North West Safeguarding Effectiveness Framework

How we approach our effectiveness is underpinned by the North West Safeguarding Partnerships principles (MOU) and acknowledges that in complex environments, continuous learning drives improved outcomes for our children and families[1]. 

Learning and adapting should be part of everyday work. We can use data and evidence to spark new ideas, learn what’s working well, and understand what’s really happening in local areas and services. Learning should involve those who use our services. This helps us make better decisions and deliver more effective support where it's needed most.

Leaders create space for this to happen and ensure accountability. As we learn together, shared goals and better ways to solve problems emerge.

To respond effectively to learning from child safeguarding practice reviews, this needs to be identified and responded to at every level of the system (local, regional, national). An ‘ecological model’ of the safeguarding system shows how different people and organisations are connected, with children and families at the centre.

• Every level in the system plays a part in shaping outcomes.
• These parts are linked and affect each other. What happens in one area can influence others
• To learn and improve in a complex system, we need to understand how these parts interact and value the different views across the system. 

The model helps us see that change can happen at different inter-connected levels. For example, local MASAs might identify learning that calls for national policy change, while also leading improvement through local leadership and practice. It helps us think about how to align systems and influence across levels to create better opportunities to improve outcomes for children.

The following diagram shows the different parts of a system where change can happen, and how these changes are inter-connected. It helps us consider: 

• how one change can affect another 

• noticing and adapting to changes happening at different system levels 

• where to best enable change to happen

The roles of Delegated and Lead Safeguarding Partners are clearly set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2026). Through sub-regional and regional approaches, the above approach aims to strengthen whole-system learning and enable enhanced impact and assurance to and from the DSP and LSP roles, including:

• Helping decisions focus attention on the right parts of the system to understand what’s working and what needs to change

• Highlighting key practice areas that need improvement, facilitating better collaboration
• Bringing system challenges to the attention of national leaders to enable change to be lead at a macro level
• Understanding what enablers the region needs to make the changes and improvements needed

Section 16G(3) of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 requires safeguarding arrangements to include independent scrutiny of their effectiveness.

To support this, the North West Hub will provide capacity through the North West Scrutineer role. This role is designed to collaborate with local independent scrutineers, helping to coordinate scrutiny and support evaluation of safeguarding effectiveness across sub-regional and regional levels.

This role does not replace local scrutiny arrangements, but aims to enhance their impact by:

• Strengthening collaboration across the region

• Providing additional capacity and expertise in sub-regional spaces
• Supporting Delegated Safeguarding Partners (DSPs) and Local Safeguarding Partners (LSPs) in responding to regional safeguarding priorities and learning

The North West Scrutineer will maintain strong links with local scrutineers to ensure alignment, shared learning, and a coherent approach to improving outcomes for children. 

As well as the need for scrutiny, WT26 sets out the function to report on the impact of scrutiny activity itself and yearly reports should include a review of the impact and learning from independent scrutiny arrangements. The NW Independent Scrutineer role can support this. 

Please refer to the North West Safeguarding Effectiveness Framework for details of the region’s ambition to strengthen partnership effectiveness and to influence impact at a national level.

In February 2025, five workshops were held with safeguarding partners to explore how impact is, or could be, evidenced within local arrangements. These sessions led to the co-production of the Planning with Purpose and Impact Tool, designed to help partnerships focus their activity, align with improvement plans, and deliver against agreed priorities.