1. Thanks to the Wirral LSCB for permission to adapt their PowerPoint
Working Together to
Safeguard Children 2018
Summary of Changes
July 2018
Thanks to the Wirral LSCB for permission to adapt their PowerPoint

2. Status of Guidance
WT18 replaces WT15 and is statutory guidance. It was published on 4th July 2018
WT18 applies to all agencies and professionals who work with children
Statutory Transitional Guidance and Statutory Framework Guidance published
Updated GDPR and Information Sharing Guidance also published
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

3. Headlines
WT18 sets out:
Importance of Early Help. Also describes referral and assessment processes
Strengthened responsibilities of agencies to safeguard children
New multi-agency safeguarding arrangements to replace LSCB’s
New process for local and national practice reviews
Child Death Review duties
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

4. Chapter One – Assessing Need and Providing Help
Chapter Includes:
• Additions to early help focus include: gangs and organised crime groups, missing, drug and alcohol abuse, radicalisation, trafficking and exploitation
• Guidance about information sharing and GDPR
• Assessment of disabled children, Young Carers and young people in secure youth establishments added
• Emphasis on contextual safeguarding
• Specific health responsibilities added to strategy discussion guidance
• Responsibility moving from LSCB’s to safeguarding partners to monitor effectiveness of arrangements
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

5. Chapter Two – Organisational Responsibilities
Chapter Includes:
• Section 11 duties for all agencies are unchanged
• Emphasis on guidance applying in its entirety to all schools
• Section added about responsibility of CCG to ensure provision of designated health professionals
• Children’s Homes, MAPPA and sports clubs and associations added to Section 11 duty
• Safeguarding responsibilities emphasised for all professionals working in voluntary, charity, social enterprise and faith based organisations
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

6. Chapter Three – Multi-agency Safeguarding Arrangements
Chapter Includes:
• Statutory safeguarding partners are the Local Authority, Police and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
• The partners have full and equal responsibility to establish effective safeguarding arrangements
• Organisations named as Relevant Agencies – including all schools are required to cooperate with the arrangements
• New arrangements must be published and be in place by 29 September 2019, current arrangements continue until then
• New arrangements will replace current safeguarding board arrangements
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

7. Chapter Four – Improving Child Protection and Safeguarding Practice
Chapter Includes:
• New National Child Safeguarding Review Panel has been established. Panel will receive all serious incident notifications from the local authority
• The panel will identify cases which raise issues of national significance to be reviewed as national child safeguarding practice reviews
• Safeguarding partners are responsible for identifying and commissioning local reviews
• An initial (15 day) rapid review will be undertaken on all cases
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

8. Chapter Five – Child Death Reviews
Chapter Includes:
• Local Authority and CCG are the statutory Child Death Review Partners
• The partners are responsible for establishing child death review arrangements – these can be based on current child death overview arrangements
• Our current arrangements are on a West of England basis and this can continue
• Current arrangements continue until replaced by new arrangements which must be in place by September 2019
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

9. Agencies and Professionals Should:
• Familiarise themselves with the new Guidance
• Be aware of changes from LSCB’s to new multi-agency safeguarding arrangements – and timetable
• Be aware of the new arrangements for local and national reviews (and aware that current SCR’s continue until LSCB replaced)
• Be aware of new local Child Death Review arrangements (when published)
Full guidance, summary and more information see the
legislation section: /
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children