1.3 Children's Social Care National Framework
| 1.3.1 | The Children’s Social Care National Framework constitutes an integral component of the statutory guidance directed towards professionals engaged in local authority children’s social care. This guidance delineates the requisite actions for legal compliance and is imperative to adhere to, barring exceptional circumstances. Notably, it encompasses details applicable to all safeguarding partners and agencies involved in children’s social care activity. The framework is complemented by guidance provided in link - Improving practice with children, young people and families - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which offers advice to local authority senior leaders, practice supervisors, and practitioners on effectively integrating the framework into their daily practices. |
| 1.3.2 | The six principles of children's social care
Decisions about help, protection and care for children must always be made in their best interests 2. Children’s wishes and feelings are sought, heard, and responded to. Children and young people’s views should be sought and heard at every stage of support, and they should contribute to decisions made about their lives, wherever possible. Advocacy, advice, and assistance must be available to assist them in any representations they may wish to make to the authority. 3. Children’s social care works in partnership with whole families children, young people and families are heard, and practitioners build strong relationships with families based on respect. They acknowledge strengths within families and recognise that families, and family networks, will often have solutions to their own challenges, and that holding a focus on the whole family is often the best way of improving outcomes for children and young people. 4. Children are raised by their families, with their family networks, or in family environments wherever possible. children’s social care recognise that the best place for most children to grow up is in their families, or with kinship carers. Sometimes this will not be safe or possible, and in these situations, efforts are made to support relationships between children and young people with their siblings, family, and friends. When children and young people need care to be provided by the local authority, such care is safe and prioritises consistency, stability, and lifelong loving relationships with those who are important to children and young people, so that they are supported to thrive. 5. Local authorities work with other agencies to effectively identify and meet the needs of children, young people, and families. Local authorities foster strong supportive relationships with other safeguarding partners and relevant agencies, including education settings, to coordinate their services and to respond to the needs of children, young people, and families in the round. From strategic and operational leadership to practitioners supporting individual families, safeguarding partners and relevant agencies are proactive in seeking and sharing information, knowledge, and skills with other agencies 6. Local authorities consider the economic and social circumstances which may impact children, young people and families. Leaders and practice supervisors foster a culture of practice where the individual and protected characteristics of families are respected, and the diversity of individual needs and experiences are addressed through the support provided. Practitioners recognise the differences between, and are confident to respond to, circumstances where children experience adversity due to poverty and acute family stress, and situations where children face harm due to parental abuse and neglect. Leaders, practice supervisors, and practitioners use reflective discussions so that practice is inclusive and engages all families, whatever their background and context. |
| 1.3.3 | The three enablers
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| 1.3.4 | The four national framework outcomesOutcome 1: children, young people and families stay together and get the help they need Children’s social care helps children and young people by supporting whole families and their networks. They work in partnership with parents and carers to address difficulties that families face and are committed to keeping children and young people within their family, wherever it is safe to do so. Outcome 2: children and young people are supported by their family network Children’s social care supports children and young people by building relationships so that key people in the lives of children and young people, who form their family network, can help to provide safety, stability, and love. Involving family networks needs to happen at every stage, when children and young people are supported by children’s social care, including if they are going to, or have, entered care. When children are being raised by someone in their family network, we refer to this as kinship care Outcome 3: children and young people are safe in and outside of their homes Children’s social care acts swiftly to protect children and young people from harm, whether that is at home, where they live, or outside in their wider neighbourhood, community and online. Children’s social care manages the uncertainty and nuances of the complex circumstances in which harm takes place, working in partnership with other agencies to increase safety. Outcome 4: children in care and care leavers have stable, loving homes Children’s social care provide homes that offer love, care, protection, and stability for children and young people who are cared for by the local authority, or who are care leavers. The care that children and young people receive helps to address experiences of adversity and trauma and gives them the foundations for a healthy, happy, life |
| 1.3.5 | See also |