Introduction

The National Board’s Duties and Responsibilities

The National Board has three primary duties which have shaped our work plan. These are:

1. To provide support and advice to Safeguarding Boards with a view to ensuring that they are effective
2. To report on the adequacy and effectiveness of arrangements to safeguard children and adults in Wales
3. To make recommendations to the Welsh Ministers as to how those arrangements could be improved (S.132 (2)).

In addition, eight specific responsibilities of the National Board are set out in Working Together to Safeguard People, the Part 7 Guidance on Safeguarding. That is, the National Board:

1. works alongside Safeguarding Adults Boards and Safeguarding Children Boards to secure consistent improvements in safeguarding policy and practice throughout Wales (para 246)
2. will engage with the chairs of the Safeguarding boards, and relevant inspectorates…at least twice a year (para 258)
3. will stay abreast of evidence and policy approaches to safeguarding and protection in other parts of the UK and beyond to learn from those and to evaluate Wales’ relative performance (para 261)
4. where a theme of concern is identified…the National Board could recommend to Welsh Ministers that the matter be escalated to Welsh Government for exploration or to the relevant inspectorate (para 263)
5. will use mechanisms to regularly engage with a range of expert reference groups, practitioners and individuals (para 264)
6. will publish its own annual reports including any work it is planning. It will also hold an annual engagement event or events (para 265)
7. has a specific duty under section 133 (2) (d) of the Act to “consult with those who may be affected by arrangements to safeguard adults and children in Wales.” It will use that duty to enhance its understanding of and extend its experience of safeguarding and protection in Wales (para 266)
8. will consider the learningfrom the ‘user engagement’ activities of the Safeguarding Boards (para 266). 

Partnership and Duties – Shaping the Future of Safeguarding 

In 2024 the National Independent Safeguarding Board was pleased to announce a three-year strategic safeguarding partnership between the Board (NISB) Wales and Manchester Met University. Professor McManus and her team of safeguarding researchers at Man Met have completed a series of research projects over the last 4 years evaluating the effectiveness of multi-agency safeguarding arrangements within Wales. This has resulted in a key partnership being formed entrusting the Man Met team to help maximise safeguarding identification and responses for children and adults in Wales.

This research began in 2020 with a study to explore integrated multi-agency operational arrangements across each of the 22 Local Authority areas, which led to a large-scale national evaluation, Shaping the Future of Safeguarding, to determine ‘what good looks like’ within multi-agency safeguarding. This study had three workstreams: exploring practitioner perspectives, understanding experiences and views of those with lived experiences of safeguarding and insights from performance management teams, alongside an analysis of safeguarding metrics collected by Regional Safeguarding Boards (RSBs).

After completing the Shaping the Future evaluation, two research project outputs were developed in partnership with the NISB and the RSBs:

• The Collective Safeguarding Responsibility Model: 12Cs; and
• The National Multi-Agency Safeguarding Performance Framework for Children.

Further separate pieces of work have been commissioned by the NISB to undertake a Thematic Analysis of Child Practice Reviews (CPRs) and Adult Practice Reviews across Wales (APRs). These reports focussed on the characteristics of risks, the multi-agency responses, and a review of the quality of the practice reviews themselves. The analysis identified several key priority areas where change is imperative to reduce likelihood of future harm, to improve practice and to strengthen safeguarding systems

Child Practice and Adult Practice Review Thematic reports 

The Board commissions a biannual review of all Child Practice and Adult Practice Reviews on an alternating basis. Following the publication of Risk, Response and Review: Multi-Agency Safeguarding: A thematic analysis of child practice reviews in Wales; August 2023 (McManus, M. Ball E and Almond L.) the Board will, in 2025, be requesting that all RSB’s report on their considerations of the recommendations made. 

In February 2025, the Board published a Thematic Review of Adult Practice Reviews (APRs) Wales, (McManus M, Ball E and Monaghan.) followed by a roundtable event with stakeholders to discuss the findings. We intend to use the recommendations from both thematic reviews to support our work in developing a consistent approach to measuring performance and assessing effectiveness and to support RSBs to continue to develop safeguarding practice. The Board will commission a CPR  thematic for publication in Q3 of 25/26.   

Performance- assessing effectiveness –

As part of developing a coherent and consistent approach to gathering and analysing intelligence about all-Wales safeguarding effectiveness, the National Board identified 5 Key Questions, that we believe all relevant agencies and bodies should address, on an ongoing and annual basis. These are as follows: 

A National Multi Agency Safeguarding Performance Framework: 5 Key Domains of Safeguarding Effectiveness 

As part of developing a coherent and consistent approach to gathering and analysing intelligence about all-Wales safeguarding effectiveness, the National Board identified the following 5 Key Questions during the 2023-24 year, that we believe all relevant agencies and bodies should address, on an ongoing and annual basis.

1. Safeguarding Process 

How is the board assured that arrangements are effective in identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns? What are the outcomes of regional safeguarding processes and interventions? 

2. Multi-agency Activity and Data 

How does the board assure itself that existing protocols between agencies work effectively, when individuals are identified as at risk from harm? What data is collected around this, how is it shared and what evidence has emerged in the period? 

3. Thematic Hotspots 

What key thematic sources of harm which require a safeguarding response locally are evidenced in Board data? What steps have been identified to response to this thematic evidence? 

4. Service User Feedback 

What are the RSB’s objectives regarding collecting service user feedback in relation to direct safeguarding activity? What do the metrics that capture this feedback tell the Board?  How does the Board plan to respond to this evidence and over what timescale? 

What is known about the profile of the safeguarding workforce? How is recruitment and retention affecting delivery of safeguarding duties?  To what extent is multi-agency training provided to and taken up by the safeguarding workforce? What evidence is available to assure the Board that agencies understand and respond to the well-being and support of the safeguarding workforce?

5.Workforce Information

What is known about the profile of the safeguarding workforce? 

» How is recruitment and retention affecting delivery of safeguarding duties? 

» To what extent is multi-agency training provided to and taken up by the safeguarding workforce? 

» What evidence is available to assure the Board that agencies understand and respond to the well-being and support of the safeguarding workforce?

The Work Plan 2025/26

Strategic Duty 1. To provide support and advice to Safeguarding Boards with a view to ensuring that they are effective:

Specific responsibility 1: works alongside Safeguarding Adults Boards and Safeguarding Children Boards to secure consistent improvements in safeguarding policy and practice throughout Wales (para 246)

Activities (How?)

– Board members attend and offer advice and support to Regional Safeguarding Board (RSB)  – Engage and meet regularly with Safeguarding Board Chairpersons and Business Managers. – Include a review and summary of the work of the RSBs in its Annual Report. – Continue to facilitate the development of an All-Wales Multi-agency safeguarding performance framework in requesting that RSBs consider 5 key questions in their annual reports. – Continue to support regional work in developing a coherent response to the recently published All Wales Adult Practice Thematic Report. (ManMet  / NISB Partnership) – Request information on progress made against recommendations made in Child Practice Review thematic (Nov 23). – Commission a Child Practice Review for publication in Q3 25/26 with a focus on voice/lived experience and Transitions. – Work with Welsh Government and RSBs to develop, support and host seminars and webinars during safeguarding week. Continue to contribute to National Safeguarding Week. – Host a national Annual Conference.

Specific responsibility 2: will engage with the chairs of the Safeguarding boards, …….…at least twice a year (para 258)

Activities (How?)

– Members will ensure NISB is sighted on issues and emerging safeguarding themes affecting the RSBs through regular meetings with RSB chairs. – Members will, in addition, ensure two-way dialogue with organisations in Wales involved in safeguarding by Identifying organisations involved in the Welsh safeguarding landscape. Amongst others, this includes: 1 Older Peoples Commissioner (OPC)  2 Children’s Commissioner for Wales (CCfW)  3 Social Care Wales (SCW)  4 Education Workforce Council (EWC)  5 Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA)

Specific responsibility 8. Will consider the learningfrom the ‘user engagement’ activities of the Safeguarding Boards (para 266).

Activities (How?)

– NISB will ensure that the voice of service users is included in the development of the National – Performance Framework (NPF) as one of the 5 key questions to be answered. – Consider themes emerging from the Single Unified Safeguarding Review process. – Support the dissemination of learning from service user engagement across Wales.

Strategic Duty 2. To report on the adequacy and effectiveness of arrangements to safeguard children and adults in Wales.

Specific responsibility 3: will stay abreast of evidence and policy approaches to safeguarding and protection(including) in other parts of the UK and beyond in order to learn from those and to evaluate Wales’ relative performance (para 261)

Activities (How?)

– Evaluate progress made in the implementation of the recommendations of the “Risk, Response and Review: Multi-Agency Safeguarding, A thematic analysis of child practice reviews in Wales” published in October 2023 (McManus M, Ball E, Almond L, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2023). CPR Thematic Review published Nov 23.  – Disseminate the findings and recommendations of the “Thematic Review of Adult Practice Reviews (Adult Practise Review) Wales 2025” published in 2025 and develop an implementation plan in response to the APR. – Provide membership to the Ministerial Board responsible for ensuring the widespread learning identified through the Welsh Repository for Safeguarding Reviews. – Engage with the strategic oversight group of the Single Unified Safeguarding Review process. Additionally, the board will continue to participate in and, monitor the implementation of the Single Unified Safeguarding Review process in respect of its contribution to learning and impact on practice. – Participate in and support webinars and conferences across the 5 Nations. Commission Welsh thematic reviews when required. – Provide independent view and advise on the impact and effectiveness on the ministerial action plan for the prevention of abuse of older people.  Provide an overview and monitoring of the implementation of the recommendations made to Welsh Government by Independent Inquiry on Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

Specific responsibility 4: where a theme of concern is identified…the National Board could recommend to Welsh Ministers that the matter be escalated to Welsh Government for exploration or to the relevant inspectorate (para 263)

Activities (How?)

Emerging issues are identified to inform and influence the development of safeguarding systems and processes. – Participation in regular meetings with the Chairs of RSBs and WG. – Have effective dialogue with regulators and inspectorates of services to consider any safeguarding developments or improvements and provide an opportunity to identify themes of concern: 1 Care Inspectorate Wales  2 Health Inspectorate Wales  3 Wales Audit Office 4 Estyn  5 His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary  – Liaison with the Welsh Commissioners for Older People and for Children on emerging safeguarding matters to have effective alliances. – Monitor progress in response to NISB recommendations made to Welsh Ministers.  Themes of concerns will be shared with RSBs and reported to Welsh Ministers and WG officials to ensure an all-Wales resolution. – Any emergent safeguarding concerns identified by the board will be raised through: 1 Monthly meetings with WG officials. 2 Result of evidence from research, reviews, or engagement with expert reference groups, including RSBs. 3 Written communication regarding themes of concern raised with NISB. 4 Formal dialogue with Deputy Minister twice a year. 5 Commission research into emergent areas of concerns identified by the National Board.

Specific responsibility5: will use mechanisms to regularly engage with a range of expert reference groups, practitioners and individuals (para 264)

Activities (How?)

The current board (2023-2026) continues to invest significant time and effort in building ‘standing’ relationships with Care Inspectorate Wales, Health Inspectorate Wales, the Education Workforce Council Wales, Social Care Wales, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation and Prisons, the Older Persons and Children’s Commissioners for Wales, the Welsh Audit Office, Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru, Estyn, the Violence Prevention Unit, the NHS Wales Safeguarding Network, the Five Nations Safeguarding Network and the Wales Council for Voluntary Services, amongst others.

Specific responsibility 6: will publish its own annual reports including any work it is planning. It will also hold an annual engagement event or events (para 265)

Activities (How?)

– Undertake a review of NISB’s communication strategy  – Refresh of NISB website to provide relevant, topical information and key safeguarding messages. – Support and promote national public campaigns aimed at preventing, identifying, and responding to harm from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. – Respond to relevant national consultations. – Produce a timely annual report.

Specific responsibility 7: has a specific duty under section 133 (2) (d) of the Act to “consult with those who may be affected by arrangements to safeguard adults and children in Wales.” It will use that duty to enhance its understanding of and extend its experience of safeguarding and protection in Wales (para 266)

Activities (How?)

– Consider findings of engagement events held by RSB’s via their Annual reports – Monitor Welsh Government’s action plan in response to the recommendations made to the WG by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.   – Review the implementation and impact of Part 5 of the All-Wales Safeguarding Procedures. (In respect of Positions of Trust)

Strategic Duty 3. To make recommendations to the Welsh Ministersas to how those arrangements could be improved (S.132 (2)).

Specific responsibility 4: where a theme of concern is identified…the National Board could recommend to Welsh Ministers that the matter be escalated to Welsh Government for exploration (para 263)

Activities (How?)

– Recommendations to Ministers are made formally via the NISB Annual Report. – Previous recommendations will continue to be monitored on a twice-yearly basis via the formal meetings between NISB and the Deputy Minister for Social Services. – The National Board has submitted a directions paper to the Minister in 2024 /25. We will contribute and engage with the independent review of Safeguarding governance commissioned by Welsh Government.