Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people 3

The importance of safeguarding children and young people

Safeguarding children and young people is a complex task that includes a number of factors to be considered. It does not only consist of the physical safety of children in school and on outside visits, but also their mental and emotional well-being and their e-security in the web environment. Teaching staff that is in day-to-day contact with the pupils has to be well-trained, suitable for dealing with children and also aware of the needs of children and possible signs of harm that abuse of neglect can cause. The main principle is that the child’s needs are paramount and should be put first, so that each child receives the individual support they need. Professionals have to share relevant information about the children’s situations so that problems can be recognised early and the designated members of staff can make the necessary steps to find a solution. A regular review of outcomes help to improve processes and the general care provided for pupils in the school setting.

The importance of a child or young person centred approach

The document Working together to safeguard children states that it is everyone’s responsibility in a childcare setting to ensure the security and welfare of the children. None of these professionals are able to see alone all the needs and circumstances of a child therefore it is essential that teachers, individuals and agencies share information with each other. The common aim is that families receive exactly the help they need. In order to achieve this every practitioner has to be clear about their role in the process, aware of the role played by other individuals and organisations and strive for a smooth cooperation between services. If these agencies want to be effective they have to work according to a child-centred approach. Children’s needs, views and opinions have to be understood and placed in front of the adults’ interests. Professionals can build a stable relationship with children if they regard their opinion as important and give them the respect they deserve. This way they will be able to get an honest opinion from the children regarding their needs and provide them with the most suitable support. It is a legal requirement under the Children Act 1989 that local authorities take a child’s wishes into consideration when determining what services they need. Furthermore the Equality Act 2010 makes public authorities responsible for the eliminate discrimination and the promotion of equal opportunities. The child-centred approach is also supported by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It is an international agreement protecting the rights of children and by ratifying it in 1991 the UK Government accepted a framework for the development of children’s services that recognises children’s right to self-expression and access to information. The work of individual professionals looking after the unique needs of children is aided by the local agencies whose effective services are based on a clear understanding of the collective needs of local children. These include vigilance of adults who notice when something is troubling a child. They need to be provided with stability so that they trust the people offering help. Children need not only to be informed about the actions happening to them but also understand the underlying reasons. If adults respect the children they will have the confidence to share their views and by doing so, assist the process helping them.

Partnership working in the context of safeguarding

The continuous safeguarding of children and young people throughout their school years can only be provided by a strong cooperation between the individuals and organisations that are responsible for their development in the different age groups. Moreover, each child is an individual, unique person with different problems and issues; these specific cases have to be dealt with by professionals trained in certain areas. Class teachers and teaching assistant have to be able to recognise when they need specialised help, and support the work of these professionals. Communication and professional partnership are utterly important between school staff and external support workers in order to ensure that the best service is being provided for pupils. On the one hand class teachers have to share all relevant information about a child with special needs with the specialised professionals so that they have all the necessary background information to work out the most appropriate way to help the pupil. On the other hand these external support workers should let the teacher know about the results of the sessions and about any way the pupil’s development can be facilitated inn the everyday classroom environment. Each professional working with children has to respect the others’ areas of expertise and support others’ work as everybody is making a valuable contribution to the pupils’ development. All the school staff and external professionals have to work together as a “team around the child” and have regular meetings to share information, results and discuss any further steps to be taken. To make sure that professionals and agencies work together effectively in order to safeguard children, section 10 of the Children Act 2004 places the duty on local authorities to make arrangements to promote cooperation to improve the wellbeing of all children in the authority’s area.

The roles and responsibilities of the different organisations that may be involved when a young person has been abused or harmed

There are a number of agencies who take part in protecting and safeguarding children and young people in the school and outside it. Under section 11 of the Children Act 2004 a range of organisations and individuals working with families have statutory duties to ensure the welfare and protection of children. Social Services provide help and support when children suffered harm or abuse at home or outside of their home or if they are at risk of being harmed. NHS team, GPs, nurses and school visitors, when carrying out examinations have the opportunity to find marks of physical or sexual abuse on a child’s body, recognise these problems before the child would disclose it, and report their findings to prevent further harm to the child. NSPCC is a national service to protect children from harm or stop children from being abused. They can provide support when a child needs to be protected from physical harm or neglect in their family environment. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and psychologists can provide help for children with mental, emotional and behavioural problems or when they had been exposed to emotional abuse. Children with special educational needs have to be supported by Educational Services and the SENCOs in school. A statement of special educational needs have to be worked out for them to detail the kind of support they need and the individualised educational plan that fosters their development. Law enforcement agencies, police and probation services have a major role in safeguarding children and protecting them from harm on the streets and in their homes when they are exposed to abuse of criminal danger. It is the responsibility of every adult who works with or around children to promote their welfare, and cooperate in protecting them from any real or potential harm.