What is a major role of local safeguarding children's boards?

Local safeguarding children's boards play a critical role in ensuring the safety and welfare of children at a community level. Their primary function is to oversee children's services within a local area, which involves a comprehensive assessment of how agencies and organizations work together to protect children from harm. By coordinating efforts among various providers—like schools, health services, and social services—these boards ensure that children's needs are met effectively.

Additionally, local safeguarding children's boards are tasked with reporting their findings and performance concerning safeguarding children to Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. This oversight and accountability help maintain standards and improve the quality of services provided to children and their families. Their proactive engagement with various stakeholders ensures that safeguarding policies and procedures are not only in place but are also followed, ultimately aiming to create a safer environment for children.

The roles of financial support to families, managing public housing services, and creating legislation regarding child welfare, while important in the broader context of child welfare and social services, do not fall under the specific functions of local safeguarding children's boards. Therefore, overseeing children's services and reporting to Ofsted clearly delineates the primary responsibility of these boards.