Quality assurance

The Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership is committed to learning and improving. It scrutinises and challenges local safeguarding arrangements and practices in order to ensure the quality of the multi-agency work being undertaken with children and families in Coventry is effective and to improve services to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in the city.

View our Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement Framework.

Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership Multi-Agency Audits

Multi-agency audits are a key strand of the CSCP Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement Framework. Each year the Partnership agrees a programme of assurance activity linked to our priorities, that gives us a clearer understanding of how well we are safeguarding children in Coventry. They provide a unique opportunity to look at the way we support children and families through the eyes of many different professionals. Through audits, we are able to step aside from day-to-day activities and reflect on what we achieve in our work together to protect children.

2020/21

• Vulnerable Infants Audit

2021/22

• Children in Crisis Audit One Minute Guide and animation
• Neglect Audit Report 2021

This includes links to resources and information created as a result of recommendations.

Statutory audits

Section 175/157

Section 175 and Section 157 of the Education Act 2002 require school governing bodies, local education authorities and further education institutions to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Section 175 of the Act covers local authority schools, whilst section 157 puts the same responsibility onto private, free and independent schools.

The CSCP undertake an annual assessment of all schools in Coventry to review the effectiveness of their arrangements for safeguarding children in relation to their duties under S157 and S175 Education Act 2002, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and Working Together 2018.

Section 11

Section 11 of the Children’s Act 2004 places a statutory duty on organisations to ensure that their functions, and any services that they contract out to others, are carried out having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

The CSCP is required to complete an audit of all partner agencies in relation to their duties under Section 11 of the Children’s Act 2004 on a biennial basis. This self-assessment reviews the effectiveness of the arrangements for safeguarding children at a strategic level and assesses each organisation against standards based on the requirements laid out in Working Together 2018.

Implementing Learning

The CSCP’s Audit and Performance Subgroup is responsible for seeking assurance that actions have been implemented and that they lead to a positive impact on outcomes for children and young people in Coventry.

Performance Scorecard

Data is collated into a Performance Scorecard and analysed by the Quality, Assurance and Performance (QA&P) Subgroup.

The data derives from partners represented at QA&P subgroup and the scorecard indicators are aligned with CSAB priorities to ensure that the data collected can actively provide assurance around areas of concern and that work is protecting and improving outcomes for adults with care and support needs across the city.