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St Helens Safeguarding Children Partnership Sub-Groups

Neglect Key Priority Group

The Safeguarding Children Partnership is committed to driving improvements in relation to the multi-agency partnership response to Neglect. 

The Neglect Priority Subgroup has been formed to implement pragmatic steps and strategies to improve how professionals respond to neglect across the borough.

The Neglect Priority Subgroup will identify the way in which ongoing support and development will be undertaken with the multi-agency partnership workforce (including things such as skills, confidence building and reflective practice). 

To explore how multi-agency ways of working can be adapted to improve long-term outcomes for families where Neglect is a factor. 

To drive forward the Neglect Strategy in multi-agency practice and procedure.

Children at Risk of Exploitation & Missing Group

It is the responsibility of this group to ensure that children and young people will be safer in St Helens by monitoring the effectiveness of strategies, policies, procedures, practices in place, and by identifying and adopting local and national best practice. The group will utilise agency data to understand themes and patterns to inform the partnerships approach to child safeguarding in areas where children are at risk of exploitation, presenting with Harmful Sexual Behaviours and or have, multiple (3 in 30 / 9 in 90) missing episodes. The data will inform the auditing process if any gaps are identified. 

Learning & Development Group

The purpose of the group is to provide assurance to the SCP Executive that individual organisations are providing appropriate training and competency assessment for multi-agency training. The group will monitor, and quality assure SHSCP training in line with national guidance, locally agreed objectives and statutory requirements. Challenge statistical information regarding attendance at SHSCP training events.

The group will identify multi- agency learning needs from Child Safeguarding Practice Review findings (Local and National) and individual organisations training needs analysis. The group will exchange and disseminate information in relation to professional learning and development, ensuring that all members of the group cascade within their own organisations.

The group will commission and ensure the delivery of multi-agency training in relation to SHSPB policy and procedures, priorities and national guidance whilst also promoting recruitment to the SHSCP training pool. This will also include the monitoring of the activity of trainers and quality assure delivery.

Performance Management & Effectiveness Group

The primary purpose of the Performance Management group is to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of what is done by the Local Authority and St Helens Safeguarding Children Partners (SCP).  The group will also support the SCP Executive to obtain assurance about the application and quality of practice within the Borough by providing intelligence and learning from multi-agency audit and case reviews, including national findings and research to enable the SCP Executive to agree appropriate strategies and actions on ways to improve. 

Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) Strategic Group

The overarching purpose of this group is for the multi-agency partnership to oversee the performance and influence the strategic and operational development of the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). The group will provide the SCP with assurances regarding the function of the MASH along with any examples of good practice and areas of potential risk. 

St Helens Safeguarding Children Partnership Forum

The purpose of this group is to provide the leadership and frameworks for collaborative working, scrutiny and challenge, and organisational learning.

This Safeguarding Partnership Forum will also facilitate ‘horizon scanning’ for new and emerging issues affecting the safety and welfare of children.

This group will enable effective multi-agency safeguarding arrangements through collaborative strategic leadership, scrutiny, challenge and coordinated activity. 

SHSCP through its Executive and Partnership Forum membership will have links to the St Helens Safeguarding Adults Board to ensure an all-age focus is embedded across safeguarding activities. Membership links will also offer access to clinical expertise from named and designated professionals where relevant to audit, scrutiny, learning and review activity.

*If further information is required in relation to any of the St Helens Safeguarding Children Partnership sub-groups please email:

safeguardingchildrenpartnership@sthelens.gov.uk