Child Protection Policy

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All children deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential in 5 key outcomes that are key to their wellbeing: Stay safe, be healthy, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well being.  To achieve this children need to feel loved and valued and be supported by a network of reliable and affectionate networks.  If they are denied the opportunity and support to achieve these outcomes, children are at increased risk not only of an impoverished childhood, but also of disadvantage and social exclusion in adulthood.  Abuse and neglect pose particular problems.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children - and in particular protecting them from significant harm - depends on effective joint working between agencies and professionals that have different rolls, and expertise.  To achieve joint working there needs to be constructive relationships between individual workers, promoted and supported by:

• a strong lead from elected or appointed authority members, and the commitment of chief officers in all agencies - in particular the LA's Director of Children's Services and Lead Member for Children's Services2
• effective local co-ordination by the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) in each area

As in the Children Acts 1989 and 2004, a child is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday.  "Children" therefore means "children and young people" throughout.

All organisations that work with children share a commitment to safeguard and promote their welfare, and for many organisations that is underpinned by a statutory duty or duties.  Local authorities (LAs) that are children's services authorities6 have a number of specific duties to organise and plan services and to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

• All children have an absolute and equal right to a childhood free from abuse, neglect or exploitation, whatever their setting.
• All staff involved with children have a responsibility to be mindful of issues related to children’s safety and welfare and have a duty to report any concerns.
• Parents have a right to be informed about any concern about their child’s welfare or any action taken to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare, providing this does not compromise the child’s safety.
• Children are best protected when professionals work effectively together and share responsibility for protective action.
• When children make allegations about abuse or neglect, they should always be listened to, have their comments taken seriously and, where appropriate, thoroughly investigated.

• The Social Services Department will seek to ensure that children are protected from emotional, physical and sexual abuse and neglect.
• Where there are welfare concerns the Social Services Department will ensure that children are with carers who are capable of providing safe and effective care throughout their childhood.
• Child Protection will be undertaken within the overall provision of Children’s Services with a focus upon good outcomes for children and their families.
• Social Services staff will behave with respect and courtesy towards families, respecting and valuing diversity in everything including cultural background and disability.   

The Social Services Department will seek the views of parents/carers and children about the way it discharges its responsibilities and enables families to participate in the child protection process.  This will be undertaken by the use of surveys and invitations to families to comment on the process after attendance at child protection conferences.

The Social Services Department will work closely with other statutory agencies and appropriate voluntary organisations in exercising its duties and responsibilities.  The Social Services Department will take lead responsibility in child protection, but will involve all other agencies in sharing in the work of prevention, intervention and implementation of child protection plans.

Information shared during the course of child protection work is confidential and will only be shared with other professionals/agencies for the purpose of promoting the safety and wellbeing of the children concerned.  Permission from parents/carers and other professionals as appropriate, will be sought before any information is shared except in circumstances where a child would be placed at increased risk of significant harm.  

Information shared at child protection conferences will not be shared beyond the membership of the conference without the permission of relevant family members, providing this does not compromise the child’s safety.