1. Legislation
1.1. Children Act (1989)
1.1.1. Identified the responsibilities of parents and those working with children to ensure their safety.
1.1.1.1. promote
1.1.2. Involved children and young people in decisions which affect them
1.1.3. Redefined the concept of parental responsibility
1.2. Every Child Matters (2003)
1.2.1. Policy paper introduced to implement Children Act 2004
1.2.2. Required closer working relationships between agencies and sharing of information about children.
1.2.3. 5 key principles which all children should have rights to:
1.2.3.1. be healthy
1.2.3.2. stay safe
1.2.3.3. enjoy and achieve
1.2.3.4. make a positive contribution
1.2.3.5. achieve economic well-being
1.3. Children Act (2004)
1.3.1. Required recommendations from the Laming Report 2003 to become legal requirement.
1.3.2. Required closer working relationships between agencies and sharing of information about children.
1.3.3. Establishing an independent children's commissioner (England)
1.4. Childcare Act (2006)
1.4.1. Improve the five Every Child Matters outcomes for all pre-school children and reduce inequalities in these outcomes
1.5. Change for Children (2010)
1.5.1. Replaces Every Child Matters mostly with changes in phraseology.
1.5.1.1. Replacement of 'safeguarding' with 'child protection', 'children's trusts' with "local areas, better, fairer, services'" and using the term "help children achieve more" in place of Every Child Matters or the five outcomes.
1.6. Education Act (2002, 2011)
1.6.1. Sets out the safeguarding duty of schools and colleges
1.6.1.1. Mandates governing bodies to ensure their functions "relating to the conduct of the school are exercised with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children who are pupils at the school".
1.6.1.2. It requires anyone working with children and young people to share information or concerns in relation to a child’s safety and wellbeing.
1.7. Children and Social Work Act (2017)
1.7.1. Updates the 2004 Children Act
1.7.2. Introduces Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, for cases it judged to be complex or of national significance
1.7.3. Abolishes LSCBs and puts duties on three 'safeguarding partners' - the local authority, Clinical Commissioning Groups and ChiefPolice Officer - to make safeguarding arrangements that respond to the needs of children in their area.
1.8. Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
1.8.1. Introduced discretionary barring decisions, to prevent unsuitable individuals working with children
1.9. The Equality Act (2010)
1.9.1. The basis of anti-discrimination
1.9.2. Protects rights of children and young people to fair treatment.
1.10. The Children and Families Act (2014)
1.10.1. About reforming services for vulnerable children to give every child, whatever their start in life, an equal chance to make the best of themselves.
1.11. Children and Young People’s Act 2008
1.11.1. aims to enable those who enter the care system are able to achieve the same aspirations parents have for their own children.
1.11.1.1. Improve the experience children in care have at school, increasing their educational attainment
1.11.1.2. Increase schools' capacity to address the needs of children in care, including placing the role of the designated teacher on a statutory footing and ensuring that children in care do not move schools in Year 10 and 11 except in exceptional circumstances
2. Additional Legislation
2.1. Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
2.1.1. established The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and replaced CRB (2002 - 2012)
2.1.1.1. Helps empoyers make safer recruitment decisions Prevents unsuitable people working with vulnerable groups, e.g. children
2.1.1.2. employers or organisations refer if concerns that an individual has or might pose a risk. This might lead to being placed on the barred list and prevented from working with children
2.2. Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
2.2.1. replaced Female Circumcision Act 1985 (see also Serious Crime Act 2015)
2.2.1.1. extended ban to address taking girls abroad for FGM - Maximum penalty 5 - 14 years
2.2.1.2. Added "failing to protect a child in one's care - Maximum penalty 7 years
2.2.1.3. prevention orders introduced
2.2.1.4. Mandatory reporting
2.3. There is no specific CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION offence but see:
2.3.1. Sexual Offences Act 2003 Serious Crime Act 2015
2.3.1.1. Covers offences such as: Inciting a child to engage in sexual activity Abuse of trust Meeting a child following sexual grooming
2.3.1.2. Added "failing to protect a child in one's care - Maximum penalty 7 years
2.3.1.3. prevention orders introduced
2.3.1.4. Mandatory reporting
2.3.2. Modern Slavery Act 2015
2.3.2.1. Addresses trafficking - the moving of someone with the intention of involiving them in sexual exploitaion. This could be to another country of simply taking a child from one side of their home town to another.
3. Procedures
3.1. Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
3.1.1. standardised approach for assessment of children and their families, to facilitate the early identification of additional needs and to promote a coordinated service response
4. Guidance
4.1. Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)
4.1.1. Established local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs)
4.1.2. Sets out how agencies should collaberate to keep children safe from harm
4.2. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
4.2.1. LIsts rights all children should be entitled, inc:
4.2.1.1. Education
4.2.1.2. Health
4.2.1.3. Treated equally
4.2.1.4. develop to their own potential
4.2.1.5. special protection measures
4.2.2. helping children and families involces working with them
4.3. The Munro Review of Child Protection: Moving Towards a Child-Centred System (2012)
4.3.1. Set out principles of effective child protection scheme, inc:
4.3.1.1. system should be child centred
4.3.1.2. family is usually the best place for bringing up children
4.3.1.3. early help is better
4.3.1.4. system should allow for a varied response
4.3.1.5. the measure of success is whether the child is receiving effective help
4.4. Keeping Children Safe in Education (2020)
4.4.1. Part 1 is mandatory for all school and college staff
4.4.1.1. sets out the legal duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in schools and colleges
4.4.1.2. GIves definitions of abuse and indicators to look out for. Updated to support school to protect children eg mental health, domestic abuse, child exploitation, radicalisation, FGM and county lines
4.5. Prevent Duty (2015)
4.5.1. a duty on all schools and registered early years providers to have due regard to preventing people being drawn into terrorism.
4.5.1.1. be alert to any reason for concern in the child’s life at home or elsewhere.
4.5.1.2. awareness of the expression of extremist views.
4.6. Child Exploitation Guidance (PDF)
4.6.1. provides advice to help practitioners, local leaders and decision makers working with children and families to identify and respond to CSE (Department for Education, 2017).