1.1 Introduction
Last reviewed Jan 2024
Contents
- Preface(Jump to)
- Context(Jump to)
- Relationship of Policy, Procedures and Guidance(Jump to)
- Relevant Staff(Jump to)
Preface
| 1.1.1 | The responsibility for safeguarding children belongs to everyone. Children will only be safe if families, communities and professionals work together to promote their welfare. |
| 1.1.2 | It is important that all members of the community understand that Child Protection is a concern for everyone and that effectiveness of professional agencies will depend on the awareness and support of the public. If any member of the public is concerned that a child or young person may be suffering Significant Harm they should either telephone:
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| 1.1.3 | All children should be safe and able to develop to their full potential. The protection of vulnerable children is vital and child protection procedures must be effective and work consistently across organisational boundaries. |
| 1.1.4 | Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex Local Safeguarding Partners have commissioned the policies and procedures in this manual, which reflects a significant consensus about best practice across the three areas, and all those agencies in Sussex that contribute to the prevention, detection and investigation of abuse or neglect, risk management of offenders and the support and treatment of those affected. |
| 1.1.5 | The Pan Sussex Procedures Sub-Group will continue to keep these procedures under review to take account of changes in legislation, government policy, research findings and professional experience. |
Context
| 1.1.6 | The development of the procedures manual is one of the core functions of the safeguarding partners in their role to coordinate local work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. |
| 1.1.7 | The procedures encourage close working between agencies to facilitate early intervention in a supportive way to meet the needs of children and their families. |
| 1.1.8 | The manual complies with current legislation together with other government statutory guidance and expectations, and reflects accepted best practice. These procedures have been drawn up from the government: Working together to safeguard children - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) |
Relationship of Policy, Procedures and Guidance
Policy Framework | |
| 1.1.9 | The contents page will guide you to the relevant policy or proceedure. |
| 1.1.10 | If necessary, agencies may develop supplementary 'internal' policies which represent higher standards or which reflect an agency-specific contribution to child protection. |
| 1.1.11 | In order to maintain the strategic advantage of a Sussex approach, any such supplementary policies should be consistent with those in this manual. |
Procedures | |
| 1.1.12 | Procedures indicate what must or may be done in specified circumstances and define the limits of professional discretion. |
| 1.1.13 | For staff in those agencies that formally adopt them, these procedures have the status of instructions and any inability or failure to comply with them should be accompanied by a brief explanation. |
| 1.1.14 | Any supplementary internal procedures developed by agencies should also refer to, and comply with these procedures. |
| 1.1.15 | It is anticipated that these procedures will also inform and support effective collaboration with the large number of non-statutory agencies and organisations and individual professionals whose contributions also assist in safeguarding children in Sussex. |
Guidance | |
| 1.1.16 | Guidance provides contextual information or addresses the question of 'why' specified actions may be required. |
| 1.1.17 | This manual has included guidance only to the extent that it is required to understand a procedure and facilitate day-to-day practice. |
| 1.1.18 | The inter-relationship of law, policy, guidance and procedures is represented diagrammatically below.
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Relevant Staff
| 1.1.19 | The contents of this manual are for application by those working, whether paid or unpaid, in safeguarding partner agencies and in private or voluntary sector organisations with responsibilities for children living or present in the Sussex area. |
| 1.1.20 | Where safeguarding partner agencies commission services from private or voluntary organisations, they should seek to make compliance with this document a contractual requirement. |