Board (ICB)

Partnership reviews safeguarding progress while preparing for significant public service reform

Overview

The Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) Executive Group met in June to review safeguarding performance, consider emerging risks across partner agencies and agree priorities for the next phase of partnership development. The meeting took place against a backdrop of significant organisational change across health, policing and local government services.

A key focus was ensuring that safeguarding arrangements remain effective during a period of financial pressure and service transformation. Partners discussed workforce capacity, training, multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and the importance of maintaining clear oversight of risks affecting children and young people.

Members also reviewed progress against the CSCP Business Plan, developments in child participation activity, and preparations for future reform programmes designed to strengthen support for children, young people and families.

Positive work highlighted

The Executive Group welcomed progress made against the CSCP Business Plan, with the majority of agreed actions completed and remaining priorities carried forward into the new business plan period. Partners noted that recently agreed shared partnership values are helping to strengthen collaboration and accountability across agencies.

Positive progress was reported in safeguarding training, with improved systems providing better oversight of attendance, evaluation and engagement. Work was also underway to strengthen safeguarding expectations within commissioned services and partner contracts.

Members praised the contribution of the CSCP Young Scrutineer, who had been gathering feedback from young people and helping shape resources designed to improve how services listen to and respond to children and families. This work was recognised as an important step in ensuring children's voices influence safeguarding practice.

The partnership also noted positive progress in audit activity, performance monitoring and the development of a new CSCP website, which will improve access to information, learning resources and partnership documents.

Challenges discussed

Partners acknowledged that financial pressures across public services are creating uncertainty and increasing the need for careful risk management. Significant organisational changes were reported within health and policing, and members discussed the importance of understanding the potential impact on safeguarding services.

The meeting considered ongoing capacity pressures within the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), particularly where staffing levels and competing demands can affect the availability of information needed for effective multi-agency decision-making. Partners agreed that safeguarding risks must continue to be monitored and clearly articulated.

Challenges relating to attendance at safeguarding training, participation in performance meetings and the sustainability of partnership functions were also discussed. Members emphasised the importance of prioritising safeguarding activity despite wider organisational pressures.

The Executive Group also reviewed funding challenges affecting partnership activity and agreed that discussions between statutory safeguarding partners should continue to ensure long-term sustainability.

Key discussion items

• Progress against the CSCP Business Plan and safeguarding priorities.

• Feedback from young people and the importance of hearing children's voices.

• Safeguarding training, workforce development and engagement across partner agencies.

• Performance monitoring, audit activity and partnership assurance arrangements.

• Review of Executive Group membership and governance arrangements.

• Financial pressures and future funding arrangements for partnership activity.

• The impact of health, policing and local government reforms on safeguarding services.

• Capacity and risk within multi-agency safeguarding arrangements, including the MASH.

  
  

Actions agreed

• Strengthen safeguarding expectations within commissioning and provider arrangements.

• Continue monitoring safeguarding training attendance and improve engagement across agencies.

• Update and finalise Executive Group governance arrangements and membership requirements.

• Continue discussions between statutory partners regarding long-term partnership funding.

• Maintain oversight of risks arising from organisational change and service transformation.

• Develop a shared approach to identifying, articulating and managing safeguarding risks across agencies.

• Continue work to strengthen housing and children’s services partnership arrangements.

• Provide future updates on children’s services reform and the Family First Partnership programme.

  
  

Closing statement

The Executive Group reaffirmed its commitment to strong multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and recognised the importance of partnership working during a period of significant change. Members welcomed the progress made across a range of safeguarding priorities while acknowledging the challenges ahead. Partners agreed to continue working collaboratively to identify risks, strengthen services and improve outcomes for children and young people across Croydon.