Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015

WHO is Working Together guidance for WHO is Working Together guidance for? - Local Authority CEO’s - Directors’ of Children’s Services - Chairs of Local Safeguarding Boards (LSCBs) - Teachers and Education staff - Social Workers - Health Service professionals - Adult Services - Police Officers - Voluntary and Community Sector workers in contact with C & F

WHY do we have Working Together. - WHY do we have Working Together? - To help professionals understand what they need to do and what they can expect from one another in order to keep children safe. The guidance also focuses on core legal requirements in terms of what individuals and organisations should do to keep children safe, i.e. Section 47 Investigations - Under Section 10 of the Children Act 2004, the Act requires all agencies (voluntary or otherwise) to co-operate with local authorities whilst in the course of their duties.

As a local authority, we have overarching responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people in our area. This responsibility is enshrined under the 1989 and 2004 Children Act.

Although as a local authority we play a role, ensuring that children are protected and safe from both physical and emotional harm is everyone’s responsibility. This means that every professional who works/has contact with children and/or their families, no matter how brief, has to play a part in ensuring the following at all times…

-. Protecting children from maltreatment - - Protecting children from maltreatment - Preventing impairment of children’s health or development - Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the of safe and effective care - Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

Key principles: Effective safeguarding arrangements in every local area should be underpinned by two key principles: Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and a child-centred approach

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: For services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part and this means: Everyone who works with children – including teachers, GPs, nurses, midwives, Health Visitors, Early Years professionals, Youth Workers, Police, A&E staff, Paediatricians, voluntary and community workers and Social Workers, has a responsibility for keeping them safe. No single professional can have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances and, if children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.

In order that organisations and practitioners collaborate effectively, it is vital that every individual working with children and families is aware of the role that they have to play and the role of other professionals. Any professionals with concerns about a child’s welfare should make a referral to local authority Children’s Social Care. Professionals should follow up their concerns if they are not satisfied with the local authority Children’s Social Care response.

No single professional can have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances and, if children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.

A child-centred approach: For provision of services to be efficient and successful, they should be based on a clear understanding of the needs and views of children. Effective safeguarding systems are child centred. Failings in safeguarding systems are too often the result of losing sight of the needs and views of the children within them, or placing the interests of adults ahead of the needs of children. Children are clear what they want from an effective safeguarding system.

Children want to be respected, their views to be heard, to have stable relationships with professionals built on trust and to have consistent support provided for their individual needs. This should guide the behaviour of professionals. Anyone working with children should see and speak to the child; listen to what they say; take their views seriously; and work with them collaboratively when deciding how to support their needs. Be careful when paraphrasing a child’s view (use their own words, always).

Reference: Working Together to Safeguard Children Published 26 March 2015 Various Government guidance: - 1970 Battered Babies DHSS - 1980 Child Abuse: Central Register Systems DHSS - 1986 Working Together: Arrangements for Interagency Co-operation for Child Protection DHSS - 1991 Working Together - 1999 Working Together - 2006 Working Together - 2010 Working Together - 2013 Working Together - 2015 Working Together