PH070 - Transitional Health Safeguarding Arrangements for Adolescents aged 11 and over (Middlesbrough)

The wider health economy is key to effective child protection procedures in Middlesbrough. The ICB is the statutory health partner in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and is responsible for assurance of the arrangements for health multi-agency input. These arrangements are under review due to the Families First reforms and the reconfiguration of the ICB.

Middlesbrough 0-19 services are being redesigned to separate the early years/primary age offer (0-11) from the adolescent offer (11+) to provide more effective and responsive Public Health services. The 11+ element of the current service which is due to end on 31 March 2026 held much of the responsibility for health representation into child protection procedures with little input from the wider health economy, but this will no longer be feasible due to a move to a non-clinical model for children aged 11+ .

The ICB will arrange alternative provision for 1 year (1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027) for health representation in child protection procedures for children aged 11 years and above living in Middlesbrough. During this year they will make sustainable arrangements on behalf of the health system which will commence from 1st April 2027 or earlier.