Description:

Children and Families Minister Tim Loughton, complimented Bromley on its partnership working around child protection at the Safeguarding Children Board’ 10^th Annual Conference at the Warren on Thursday 6 October.

During his keynote speech the Minister referred to the successful ‘Volunteers in Child Protection Scheme’ run on behalf of Bromley by Community Service Volunteers. He called it “an extra pair of hands” provided by volunteers that can establish empathy with families.

The audience at the event, entitled ‘Child Protection in a Changing Context - A Child’s Journey in Bromley’, comprised 125 Bromley professionals including social workers, health visitors, head teachers, community providers and child safeguarding experts.

Director of Children and Young People’s Services, Gillian Pearson, thanked the Minister for his comments and went on to pay tribute to the strong children’s services partnerships that exist in Bromley at both strategic and operational levels. She said: “Building on the strong partnership forum and our local Safeguarding Children Board, we are focused on actions and outcomes, not simply talk.

“We have effective early intervention services delivered in partnership at our Children and Family Centres, Bromley Y, Bromley Children’s Project and our schools and early years’ settings, as well as the Volunteers in Child Protection scheme. The relationships that drive this important work have to be maintained and it is a tribute to those involved in Bromley Council’s social services and safeguarding that we have such successful and vibrant partnerships.”

Councillor Ernest Noad, Bromley Council’s Executive Member for the Children and Young People Portfolio, said: “Bromley is rightly proud of its track record in caring for vulnerable young people and safeguarding those who need help. The local authority has a good overall rating for this work and already places a high value on the expertise and commitment of its social services team working with organisations best placed to provide the services required by Bromley children and families.”

Other speakers during the morning were Jenny Dibsdall, the Chair of Bromley’s Safeguarding Children Board and Sue Gwaspari, Director of Community Service Volunteers.

Afternoon workshops gave participants an opportunity to network and share experiences and best practice.

• Bromley Council provides services for some 72,000 children and young people with key targeted support for each and every one’s different journey through life. Bromley is a diverse borough. It is known as an affluent borough, but it also has contrasting large pockets serving families who fulfil all the indices of need identified with an inner London borough.

• Bromley Safeguarding Children Board facilitates statutory agencies in Bromley working together to promote the safety and well being of children in Bromley and prevent them from coming to harm. For policies, procedures, guidance and training visit the BSCB website www.bromleysafeguarding.org

• The Bromley Children and Family Project has been successfully offering services to Bromley residents since its inception. Services include:
• parent time
• lifelong learning courses, e.g. classroom assistant courses, crèche worker certificate, book-keeping, computer courses, numeracy, literacy, first aid, British sign language, assertion and aromatherapy
• training opportunities for parents, e.g. classroom assistant placements, and crèche worker placements
• counselling, advice and guidance
• individual child/parent and family support for parenting, emotional and practical difficulties
• crèche facilities.
• More information about the Bromley Children and Family Project can be found on the Council’s website at www.bromley.gov.uk

• The Volunteers in Child Protection (ViCP) scheme matches volunteers with families with children on child protection plans. The scheme if always looking for volunteers who can understand the difficulties faced by families and provide friendship, advice and support. Volunteers work closely with Social Services to complement to the services they offer. For volunteering opportunities in Bromley, please contact Toni Rushton at toni.rushton@bromley.gov.uk.

• Bromley Y is a long established local agency offering free, confidential counselling to young people between the ages of 11 and 23 within the borough of Bromley.