Why does ESCP complete audits?
ESCP seeks to assure itself that partnership work to safeguard children is good quality, keeps children safe, improves outcomes and, makes a difference.
What is the process of this type of audit?
The focus of the audits is determined from a range of sources including:
- the findings of national or local Safeguarding Children Practice Reviews
- priorities agreed within the ESCP Business Plan
- areas of concern emerging from practice, performance data and local information
Within a specific practice focus, cases are identified at random selecting examples and are taken from across children’s services. Once a cohort is identified, services who have involvement with those children are contacted by ESCP and are asked to complete an audit tool and invited to attend a multi-agency audit discussion. The audit tool is completed from a single agency perspective with inter-agency working being taken into consideration. Each section of the tool asks for key areas of good practice, areas for development and recommendations for practice to be recorded.
The audit discussion consists of representation from all services who have completed an audit tool. The discussion analyses the information provided within the audit tools and draws conclusions on the multi-agency responses in respect of recognition, planning & intervention, assessment, joint working, impact and overall quality.
What is expected from partner agencies?
All agencies who have involvement with a child identified as part of a cohort are expected to respond to ESCP’s request by:
- completing an audit tool including as much detail as possible within the time scales requested
- providing appropriate representation at the audit discussion
- all agencies who are involved with the child identified to also gather information held on the child’s family.
When completing an audit tool and providing representation at the audit discussion, agencies should feel they are able to be transparent in providing an appraisal of their service’s involvement. This appraisal will ensure information captured is accurate and provide agencies with the opportunity to use this exercise as part of self-assessment to celebrate good practice and identify learning.
Please see below learning outcomes from our most recent audits:
Physical abuse audit (2022- 2023) PDF, 152.07 KB
MASH and Domestic abuse audit (2022- 2023) PDF, 166.79 KB
Serious Youth Violence (2023- 2024) PDF, 109.47 KB
Intra- familial Sexual Abuse and voice of a child (2023- 2024) PDF, 98.23 KB