Date of meeting: 21 January 2026

Agencies represented:

Children’s Social Care;

Education;

South West London Integrated Care Board (ICB);

Croydon Health Services;

Schools;

Metropolitan Police;

National Probation Service;

Independent Scrutineer

CSCP Business Team

Chair: Amanda Andrews, Head of Service, Family Assessment Service

Quality Assurance Group reviews safeguarding pressures while strengthening performance and accountability

Overview

The Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) Quality Assurance Group met in January to review safeguarding performance, monitor quality assurance activity and assess how effectively partner agencies are working together to improve outcomes for children and young people.

A key focus of the meeting was the use of performance data and audit activity to provide assurance about safeguarding arrangements across Croydon. Members discussed how data can be used more effectively to understand emerging risks, identify trends and inform decision-making.

The meeting also considered significant pressures facing safeguarding services, including rising demand at the front door of children’s social care, workforce capacity challenges and the importance of maintaining strong multi-agency engagement during a period of increasing complexity and service change.

Positive work highlighted

Partners welcomed the continued development of the CSCP Performance Dataset, which is increasingly being used to support strategic oversight, identify risks and inform improvement activity across agencies.

The Group noted positive progress in strengthening quality assurance arrangements, with Executive Group members now using safeguarding data more actively to scrutinise performance and request action plans where risks are identified.

Members received assurance from the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) Annual Report, which highlighted strong levels of participation from children and young people in review processes and high levels of timeliness despite increasing complexity and demand. The report demonstrated a continued focus on ensuring children's voices influence planning and decision-making.

The meeting also recognised the growing maturity of partnership challenge and scrutiny processes. Members reflected positively on the culture of constructive challenge within the Quality Assurance Group and the willingness of agencies to engage in open discussions about performance, risks and learning.

Challenges discussed

Partners discussed ongoing concerns regarding safeguarding workforce pressures, particularly within children’s social care. Rising referral volumes, increasing complexity of cases and high staff workloads were identified as significant risks requiring continued oversight.

The meeting considered challenges relating to housing engagement within partnership activity, including ongoing difficulties in securing consistent representation and participation in safeguarding processes.

Members also discussed the impact of organisational change across several agencies and the uncertainty associated with restructuring programmes. Partners agreed that safeguarding implications must continue to be monitored carefully.

Concerns were raised about the quality and timeliness of some safeguarding referrals, alongside the need to improve recording of key information, including ethnicity data. The Group also discussed the importance of ensuring agencies remain fully engaged in audit activity to provide a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding practice.

Key discussion items

• Review of the CSCP Quarter 3 safeguarding performance report.

• Development and use of the CSCP Performance Dataset.

• Progress and participation in multi-agency safeguarding audits.

• Operation Encompass and information-sharing arrangements between police and schools.

• Safeguarding implications of organisational change across partner agencies.

• Assurance from the Independent Reviewing Officer Annual Report.

• Housing engagement and partnership participation in safeguarding activity.

• Demand pressures affecting children’s social care and safeguarding services.

  
  

Actions agreed

• Continue improving the quality and accessibility of safeguarding performance reporting.

• Review what data is most useful for partnership oversight and assurance.

• Strengthen agency participation in safeguarding audits and quality assurance activity.

• Develop additional oversight of Operation Encompass arrangements and school engagement.

• Review data quality issues, including recording of demographic information.

• Identify priorities for future multi-agency audits and quality assurance work.

• Continue monitoring the impact of organisational and workforce changes on safeguarding services.

• Respond to emerging safeguarding pressures through partnership planning and risk management.

  
  

Closing statement

The Quality Assurance Group reaffirmed its commitment to continuous improvement, partnership challenge and learning. Members recognised the significant pressures currently facing safeguarding services while remaining focused on strengthening safeguarding arrangements through effective oversight, robust data, quality assurance activity and collaborative working. Partners agreed to continue working together to improve outcomes for children and young people across Croydon.