3-MINUTE READ WORKING TOGETHER TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN

What is it and what does it mean for you? This 3-Minute Read accurately summarises the most salient points from the government’s ‘Working together to safeguard children’ guide, published in March 2015. While this guidance is mainly for LAs, safeguarding children and protecting them from harm is everyone’s responsibility. Safeguarding children and promoting their welfare is defined in this presentation as: Protecting children from maltreatment Preventing children’s health or development from becoming impaired Ensuring that children grow up in a safe and caring environment Taking action to ensure children have the best outcomes

Main principles All those involved contribute to whatever actions are required to safeguard a child and promote their welfare. Effective safeguarding should be underpinned by two principles: Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective as a whole, everyone needs to play their full part. A child-centred approach: the needs and views of children are paramount for services to be fully effective. Anyone working with children should speak and listen to them, and take their views seriously. A child-centred approach is supported by: The Children Act 1989 The Equality Act 2010 The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) agreement

Roles A wide range of health roles have a critical part to play in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including school nurses. LAs must take reasonable steps to ensure the local safeguarding children board includes representatives from the following: The governing body of a maintained school The proprietor of a non-maintained special school The proprietor of a city technology college, a city college for the technology of the arts or an academy The governing body of a further education institution, the main site of which is situated in the authority’s area LSCBs coordinate the work to safeguard children locally, and monitor and challenge the effectiveness of local arrangements.

Early help You should, in particular, be alert to the potential need for early help for a child who: Has a disability and special educational needs. Has specific additional needs. Is a young carer. Is showing signs of engaging in anti-social or criminal behaviour. Is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child. Has returned home to their family from care. Is showing early signs of abuse/neglect. The early help assessment should be undertaken by the lead professional (GP, family support worker, teacher, health worker and/or special educational needs coordinator) who should provide support to the child and family. Lead professionals are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Accessing help and services Anyone who has concerns about a child’s welfare should make a referral to their LA children’s social care. Therefore, as well as clear protocols for working with children, contact details should be signposted clearly so that children, parents and other family members are aware of who they can contact if they require advice and/or support. Fears about information sharing cannot stand in the way of the need to ensure a child’s safety and welfare. To ensure effective safeguarding arrangements: All organisations should have arrangements in place to set out clear processes for sharing information between each other. No professional should assume that someone else will pass on information which they believe may keep a child safe. The LSCB should agree with the LA on the course of action.

The purpose of assessment Whatever legislation the child is assessed under, the purpose of it is always to: Gather important information about a child and their family. Analyse their needs and/or the nature and level of any risk and harm being suffered by the child. Decide whether the child is in need and/or is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm. Provide support to address those needs to improve the child’s outcomes to make them safe. Practitioners should be rigorous in assessing and monitoring children at risk of neglect to ensure they are safeguarded over time. Practitioners should act decisively to protect the child by initiating care proceedings where existing interventions are insufficient. The LSCB should use this assessment to help them understand the prevalence of abuse and neglect in their area, and help shape services.

Referrals Response to a referral Within one working day of a referral being received, an LA social worker should make a decision about the type of response required. This will include determining whether: The child requires immediate protection and urgent action is required. The child is in need. The child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm. Any services are required by the child and their family. Further specialist assessments are required. Acceptance of a referral You must be involved in the assessment and provide further information about the child and family. You must agree further action, including what services would help the child and their family, and inform the LA if any immediate action is needed.

Strategy You may be required to attend the strategy discussion, but it will depend on the nature of the individual case. If this is the case, you should: Contribute to the information the child’s agency provides prior to the meeting. Consider whether the report can, and should, be shared with the parents, and if so, when. Attend the conference and take part in decision-making when invited. Work together to safeguard the child from harm in the future, taking timely, effective action according to the plan agreed. Attend the review conference, when invited, and provide reports for the child protection review.

What’s next? Schools and colleges must have regard to statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education (2015)’. TheSchoolBus has a dedicated 3-Minute Read which covers all the most salient points. Find this here. Read the original ‘Working together to safeguard children’ guidance document here. Find both of our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy templates here.