Healthy Communities & Safeguarding
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| Message from the Chair | ||
Rob Simpson |
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My name is Rob Simpson, I have lived in Luton working with the voluntary sector for over twenty years. My voluntary role has been to support children and young people from disadvantages and/or disaffected backgrounds to re-engage with learning through the medium of sport. The agenda has been primarily a safeguarding one with direct links to health and wellbeing. As part of my voluntary role I am trained in: child safety and protection; and protecting vulnerable adults. My role in the Luton Assembly has centred on chairing the Vision 4 Children and Young People network. In addition, I sit on the Children’s Trust Board. My interest is to represent the Luton Assembly and to ensure that the safeguarding agenda for children and young people feature as part of the LBC strategic direction. We were successful even in this constrained funding environment in securing funding for our safeguarding programme of work. |
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I also sit on the Advisory Board of Safe Network (the Government funded organisation responsible for advising the third sector on how to keep children safe when participating in a range of activities provided by charities and volunteer groups), as a recognised expert in safeguarding children and young people. But I recognise that the agenda for the ‘Children and Health’ network will clearly need to extend to adults as well. Increased longevity and the heath-related problems that go hand in hand with getting older will prove to be a challenge for local health services. Evidence suggests that the biggest social and economic challenge is posed by dementia. We need to radically consider our approach to tackling the issue of health and wellbeing from the cradle to the grave. This is a lot easier said than done, but we need to determine how the VCS, in Luton, is most effective in tackling these issue and to work with LBC and partners to ensure we have a coherent and consistent approach.
My understanding of the local agenda would be informed by local community needs and would be complemented by my understanding of the national and international agenda, which is gained from my post at the Department for Education. I am Head of Business, Finance & Strategy, within the Safeguarding Group, my role incorporates the Government's lead role on child safety implementation but also a much more strategic role based on analysis and use of evidence to determine the most appropriate cost-effective, strategic and tactical direction. I am also the lead official on safeguarding working with the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC). As a career Civil Servant and was formerly Head of Secretariat for the Child Safety (Public Service Agreement) PSA Board reporting to the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit and HM Treasury.
At the national level, I am the Director responsible for child safety and protection on the Executive Board of the British Council for Chinese Martial Arts (BCCMA), the Sport England recognised National Governing Body; and advises sports and leisure clubs on how to improve their child safety policy and interventions. I am also the Department for Education's representative on the Child Protection in Sport Unit's Strategic Group, working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England, UK Sport and the NSPCC. There are significant links to be made between children participating safely in sporting activities and their health and wellbeing.
At the international level, I was the Department for Education's representative on the World Health Organisation's National Organising Committee for the Safety 2010 Conference, London. Safety 2010 was a major international event for health and safeguarding experts from around the world.
Luton Assembly
Voluntary Resource Centre | 15 New Bedford Road | Luton | LU1 1SA
Email: info@lutonassembly.org.uk | Tel:01582 733418 | Fax: 01582 733013