Date of meeting: 8 October 2025

Agencies represented:

Croydon Council Children, Young People and Education;

Croydon Health Services;

South West London Integrated Care Board (ICB);

Metropolitan Police;

Croydon Housing;

Independent Scrutineer

CSCP Business Team

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

Partnership focuses on learning, performance and reform to strengthen safeguarding across Croydon

Overview

The Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) Executive Group met in October to review safeguarding performance, consider learning from recent reviews and discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by significant reform programmes affecting children’s services.

A key theme of the meeting was how agencies can work more effectively together to improve outcomes for children and families. Partners discussed the importance of learning from reviews, strengthening multi-agency systems and ensuring that safeguarding arrangements continue to evolve in response to changing local needs.

The Executive Group also reviewed progress in key areas including the Family First Partnership programme, use of safeguarding performance data, engagement with communities and the ongoing development of partnership arrangements designed to improve support for children and young people.

Positive work highlighted

Partners welcomed evidence that the partnership continues to meet its statutory safeguarding responsibilities through strong governance, constructive challenge and shared commitment across agencies.

The Group recognised the growing influence of children, families and community organisations in shaping safeguarding activity. Work with the voluntary and community sector was highlighted as an example of effective partnership engagement, with local approaches attracting wider recognition and being adopted more broadly.

Members noted significant improvements in the quality and presentation of safeguarding performance data. The revised dataset is supporting better understanding of emerging trends, risks and service demand, enabling partners to make more informed decisions and identify areas requiring further attention.

Progress was also reported on preparations for the Family First Partnership programme. Early development work is helping to shape future models of support focused on earlier intervention, stronger family support and improved partnership working.

Positive updates were received from a range of services, including the successful operation of safeguarding initiatives within policing, continued partnership work between housing and children’s services, and the launch of new resources to support practitioners working with families affected by domestic abuse.

Challenges discussed

Partners acknowledged that many organisations continue to face significant pressures arising from increasing demand, workforce challenges and ongoing national reforms.

The meeting considered concerns about attendance at multi-agency safeguarding training. While a broad range of learning opportunities is available, non-attendance rates remain high and partners agreed that greater emphasis is needed to ensure staff access relevant training and development.

There was also discussion about the need for more effective information sharing and better integration between systems used by different agencies. Members recognised that duplication of information can create inefficiencies and that longer-term solutions should be explored to support more effective multi-agency working.

The Executive Group reflected on the challenge of ensuring that learning from safeguarding reviews consistently translates into changes in frontline practice and improved outcomes for children and families.

Key discussion items

• Learning from safeguarding reviews and how findings can be embedded into practice.

• Strengthening engagement with children, families and the voluntary and community sector.

• Review of safeguarding performance information and emerging risks across the partnership.

• Attendance and participation in multi-agency safeguarding training.

• Development of the Family First Partnership programme and preparation for future reforms.

• Opportunities to improve information sharing and multi-agency systems within safeguarding processes.

• Updates from health, housing, police and children’s services on safeguarding developments and priorities.

• Progress on partnership initiatives designed to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families.

  
  

Actions agreed

• Support improved attendance and engagement in multi-agency safeguarding training across partner organisations.

• Continue developing approaches to strengthen learning from reviews and evidence the impact on practice.

• Progress discussions on improving information sharing and integrated systems across safeguarding partners.

• Maintain regular oversight of the Family First Partnership programme and its implementation.

• Develop performance reporting further to support identification of safeguarding risks, priorities and mitigation measures.

• Continue partnership work with community organisations and local services to strengthen safeguarding outcomes.

  
  

Closing statement

The Executive Group reaffirmed its commitment to collaborative safeguarding and continuous improvement. Members recognised the challenges facing services but were encouraged by the progress being made through partnership working, improved use of data, stronger community engagement and preparations for forthcoming reforms. Partners agreed that maintaining a focus on learning, prevention and effective collaboration will be essential to improving outcomes for children and young people across Croydon.