About the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland

Our role

• History

  The SBNI was established in 2012 following the publication of the Safeguarding Board Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. The SBNI has replaced the Regional Child Protection Committee (RCPC) with an extended role to include the wider area of safeguarding as well as statutory child protection.

• Membership

  The SBNI is made up of key member organisations from the statutory, community and voluntary sectors. We will work with these organisations, professions and the wider community, who are concerned about the protection and wellbeing of children. 

• How we work

  As a Board we will strive to improve learning, enhance practice and ensure that children’s voices are at the centre of all that is done by the organisations and professionals who together make up the child protection system.

  By doing this, we believe that the system will work in a more coordinated and effective way and year on year children will be better protected and kept safer.

• Case Management Reviews

  Regulation 17 of the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland 2011 Regulations requires the SBNI to undertake Case Management Reviews (CMR), in accordance with Annex B of the Guidance to the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (Department of Health, 2014).

• Committees and Panels

  The SBNI undertakes its aims and objectives through a series of committees and panels on areas like Child Protection, Child Sexual Exploitation, Domestic Violence & Abuse, Mental Health and Online Safety.

  The SBNI also has five local area safeguarding panels co-terminus with the five trust boundaries, and a Case Management Review (CMR) Panel.