The Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee of Brent Council met on Tuesday 30 June 2026 to review the annual reports of the Brent Safeguarding Adults Board and the Brent Safeguarding Children Partnership. The committee also discussed the scrutiny recommendations tracker.

Brent Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report

The committee received the Brent Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) Annual Report for April 2025 to March 2026. Nicola Brown-John, the independent chair of the SAB, presented the report, highlighting the board's work on self-neglect, housing needs, substance misuse, and learning from Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs). Key achievements included the development of a self-neglect toolkit and a new strategic plan for 2026-2028 focusing on safeguarding adults with complex needs and preventing harm.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Lead Member for Adult Social Care, assured the committee that the council leadership provided oversight of safeguarding arrangements.

During the discussion, councillors raised concerns about the lack of baseline data in the report, the perceived fragmentation of partner reports, and the need for clearer evidence of multi-agency working. Nicola Brown-John acknowledged these points, stating that multi-agency working was inherent in the new priorities but needed strengthening. Rachel Crossley, Corporate Director for Service Reform and Strategy, offered to provide six-monthly reports on safeguarding data from the council's perspective.

Councillor Deborah Unger highlighted the difficulty in assessing progress without baseline data, and Councillor Angela Joyce De Souza inquired about lessons learned from SARs and how residents could be assured of changes. Nicola Brown-John outlined lessons learned, including improved multi-agency working on self-neglect, complex needs, and transitional safeguarding.

Councillor Sapna Chadha commended the introduction of the Performance and Audit subgroup and questioned the referral to inquiry conversion rate and the absence of LGBTQ+ referrals. Claudia, from the Safeguarding team, explained the triage process and the need for cases to meet a safeguarding threshold. Rachel Godber asked about the effectiveness of resource use, noting an underspend. Nicola Brown-John explained the underspend was due to the absence of complex SARs, which require significant funding.

Councillor Charlie Clinton raised concerns about barriers to effective partnership working, information sharing, and delays in partner responses, particularly regarding transitional safeguarding. Nicola Brown-John stated that while major gaps hadn't been found in transitional safeguarding, questions remained about the adequacy of adult services. She also noted challenges in multi-agency working due to organisational changes and the emergence of the Integrated Care Board (ICB). Detective Superintendent Will Lexton Jones and Sue Sheldon from the ICB also discussed challenges related to reconfiguration, IT systems, and the need for improved diary management and data sharing.

Councillor Clinton also inquired about the self-neglect toolkit, its impact measurement, and training for the police. DS Lexton Jones committed to discussing the toolkit with his counterpart.

The committee made several recommendations, including a request for a broader, systemic priority on improving multi-agency working, the inclusion of Brent data in reports with trend analysis, redesigning the report for better clarity, and a section critically assessing communications between agencies. Councillor Chadha recommended including safeguarding figures to ensure no individuals were being screened out without proper assessment. Councillor Clinton also suggested a future exercise to gather feedback from all councillors on their experiences engaging with the safeguarding team.

Brent Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report

Keith Mackin, the independent scrutineer for the Brent Safeguarding Children Partnership, presented the annual report. He highlighted the partnership's work on online safety, noting that Brent was taking a lead in this area. He also discussed the Phone Pledge and the ongoing development of young scrutineers. Mackin cautioned against the simple inclusion of large amounts of data in reports, suggesting that infographics and graphs could be more helpful. He also confirmed that the partnership had reviewed its learning and development programme and was focusing on neglect, the Families First Partnership Programme, and capturing the voice of young people.

Nigel Chapman, Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Community Development, noted that Brent was ahead of the game with the Families First programme and that the partnership had received a positive Ofsted inspection. Councillor Jake Rubin, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Employment and Climate Action, reiterated his commitment to holding officers and partners to account. Palwinder Kudel, Director of Early Health and Social Care, added that Brent had a strong partnership working approach, with education playing a key role.

Councillor Clinton asked about the implementation of previous recommendations, including engagement with youth organisations and contact with Healthwatch. Nigel Chapman confirmed work with the Young Brent Foundation and other youth organisations, and Keith Mackin committed to meeting with Healthwatch. Councillor Chadha inquired about changes to information sharing with schools now that education is a fourth safeguarding partner. Palwinder Kudel explained the redesign of early help and social care services, improved information sharing through the front door approach, and the inclusion of education representatives in safeguarding forums.

Councillor Angela Joyce De Souza asked about the top three safeguarding risks for children in Brent. Nigel Chapman identified neglect as a priority, followed by risks to vulnerable adolescents involved in criminal exploitation and gang activity. DS Lexton Jones agreed that these were chronic risks and discussed investments in a local missing hub and a missing person coordinator.

Councillor Alexandra raised questions about the Phone Pledge, its difference from Department for Education guidance, and how to influence neighbouring boroughs. Nigel Chapman explained that the Brent pledge went beyond national guidance and that cross-border work was ongoing.

The committee also discussed the transition from children's to adult services, with Balvinder Kudel explaining the processes in place for care leavers and children with disabilities. DS Lexton Jones noted that police involvement in transitions was light touch. Nicola Brown-John discussed the transitional safeguarding project, focusing on care leavers, additional needs, and those at risk of exploitation.

The issue of neurodiversity and long waiting times for assessments was raised, with Nigel Chapman acknowledging the connection between undiagnosed SEND and safeguarding risks and the importance of early intervention. The committee also discussed online safety and grooming, with measures including guidance for parents and revised assessment tools.

The committee made recommendations for a working session on data to establish what is useful for scrutiny, and for the Brent Safeguarding Children Partnership to continue to capture the voice of young people.

Scrutiny Recommendations Tracker

The committee reviewed the Scrutiny Recommendations Tracker, noting that historical recommendations had been addressed, with some ongoing. Councillor Clinton suggested a more proactive approach to managing and reporting on the tracker, with actions being followed up.

The meeting concluded with no other urgent business.