What is Darlington Safeguarding Partnership?

Lead Safeguarding Partners

The three key leads appointed as the new Lead Safeguarding Partners in Darlington are:

• Executive Director for People - Darlington Borough Council
• Chief Nurse - North East & North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Tees Valley
• Detective Chief Superintendent - Durham Constabulary

The Lead Safeguarding Partners have overarching responsibility and accountability for the multi-agency arrangements in Darlington.

Delegated Safeguarding Partners

The introduction of Delegated Safeguarding Partners (DSPs):

• Darlington Borough Council
  • Assistant Director, Children's Services
  • Assistant Director, Adult Social Care

• North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board
• Interim Director of Nursing
• Durham Constabulary
• Detective Superintendent
• Education representatives covering primary, secondary, tertiary and SEND provision
• Primary – Head Teacher, Harrowgate Hill Primary School
• 11-19  – Head Teacher, Longfield Academy & Deputy CEO, Darlington College
• SEND – Head Teacher, Darlington Nursery Schools

The DSP’s are a decision making group with responsibility for the delivery of statutory duties and will meet as the Management Group and report to the Lead Safeguarding Partners.  

Annual Report

The Safeguarding Partnership is required to publish an annual report which sets out what the Partnership has achieved over the past year to ensure there are effective arrangements in place to protect and promote the welfare of children and adult with needs for care and support.

DSP Annual Report 2023/24 [PDF Document]

Below are previously published annual reports under the new Safeguarding Partnership Arrangements.  

DSP Annual Report 2022/23 [PDF Document]

DSP Annual Report 2021/22 [pdf document]

DSP Annual Report 2020/21 [pdf document]

DSP Annual Report 2019/20 [pdf document]

Strategic Plan

Darlington Safeguarding Partnership has published its Strategic Plan for 2023-2026.

The plan sets out the Partnerships shared vision and actions that will help keep children, young people, and adults with needs for care and support safe and protected from abuse and neglect and will ensure:

• Partners work collaboratively to ensure effective arrangements are in place
• Partners achieve the best possible outcomes for children, young people and adults with needs for care and support
• Partners work collaboratively to strengthen existing practice with a focus on a ‘whole family approach’
• Partners challenge and hold one another to account effectively
• Partners improve safeguarding practice
• Learning is promoted and embedded across the partnership
• Information is shared effectively to ensure timely decision making
• Early identification of ‘new’ safeguarding issues and emerging threats

The Strategic Plan is a statutory requirement and sets out the Partnerships strategic priority areas of focus for 2023-2026 and will be reviewed annually.

To access the Strategic Plan 2023-2026, please click HERE.

Relevant Agencies

Relevant agencies are those organisations which the Statutory Safeguarding Partners consider may be required to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults with needs for care and support, with regard to local need. To read details of relevant agencies please read the relevant agencies document [pdf document]

Governance

Darlington Safeguarding Partnership is underpinned by its Governance arrangements.  The Partnership Terms of Reference (refreshed June 2023) document makes it clear what is expected of Partnership members to ensure that Governance is robust and fit for purpose. It also highlights the accountability arrangements for the Partnership. This document is to be reviewed in light of the new multi-agency safeguarding partnership arrangements.

Structure of the Partnership

The structure of the Partnership includes full representation from relevant partners and agencies working with children and adults with needs for care and support in Darlington. Please see revised governance and lines of accountability chart (April 2025) [PDF Document].

Scrutiny and Assurance

The statutory partners are committed to ensuring there is an environment which promotes openness and transparency to enable constructive challenge and scrutiny and will be appointing an Independent Scrutineer to drive continuous improvement through scrutiny and challenge.

Strategic Partnerships

A local Protocol is in place which identifies how the following strategic boards/partnership will link in with the Partnership. This will need to be reviewed.

The strategic partnerships are:

• Community Safety Partnership: 
• Darlington Partnership 
• Health and Wellbeing Board 
• Darlington Children and Young Peoples Collective 
• Local Family Justice Board
• Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Executive Group
• Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements

The Protocol sets out the key roles of each of the Partnerships/Boards and how they link with each other and the means by which they will ensure that leadership and accountability for issues of common interest are clear.