Safeguarding Children

Contributed by Paul Hughes

All resources in the "Safeguarding Resources" section of our resource bank have been submitted by delegates on our Level 2 Safeguarding Online courses. For more information about this practical, self-paced course,

please visithttp://www.pivotaleducation.com/level-2-safeguarding-online-for-schools/

andhttp://www.pivotaleducation.com/level-2-safeguarding-online-for-colleges/

WHAT IS SAFEGUARDING?

Safeguarding and Promoting the welfare of children is defined as:Protecting children from maltreatmentPreventing impairment of children’s health and developmentEnsuring children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective careTaking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes‘Department of Education’

WHAT IS CHILD PROTECTION?

• Child Protection is part of safeguarding and promoting welfare, It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.

‘ Department of Education’

THE LEGAL FRAMEWORKThere are many Laws and Acts that have been implemented to Safeguard children from harm; these are the most significant ones:THE CHILDREN ACT 1989'This Act made radical changes to the laws relating to children and their families, moving the balance from parental rights to the rights of the child, whilst emphasising the need for shared parental rights'

THE CHILDREN ACT 2004'This Act was introduced after the Victoria Climbie enquiry. It did not replace the children Act 1989 but amended parts to ensure the safety and welfare of children. Section 13 of this act required local safeguarding children's boards to be set up, with section 13-16 setting out the framework for this.'

THE CHILDREN ACT 2006'This Act fulfilled the Government’s commitment to give every child the best start in life, implemented the Every Child Matters outcomes for all preschool children and introduced the Early Years Foundation stage in England'

SAFEGUARDING VULNERABLE GROUPS ACT 2006'This Act was implemented following the Bichard enquiry into the Soham murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. This found that checks made on individuals working with children needed to be tightened up and information needed to be shared between areas and police forces to allow a better suitability picture for each individual.

UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHIL (UNCRC)'This international human rights treaty grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a comprehensive set of rights. The UK government signed the treaty in 1990 and it came into force on the 15th January 1992'.

DATA Protection Act 1998' The Act defines the Law on the processing of data on identifiable living people

THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000'This Act creates a public 'right of access' to information held by public authorities. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom on a national level'.

IMPORTANTEvery member of staff needs to understand the different legislation and Acts; everyone working with children has the responsibility to uphold these laws so it is essential that you understand why these laws exist and where they originated from.

STATUTORY GUIDANCE

What to do if you are worried a child is being abused (2006)

This document has been introduced to help all those who come into

contact with children and families in their everyday work, including

practitioners, who do not have a specific role in relation to

safeguarding children.

You may be involved in the safeguarding of children in the

following ways:

FOR THESE REASONS; PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH

THIS BOOK

YOU MAY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT A CHILD, AND REFER THOSE CONCERNS TO CHILDRENS SOCIAL SERVICES OR THE

POLICE. THIS WILL NORMALLY BE VIA THE SCHOOLS DESIGNATED SENIOR MEMBER OF STAFF. IN EMERGENCIES

HOWEVER, CONTACT THE POLICE DIRECTLY.

YOU MAY BE APPROACHED BY CHILDREN SOCIAL CARE AND ASKED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT A CHILD OR

FAMILY OR TO BE INVOLVED IN AN ASSESSMENT. THIS MAY HAPPEN, REGARDLESS OF WHO MADE THE REFERRAL TO

CHILDREN’S SOCIAL CARE

YOU MAY BE ASKED TO PROVIDE HELP FOR A SPECIFIC SERVICE TO THE CHILD OR A MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY AS

PART OF AN AGREED PLAN AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE REVIEWING OF THE CHILD’S PROGRESS.

Working together to Safeguard Children (2013)

IMPORTANT:The Government document ‘

‘working together to safeguard children 2010’ has now been

superseded by the 2013 version that came into effect on the 15th

April 2013.

Working together to safeguard children 2013 is a constant

reference point for the designated person as this has all the relevant

information relating to safeguarding, referrals and staff

allegations.

The new guidance seeks to emphasise that effective

safeguarding systems are those where:

The child's needs are paramount, and the needs and wishes of each child, should be put first, so that every child receives the support they need before a problem escalatesAll professionals who come into contact with children and families are alert to their needs and any risks of harm that individual abusers, or potential abusers, may pose to childrenAll professionals share information in a timely way and can discuss any concerns about an individual child with colleagues and local authority children’s social careHigh quality professionals are able to use their expert judgement to put the child’s needs at the heart of the safeguarding system so that the right solution can be found for each individual child.

DEFINITIONS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT

PROTECTING CHILDREN

Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting

welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific

children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.

‘Department for Education’

RESPONDING TO DISCLOSURE OF ABUSE