Purpose

To support the delivery of key national
priorities, in particular the Families First Partnership Programme
which requires partnerships to have a shared practice model.
The published Families First Programme guide sets out changes that
are to be implemented with regard to safeguarding practice. These
changes are required to be agreed locally by April 2026. We are
required to report back to the DfE about the implementation of the
changes and publish an agreed local working model that sets out how
we will for safeguard children in Doncaster by April 2026. The
changes will fundamentally change local safeguarding
arrangements.
Core aspects of that programme directly align with the restorative
practice model - Re-shape the way in which we deliver services to
ensure better integrate serviced with more consistent support to
families
- Multi-agency / multi-disciplinary teams offering family support
according to the local need model
- Family group decision making
The programme guide explicitly requires there to be a shared way of
working across services that is seamless.

The DSCP is jointly funded by City Council, South Yorkshire Police
and South Yorkshire ICB. The reserve referred to has built up over
a number of years across both the DSCP and Doncaster Safeguarding
Adult Board. There is therefore no additional pressure on the
Council budget for 2025/26 The proposal has been supported by the
DSCP Executive, which is comprised of senior Managers from the
Council, Police and ICB. Chief Officers Safeguarding Oversight
Group (COSOG) members supported it in principle at the meeting
that
was held on Tuesday 28th April 2025. COSOG is chaired by the Chief
Executive of the City Council and comprised of other colleagues at
a similar level from local partner organisations.

Content

To utilise £95k-£100k of the
underspend from the Doncaster Safeguarding Children Partnership
(DSCP) reserve to go out to tender to source/fund a supplier to
support
Doncaster to embed Restorative Practice across the Multi-agency
partnership. The funding will deliver training for approx. 740
staff from across the partnership.
The aim is that training will start to be rolled out in September
2025 and be completed prior to April 2026.
The funding level has been identified after consultation with other
authorities who have implemented a similar practice
model.

Alternative options considered

N/a