Following Lord Laming’s inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, the Children Act 2004 required all Local Authorities across England and Wales to set up a Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). The task of each LSCB is to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in their area.
The scope of the safeguarding task for LSCBs is wider than the child protection remit of the old ACPCs. Three broad areas of activity are identified:
- activity that aims to identify and prevent maltreatment or impairment to health and development
- pro-active work, which targets particular groups of vulnerable children and young people
- responsive work to protect children who are suffering, or at risk of suffering harm
The core business of the LSCB is to ensure there is collective accountability for those children and young people that are the subject of child protection processes under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989.
LSCBs must also safeguard and promote the welfare of children who fall outside this group, but who have been shown to be over-represented across the UK in incidences that result in a Serious Case Review.
The Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 came into force on May 1st 2014.
Section 135 establishes The National Independent Safeguarding Board whose duties are to provide support and advice to Safeguarding Boards to ensure that they are effective. They will also report on the adequacy and effectiveness of arrangements to safeguard children and adults in Wales, and make recommendations to the Welsh Ministers as to how those arrangements could be improved.
Section 134 sets out requirements for Safeguarding Boards to be set up in areas across Wales. The Act does not define these areas. The Act establishes both Children’s Safeguarding Boards and Adult Safeguarding Boards. In some areas, these may join into one Safeguarding Board.
Section 126 defines an adult at risk as being anyone 18 years of age or older who is:
- experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect
- has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting these)
- is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it as a result of these needs
Welsh Government - Safeguarding Children: Working Together Under the Children Act 2004
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014