Understand the main legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures for safeguarding children and young people. Outcome 1 “Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from abuse. It protecting children from maltreatment, preventing the impairment of children’s health or development, ensuring that children’s health or development, ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances that provide safe and effective car and helping children to have the best life chances so that they can enter adult hood successfully. I also believe that safeguarding is a way to protect yourself from situations that may put you at risk. The children’s Act 1989 was introduced to make comprehensive changes to legislation in England and Wales regarding the welfare and safeguarding of children. It provided a framework for the care of children and is a key piece of legislation relevant to child protection in England and wales. This act established some key principles: -The welfare of the child must be paramount at any work and family. -Children are not a possession of their parents. Parents have the responsibilities for their children, not absolute rights.
Professionals are expected to work together and in a co-operative way with parents. Impact of every child Matters (ECM) guidelines on the Children Act 2004. ECM came about as a result of the Laming report following the death of Victoria Climbie, some of the main recommendations being: -Closer working relationships between all agencies involved with children. -Establish a central database of all children’s records identifying if they are known to different services. -Establishment of an independent children’s commissioners to protect children and young people’s rights. Ofsted to develop a framework to monitor children’s services. The children Act 2004 require that recommendations form the lambing report became legal requirements. The act has been produced in the light of this consultation and gives effect to the legislative proposals set out in the Green Paper to create a clear accountability fort children’s services, to enable better joint working and to secure a better focus on safeguarding children. Children’s Act part 1 – Children’s Commissioner. To ensure a voice for children and young people at national level.
To promote awareness of the views and interests of children (and certain groups of vulnerable young adults) in England. Hold inquiries into cases of individual children. Promote awareness of the views and interests of children and, hold inquiries in to these on direction of the Secretary of state or on his own initiative. Children’s Act part 2 – Integrated planning, commissioning, and the delivery of child services. Duty on local authorities to make arrangement’s through which key agencies co-operate to improve the well-being of children and young people.
To ensure that safeguarding children continues to be given priority establishes stator Local Safeguarding Children Boards to replace the existing non-statutory Area Child Protection. To support professionals in working together and sharing information to identify difficulties and provide appropriate support. The creation of databases holding information on all children and young people. Put in place at local level a director of children’s services. Designation of lead member for children’s services to mirror the director’s responsibilities at local political level.
These are but a few of the legislations and policies affecting safe guarding and young people within England. My establishment abide by these policies and legislation by training staff on the important of Safeguarding and have a “never alone policy”, to safeguard yourself and students. This policy comes into its biggest effect with the level of personal care we have within our establishment. Data protection of students is a need to know basis, depending on class you are situated in, level of importance within the school. The head teacher is Safeguarding lead and students information is strictly confidential unless stated otherwise.
