Terms of Reference
2016
Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3
2 Aim ............................................................................................................................................ 3
3 Functions ................................................................................................................................... 3
3.1 Continuous Improvement ....................................................................................................... 3
3.1.1 Policies Procedures and Protocols ............................................................................... 3
3.1.2 Importance of Self Evaluation in improving services .................................................... 4
3.1.3 Promoting Good Practice ............................................................................................. 4
3.1.4 Learning and Development .......................................................................................... 5
3.2 Strategic Planning .................................................................................................................. 5
3.2.1 Communication, Collaboration and Co-operation ......................................................... 5
3.2.2 Making and maintaining links with other planning groups ............................................. 6
3.3 Public Information & Communication ..................................................................................... 6
3.3.1 Raising public awareness ............................................................................................. 6
3.3.2 Involving children, young people and their families ...................................................... 6
4 Membership ............................................................................................................................... 7
4.1 Service Representation .......................................................................................................... 7
4.2 Member commitments............................................................................................................ 7
5 Independent Chair ..................................................................................................................... 8
5.1 Credentials ............................................................................................................................. 8
5.2 Responsibilities ...................................................................................................................... 8
6 RCPC Lead Officer .................................................................................................................... 8
6.1 Credentials ............................................................................................................................. 8
6.2 Responsibilities ...................................................................................................................... 8
7 Roles and Responsibilities......................................................................................................... 9
7.1 Member Responsibilities ........................................................................................................ 9
7.2 Member Agency Responsibilities ........................................................................................... 9
8 Accountability .......................................................................................................................... 10
9 Business Rules & Budget ........................................................................................................ 10
10 Budget ..................................................................................................................................... 11
11 Working Groups ....................................................................................................................... 11
RCPC Terms of Reference 2016
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1 Introduction
This document sets out the working framework of Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee
(hereinafter referred to as RCPC).
2 Aim

There shall be established a Child Protection Committee for Renfrewshire.

RCPC will contribute to promoting the care and welfare of children in this area by
aiming to ensure that all children are kept safe and protected from harm and abuse.

Members of RCPC will work together to promote inter-agency working, continuous
improvement through self-evaluation and best practice in child protection services.

The work of RCPC will support practice to keep children and young people safe and will
aim to provide better outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and their families.
3 Functions

The core business functions of Child Protection Committees are specified in Part 2 of
the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2014 as continuous
improvement, strategic planning, public information and communication.

Although not exhaustive, the following describes, in more local detail, the core business
functions of RCPC and provides a working framework.

These are presented in no particular order of priority and/or importance.
3.1 Continuous Improvement
3.1.1 Policies Procedures and Protocols

To ensure that clear and robust inter agency child protection policies; procedures;
protocols and /or guidelines are in place which are sufficiently disseminated and
understood by all staff.

To encourage member agencies to have in place their own up to date child protection
policies; procedures protocols; guidelines and other relevant materials.

To ensure that member agencies have in place robust whistle blowing policies;
procedures; protocols and guidelines which are sufficiently disseminated and
understood by all staff.

To ensure that inter agency child protection policies; procedures; protocols and/or
guidelines are developed around agreed existing and emerging key issues, including
disability; child trafficking; child sexual exploitation; missing children; under-age sexual
activity; keeping children safe on line and on mobile phones etc.
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
To publish inter agency child protection policies; procedures; protocols and/or
guidelines which reflect national and local policy and practice developments, including
GIRFEC which are regularly updated and evaluated.
3.1.2 Importance of Self Evaluation in improving services

To promote single agency and joint self evaluation across all services/agencies.

To ensure that robust and systematic performance management information and quality
assurance arrangements are in place across all relevant services to provide RCPC with
the information it needs.

To ensure that systematic approaches to self evaluation and quality assurance are
focused on the experiences and outcomes for children and families.

To establish effective systems to monitor the quality of key child protection processes.

To monitor and implement improvement plans effectively to ensure they lead to
positive change.

To communicate learning effectively to staff; including learning from self-evaluation.

To build capacity in the workforce by supporting the development of practitioner fora
and other methods to share good practice.

To provide an overview of management information and statistics relating to children
and young people on the Child Protection Register; which includes analysis of trends to
inform a strategic assessment of service need.

To ensure that management information and statistical reports inform the development
of inter-agency child protection policy and practice.

To measure the extent to which self-evaluation and changes made as a result of self
evaluation; contribute to actual improvements in services and outcomes for children.
3.1.3 Promoting Good Practice

To identify and promote good evidence-based policy and practice developments.

To identify issues of poor policy and practice.

To encourage learning from effective policy and practice developments.

To have robust mechanisms in place for the identification; consideration and
undertaking of significant case reviews on behalf of the Chief Officers.

To have in place a vigorous evaluation process for the actions resulting from such
reviews.

To have in place mechanisms to identify and disseminate lessons from past and current
practice; including the learning from significant case reviews; inspection reports and
other inquiry reports.

To ensure that these lessons directly inform inter-agency child protection planning;
training and staff development.
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
To identify networks, mechanisms and opportunities to share these lessons more
widely across services and agencies and between Child Protection Committees across
Scotland.
3.1.4 Learning and Development

To ensure that single agencies take responsibility for ensuring their staff are competent
and confident in carrying out their responsibilities in keeping children safe and
protecting their wellbeing.

To ensure that single and all inter-agency child protection training is developed;
delivered and in place.

To ensure that mechanisms are in place for the delivery and evaluation of local training
initiatives.

To ensure that inter-agency child protection training programmes complement and build
on the work already done by individual agencies.

To embrace the inter-agency training needs of single agency staff.

To identify collective training needs on an ongoing basis and to respond quickly to gaps
identified by inspection reports; significant case reviews or other sources.

To work in collaboration with single agencies who may have their own training
responsibilities.

To have an overview of the training needs of all staff involved in child protection
activity; including key individuals.

To ensure that training and development opportunities are available for managers at
both operational and strategic levels.

To publish; implement and review an inter-agency child protection training strategy.

To quality assure and evaluate the impact of training.
3.2 Strategic Planning
3.2.1 Communication, Collaboration and Co-operation

To ensure effective communication and cooperation both within and between
practitioners and across all services and agencies.

To demonstrate effective communication and cooperation between RCPC and Sub
Groups and/or Short Life Working Groups.

To actively promote effective communication, collaboration and cooperation between all
services and agencies.

To identify and resolve any issues between services and agencies that hinder the
protection of children and young people.

To demonstrate effective communication with other inter-agency partnerships and
bodies.
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
To communicate effectively about the work of RCPC with staff in constituent services
and agencies.

To identify opportunities to share knowledge; skills and learning with other Child
Protection Committees via national and local networks and across Scotland.
3.2.2 Making and maintaining links with other planning groups

To identify and make links with other multi-agency planning partnerships and
structures.

To ensure that RCPC plans and priorities are clearly linked to and aligned with other
national and local plans.

To identify areas where joint working would be beneficial or duplication could be
avoided.

To have in place and regularly review the effectiveness of joint protocols around
particular identified issues.
3.3 Public Information & Communication
3.3.1 Raising public awareness

To determine the level of public awareness, understanding and knowledge of child
protection systems and address any issues.

To determine the level of public confidence in child protection systems and address any
issues.

To produce and disseminate public information about protecting children and young
people.

To design, develop, publish, distribute, disseminate, implement, regularly review and
evaluate a Public Information and Communication Strategy.

To raise basic awareness and understanding of child protection issues within
communities and with children and young people.

To adapt good practice from others and explore further opportunities with other Child
Protection Committees.

To promote the ethos that child protection is everyone’s job in keeping with the Getting
it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach.

To provide information about how members of the public can report concerns about a
child and what could happen.
3.3.2 Involving children, young people and their families

To ensure that the views of children, young people and their families are used
meaningfully and effectively to inform the work of RCPC.
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
To ensure that the views of children, young people and their families are fed into the
planning and implementation of improvements.

To demonstrate that the work of RCPC is informed by the perspective of children and
young people; including the most and those with direct experiences of child protection
services;

To review and develop strategies for seeking the views of children, young people and
their families; and
4 Membership
4.1 Service Representation
As a minimum, the following services will be represented on RCPC:

Renfrewshire Council Children’s Services

Renfrewshire Council Community Services

Renfrewshire Council Development & Housing Services

Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership

Police Scotland

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde

Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration

Children’s Hearings Scotland

Voluntary Sector

Procurator Fiscal
4.2 Member commitments
Members of the RCPC will:

Represent the commitment of their agency to the RCPC vision for children in
Renfrewshire.

Have the delegated authority to make strategic and operational decisions on behalf of
their agency.

Facilitate communication between the RCPC and their agency.

Contribute their skills, experience and time to the RCPC.
All RCPC members will have designated deputies who will attend meetings in their absence
and on their behalf when required.
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5 Independent Chair
5.1 Credentials
The Chair will be a suitably qualified and experienced independent person. Renfrewshire
Council will act as the employing authority and the Independent Chair will be accountable to
the RCPC and Chief Officers through the Chief Executive of Renfrewshire Council.
5.2 Responsibilities
The Chair will:

Be responsible for ensuring that all members are able to maximise their contribution to
the work of the RCPC.

Ensure that new members are fully appraised of the work and plan of the RCPC and
their role within it.

Ensue RCPC members receive support and training as required.

Ensure the development of the RCPC report and plan.

Ensure collaboration with other CPCs within the West of Scotland consortium and
nationally.

Report to the Chief Officer Group and Member Officer Group.
6 RCPC Lead Officer
6.1 Credentials

The RCPC will appoint a Lead Officer to co-ordinate its activities, including the work of
the sub groups

The Lead Officer will support the RCPC in its key functions of continuous improvement
strategic planning , public information , communication and promoting high standards of
inter-agency child protection practice in Renfrewshire.

Renfrewshire council will be the employing authority for the post.
6.2 Responsibilities
The Lead Officer will :

Maintain an overview of inter agency child protection activity in Renfrewshire and
take a lead role in ensuring continuous improvement

Work with key stakeholders in partner agencies to promote effective inter-agency policy
and practice.
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
Lead on the development of the RCPC business plan and support the inter agency
working groups of RCPC in carrying out the tasks outlined in the plan

Lead on identified areas of work on behalf of the working groups of the RCPC

Provide reports on activity and management information to the RCPC and Chief
Officer’s Group

Support and co-ordinate the process of carrying out significant case reviews on behalf
of RCPC and ensure learning is embedded into practice and policy

Be responsible for networking with other Child Protection Committees via the West of
Scotland consortium and nationally across Scotland, contributing to the sharing of good
practice and developments in child protection

Report to RCPC on evidence based reports and practice developments and best
practice in child protection

Lead on the preparation for scrutiny processes developed through inspection agencies

Support and further develop RCPC self evaluation, performance management and
quality assurance processes and ensure that learning and improvement is embedded

Be involved in supporting and training staff across agencies

Co ordinate the development of policy, practice and procedures for child protection
work across all key partner agencies
The Lead Officer will be managed by the Senior Officer for Child Protection
7 Roles and Responsibilities
7.1 Member Responsibilities
Part 2 of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (2014) clearly specifies the
individual and collective roles and responsibilities of the Child Protection Committees and its
members. In particular it notes:
“All agencies, professional and public bodies and services that deliver adult and/or child
services and work with children and their families have a responsibility to recognise and
actively consider potential risks to a child, irrespective of whether the child is the main
focus of their involvement. They are expected to identify and consider the child's needs,
share information and concerns with other agencies and work collaboratively with other
services (as well as the child and their family) to improve outcomes for the child”.
7.2 Member Agency Responsibilities
Member agencies will:

Nominate a representative(s) to serve on and to represent them at the RCPC.

Ensure that their nominated representative(s) fully understand their role and
responsibility as a member of the Child Protection Committee.

Ensure that their nominated representative(s) is properly inducted into the RCPC.
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
Ensure that their nominated representative(s) has access to child protection training (as
necessary).

Ensure that their nominated representative(s) has time to fulfil their roles and
responsibilities before, during and after RCPC meetings.

Ensure that their nominated representative(s) has the necessary child protection skills
and knowledge to enable them to fulfil their individual and collective responsibilities.

Ensure that their nominated representative(s) has the relevant delegated authority level
and capacity to make decisions on behalf of the agency they represent.

Ensure their nominated representative(s) has a designated deputy who will attend the
RCPC in their absence and on their behalf when there is a requirement to do so

Ensure that their nominated representative(s) widely cascades and transmits the work
of the RCPC within their own agency and ensures it is understood and embraced by
staff.
8 Accountability

RCPC is directly accountable to the Chief Officers’ Group (COG).

RCPC will publish an annual report and business plan. These will be integrated into the
planning and reporting cycles for children’s services and will be submitted to the COG.

RCPC will be represented at national groups such as Child Protection Committees
Scotland and the West of Scotland Child Protection Consortium.
9 Business Rules & Budget

As a minimum, the RCPC will meet on 4 separate occasions per year. In addition, a
separate development session will be held for members and associates.

The quorum for the RCPC shall be half of current membership from at least 5 separate
agencies, including the Chair.

The RCPC will agree to appoint a Vice Chair from its membership.

Members wishing to submit agenda items should discuss in the first instance with the
Lead Officer. The deadline for the submission of agenda items is at least 10 days prior
to each meeting date.

Secretariat services will be provided by Renfrewshire Council, Finance & Corporate
Services. This service will arrange and co-ordinate the meetings, issue papers and
minutes as appropriate.

RCPC will seek any legal advice from the Legal Services Department, Renfrewshire
Council.

Individual members will seek legal advice through their own agencies.
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10 Budget

The RCPC budget will be the responsibility of the Director of Children’s Services,
Renfrewshire Council.

The financial year will run from 1 April to 31 March.
11 Working Groups
RCPC will operate the following working groups to address all aspects of business
development:

Case Review Group

Evaluation Group

Investigations Group

Performance Information Group

Practice Improvement Group

Training Group
Each working group will be chaired by a full member of the RCPC to ensure effective
accountability and communication; however membership will be open to a wide range of
people with the appropriate skills and experience relevant to the remit of the group. All
agencies are expected to contribute by making appropriate staff available.
Where a matter of urgency arises, such as the need to respond to a specific consultation or
operational issue, the Chair shall have the authority to establish an ad hoc group as
necessary.
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