CSA Centre, where it all began….

In September 2020, LB Barking & Dagenham (LBBD) identified Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) response as an area for improvement following a multi-agency review and Ofsted JTAI learning. Consequently, a CSA Safeguarding Partnership Sub-Group was established, chaired by the Children’s Operational Director and reporting to the Executive Safeguarding Partnership Board.

This Sub-Group, comprising senior colleagues from various partner agencies, is driving change and embedding practice. The work programme focuses on developing clear CSA pathways, implementing new assessment and intervention tools, and using data and evidence-based research to inform developments.

Child Sexual Abuse Practice Leads Programme

The Safeguarding partnership committed sufficient capacity and resources to implement the pathway. LBBD collaborated with the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to deliver the Child Sexual Abuse Practice Leads Programme, which initially included two multi-agency training days and an intensive training programme for twenty frontline social care practitioners to become expert resources for Children’s Social Care. A designated Service Manager leads the Practice Leads programme, with ongoing reflective sessions from the CSA Centre to support and motivate these practitioners and we are pleased that we are now on our third cohort of Practice Leads being trained, which will provide over 40 leads across Children’s Social Care in LBBD.

Practice Leads Programme Briefing (PDF, 229.86 KB)

LBBD - Theory of change for implementing the CSA Response pathway (PDF, 154.7 KB)