Chapter R: Communications Strategy

The principal targets of PSCB activity under this Strategy are:

• children and young people
• parents and carers
• employees and decision makers in partner organisations and other agencies with statutory responsibilities
• relevant voluntary, community and faith organisations
• the general public.

We must also communicate effectively with

• other Safeguarding Boards
• the Vulnerable Adults Protection Committee
• the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership
• Government departments
• national organisations such as OfSTED.

The key messages which we need to convey are: 

For everyone

• What safeguarding is.
• Safeguarding is a responsibility shared across the whole community.
• What the different responsibilities to safeguard are and how they should be fulfilled.
• A basic understanding of the role of the PSCB and how can it be accessed.
• Key changes in safeguarding nationally and locally and the implications of these.

Children and Young People

• How to keep safe.
• What to do if you/someone you know is being harmed/harming themselves.
• For those involved in it - a basic understanding of the child protection system and what it means for them.

Voluntary and Community Organisations

• What support/help the Board can provide; in particular, help with developing training programmes, accessing multi-agency and other training and with developing safeguarding policies and practice.
• How to access this help and advice.
• What good safeguarding practice is and how this can be provided.
• Local Safeguarding Board and how to become involved with it.
• How to access the Inter-agency Safeguarding Procedures, the guidance provided by these and obligations set out within them.
• How to recruit staff and volunteers safely and deal with allegations made against them.

Parent and Carers

• How to provide safe parenting.
• Sources of parenting advice and support.
• How to protect your children and any others you are responsible for.
• For those involved in it - the role of the different agencies involved in safeguarding and how the safeguarding process works.
• How to access the Inter agency Safeguarding Procedures, the guidance provided by these and obligations set out within them.

Board partners, statutory agencies and their employees

• The role of the Board.
• How to contact the Board.
• Availability and accessibility of training.
• Availability and implications of multi-agency policy and procedures - in particular the Inter agency Safeguarding Procedures.
• How to access the Board with concerns about agency practice and what will happen in response.
• Recommendations from serious case reviews and how they should be implemented.
• What represents good/best safeguarding practice, how this is demonstrated within agencies and how it can be replicated.
• The shared beliefs, organisational intentions and commitments set out in the Inter agency Safeguarding Procedures.

The PSCB will use the following methods of communication: 

Website

Access: Peterborough Safeguarding Children Board website

• Principal method of accessing information about the Board.
• Sections for professionals, parents and carers and children and young people.
• Access to: training and development resources, all PSCB policies and procedures including the Inter agency Safeguarding Procedures, a range of other advice and guidance.

Newsletters 

Access: Available through the website, distributed in hard copy at events and electronically to those on PSCB contact lists.

• Quarterly PSCB newsletters cover general information about the Board, its work and developments in safeguarding and training nationally and locally.
• Newsletters seek to promote evidence based practice using learning from national and local research, including Serious Case Reviews.

Information leaflets 

Access:  Available through the website or by application to the PSCB office.

• Range of information leaflets on specific topics such as reporting concerns, assessments, enquiries and conferences. 

Event attendance 

Access:  Any request for a member of the PSCB to attend an event can be arranged by contacting the PSCB Office. 

• PSCB seeks to attend relevant meetings, conferences and other events for children and young people, parents and carers and public service professionals. 

Training 

Access:  Full details about training are accessible via the PSCB website or by contacting the Training and Development Manager. Training flyers are distributed to the PSCB contact lists.

• Training on basic safeguarding awareness and a range of other topics according to the PSCB Practice Standards.
• Opportunity to promote and communicate about the work of the Board, good safeguarding practice, PSCB policy and procedure and other relevant issues.
• Opportunity to distribute information leaflets, newsletters etc.

PSCB Conferences 

Access:  Details of conferences will be published on the website and flyered to the PSCB contact lists. 

• Biannual conference on differing themes.
• Opportunity for practitioners to meet, exchange and receive information about high profile topics, for the Board to promote its work and raise its profile in the eyes of those attending.
• Opportunity to distribute information leaflets, newsletters etc. 

Minutes 

Access:  Those present at meetings will receive copies, others can request copies via PSCB Office.

• Comprehensive minutes kept of all Board and group meetings.
• Circulated to those attending and others who request to be/are included in additional distribution.
• Others may apply to the PSCB office to see copies of minutes although some - for example those containing details of specific cases - must remain confidential.
• Information from meetings that needs to be more widely disseminated than the minute circulation lists will go out via newsletters/information leaflets/website etc.

Media Relations

Press releases to accompany specific events such as the annual conference and launch of major new policy and procedure.

• Promote positive developments in safeguarding with the aim of developing a positive understanding of the safeguarding agenda amongst the press and general public.

The written material produced by the PSCB will conform to the following standards 

• The PSCB logo will appear on all internal and public information.
• A contact name for more copies, date of issue, date of revision and, where appropriate, date of expiry will appear on all information.
• Illustrations and photographs will be of positive images that support the meaning of the text - no clip art will be used.
• The content of images and information will be appropriate for the race, cultural needs and age of the target audience.
• There is effective use of colour and balance between text, white space and graphic images.
• Wherever possible information will be available in a minimum size of no less than 12pt Ariel lettering.
• A standard paragraph about translation services, as well as an offer for printing in alternative formats, is advertised where appropriate.
• Information, upon request, is translated into language of the reader's choice or made available in alternative formats wherever possible.
• Information provided in print will be made available via the PSCB website pages.
• Content pages, page numbers or index are provided where appropriate.
• Contact information is provided including postal addresses, telephone numbers, minicom and fax numbers, opening hours, emergency contacts, website addresses and e-mail addresses.
• Information is produced clearly, concisely and in plain language.
• All material conforms to national accessibility guidelines.

Public and Media Interest in Child Maltreatment 

It is the responsibility of Designated Senior Managers in each agency, alongside the Chair of the PSCB to anticipate public and media interest in the death or serious injury of a child, or in the investigation of organised abuse under the umbrella of the PSCB Safeguarding Procedures.

The Chair, together with the Designated Senior Managers in liaison with their press officers, must consult to formulate and agree a strategy for managing public information and make the necessary and timely arrangements for any press releases. When agreeing a strategy for managing public information consideration must be given to the following:

• The need to maintain confidentiality in respect of personal information contained within reports on the child, family members and others;
• The accountability of public services and the importance of maintaining public confidence in the process of internal review;
• The need to secure full and open participation from the different agencies and professionals involved;
• The responsibility to provide relevant information to those with a legitimate interest;
• The constraints on sharing information when criminal proceedings are outstanding, in that access to the contents of information may not be within the control of the PSCB.

Specific Media Enquiries

(This relates in particular to cases which are the subject of a Serious Case Review). The following provides more detailed guidance, which due to the nature of Serious Case Reviews is essential.

Serious Case Review Checklist 

The Communications Team will maintain an ongoing dialogue with the Chair of the Serious Case Review Group in order to maintain awareness of all cases that are being considered against the relevant criteria to trigger a Serious Case Review.

Creation of case media leads group 

Following a decision to conduct a Serious Case review the Communications Team will convene an early meeting of the key communications contacts of all relevant PSCB partners (or will liaise directly outside a meeting if more urgent) to form a Case Media Leads Group. There shall be separate Case media leads Groups for each separate Serious Case Review. Its membership will be drawn from the agencies represented on that particular Serious Case Review Committee.

First meeting of case media leads group 

At the first meeting of each Case Media Leads Group a decision will be taken to establish which Board partner is best placed to take lead responsibility on an ongoing basis (and hence chair, service and convene future meetings of that group). This decision may be provisional and reviewed later as further details emerge. If there is not a clear lead Board partner the local authority press office will continue to co-ordinate this work. If there is insufficient capacity or resilience, this work will be shared as agreed between the Board partners.

Subsequent meetings of case media leads group  

Later meetings of the Case Media Leads Group will consider and advice upon the release of information into the public domain in line with guiding principles set out in strategy. In so doing the Case Media leads Group will:

• Agree and thereafter monitor and amend the overall communication strategy for the case;
• Identify any tensions between the agencies (which might, for example arise because of different reporting systems), and where these are not readily resolved, escalate as appropriate and manage around them;
• Consider the timing and content of any joint press statements;
• Consider whether and if so when to hold a press conference;
• Consider the need for any related communication activity in support of the release of the Serious Case Review Executive Summary, and any associated Action Plans and
• Ultimately, hold a suitable debrief, identifying lessons learnt, and report back to the Local Safeguarding Children's Board.

Activity of lead partner outside meetings of the case media leads review group 

Outside meetings the agreed lead Board partner will:

• Draft a holding statement for the Board (and agree it with the Chair of the Board), and co-ordinate draft statements prepared by each agency;
• Put in place agreed media monitoring arrangements, and co-ordinate media activity by the relevant agencies;
• Draft a communication strategy for the case;
• Convene further meetings of the Case Media Leads Group as necessary (and liaise directly outside those meetings as necessary) and
• Brief the Chair of the Board, the Chair of the Serious Case Review Group and the Director of Children's Services, on an ongoing basis.

Activity of board partners outside meetings of the case media leads review group  Outside meetings each Board partner member of the Case Media Leads Group will:

• Liaise internally within the partner organisation to ensure they are suitably briefed (including for example being briefed on any Single Agency Reports available);
• Draft a holding statement for that agency and share it with the lead agency key contact;
• Respond to any media enquiries relevant to their organisation (or refer on others as appropriate) and promptly advise the other agency leads;
• Collate their own agency's needs and information for integration into the collective communication strategy including:

• identification of key audiences;
• identification of key dates;
• deadlines and processes;
• identification of key messages
• identification of spokespeople and media train as necessary.

Jason Hill

Head of Communications

Email: jason.hill@pbh-tr.nhs.uk

Aiden Fallon

Email: aiden.fallon@peterboroughpct.nhs.uk

Communications Team
Chief Executive's Department
Peterborough City Council
Town Hall, Bridge Street
Peterborough, PE1 1HG

Tel: (01733) 452577

Fax: (01733) 452369

E-mail: rachael.gordon@peterborough.gov.uk