St Helena Children’s and Adults Safeguarding Board

What is the Safeguarding Board?

The Children and Adult Safeguarding Board” (SGB) is a multi-agency strategic partnership made up of senior officers from Children’s Social Care, Adults Social Care, Education, Criminal Justice, Health, Police, voluntary organisations and service user representative groups. It coordinates the strategic development of the children and adults safeguarding system across St Helena and ensures the effectiveness of the work undertaken by partner agencies in the area.

So what does that mean?

The SGB try to:

  1. Hold to account those organisations with safeguarding responsibilities.
  2. Ensure partner agencies have measures in place to lessen the likelihood of neglect and abuse occurring.
  3. Raise awareness of safeguarding issues amongst the general public, parents, families, carers, service users, and voluntary and paid workers.
  4. Ensure that there are clear safeguarding policies and procedures in for organisations working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Why do we do that?

The SGB’s responsibilities are described in SECTION 38, 39, 40 & 41 of The Welfare of Children Ordinance as outlined above are broadly summarised as:

•         to co-ordinate what is done by each person or body represented on the Board for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults; and

•         to ensure the effectiveness of what is done by each such person or body for those purposes.

The Board must be able to form a view of the quality of local activity, challenge organisations as necessary and speak with an independent voice.

So who is on the SGB?

The SGB is currently chaired by Mr Tim McDermott, Head of Governance in the Health & Social Care Portfolio.

The Board includes:

  • The Directors (or their nominated representative) of
    • Children and Adults Social Care;
    • Health;
    • Education & Employment;
    • Police; and
    • Infrastructure and Transport.
  • Other officers from the above named Directorates as required.
  • Probation Service. 
  • The Chair of the Social and Community Development Committee.
  • The Children’s Champion.
  • A representative of a youth organisation.
  • A representative of a voluntary organisation.
  • A representative from the office of the Governor
  • A representative from the Human Rights Commission

The SGB provides oversight across pivotal areas of safeguarding, through a series of sub-groups tasked with moving forward key areas of work, as shown in the organogram below and the Safeguarding Board Structure:

More information on the Safeguarding Boards remit, and the individual sub-groups, can be found in the Terms of References.

What have we done and what do we intend to do?

As part of our statutory requirements, the SGB publish minutes of our quarterly meetings, our strategic plan, and our annual update report. All of which can be found in the attachments.

For any further information contact shsafeguardingboard@shg.gov.sh

Minutes

2023-05-11
2022-11-09 
2023-02-09

Safeguarding Board – Charity Policy Consultation