Date of meeting: 29 April 2026

Agencies represented:

Children’s Social Care;

Education;

Youth Justice Service;

Croydon Commissioning;

South West London Integrated Care Board (ICB);

Croydon Health Services;

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM);

Metropolitan Police;

Schools;

Voluntary and Community Sector organisations;

Independent Scrutineer

CSCP Business Team

Chair: Risthardh Hare, Director of Children’s Social Care

Quality Assurance Group strengthens focus on partnership accountability, early intervention and safeguarding reform

Overview

The Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) Quality Assurance Group met in April to review safeguarding performance, consider the implications of Working Together 2026 and assess how partnership arrangements need to evolve in response to major reforms affecting children’s services.

A key focus of the meeting was ensuring that safeguarding arrangements continue to provide effective oversight during a period of significant change, including implementation of the Families First Partnership programme, developments within health and policing, and the move towards a stronger whole-family approach to safeguarding.

The Group also reviewed progress against partnership priorities, discussed emerging themes from quality assurance activity and considered how agencies can work together more effectively to strengthen early intervention and improve outcomes for children, young people and families.

Positive work highlighted

Members welcomed evidence that the partnership continues to meet the majority of its statutory safeguarding responsibilities and is making good progress in preparing for the requirements introduced through Working Together 2026.

The meeting highlighted positive outcomes from recent work to better understand children and young people placed in Croydon by other local authorities. This activity has improved understanding of risks, placement patterns and safeguarding responsibilities across borough boundaries.

Partners also welcomed the growing impact of work with voluntary, community and faith sector organisations. Ongoing engagement, training and support activity is helping to strengthen safeguarding awareness and improve confidence across community organisations working with children and families.

Progress was reported in strengthening quality assurance arrangements within the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), including audit activity, referral quality assurance processes and improved oversight of safeguarding decision-making.

The Group further welcomed positive developments in youth participation, including opportunities for young people to influence practice through Young Scrutineer roles within Youth Justice Services.

Challenges discussed

Housing engagement within partnership activity remained a significant challenge. Members acknowledged ongoing efforts to strengthen participation but agreed that consistent representation remains essential for effective safeguarding arrangements.

Partners discussed capacity pressures across services, including challenges associated with workforce demands, increasing safeguarding complexity and organisational change affecting health, policing and social care services.

The meeting considered concerns raised by schools regarding the increasing complexity of issues being presented to education settings. Members discussed the need for schools to have improved access to information, guidance and community-based services so that children and families receive support at the most appropriate level.

The Group also reviewed challenges relating to multi-agency safeguarding training. While feedback on training remains positive, attendance levels continue to be lower than expected, requiring a review of how training is promoted, delivered and monitored across the partnership.

Key discussion items

• Implementation of Working Together 2026 and review of partnership safeguarding arrangements.

• Progress against the CSCP Business Plan and statutory safeguarding responsibilities.

• Development of the Families First Partnership programme and whole-family approaches to safeguarding.

• Partnership engagement and accountability across safeguarding activity.

• Work with voluntary, community and faith sector organisations.

• Quality assurance activity within the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub.

• The role of schools and designated safeguarding leads in providing early support.

• Review of the CSCP learning and development programme and multi-agency training participation.

  
  

Actions agreed

• Strengthen support and engagement with school designated safeguarding leads.

• Review partnership gap analysis findings relating to Working Together 2026 requirements.

• Continue developing safeguarding support and resources for voluntary, community and faith sector organisations.

• Progress proposals for future multi-agency audit activity, including work focused on younger adolescents.

• Gather feedback on safeguarding assurance activity relating to British Transport Police.

• Review and strengthen the delivery model for multi-agency safeguarding training.

• Increase agency ownership of safeguarding training attendance and workforce development.

• Continue work to improve partnership engagement, oversight and accountability across safeguarding arrangements.

  
  

Closing statement

The Quality Assurance Group reaffirmed its commitment to effective partnership scrutiny, continuous improvement and collaborative safeguarding. Members recognised the opportunities presented by ongoing reforms and agreed that strong multi-agency working, meaningful challenge and a focus on early intervention will be critical to improving outcomes for children, young people and families across Croydon.