The aims and objectives of the Wakefield and District Safeguarding Children Board are set out in its Constitution and Annual Business Plan.

The Business Plan has four key components:

• The Wakefield and District Safeguarding Children Board Vision
• Wakefield and District Safeguarding Children Board Statement of Purpose
• The five strategic objectives for the forthcoming three years 
• The detailed Work Plan for the forthcoming year

The content of the detailed work plan is driven by a number of factors, including the key findings of mechanisms such as Serious Case Reviews and the Child Death Overview Panel, by legislation and statutory guidance such as Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010, and the findings of local audits of safeguarding children practice.

The Vision of the Wakefield and District Safeguarding Children Board

The Vision of the Wakefield and District Safeguarding Children Board is the overarching purpose of the Safeguarding Children Board in Wakefield, and encompasses the overall aims of the Safeguarding Children Board in a single statement.

The Vision of the Wakefield and District Safeguarding Children Board is:

 “Everyone will work together to ensure that all children and young people in the Wakefield district are safe and feel safe within their homes, schools and communities.”

Statement of Intent/Statement of Values

The Wakefield and District Safeguarding Children Board will provide strong and effective leadership in order to co-ordinate and ensure effectiveness of the work done by agencies for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We aim to ensure that:

• Children and young people in Wakefield are safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence, exploitation and sexual abuse
• Children and young people in Wakefield are safe from accidental injury and death
• Children and young people in Wakefield are safe from discrimination and bullying
• Children and young people in Wakefield are safe from crime and anti-social behaviour
• Children and young people in Wakefield grow up in environments where they have security, stability and care

The Wakefield and District Safeguarding Children Board believes that everyone is responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We will achieve our vision by:

• Working with agencies to improve safeguarding practice
• Monitoring and where necessary challenging the performance of agencies in relation to safeguarding
• Developing and implementing effective policies, guidance and procedures
• Carrying out effective Serious Case Reviews and effectively learning from all child deaths 
• Providing high quality multi-agency training to the children’s workforce
• Promoting awareness of safeguarding within agencies and in the wider community

Strategic Objectives

The LSCB has agreed the following strategic objectives that sum up the key objectives for the next three years and which will assist in achieving our vision. These objectives encompass all areas of LSCB business and are as follows:

• Improving the quality and consistency of safeguarding practice
• Safeguarding specific groups of children identified as being particularly vulnerable
• Learning from child deaths and “near misses”
• Governance (links with Children’s Trust, LSCB membership etc)
• Communication  and engagement with partners,  children and young people, parents and carers

Twelve Month Work-plan

This is, in effect, a SMART Action Plan for the coming year, with each sub-objective, and the actions required to achieve it, being held under the most relevant strategic objective. It can be obtained by downloading the Annual Business Plan 2010/11 (see 'Also In')