What Is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is about all children, not just concerns about an individual child. It may be that you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child because of something you have seen or something you have been told. It is important that this information is acted upon and your concerns shared with the relevant authorities in order to ensure the safety of children.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and extends to all aspects of a child’s life including home, school and social activities. Safeguarding should prevent harm to all children and promote their welfare. This means protecting a child from any abuse and ill treatment. Safeguarding should prevent harm to a child’s health and development and ensure that children are safe and have a good level of care provided by whomever they are living with. It ensures that they have the best outcome in life.
The Six Principles Of Safeguarding
There are six principles of safeguarding which are the responsibility of everyone, not just professionals whom work with children. They are set out in the Care Act 2014;
1. Empowerment
Children should be supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and inform professionals and others when they do not feel safe. This is particularly difficult for very young children but they should be encouraged to share their concerns.
2. Prevention
It's better to take action before any harm occurs.
3. Proportionality
This means the least intrusive response appropriate to the risk identified.
4. Protection
The need to provide support to those in greatest need.
5. Partnership
To ensure that local services work together in reporting abuse and neglect.
6. Accountability
There should be accountability of all persons and transparency of their practice.
What Role Does Child Protection Have Within The Safeguarding Process?
Child protection is part of the safeguarding process, it focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer harm.
All agencies, including the Local Authority Social Care Department, health, education and police will have their own child protection practice and procedures.
Child Protection Is Based Upon 5 Principles;-
1. Prevention
Which looks to prevent harm to an individual child by devising a safety plan.
2. Paramountcy
The child’s welfare and safety is the central most important issue when working in child protection.
3. Partnership
This involves a commitment by all agencies involved with the child, working together to ensure the child’s safety and adopting a multi-agency approach to child protection.
4. Protection
To ensure children are protected from physical, sexual child abuse, neglect (physical, educational and emotional).
5. Parental Responsibility
To ensure that those with parent responsibility exercise it in a safe way to make sure the child is safe from any harm.
It is likely that if child protection procedures have been started by the Social Care Department then there will be a child protection plan/ safety plan formulated at the initial child protection meeting. Anyone who cares for the child and holds parental responsibility will be expected to comply with the plan.
If the plan is breached in any way by the child’s carers or they fail to comply with the plan, it is likely that the local authority will seek to place the matter before the court and issue court proceedings, to seek to share parental responsibility with parents / carers of the child under an Interim Care Order. The plan may seek removal of the child if it is felt the child is at a level of risk remaining with its carers which requires separation. It is therefore important that any child protection plan is adhered to by those caring for the child to avoid the matter progressing to care proceedings.
The Public Law Outline forms part of the child protection process when the Local Authority is considering placing the matter before the Court unless the matter is so urgent or serious it cannot wait.
