Function of Safeguarding Partners

With the Children and Social Work Act 2017 (the Act), there are no longer Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs). Instead, there are new local safeguarding arrangements, led by three safeguarding partners (local authorities, chief officers of police, and clinical commissioning groups). Child death review partners (local authorities and clinical commissioning groups) are also required to review the deaths of children normally resident in the local area – or if they deem it appropriate, any children not normally resident in that area.

Each of the three Safeguarding Partners is responsible for determining and implementing new safeguarding strategies that will improve multi-agency working capacity and, consequently, improve local safeguarding and child protection agreements. Safeguarding Partners must clearly explain how they will work together with all relevant agencies and how they plan to conduct local reviews in order to accomplish this.