Safeguarding children

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Safeguarding children and young people from sexual exploitation (June 2009)
This guidance is aimed at local safeguarding children board (LSCB) partners, practitioners and other professionals working with children and young people. It is intended to help them safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people who are at risk of, or who are being, sexually exploited. It is supplementary to, and should be used in conjunction with, the Government’s statutory guidance, Working together to safeguard children.

Review of implementation of guidance on handling allegations of abuse against those who work with children or young people (May 2009)
In 2007, the Department for Children, Schools and Families conducted a review of implementation of guidance on handling allegations of abuse made against those who work with children and young people. The report of the review can be downloaded above. In response to the review we have developed new practice guidance on handling allegations, which was launched for consultation on 13 May and can be downloaded from the DCSF Consultations page. The deadline for responses to the consultation is 7 August 2009.

The protection of children in England: Action plan
The Government's response to Lord Laming's report on child protection (May 2009).

The Government has now published an action plan, setting out its detailed response to the recommendations in Lord Laming's report, The protection of children in England: A progress report (March 2009). The action plan is available to download free of charge from ECM publications, or hard copies can be purchased from The Stationery Office.
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, has written to front-line professionals, emphasising their important role.
Further documents:
- Letter from Sir Roger Singleton, Chief Adviser on the Safety of Children, to the Secretary of State, Ed Balls.
- Letter from Moira Gibb, Chair of the Social Work Taskforce, to Ed Balls and Alan Johnson.
- The Secretary of State's letter of 17 November to Lord Laming, commissioning his report.
- The Government's interim response of 12 March to Lord Laming.
- Slides from the action plan launch event held on 6 May.

For more information, see the full DCSF press notice.

First Report of the Social Work Task Force - May 2009
The Government has also published the first report of the Social Work Task Force - a letter from Task Force Chair, Moira Gibb, to Ed Balls and Alan Johnson. The letter sets out the Task Force's advice on implementing Lord Laming's recommendations, including about the future of the Integrated Children's System. The Task Force's letter also sets out the key messages emerging from its extensive consultation with front line workers, service users and others across children and adult's services, and opens the Task Force's Call for Evidence. For more information or to contribute to the Task Force's Call for Evidence go to the DCSF's Social Work Task Force page.

Safeguarding arrangements (Singleton review) - May 2009
Sir Roger Singleton, as Chair of the Independent Safeguarding Authority, has led a review of safeguarding arrangements in independent schools, non-maintained special schools and all boarding schools in England. The Government has also accepted all Sir Roger Singleton's recommendations and published a full response on 6 May. Both the review and response can be found at the Keeping our schools safe page on Teachernet.

Social Work Transformation Fund
The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has been asked to take forward many of the activities announced as part of the Social Work Transformation Fund, including the Return to Social Work campaign. If you are interested in finding out more, including how to get involved, further information is available at the CWDC's Social Work Programme and Return to Social Work Pilot Programme pages.

The protection of children in England: A progress report, 12 March 2009
Lord Laming's far-reaching report was commissioned by the Children's Secretary Ed Balls in November 2008. For more information on the report, and the Government's response, please see the relevant DCSF Press Notice. A letter from the Secretary of State to Lord Laming, setting out the Government's immediate response to Lord Laming's report, is also available. A statement on Lord Laming's report by Ed Balls can be viewed at the DCSF's 'Speeches' page.

A copy of the report can be downloaded free of charge at from the 'Publications' page.
To purchase a hard copy of the report, contact The Stationery Office (TSO).

Safeguarding the young and vulnerable
The Government's response to the third joint Chief Inspectors' report on arrangements to safeguard children (15 December 2008).

Parental learning disability and children's needs, 2008

Child protection, domestic violence and parental substance misuse, 2008

Keeping Children Safe, September 2008
The Government has launched a 12-month child sexual offender disclosure pilot, Keeping Children Safe. A briefing has been sent to key stakeholders.

Safeguarding children in whom illness Is fabricated or induced, March 2008

Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked, December 2007

Statement on the duties of doctors and other professionals in investigations of child abuse, July 2007

Safeguarding children from abuse linked to a belief in spirit possession, May 2007

Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a statutory duty on key people and bodies to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Revised statutory guidance on the duty was issued in April 2007.

Schools and further education providers have an equivalent duty through the Education Act 2002, and must have regard to the statutory guidance, Safeguarding children in education, issued in September 2004.

Local authorities and key local partners will need to address the following specific areas:

Working together to safeguard children

We have now published an updated version of this guidance, which sets out how to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs)

Every local area now needs to have an LSCB in place. Guidance on LSCBs was published earlier in the year and now forms chapter 3 of Working together to safeguard children.
Vetting and Barring Scheme

Following the Bichard inquiry report, we are planning the introduction of a new scheme involving the new Independent Safeguarding Authority for vetting people whose jobs will bring them into contact with children and vulnerable adults.
What to do if you're worried a child is being abused

This document provides best practice guidance for those who work with children in order to safeguard their welfare.
Missing children notifications

The DCSF holds a list of all the designated managers in local authorities in England who are responsible for ensuring that missing children notifications are dealt with properly. The list can be used to notify local authorities about children who have gone missing from their local authority area.
Private fostering

New private fostering guidance and the national minimum standards for private fostering came into force on 1 July 2005.
Child death review process

The child death review process became mandatory in April 2008. This section provides further details and information on the work supporting implementation, including resources.

Partners will also need to consider the statutory guidance on the role of the director and lead member of children's services, as well as the rest of the interlocking Children Act guidance.

Resources
Statutory guidance on making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under section 11 of the Children Act 2004

Making safeguarding everyone's business: The Government's response to the second joint Chief Inspectors' report on arrangements to safeguard children

Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in education: Statutory guidance