What is the LSCB?
The LSCB is a partnership established by the 2004 Children Act. Every area must have one. The guidance concerning the LSCB can be found in a document called Working Together to Safeguard Children (PDF - 1.2MB)
The LSCB replaced the old Area Children Protection Committee (ACPC), which was also a partnership of agencies, but was concerned specifically with child protection rather than safeguarding and was not statutory.
The LSCB must co-ordinate work to safeguard children and ensure that work is effective.
Co-ordinating involves:
- developing policies and procedures (child protection, training, employment, investigating allegations against staff and volunteers, privately fostered children, and co-operation with neighbouring authorities, a co-ordinated response to unexpected child deaths);
- participating in the planning of services to children;
- communicating and promoting safeguarding.
Ensuring effectiveness involves:
- Monitoring the effectiveness of safeguarding work by:
- carrying out audits;
- looking at how agencies are performing;
- measuring how well children are being safeguarded.
