Promotions and Communications
Sub Group

Purpose

The LSCB statutory requirements are to:

‘take steps whose aim is to raise awareness throughout the Board’s area of the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to provide information about how this might be achieved’ ( (3) 1(b), Section 32 Children Act 2004)

‘disseminate information about best practice in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children amongst the representative bodies and such other persons as the Board sees fit’ ( (3) 1(i), Section 32 Children Act 2004)

The promotion and communications strategy is endorsed by each constituent member agency of the CSCB.

Overarching objectives of the promotion and communications strategy :

  1. Contribution to the delivery of the overall objectives of the CSCB
  2. Ensure that the importance of safeguarding remains high on the public agenda as well as on the professional agenda
  3. Deliver specific messages in support of safeguarding issues and initiatives
  4. Achieve greater awareness of what CSCB does
  5. Create and support a clear, consistent positioning and expression of the CSCB brand that is widely recognised across other partnerships

The promotion and communication sub-group working closely with other sub groups i.e. Training and Development and Multi Agency Practitioner Forums, shares responsibility for:

  1. Sharing information with public and professional audiences:
  2. Dissemination of critical messages to public and professional audiences including:

Target Audience

Desired Outcome

Children and Young People

Children and young people are aware of a range of safeguarding issues that will enable them to keep themselves safe from harm, identify concerns related to them or another child and where to go to for help and support with these issues.

All advice and information will be provided in a variety of formats on request so as to maximise accessibility.

Parents and Carers

Parents and Carers are aware of a range of safeguarding issues to enable them to keep their children safe from harm.

All advice and information will be provided in a variety of formats on request so as to maximise accessibility.

Widest professional group including child minders, early years workers, volunteers, Brownie, Guide, Scout leaders, faith groups and private organisations

This group are able to identify potential safeguarding concerns about children and colleagues, confident in decision making and referring concerns on and participating in safeguarding processes.

All advice and information will be provided in a variety of formats on request so as to maximise accessibility.

Members of the public

Members of the public are able to identify potential safeguarding concerns about children and know who to contact when they are concerned.

All advice and information will be provided in a variety of formats on request so as to maximise accessibility.

    1. Promoting safeguarding across agencies
    2. Drawing together views from local participation events and representing those views
    3. Providing quarterly reports on progress to the CSCB

The Promotions and Communications sub group works to the following principles:

  • Individual agency priorities will be fully considered and where possible, integrated into CSCB communication planning;
  • Diversity issues will be considered and addressed in respect of internal and external communication and promotion
  • Ensuring that internal and external communications take into account harder to reach groups such as Looked After children, children involved in the criminal justice system, children from travelling families and children from ethnic minorities
  • The views of children are important and should be incorporated into strategic planning
  • Positioning of the CSCB as a champion of children’s safeguarding within wider partnerships.

Membership

  • Barnardos (Chair)
  • Health
  • Education
  • CSCB Co-ordinator
  • Children’s Services Children’s Rights Officer
  • Youth Offending Service
  • Members from other organisations for example, faith groups, voluntary organisations etc will be co-opted on to the group as necessary for specific projects

Governance

The Promotion and Communications sub group will meet six weekly (more or less frequently according to need). 

Minutes of the meetings will be available to the CSCB.

Administration of the group will be provided by the CSCB Administrative Officer.

Financial implications

The Promotion and Communication sub group is able to commit £1,000 in expenditure before gaining the agreement of the CSCB.