TASP is committed to its mission to champion the safeguarding of
children and vulnerable people by supporting diverse national
partnerships. Our goal is to keep safeguarding professionals informed
and offer unique, relevant services, aiding their coordination efforts
for effective joint working arrangements.
Scrutiny has remained one of TASP’s strategic focus since inception.
In 2021 TASP collated the reflections of partnership’s scrutiny
arrangements which pointed to the need for further exploration. TASP
partnered with the VKPP & University of Bedfordshire and published
in 2022 its research “Independent Scrutiny and Local Safeguarding
Children Partnership Arrangements” which outlined the findings from the
three core questions;
- who is scrutinising LSCP activity?
- how are LSCP activities being scrutinised? and
- what is being scrutinised?
The project was generously supported by partners across England and
provided a useful insight in the variety of approaches. We are also
continuing our work with VKPP to develop Case Studies based around the
findings of the 2022 report.
All reports available at theasp.org.uk/independentscrutiny
It is clear to us that the role of Scrutiny is pivotal in the
evaluation and assessment of partnership working. It enhances
accountability, offers a level of quality assurance, and can identify
areas for improvement. But the permissive structure around Safeguarding
Arrangements in creating variety, offers challenges, and the complexity
of the arrangements and the varied approaches being employed underscore
the imperative to provide assistance and backing to those involved in
the scrutiny process.
We are delighted to confirm that we now have established an
Independent Scrutineer Network to bring together Scrutineers from across
England to facilitate collaboration, share best practices, and discuss
the pivotal role of scrutiny in effective partnership working.
We run this session once a month on the third Wednesday of each month, at 4:30pm to 5:30pm.
The meeting will be jointly chaired by Jenny Pearce (Professor at
Bedfordshire University and Scrutineer for London Borough of Havering)
and Laurelle Brown (Co-Founder & Director of KIJIJI, Independent
Consultant and Scrutineer for London borough of Tower Hamlets).
The details and link to register are below.
To clarify, you do not need to be a current
member to attend. The intention is this will help inform a unique
membership benefit for this cohort going forward.
We are considering a range of ideas to support you. Including:
- Network opportunities with peers and experts in the field
- Potential development of dedicated Webinars and/or Podcasts
- Resource base for Effective practice
As part of our commitment to enhancing
support for Independent Scrutineers, we want to hear your thoughts and
ideas on how TASP can better assist you in your role. Please forward
ideas and suggested plans to Alison at [email protected]