Meeting: Cabinet	Date: 30th August 2022

Wards affected: All

Report Title: Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Annual Report

When does the decision need to be implemented? For information

Cabinet Member Contact Details: Councillor Cordelia Law. Cabinet Member for Children’s Services. cordelia.law@torbay.gov.uk

Director/Divisional Director Contact Details: Becky Thompson, Divisional Director of Safeguarding (Children’s Services), 01803 208 100, becky.thompson@torbay.gov.uk.

1.	Purpose of Report

The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Annual Report provides an overview of allegations referred to the LADO regarding people in a position of trust working or volunteering with children in the Torbay locality. It summarises the statutory role of the LADO and both the national and regional context of the role, the number of consultations and referrals, a breakdown of the types of allegations and the profile of the LADO’s work from 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022.

2.	Reason for Proposal and its benefits

2.1	Whilst there is not a statutory requirement for each Local Authority to produce and publish an Annual Report in respect of the work of the LADO, there is an expectation that one is completed to inform both the local authority and partner agencies of the number and nature of contacts over the period and to identify trends and learning from the data to inform any local action plans.

2.2	The information within this report help us to deliver our ambition for Torbay to become child-friendly in every sense of its meaning, whereby the community and key partners are aware of their duty to consult and refer to the LADO service when safeguarding concerns about those in a position of trust become known. The nature of the LADO role, as set out within Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 and Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021 (KCSIE), is such that it forms an integral part of the safeguarding response to children, and therefore fits with Torbay’s ambition to ensure enhanced and robust response to vulnerable groups, with children often being especially vulnerable. This is particularly the case in regards to Torbay’s corporate parenting responsibilities, especially when we considered that 85 consultations were undertaken in relation to cared for children in the 2021-22 year.

3.	Recommendation(s) / Proposed Decision

1.	That the Local Authority Designated Officer Annual Report 2021-22 be endorsed and published in accordance with Council’s requirements, as set out in Appendix 1.

Appendices

Appendix 1: LADO Annual Report 2021/22.

Background Documents

About the LADO - Torbay Council

Managing allegations - Torbay Safeguarding Children Partnership

Supporting Information

1.	Introduction

The LADO Annual Report provides an overview of allegations referred to the LADO regarding people in a position of trust working or volunteering with children in the Torbay locality. It summarises the statutory role of the LADO and both the national and regional context of the role, the number of consultations and referrals, a breakdown of the types of allegations and the profile of the LADO’s work from 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022.

2.	Options under consideration

2.1	No options have been considered as this proposal is for information only.

3.	Financial Opportunities and Implications

3.1	The LADO Annual Report does not make recommendations in terms of any changes to the current service or staffing structure and therefore the decision to endorse does not carry with it any financial implications.

4.	Legal Implications

4.1	The role of the LADO and the LADO’s responsibilities remain set out in Working Together to Safeguarding Children 2018, Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021 (KCSIE) and the Southwest Child Protection Procedures. There are no legal implications as a result of the decision to endorse this Annual Report.

5.	Engagement and Consultation

5.1	The nature of the LADO role is such that engagement and consultation occurs naturally as an integral part of the role. The Torbay LADO continues to take an active role in the regional Southwest LADO network meetings, to share learning and improvement. Close informal arrangements also include peer observations and audits, to support service-led improvement and strengthen effective cross-boundary working.

5.2	The LADO also continues to deliver training to a wide range of agencies across Torbay. This training includes an overview of the LADO role, and the process of managing allegations.

6.	Purchasing or Hiring of Goods and/or Services

6.1	The endorsement of this Report does not involve the procurement of services, the provision of services together with the purchase or hire of goods or the carrying out of works.

7.	Tackling Climate Change

7.1	None.

8.	Associated Risks

8.1	There are no associated risk with endorsing this Annual Report. Should the Report not be endorsed, there will be no change to the function of the LADO as this is set out within relevant legislation and policy; however, the Report would not be published and this may impact on the ability of partners and other agencies to learn from the patterns and trends identified within the report.

9.	Equality Impacts - Identify the potential positive and negative impacts on specific groups

Positive Impact	Negative Impact & Mitigating Actions	Neutral Impact
Older or younger people	The LADO service ensures that children are safeguarded from people in a position of trust appropriately.	N/A	N/A
People with caring Responsibilities	Enhanced confidence in the safeguarding procedures in place through people in a position of trust and services/providers.	N/A	N/A
People with a disability	The LADO service ensures that children are safeguarded from people in a position of trust appropriately.	N/A	N/A
Women or men	N/A	N/A	There is no differential impact.
People who are black or from a minority ethnic background (BME) (Please note Gypsies / Roma are within this community)	The LADO service ensures that children of all ethnic backgrounds are safeguarded from people in a position of trust appropriately.	N/A	N/A
Religion or belief (including lack of belief)	N/A	N/A	There is no differential impact.
People who are lesbian, gay or bisexual	The LADO service ensures that children, no matter their gender identity, are safeguarded from people in a position of trust appropriately.	N/A	N/A
People who are transgendered	The LADO service ensures that children, no matter their gender identity, are safeguarded from people in a position of trust appropriately.	N/A	N/A
People who are in a marriage or civil partnership	N/A	N/A	There is no differential impact.
Women who are pregnant / on maternity leave	N/A	N/A	There is no differential impact.
Socio-economic impacts (Including impact on child poverty issues and deprivation)	The LADO service ensures that children, no matter their no socio-economic status, are safeguarded from people in a position of trust appropriately.	N/A	N/A
Public Health impacts (How will your proposal impact on the general health of the population of Torbay)	The role of the LADO ensures the physical, emotional and sexual safety of the children living in and supported by Torbay; as such, its integral safeguarding function has a positive impact on the general health of children and young people.	N/A	N/A

10.	Cumulative Council Impact

10.1	None.

11.	Cumulative Community Impacts

11.1	None.