Local Safeguarding Children Boards
Section 13: Establishment of LSCBs
83.The purpose of this section is to place local arrangements for co-ordinating the work of key agencies in relation to safeguarding children on a statutory footing.
84.Subsection (1) requires each local authority to establish a Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). The agencies which are ‘Board partners’ are listed in subsection (3). The authority must co-operate with the Board partners in establishing the Board and the Board partners each have a reciprocal obligation to co-operate with the local authority (subsection (7)).
85.Subsection (2) provides for the Secretary of State to make regulations about representation on the LSCB. For example, regulations might be used to ensure that every Board partner, and the local authority, had a representative on the LSCB, albeit possibly through two or more sharing a single representative. Regulations may also set out the level of seniority required of representatives.
86.Subsections (4) and (5) provide for representation from persons other than Board partners exercising functions or engaged in activities in relation to children in the area. These might include schools and voluntary groups. The local authority must take steps to ensure representation of prescribed persons (subsection (4)) and may also invite representation from other persons or groups in consultation with Board partners (subsection (5)). This reflects that there will be other bodies in each area with a contribution to make to the work of the LSCB. It also allows the Board to seek specialist expertise where it sees fit.
87.Subsection (8) enables two or more local authorities to join together to establish an LSCB covering their combined areas.
Section 14: Functions and procedure of LSCBs
88.Subsection (1) sets out the objective of LSCBs. The aim is to ensure that each local area has a coherent approach to safeguarding children based on contributions from all key agencies, and that this approach is managed effectively.
89.Subsection (2) allows for functions of LSCBs to be prescribed by the Secretary of State in regulations. These functions will largely be based on the functions of their predecessor bodies, Area Child Protection Committees, as set out in Government guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children and will support the overall objective of the Board.
90.Subsection (3) allows for the Secretary of State to prescribe the procedures to be followed by LSCBs. For example, it may require a register of attendance to be kept.
Section 15: Funding of LSCBs
91.This section enables the local authority and the Board partners to contribute financially to the cost of establishing and running the LSCB. It allows for money from those agencies to be pooled in a single fund. It also makes clear that partners can provide non-pecuniary resources (such as staff, goods, services or accommodation) in support of the activities of the LSCB.
92.Where the governor or director of prison service institution or secure training centre is a Board partner the power to contribute is given to the Secretary of State. Where the prison or secure training centre is contracted out, the power to contribute is given to the contractor.
Section 16: LSCBs: supplementary
93.Subsection (1) enables regulations to provide for the functions of local authorities in relation to LSCBs. These will cover such matters as provision of administrative and support services.
94.Subsection (2) provides that, in exercising their functions, the authority and its Board partners must have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State for this purpose. This guidance may, for example, set out how contributions may be made in cash or kind and how arrangements should be made for investigation of unexpected child deaths, and provide further detail about the functions and management of LSCBs.
