The safeguarding service in Newport works across children, adult and education services, managed by a service manager who works across the three areas.
Safeguarding officers ensure the prevention and protection of Newport residents is continually enhanced and developed.
The service includes the following specific roles for the council:
Children and education
The safeguarding unit based in the Civic Centre works closely with quality assurance and policy development teams.
The quality assurance (QA) team develops and reviews processes and procedures to assist continual improvement of practice within the authority and ensure teams have up-to-date policies and procedures to guide their practice.
“Making a difference in lives by stopping and protecting vulnerable adults from abuse is part of our core values as social workers and very rewarding.” (DLM POVA team)
The team carries out the monthly Regulation 32 inspection visits to the authority’s residential units and in-house quality assurance audits.
Regional audits of practice are a regular feature as is support to the wider service when required, e.g. CSSIW inspections.
All professional related concerns for people working or volunteering with children are managed within the safeguarding officer role as a single point of contact.
Children who have arrangements in place for council financial support from children services in regard to Special Guardianship Orders and Subject Access Requests (redaction of files) are also managed by the team.
Independent Reviewing Officers provide independent chairing of child protection conferences and looked after children reviews including reviews for unaccompanied asylum seeking children and some short breaks, pathway plan reviews and adoption reviews.
The Education Safeguarding Officer is based at the Civic Centre and works with education services to support the safeguarding agenda across Newport schools.
A close working relationship with children services is key to effective communication between the services and ensures appropriate and timely responses are managed.
The lead Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) officer is based at the Civic Centre and works across children services to ensure continual improvement in practice.
The strategic development within the council and the region ensure that children and young people at risk are safeguarded in line with National and local policy, guidance and procedures.
Safeguarding administration formally record child protection conferences, complete CAFCASS enquiries and maintains Newport’s child protection register.
Adults
The Protection of Vulnerable Adults service (POVA) is based in the Civic Centre and provides expert knowledge of adult protection issues to the council and also a Designated Lead Manager (DLM) investigation role when appropriate.
The strategic development for adults at risk within national legislation and guidelines is part of the local Gwent Wide Adult Safeguarding Board (GWASB) work.
Continual improvement in local delivery is enhanced by quality assurance officers.