Havering Safeguarding Priorities 2024-27

Havering’s Safeguarding Partnership carried out a consultation from 5 July – 30 October 2024 seeking views to help shape our forthcoming priorities for safeguarding children and adults.

57 responses were received to the consultation.

• The three highest priorities that respondents said mattered most to them by weighted rank are:  Child Sexual Abuse (33%), Exploitation of Children and Adults (16%) and Mental Health (11%).

Our safeguarding priorities going forward are:

• Child Sexual Abuse
• Child Sexual Exploitation
• Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
• Neglect and Self-Neglect
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Transitional safeguarding including for those with disabilities and special educational needs

We have already started working on our action plan which includes:

• A Deeper focus on Early Years, Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Early Help including an upcoming pilot for Operation Encompass alerts that will be sent to Early Years settings.   
• We will host an Early Years Conference in autumn 2025.
• Starting Well updates: Early Help Strategy and early help support provided in Havering.
• A Review of our Transitional Safeguarding arrangements with a new transitional team being set up in both Adult and Children’s Social Care.
• A Refresh of the Havering Safeguarding Children Partnership Exploitation and Neglect Strategies with the Havering Neglect Strategy refreshed and published in February 2025.
• Development of Local Guidance on working with those affected by Substance Use.
• Promotion of Advocacy, Best Interests, and Support for Carers, including Young Carers.
• Identification of Private Fostering arrangements – termly results from local schools have been collected for the past year.
• Havering Housing organised a Housing Providers Street Sleeping conference in November 2024, which was attended by 60 people.
• Development of Mental Capacity Act Champions and Suicide Prevention pathways.
• A Task and Finish Group was set up to work with those people who are exploring their gender identity.