Safeguarding Children

Introduction

At the end of 2004 the Government passed legislation which demanded that local councils, including Thurrock, along with their partners (police, health, Connexions among others) get together and set up Local Safeguarding Children Boards (or LSCBs) no later than 1st April 2006. The Thurrock LSCB was created on 7th December 2005.

The purpose of the LSCB is to do two things:

  • To look at what all those adults who work with children are doing to ensure that children are kept safe.
  • To ensure that all those organisations that employ people to work with children have in place policies that are effective in keeping children safe.

A number of large public and voluntary organisations have signed up to be part of the Thurrock LSCB.

These include:

  • Thurrock Council
  • Essex Police
  • South West Essex Primary Care Trust
  • South Essex Partnership Trust
  • Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals Trust
  • East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
  • NSPCC
  • Thurrock Community Voluntary Services
  • Child And Family Court Advisory and Support Service
  • Connexions in Essex
  • National Probation Service - Essex
  • Thurrock Youth Offending Team
  • Thurrock Primary Heads Association
  • Thurrock Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges

What will the Board do?

Basically, the Board's role is to oversee the work of the public and community organisations in their dealings with children and young people, to make Thurrock as safe as possible for children.

Some of the areas that they will aim to look at include how organisations big and small recruit, train and oversee their staff in the work they do with children; how good they are at using child protection procedures, and what more they can do to make Thurrock safer for children and young people.

What else?

The LSCB will be looking at the work of the other Partnerships in Thurrock to ensure that work goes on to keep children safe. The Thurrock Children's Trust and the Thurrock Community Safety Partnership both have plans which show how they will be aiming to improve the lives of Thurrock children.

Between the LSCB and these partnerships a number of areas will be tackled. These include:

  • Child Protection
  • Bullying
  • Crime and anti-social behaviour against young people
  • Accidental injury and death

Specific groups of young people who may be especially vulnerable, including those children looked after away from home, children with a learning difficulty/disability, those at risk from domestic violence, and those children from a different culture or religion.

How will the community be involved?

Children, young people and their families should be able to have a say in the work that the LSCB undertakes.

The Board is looking at how the Thurrock Children's Trust and the Thurrock Community Safety Partnership communicate messages in respect of safeguarding matters to children and their families, and will work closely with these groups to ensure that this information is made widely available.

The LSCB website will be further developed to provide links to useful safeguarding advice for young people and their parents.

Further Information

Further information can also be obtained by speaking to the Thurrock LSCB Manager - David Watts - on 01375 652730 or via e-mail on

Please also see the Thurrock Community Safety Partnership's information for Young People.