LSCP Subgroups

The LSCP RAG is made up of a senior representative from the three statutory partners, the independent scrutineer, a legal advisor and business unit member, with the chairing role rotating between the three statutory partners. 

The group has overall responsibility for the serious child safeguarding review process in Leeds, identifying and reviewing cases which, in their opinion, raise issues of importance in relation to Leeds and where appropriate, the commissioning and oversight of the review of those cases in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 Chapter 5. 

The serious child safeguarding review process in Leeds and relevant learning from this year is outlined in the section ‘LSCP Reviews 2024-25’.

The group has a key role in ensuring the identification of good practice and areas of learning with the objective of improving outcomes for children and young people and preventing future harm. They ensure that learning is communicated to all relevant groups of the LSCP for consideration and action and oversee progress. 

They support the development of, and oversee the local response to reports and publications from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, which this year has included the National review into child sexual abuse within the family environment, published in November 2024 and the resulting local action plan will be progressed in the coming year. The local response to the more recent publication in March 2025, "It's Silent": Race, racism and safeguarding children – Panel Briefing 4 is under consideration across the whole Partnership given the importance of the issues raised in relation to safeguarding children from black and minority ethnic groups across the country. The RAG will be leading on a review of current case review arrangements to ensure that the experience of children from diverse backgrounds is reflected well in future case reviews. 

During 2024/25 the RAG reviewed its arrangements following the publication of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, both as an opportunity to ensure that it continues to fulfil its obligations and that the process for fulfilling these obligations is effective.

This included:

• Reviewing its terms of reference
• Reviewing and updating guidance for practitioners and senior managers
• Updating scoping proformas to ensure that the voice of the child and their lived experience, Ethnicity and culture are considered and captured
• Reviewing the robustness of multi-agency decision making when a notification of serious childcare incident is received

The Audit and Review Group oversees the implementation of a multi-agency review and audit plan and receives summaries of key lessons (and fuller details where required) from single agency audits conducted across the LSCP partnership. The group is tasked to review relevant safeguarding data and advise the partnership of critical trends. 

Following the departure of the group’s first Chair, there has been a change of Chairs during 2024-25 with Children’s Services taking over Chairing responsibilities in March 2025 and the ICB supporting this role as the vice chair.

As well as the oversight of the data and alongside the Section 11 organisational self-assessment tool, an annual declaration tool has been launched this year. This will enable the partnership to seek assurance on safeguarding activity, learning and developments which have occurred within the year. The tool will be amended each year to reflect the previous year’s activity, with partners asked to complete and submit the initial response in Q1 of 2025-26. The audit and review group will consider the submissions and level of assurance gained. 

Audits 

Several audits have been undertaken this year in response to learning from reviews and the LSCP priorities. 

Domestic abuse:

The LSCP Audit and Review Group undertook a series of case file reviews, in circumstances where referrals were submitted to the Children’s Social Work Service (CSWS) for child as victims of domestic abuse. For the purposes of the review, random sampling was undertaken, including for consideration all referrals received at the Front Door Safeguarding Hub (FDSH) in October 2023. Sub-selection ensured inclusion in the final sample, of cases progressing along three distinct routes:

• Where no further action was taken by CSWS (NFA)
• Where the case progressed to Child in Need (CIN)
• Where the case progressed to Child Protection (CPP)

A sample of families was selected from within each of these categories, 30 cases in all. 

Representatives from key partners were invited to review these cases, to outline their service involvement and to explore the shared response, initiated to keep children safe. A review tool was developed, requiring respondents to consider a series of questions, with an intended focus on encouraging and enabling them to analyse and interpret interventions, drawing out examples which could be used to demonstrate the application of best practice principles.

Auditors came together to share their analysis and findings, and a report produced, based on the analysis of agencies own cases files and groups discussion. Findings from the audit were positive with some areas identified for improvement.

Positive practice identified included that:

• Leeds practice model was evident with a strength-based approach to working with families
• there was clear evidence of ‘Routine Enquiries’ being offered to mothers by health
• where cases do not require statutory intervention, domestic abuse work within the early help hubs in Leeds was seen as positive. Multi-disciplinary teams within these hubs provide a wraparound of services to support families in Leeds
• there are some very clear examples of professional curiosity in the cases that demonstrated practitioners are keen to ask questions and ask again, until they are satisfied that they have sufficient information on which to make sound professional judgements
• respondents with significant responsibility for leading and managing a response to risk clearly express a confidence in the nature and quality of information sharing between and across agencies

Areas for further development were:

• a need for clarity for all practitioners about when and what consent was needed to share information when making a referral to Children’s Services about safeguarding concerns related to domestic abuse
• a need to ensure that all agencies consistently defined that living in a household where domestic abuse was known or suspected to be a form of significant harm to all children in that household. There was a recent legal change in relation to this question to avoid practitioners defining children’s need for safeguarding being dependent on whether they were present during an episode of domestic abuse involving the adults in a household. 

In addition, within this audit partners highlighted the challenges of working with perpetrators of domestic abuse and the shortage of support services for children living in households where domestic abuse was taking place. 

All agencies agreed to feedback findings and to take steps within their own agencies to consider the above issues. The work underway on reviewing responses to concerns of domestic abuse as an agreed area of priority development for the partnership, will address whether further multi-agency or single agency action is needed.  

Concerns raised by members of the public: 

In response to a Child Safeguarding Practice Review, an audit was undertaken to explore the response that members of the public receive when they have raised a concern about the safety and welfare of a child, with neglect as the primary concern.

The sample selection for this audit focused on identifying enough cases, to enable auditors to make a reasoned judgement of the degree of equity of response, notwithstanding the source of referral, where there were concerns of neglect. Cases were selected from referrals made both by members of the public and by practitioners/partner organisations, and a comparison of social care responses undertaken to generate audit data for analysis. 

The finding from this audit highlighted that:

• auditors were satisfied that referrals made by members of the public, concerning the neglect of children, receive the same level and depth of consideration by social workers, as those made by other professional agencies
• there are some inconsistencies in the nature and quality of information which social workers receive. Where additional information is required to ensure sound decision making, this is generally gathered carefully and comprehensively from other sources
• the front door team responds, with only limited exception, in line with the expectations enshrined in key organisational principles; social workers are professionally curious, they consider cases in the context of strength and risk, they target/initiate interventions which prompt the right conversation with the right person, at the right time
• auditors were satisfied that, for each of the cases reviewed, appropriate steps were taken, with families assisted to access the necessary level of support to help them keep their children safe 

To further enhance information gathering, auditors recommended that some additional questions are asked by Customer Services Officers, to assist subsequent social care enquiries.

Where cases of neglect were referred by practitioners, in over half the cases reviewed, auditors found that the information included did not adequately enable social workers to make a reasoned assessment of risk. Information provided did not consistently detail the nature of any perceived neglect and was limited, in some instances, in the extent to which it effectively outlined the nature of any safeguarding concern. This was identified as an area which required improvement.

The LSCP will therefore, across the sub-group structure, undertake a piece of work focusing on supporting practitioners across the partnership to further develop their skills of information sharing when completing and submitting referrals to the Children’s Social Work Service. 

Neglect: 

In light of local and national learning, suggesting the need to focus on the experience of those children living in circumstances where there is an enduring and unrelenting failure to prioritise their needs, to improve their lived experience and enable them to meet their full potential, a qualitative/appreciative enquiry approach was taken to the completion of an audit.

In line with the principles outlined in the current Leeds Neglect Strategy the audit explored practice with those working on the frontline, in structured focus group discussions, reviewing the extent to which they are confident of ‘recognising’, ‘responding’, ‘quantifying’ and ‘evaluating’ when managing concerns of neglect.

The chosen audit methodology embraced the learning identified by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review National Panel, adopting that body’s vision for best practice, reflecting the ‘necessity of keeping a strong focus on the unique lives and experiences of children’, and focusing on the role of safeguarding agencies in achieving that objective.  Auditors utilised the National Panel’s ‘Priorities for Improvement in Contemporary Safeguarding Practice’ as a best practice benchmark.

The conclusion arising from the audit is suggestive of a very positive position in terms of practitioner expertise and understanding of the best practice approach to managing concerns of neglect. 

Analysis of audit data provided insight into tools, approaches and interventions which are found by frontline practitioners to be effective in this context and were presented as a reflection of ‘what good looks like’.

Key messages were also presented, considering areas for practice improvement, which may provide a focus for LSCP work going forwards. Exploring discussion points and commentary direct from practitioners, provided an opportunity to identify potential ‘next steps’ towards supporting practitioners to respond effectively to the challenges they identified.

The involvement of practitioner auditors was shown in this instance to be highly effective in generating qualitative data for review. It provided a tested audit model which can be replicated for future studies

The audit prompted a recommendation that for areas where practice improvement is required, these should be considered within the context of a range of current and ongoing initiatives across the LSCP programme of work, delivered within the sub-group structure. Further, that its findings, in terms of best practice and areas for development, may be used to inform ongoing work to review and revise the Leeds Neglect Strategy, which is currently being undertaken.

Leeds has developed strong multi-agency arrangements to respond to child exploitation through its Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) arrangements. The Silver MACE group forms part of these arrangements, highlighting and responding to any challenges and opportunities which are in turn fed into the LSCP Executive, who are the Gold MACE.

The group is chaired by the Head of Crime and Safeguarding, Leeds District, West Yorkshire Police, with membership that includes health, education, third sector, CSWS, youth justice and representative from Safer Leeds. 

The group has led on the LSCP priority of safeguarding teenagers from serious youth violence and exploitation.

It has the responsibility to seek assurance that there is a focused approach and a robust multi-agency response towards prevention, early identification and intervention of children and young people, and the proactive targeting, disrupting and prosecuting of individuals or groups who seek to exploit, abuse and harm children. 

In addition, the group seeks assurance that best practice is undertaken and takes account of local and national research to continually improve safeguarding arrangements in this area of work. 

In 2024-25 examples of work undertaken included:

• updating the Practitioner Guidance and assessment tools
• commissioning work undertaken with Durham University
• promoting the Partnership Intelligence Portal

The Silver MACE also considers data and intelligence with information provided by West Yorkshire Police, Children Services and Basis. This data allows Silver MACE to understand the prevalence of exploitation, trends, and demographics. There is however recognition that there is still work to be done in relation to the expanse of data that is available across the partnership and that which is considered by the group, and this will be strengthened in the coming year. 

The Silver MACE is mindful of the forthcoming Baroness Casey Report on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse ('grooming gangs'). Once published, this report will be considered by the Partnership and any learning for the city will be taken forward.

This year, whilst criminal and sexual exploitation has been a focus for the Silver MACE, it has identified other forms of exploitation. Non-contact abuse is an area that has come to the attention of Silver MACE through police intelligence. This form of abuse can be initiated by both children and adults whereby children may be exploited or groomed into acts of self-harm and abuse on live streaming sites. West Yorkshire Police have a dedicated team disrupting these activities. To ensure that practitioners can understand, recognise and respond to these risks, the LSCP will be providing learning and development opportunities in 2025-26.   

The scope of exploitation and wider factors that children face can often overlap across strategic partnerships and work will be undertaken in the coming year to strengthen these partnership links and explore opportunities for joint working.

The group is chaired by the Head of Quality & Practice Improvement and Principal Social Worker with wide membership from across the partnership. 

The multi-agency training offer has continued throughout the year and is referred to in the Multi-agency Training section with the addition of further learning and development opportunities provided with the new Leeds Safeguarding week. 

The group has the responsibility to ensure that learning from reviews undertaken locally and nationally is included within the partnership wide learning and development offer and the learning from reviews has continued throughout the year and referred to in the LSCP Reviews 2024-2025 section. 

Learning and Development opportunities continue to be available for staff and can be accessed via the LSCP website and are promoted within the monthly LSCP Newsletter. 

Work has taken place in updating and refreshing the Learning and Improvement Framework this year. This framework serves to direct how learning might be identified, disseminated and implemented in practice within a multi-agency context, to improve outcomes for children and their families in Leeds. 

The Framework enables not only a rigorous assessment of the quality of Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements, but reflects how we learn from this, to drive forward improvements in the safeguarding system and, in turn, promote best outcomes for children.

The revisions will ensure that the Framework reflect changes in the local Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements and includes new information outlining the new approach to the delivery of the LSCP training as well as strengthen the focus of how as a city we learn from when things go well.

This year the Learning and Development group has reflected on the need to ensure that we have an established process of how we learn from when things go well and have adopted an Appreciative Enquiry Approach, with a partnership event planned for 2025-26.

The Policy and Practice group, ensure that a focus is maintained on practice improvement, incorporating policies, procedures and best practice guidance. This group is chaired by the Deputy Chief Nurse of Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, with senior representation from across partners.   

 

This year the group have continued to review current policies and procedures to ensure that 

that practitioners have access to the most up to date resources. This has resulted in several policies being updated, in response to learning, audit findings and national publications. 

In May 2024, the Department for Education published an updated version of the Information Sharing Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners. In response to its publication, the LSCP established a project to ensure that the changes included in the document are well understood by practitioners across Leeds who, every single day, make difficult decisions about what information to share, and what not to share. The product of this project was a resource focused on enabling practitioners to make best us of all the information included in the guidance, to assist them make some of that decision making feel a little bit more straightforward and came in the form of an online, web-based Information Sharing Tool Box. 

Each section of the toolbox, moving from webpage to webpage, provides a summary of the best practice which the guidance document advises practitioners to apply, to make sure they’re sharing information safely and effectively. This is followed by a 30-minute learning activity which practitioners can complete either on their own or within their teams, to deepen their understanding or enhance their skills in a particular area.

To ensure that practitioners can easily identify and understand the implications of the changes in relation to Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023), a short video has been developed and published. 

In response to learning, there has been a particular focus on reviewing the Neglect Strategy and accompanying practice guidance which will be completed and relaunched once the findings of the recent Neglect audit have been considered. The review of the Think Family Work Family Approach has commenced, in partnership with the Leeds Safeguarding Adult’s Board and Safer Leeds, to ensure that the safeguarding approach across the city is responsive, inclusive and robust, and in line with our city ambitions and principles of practice.

The voice and influence of practitioners have been strengthened this year, throughout the work of the group, for example the views of practitioners were captured in relation to the neglect strategy, guidance and accompanying tools as a first step of the review process which will then shape the revised documents. The group have committed to continuing to strengthen the voice and influence of practitioners within the coming year.

The group has also made a commitment to strengthening the trauma informed response within all the work of the group, which has been started this year and will continue in the coming year, with experts from the Leeds system offering support and guidance.    

In addition to local policies and procedures, the LSCP has arrangements in place with the other five LSCP’s in West Yorkshire to ensure there is consistency of procedures across this geographical footprint.

The group is chaired by the Executive Principle of a Local Academy Trust with a deputy chair from Further Education. Membership is from a wide range of education establishments and relevant partners and this year widening of the membership has been considered to ensure that the full breath of the education sector is represented. 

Due to the expanse of the education sector and the requirement to ensure that the whole sector is engaged the group consists of: 

• The ESG Committee (ESGC): The committee is a small group of leaders who will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the group’s work. The leadership of the group will have representation from Leeds Safeguarding Children’s Partnership, The Local Authority Safeguarding team and the Education sector with clearly defined roles and responsibilities
• ESG Core Membership Meetings. This group has been constituted to ensure strong representation across the education sector to capture their voice and views and membership is drawn from key educational organisations from across the city
• Task and Delivery Groups (TDGs): TDGs will be established to support the completion of key actions and membership will be relevant to the task and include appropriate expertise and knowledge

This year the Education Safeguarding Group have increased the number of meetings held from three to four, to align with the other sub-groups. 

Over the course of the year, the group has conducted a significant piece of work in relation to the partnership’s priorities and learning from reviews. There has been significant work in relation to serious youth violence, which is outlined in the relevant priority section.  

In addition to this work, the group has participated in a range of activities regarding trauma informed practice delivered by MindMate, who provided a clear framework for the education sector to use to assess and evaluate how effectively trauma informed practices are implemented within settings. This has provided the group the opportunity to share good practice and embed trauma informed practice within the work of the group. 

Elective home education, including the National Panels’ publication, information sharing including the updated guidance and domestic abuse have all also been a focus for the group throughout the year. 

In the coming year, the group will be continuing a programme of work which focuses on the education sectors response to Elective Home Education (noting the likely change in legislation to strengthen safeguards in this area and contained in the Children and Well Being Bill 2024), the use of Physical Restraints and reducing absence as all continue to be key and pressing issues for the sector. 

Representatives from the vast third sector in Leeds remain significant and active partners within the safeguarding arrangements. The LSCP structure includes a Third Sector Safeguarding Group, which is chaired by the CEO of Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service with the deputy chair from Homestart and support from Voluntary Action Leeds.

The purpose of this group is to ensure that our third sector partners have a strong voice, acting as a conduit to sharing learning from LSCP safeguarding reviews and audit work, highlighting challenges or opportunities, and supporting the development of safeguarding practice. 

The Third Sector Safeguarding Group continues to meet quarterly throughout the year with speakers and themes for meetings identified by members based on the current safeguarding climate, learning and the priorities identified by the LSCP. This year this has included West Yorkshire Police attending to discuss Project Shield and how the sector can support this, the updated information sharing guidance and the implications for the third sector and consideration of the My Health My School data and how this relates to the third sector.

The Third Sector are in a unique position to gather feedback from the children and young people that they support, and voice & influence of children and young people is now a standing item on the agenda. This means that best practice can be shared not only within the sector but across the partnership.

The work of the group as resulted in members supporting the establishment of the Care Collaborative, a group which looks at the support/services that are available to Care Experienced, Care Leavers and those at risk of entering the care system, the Terms of Reference have now been agreed and meetings of this group will be held quarterly with learning from the group being feedback into the LSCP third sector group.

Third sector partners continue to be members of the other sub-groups within the structure and have offered their expertise to the various workstreams that have taken place throughout the year and have made a commitment to strengthen the voice and influence of the sector across the safeguarding agenda, in the coming year.

The purpose of this group is to oversee and ensure the integration of the Specialist Child Protection Medical Service within the pathway of safeguarding assessments of children and young people in Leeds, including ensuring that there are relevant policies and procedures in place and any risks are escalated and addressed.

This group is chaired by the Head of Safeguarding in Leeds, for the West Yorkshire ICB, with Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) providing the deputy chair. The membership includes representatives from West Yorkshire Police, Children and Families Service, and the Child Protection Medical Service (CPMS), safeguarding leads from the ICB, LCH and LTHT and Mountain Health Care who are commissioned to provide sexual abuse medicals throughout West Yorkshire.

This year, due to the review of the subgroups that has taken place and operational issues effecting the membership the MASOG, the group has not met as regularly as it previously would have, however, there has remained in place a process of escalation via the usual process for any operational issues that have been identified.

The focus going forward is to review the purpose and functions of the group and a development session is planned to ensure that focus of the group is aligned with the needs and prioritises of the partnership.

The group is chaired by Clinical Head of Portfolio 1 and Nursing Professional Lead from Leeds Community Healthcare Trust (LCH), with membership including representatives from the secure settings within in Leeds, as well as children and family services, West Yorkshire Police and health services. 

The group continues to monitor the safeguarding arrangements in three secure settings in Leeds providing oversight and challenge in relation to safeguarding. Inspection findings and progress with relevant action plans will continue to be overseen and areas of concern highlighted to the LSCP Executive. The findings of any inspections undertaken this year are reported in External Inspections section.

In addition to this work, the LSCP Executive require that broader consideration is given to the safety and well-being of children in those establishments. This year the work as included:

• Referrals to Local Area Designated Officer (LADO)

Seeking assurance that appropriate referrals are being made from secure establishments to the LADO, with data analysed by the group. There is appropriate use of the LADO service within Wetherby YOI and Adel Beck however, further work is to be undertaken to further strengthen the referrals from the Police Custody Suite.

• Disproportionality

The group recognise the higher number of children from black/mixed heritage families that are held in secure estates. A Disproportionality Working Group has been established to explore this further and will report back in early 2025-26. 

• Health audit 

A health audit was conducted by Leeds Community Healthcare Trust to provide assurance in relation to the appropriate and timely health assessment of young people who were referred to LADO from WYOI.  The audit highlighted some good practice in relation to collaborative working with partners. It also highlighted some areas for improvement in relation to access to health information for community paediatricians when conducting child protection medicals. 

• Children passing through the custody suite

The group consider the safety and management of children who have been arrested. West Yorkshire Police reported the use equipment to reduce the need to use physical force on children exhibiting challenging behaviours. Pods, which are a giant bean bag, are used to minimise the potential of injury to young people or staff where a form or restraint is required. There is an independent custody scrutiny panel who convene bi-monthly, and the panel are allowed to pick from several cases where force has been used, they view the CCTV and discuss the situation, they then feedback in terms of appropriateness which is fed back into the police and these findings are also published. There is an appropriate adult service which is commissioned service, which provides appropriate adult provision across the custody suites when family members can’t or won’t attend to support the child. It is force policy now that a public protection notice (PPN) is submitted for every child arrest. This provides the opportunity for social care records to be checked for any other vulnerability a child may have to ensure appropriate support.

In the coming year, they group will further explore disproportionality in relation to restraint in the 3 settings as there is evidence highlighting that there is a disproportionate number of young people in secure settings from black/mixed heritage families. The sub-group will develop links with the disproportionality group which has been established to look explore this issue on a wider basis across Leeds during 25/26 and consider the implications of the National Panel publication- Race, Racism and Safeguarding.

The group also plans to seek assurance in the coming from all secure settings where Leeds children are placed in geographical areas outside of Leeds. 

Restraints 

Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) requires that for those LSCP’s where there is a secure establishment in a local area, safeguarding partners should include a review of the use of restraint within that establishment in their annual report.

In Leeds the Secure Settings Sub-group is responsible for overseeing restraints in those secure settings:

• Wetherby Youth Offending Institute
• Adel Beck Children Home
• West Yorkshire Police Custody Suite  

Wetherby YOI

Data for secure estates was previously provided at a local level. Due to changes in how this data is provided, it is now provided at a national level.

Data regarding safety in the Children and Young People Secure Estate is published nationally and can be found here.

Data regarding the youth custody population can be found here.

Minimising and Managing Physical Restraint (MMPR) within Wetherby follows the overarching principle that physically restraining children should be kept to a minimum and only used as the last available option. The MMPR Model provides operational staff with skills to use behaviour management techniques and de-escalation strategies to avoid the need to use physical restraint. The MMPR model promotes the development of relationships between staff and children in their care, which can enable staff to identify and recognise escalating behaviour, to intervene de-escalate at the earliest opportunity to prevent further escalation; and to make appropriate and professional judgement regarding the use of force.

Spontaneous protection enabling accelerated response (SPEAR) within Wetherby is the personal safety package for HMPPS staff. It's based on the body’s natural flinch reaction when faced with danger. SPEAR training focuses on pre-contact cues to give staff greater awareness of their surroundings and presumed compliance, while also looking at non-violent postures.   

All restraint incidents within the setting are reviewed locally by local trained MMPR instructors and concerns from these will generate learning for staff or child protection referrals if needed. Some incidents will be reviewed by the National MMPR team for independence in outcomes as well these usually happen if any injuries happen to the child or staff members. Twice a year there is an independent review of restraint, this consists of an independence team that review a set criterion and some random selected incidents. Outcomes from this are then shared with the YCS MMPR lead, prison group director and executive director for YCS along with Charlie Taylor HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.

Should any medical intervention be needed in a MMPR incident we have full time NHS staff on site who attend each incident and speak to every child afterwards. If needed, then a child protection medical can be used to establish causes if not obvious. 

After every incident when forced has been used the children involved will be de-briefed by the local MMPR team. The children also have the option to raise concerns via child protection team and Barnardo's advocate. 

An inspection undertaken in Wetherby YOI this year is detailed in the External Inspection section. 

West Yorkshire Police Custody Suite 

Data from West Yorkshire Police, demonstrates that 86.3% of children detained in the last year, identified themselves as male, with 13.2% female. In terms of age, the largest proportion, 30.8% were 17 years old, as indicated in Table One. Ethnicity is detailed in Table Two.   

Table One Detainee age groups, last 12 month

Age	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17
Leeds	0.1%	0.6%	2.9%	7.3%	14.8%	21.1%	22.4%	30.8%

Table Two Ethnicity 

	White	Asian	Black	Mixed	Other
Children Census 2021- Leeds	79.0%	9.7%	5.6%	3.4%	2.3%
Detainee self-defined ethnicity	62.7%	7.5%	12.7%	8.5%	1.5%

West Yorkshire police have several methods of restraint which is available to them for use on those in custody. These include: 

• Handcuffing – a range of techniques involving rigid handcuffs
• Empty hand techniques – a range of techniques and restraints using hands e.g. Come along hold, goose neck
• Spit and bite guard – placed over the detainee’s head, with a clear panel at the front. Prevents the detainee spitting or biting
• Leg restraints – Velcro straps used to restrain the detainee’s legs
• Baton – an Asp style baton which may be used for several techniques
• Incapacitant spray – PAVA
• Taser – Officers undergo specialist training to carry and deploy this electrical device
• Safety pod – beanbag chair designed to minimise injuries during restraints
• Firearms – lethal force
• Police Dogs

West Yorkshire police report that on average in Leeds, fewer restraints are being used compared to the same period last year as below. It is felt that this is due mainly to more accurate recording of what has happened before custody and what has happened in the custody suite. HMICFRS identified that differentiation was required and WYP have completed work in rectifying this recording issue. 

There were 1031 child arrests in Leeds in the year and the types of restraints used in custody at Leeds in past 12 months are outlines in Table Three.

Table Three-Types of Restraints used 2024-25   

Open hand technique	128
Leg restraint	17
Prone restraint	11
Handcuffs	122
Spit and bite guard	12
Safety pod	5
Incapacitant spray (PAVA)	0

The use of restraints is not the first response in relation to children in custody, officers are taught to use the least amount of force or restraint to affect the result through employing decision making through the National Decision-Making Model. Officers are taught the five-step appeal process in officer safety training, which is a conflict resolution model used by police officers to de-escalate situations and encourage cooperation. It involves a series of escalating appeals, starting with a simple request and progressing to more reasoned, personal, and finally, a practical appeal before considering action. All officers undertake yearly refresher training. Police officers who are custody trained also undertake yearly custody specific refresher training. 

It is important to note that the data shows that incapacity spray (PAVA) has not been used in Leeds on children in the previous year. 

All custody suites also have a variety of distraction items such as soft balls, ‘popping’ toys, colouring books, reading books and other similar items. Elland Road custody has two exercise areas where children may go for fresh air and extra space. 

To further reduce restraints and injuries to both detainees and staff in custody suites, WYP introduced safety pods approximately 4 years ago. This equipment resembles a large beanbag chair. It is extremely comfortable but due to the angle of the chair it is difficult for the detainee to get out of therefore requires minimum restraint by officers and lowers the overall risk of injury. The pods were first trailed in Mental Health Hospitals where research showed a significant decline in reported injuries. They are used successfully around West Yorkshire custody suites particularly when people are violent or commit self-harm due to either intoxication or a mental health condition affecting their response to the circumstances of their arrest. They have been used with several children where the child displays calmer behaviour more quickly than other types of restraint.

All use of force is recorded and reviewed centrally through dip sampling and any identified areas of learning fed back to the officer/supervisor.  

Data from LCH shows that on 10 occasions over the past 12 months at Elland Road, a child has been seen by a Health Care Professional (HCP) for a head injury or other injury. However, there is no record of whether this took place because of a restraint or otherwise but all children received the care that they required in a timely way as Elland Road always has at least one HCP on duty.  

All children in custody have a single point of contact (SPOC) who is identified to be their ‘go-to’ person. For girls under 18 this is always a woman (PACE 1984). They are also advised that they may speak to a staff member of the same sex at any time should they wish (this is on the initial risk assessment). 

A Public Protection Notice is completed for each arrested child for Local Authorities to follow up in the community and Practise Plus (formally L&D) aim to see every child in custody, or when they have left if they are there during nighttime hours. 

There were no referrals to LADO from Leeds custody suite in the last year. 

Adel Beck Secure Children’s Home

Adel Beck is a secure children’s home (SCH) operated by Leeds City Council and is approved by the Department for Education. It accommodates up to 24 children and young people of different genders aged between 10-17 years of age. It provides for up to 14 children and young people placed by the Youth Custody Service and up to 10 children and young people subject to section 25 (welfare) of the Children Act 1989 who are placed by Local Authorities. The admission of children under 13 years of age on welfare grounds under section 25 requires the approval of the Secretary of State for Education.

Adel Beck have a Restraint Minimisation Strategy that keeps young people safe by using the least restrictive practices possible. Their Restraint Minimisation Strategy (RMS) is a trauma-informed, behaviourally standardised approaches that combines care planning, behavioural and offending-focused interventions, and robust risk management tools to reduce the need for physical intervention (PI). This work is closely aligned with CPI Safety Intervention principles, YCS Behaviour Management Strategy, and national safeguarding standards.

During the current monitoring period, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of physical interventions across all three residential units. Although there is no evidence of inappropriate use or recurring thematic concerns, this increase directly correlates with a significant turnover within the resident population. Notably, the departure of several established young people and the arrival of new Youth Custody Service (YCS) and Section 25 male residents created a period of transitional instability. In line with CPI principles, this requires analysis not only of the incidents themselves but of the underlying environmental, relational, and structural factors contributing to escalation.

At the start of this period, gaps in leadership oversight were evident, particularly in the timely review and quality assurance of physical intervention incidents. However, the integration of the Clearcare electronic management system has significantly enhanced practice and recording of incidents. Incident records are now reviewed more promptly and consistently by Team Leaders. Whilst the quality of documentation and analysis has improved, there is still a requirement for clearer narratives and better identification of triggers.

The Physical Intervention Quality Assurance Panel (PIQAP) has continued to provide valuable external and internal oversight, with the LADO contributing to accountability and practice consistency. This shift toward real-time monitoring and reflective review is in alignment with CPI’s emphasis on Postvention, supporting staff and young people to learn from incidents and reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence.

The establishment of PIQAP and the routine use of CCTV footage in reviews have advanced a culture of transparency and professional growth. These panel reviews are not only identifying good practice but also supporting the development of staff confidence and competence in applying Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) techniques appropriately. Regular debriefs and analytical reviews foster reflective learning and strengthen the overall safety culture. This promotes CPI’s Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security framework, ensuring that the physical interventions used are not only safe and necessary but also part of a holistic behavioural support process.

The Children and Young People Partnership provides strategic leadership, vision, and delivery of the LSCP priorities and the Leeds Children and Young People's Plan 2023-2028.

The meeting is chaired by an Executive member of the LSCP, currently the Director of Children and Families, with the role moving to the Director of Nursing and Quality for the ICB in Leeds in 2025-26. Reporting is directly to the LSCP Executive, with membership including wider safeguarding partners, Voice and Influence, Executive Member for Children, Families & Adult Social Care, LCC, Third Sector, Education, Public Health as well as leads related to the Children and Young People’s Plan. 

This year the group has continued to strengthen the voice of children and young people, ensuring that this is a thread throughout discussions and actions, which includes an annual “take over” event, which this year took place on 29th January 2025, with further information in the Voice and Influence section. 

They have supported the work of the LSCP sub-groups and overseen the progress with the Children and Young People’s Plan, as well as being consulted on and influencing various strategic city-wide strategies. 

The statutory child death review partners are the local authority and the ICB and the statutory responsibilities are set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023. To ensure that these statutory responsibilities are met in Leeds both CDOP and Neonatal Death Overview Panels (NDOP) are held regularly, which include a wide representative of partners and a standalone annual report is produced.

CDOP/NDOP are key to learning from deaths of all children and this year there has been a variety of learning identified and subsequent actions. 

In brief the key changes made this year, because of the learning in CDOP and NDOP are:

• Leeds Youth Justice Service now routinely use the LSCP Child Exploitation Risk Identification Tool to identify indicators of sexual, criminal or other forms of exploitation
• Information on car safety on driveways shared with parents through children’s centres
• The SUDIC team amended their recording proforma to include vaping
• An evaluation of the “Bathtime Duck” campaign, aimed at promoting safter bath time, was undertaken by colleagues from Public Health and the Leeds Safeguarding Children’s Partnership Business Unit
• Toolkit on how to support mothers with perinatal mental health was shared with all CDOP partners
• Information advocating to include warnings on nappy sacks shared with the Child Accident Prevention Trust and the Royal Society for Accident Prevention
• Clarity sought and shared with CDOP partners about consent for vaccination of children with special educational needs and disabilities where their parents refuse.  It is understood that the parents need to be educated on the benefits of vaccination for their child
• Agreement for midwifery to alert the 0 – 19 PHINS if routine enquiry was not undertaken during pregnancy

Information shared with the Local Medical Committee of the lack of regulation in place for patients accessing IVF overseas