Safeguarding
Welcome.
This part of our website provides information
for anyone who is concerned about safeguarding children and meeting
their needs. This website is designed to be a point of reference
that can provide some of the essential information you may need but
it will predominantly signpost you to experienced, dedicated
professionals/ organisations. This page will;
1. give you a very brief overview of
safeguarding
2. give you guidance on
what to do if you are concerned about a child or young
person
3. signpost you to experienced,
dedicated safeguarding professionals/organisations
4. give you access to useful
safeguarding documents/information
Click on the links above to take you straight to
the relevant part of this page.
What is safeguarding?
Safety is important for all children and young people and
preventing harm from occurring in the first place is the best way
to keep children and young people safe.
Children and young people should be able to
enjoy safe environments wherever they spend their time. It is also
vital that children, young people and their parents can develop a
good understanding of risks to children’s safety and how to manage
these.
This extract is taken from, “Staying Safe Action
Plan” publication by Department for Children, schools and Families.
Click here for the publication.
What ‘safeguarding’ means
The government guidance on
‘Working
Together to Safeguard Children – 2006’ defines safeguarding
children and promoting their welfare as:
§ Protecting
children from maltreatment
§ Preventing
impairment of children’s health or development
§ Ensuring that
children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of
safe and effective care
§ Enabling those
children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood
successfully
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT A CHILD?
If you are concerned about the safety of a child
or young person
follow the flowchart and if appropriate...
…telephone and refer
Children’s Services Telephone Numbers:
Customer First: 08456 023023
After 5.20pm and at weekends 01473 299669
Suffolk Police Telephone Number:
Main Switchboard 01473 613500
***** In an
emergency do not delay, ring 999 *****
Safeguarding organisations
Local Safeguarding Children Board
The Children Act 2004
requires each Local Authority to establish a Local Safeguarding
Children Board (LSCB).
LSCB’s are the key
statutory mechanism for agreeing how the relevant organisations in
each local area will co-operate to safeguard and promote the
welfare of children, and for ensuring the effectiveness of what
they do. They replace Area Child Protection Committees, and in
Suffolk inherit an important programme of initiatives and a
well-established child protection system.
Click here for the Suffolk Safeguarding Children Board
website.
SAFEchild
SAFEchild provides guidance on child protection
issues in line with current child protection legislation and
promotes the Government's
Government's "Every Child Matters"
agenda. Established in 1999 SAFEchild is a registered charity and
is dedicated to promoting the welfare of all children and young
people.
Their Services
Backed by a multi agency team of very
experienced and highly qualified child protection professionals,
SAFEchild provides a comprehensive range of services to help keep
children safe. Click
here to go to their website.
NSPCC
Help for Adults
Worried about a child? Call the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on
0808 800 5000.
Click here for more information.
Childline
Help for Children and Teenagers
Need advice or just want to talk? Call ChildLine.
Calls are free and confidential.
Click
here for more information.
Useful Safeguarding documents
Flowchart for referrals if you are concerned about a child/young
person.
“What to do it you are concerned about a child/young
person”
“Asking the right questions” a guide for parents/carers to
ensuring that activities and groups their child(ren) may want to
attend
Allegations
Management Factsheets
For organisations
Click on the following links to access further safeguarding
information that could be useful to your organisation.
CRB checks
Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
Information sharing
Safer recruitment
Allegations
management
Safeguarding training and seminars
Young Suffolk Quality
Standards