The document "Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023" provides comprehensive statutory guidance for various organisations and agencies on how to protect and promote the welfare of children in the UK.
Updates from 24th Feb 2024:
Pg 26, paragraph 48: amended the wording used to describe lead safeguarding partners.
Pg 42: corrected the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel email address.
Pg 161: updated the glossary definition of 'safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children' to match that on pg 7 to 8.
Pg 167: linked to the latest version of 'Good practice guidance on working with parents with a learning disability'.
Key points include:
1. Shared Responsibility: Emphasises a child-centered approach within a whole family focus. It outlines principles for working with parents and carers and sets expectations for multi-agency working and information sharing.
2. Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements: Discusses the geographic scope and strategic leadership necessary for these arrangements. It details the responsibilities of different agencies, including schools, colleges, early years providers, and voluntary organisations, in safeguarding children.
3. Help, Support, and Protection: Provides guidance on local criteria for offering help, support, and protection. It includes sections on early help, safeguarding and promoting welfare, and child protection, outlining the processes and responsibilities in each area.
4. Organisational Responsibilities: Lists the duties of various organisations, including schools, health services, police, social care, and others, in safeguarding children.
5. Learning from Incidents: Covers the purpose of child safeguarding practice reviews, responsibilities for reviews, and the processes for reporting and responding to serious incidents.
6. Child Death Reviews: Describes the responsibilities of child death review partners and the process for reviewing child deaths.
Key Themes
- Schools' Role: Schools are pivotal in safeguarding, contributing significantly to referrals. The guide stresses their integral role, despite the absence of formal inclusion in 2017 legislation.
- Parents and Families: Emphasises a child-centric approach within a family focus, balancing parental rights with responsibilities.
- Information Sharing: Advocates proactive and transparent sharing, especially regarding school absences and family details.
- Risks and Exploitation: Highlights risks both within and outside the home, including online threats.
- Training: Stresses the importance of multi-agency safeguarding training for education providers.
Key Changes
- New Definitions: Updated definitions of safeguarding and child protection are provided.
- Roles and Structures: Adjustments in safeguarding partner roles and expectations for multi-agency collaboration.
- Safeguarding Layers: Reinforces the need for comprehensive training and early help assessment.
Actions for Schools
- Policy and Training Updates: Reflect the new definitions and changes in school policies and training.
- Proactive Information Sharing: Emphasise the significance of attendance data and key adult information in referrals.
- Role Clarity in Safeguarding: Understand and communicate the limits of schools' capabilities in safeguarding roles.
Additional Resources
- Glossary: A comprehensive glossary is included in Appendix A (page 154) for quick reference to new terms.
Conclusion
"Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023" represents a significant update with a strong focus on multi-agency collaboration and the crucial role of schools. While challenging in its presentation, this guide offers an essential framework for enhancing child protection within the education sector.
Full document can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2