Wandsworth's commitment to protecting its youngest residents was at the forefront of discussions during the recent Health and Wellbeing Board meeting, where key priorities for children's safeguarding were outlined. The board, which convened on Thursday, June 26, 2025, addressed a range of strategies and initiatives aimed at ensuring the safety and well-being of children across the borough.
Key areas of focus included anti-racist practices, educational support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and accessible early help services for disadvantaged families. The board reviewed the Wandsworth Safeguarding Children's Partnership (WSCP) Annual Report for 2023-2024, highlighting improvements and achievements in these priority areas.
One notable aspect of the WSCP's work is the inclusion of young scrutineers like Fabio, who brings his lived experiences to inform the partnership's efforts. The report set out the WSCP's priorities for 2025-2027, which include:
- Embedding anti-racist practice across the partnership.
- Providing educational support for SEND and disproportionately affected groups.
- Delivering accessible early help services for disadvantaged families.
- Delivering inclusive mental and physical health services.
- Ensuring multi-agency data and practice assurance.
Councillor Judi Gasser, Cabinet Member for Children, emphasized the importance of these priorities, stating, The Partnership remains dedicated to promoting anti-racist practice, actions, behaviours and culture and retaining this as a continuing priority for 2025-2027.
The agenda for the meeting also included discussions on addressing health inequalities, public health initiatives, and updates on the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy.