‌Accountability

This section contains key documents that support the transparency and accountability of the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (DDSCP). The DDSCP gathers and analyses information to understand how effectively agencies are working together to safeguard children and to gain insight into the experiences of children and young people across Derby and Derbyshire. The information collected is used to:

• Report annually to organisations that provide, commission, or fund services, highlighting how effectively children and young people are being safeguarded and identifying where resources and support should be focused to achieve the greatest impact.
• Provide feedback to individual agencies on areas for improvement, helping to strengthen safeguarding practice and outcomes for children and young people.

Each year, the DDSCP publishes an Annual Report which provides an overview of the work undertaken by its subgroups, highlights key achievements, and sets out the priorities and actions for the year ahead.

DDSCP Annual Reports

• DDSCP Annual Report - 2024 - 2025 
• DDSCP Annual Report - 2023 to 2024
• DDSCP annual report - 2022 to 2023 (This document is not fully accessible. If you need it in an accessible format, please contact [email protected].)
• DDSCP Annual Report 2021 to 2022
• DDSCP Annual Report 2019 - 2021 sets out the progress being made to keep children safe during the first 18 months following implementation of the new safeguarding arrangements across Derby and Derbyshire.

DDSCP Business Plan and Vision

The DDSCP uses analysis of local information alongside national guidance to identify the priority areas for action to be taken to safeguard children across Derby and Derbyshire.

The DDSCP Business Plan (2025-2028) sets out the priority areas for delivery by the subgroups and partner agencies.

The DDSCP Vision is that agencies work together to keep children and young people safe.

Governance

The DDSCP has Multi-agency Safeguarding Arrangements for the Safeguarding Partners to work together to identify and respond to the needs of children in their area.

An inter-agency Governance and Accountability Framework is in place and is an agreement that has been signed by each of the statutory partners to set out the legal arrangements to ensure there is effective governance and decision making.

• DDSCP Governance Arrangements March 2025
• DDSCP Governance Arrangements Terms of Reference for Subgroups March 2025 (under review)

Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides the public with a general right of access to information held by public bodies, such as local government, the police, the NHS and state schools.

The DDSCP is a statutory partnership in its own right set up under the Children Act 2004 and is not a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act. It is therefore exempt from the duty to provide information under the Freedom of Information Act.

A Freedom of Information Act request may be made directly to partner agencies of the DDSCP.