Date of meeting: 3 December 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 strengthens prevention, learning and reform plans to improve safeguarding outcomes

Overview

The Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) Executive Group met in December to review safeguarding developments across the partnership, consider learning from local and national reviews, and oversee progress on major transformation programmes affecting children and families.

A significant focus of the meeting was the implementation of the Family First Partnership programme, which will reshape how support is provided to children and families through earlier intervention, stronger family networks and closer collaboration between services. Partners discussed the opportunities presented by these reforms and the importance of a coordinated multi-agency approach.

The meeting also considered safeguarding pressures linked to increasing service demand, the impact of children placed in Croydon by other local authorities, and emerging learning from reviews relating to child protection, exploitation and vulnerability.

Positive work highlighted

Partners reflected on learning from recent safeguarding reviews and highlighted the importance of using this learning to strengthen local practice. Discussions reinforced the value of agencies working together creatively to support vulnerable children and young people, particularly where resources are stretched.

The recent CSCP conference, focused on the voice of the child, was recognised as a positive development. Resources and learning from the event will continue to be shared across the partnership to ensure children's experiences remain central to service design and decision-making.

Members welcomed progress in the planning and development of the Family First Partnership programme. Extensive analysis has been undertaken to understand local need and inform future service design. The programme places a strong emphasis on early help, family-led decision-making and ensuring children and families receive the right support at the right time.

Progress was also noted within the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), where improvements in oversight, quality assurance and performance monitoring have helped maintain timely responses to safeguarding concerns.

Challenges discussed

Partners acknowledged the continuing pressures on safeguarding services, including increasing complexity of need and high demand across agencies.

The impact of children and young people placed in Croydon by other local authorities remained a significant area of concern. Partners discussed the effect this has on local health, education, housing and safeguarding services and agreed that continued engagement with placing authorities is needed.

The meeting also considered challenges within the MASH, including increasing referral volumes, growing complexity of cases and the need to review arrangements to ensure resources are aligned with current demand. Members recognised the importance of a shared understanding of processes and expectations across agencies.

Emerging concerns relating to child vulnerability, exploitation, domestic abuse and mental health were discussed, alongside the need to ensure safeguarding arrangements continue to respond effectively to changing patterns of need.

Key discussion items

• Learning from national and local safeguarding reviews and how this can strengthen local practice.

• Progress following the CSCP conference and ongoing work to ensure children's voices influence services.

• The impact of children placed in Croydon by other local authorities and pressures on local services.

• Review of Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub arrangements, capacity and opportunities for improvement.

• National and local work relating to child exploitation and safeguarding learning.

• Implementation planning for the Family First Partnership programme and children’s social care reform.

• Housing, health and policing updates affecting safeguarding arrangements.

• Future partnership governance, engagement and opportunities for closer multi-agency working.

  
  

Actions agreed

• Continue engagement with other local authorities regarding children placed in Croydon and the impact on local services.

• Further develop partnership arrangements for reviewing and improving Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub processes.

• Strengthen learning and oversight relating to child exploitation and emerging safeguarding risks.

• Progress implementation of the Family First Partnership programme with ongoing support from safeguarding partners.

• Continue collaborative work between housing, health, police and children’s services to address identified safeguarding challenges.

• Maintain regular oversight of major organisational and service changes that could affect safeguarding arrangements.

  
  

Closing statement

The Executive Group reaffirmed its commitment to working together to safeguard children and young people across Croydon. Partners welcomed the progress being made through reform and improvement programmes while recognising the challenges facing services.

Members agreed that strong partnership working, learning and early intervention will continue to be essential in improving outcomes for children, young people and families