Child protection policy and procedures
If any work involves children and young people, organisations must develop a child protection policy and procedure to ensure that all children and young people are safeguarded from harm.
If you require further information on child protection, the All Wales Child Protection Procedures are the starting point. The All Wales Child Protection Procedures Review Group has revised the procedures on behalf of the Local Safeguarding Children Boards in Wales. The 2007 All Wales Child Protection Procedures replace the previous procedures issued in 2002. They have been updated to incorporate the important changes since they were first issued, in particular the recommendations of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report, Children Act 2004 and the accompanying guidance, Safeguarding Children: Working Together under the Children Act 2004.
The procedures provide common standards to guide child protection practice for every Local Safeguarding Children Board in Wales. They provide a framework within which individual child protection referrals, actions, decisions and plans are made and carried out. They are an integral part of the agenda for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
The UNCRC is cited as an underpinning principle of the All Wales Child Protection Procedures and specifies amongst other issues that a child has a right to an independent advocate and a right to confidentiality except in particular circumstances.
Who are the procedures for?
The procedures are based on the fundamental principle that the protection of children from harm is the responsibility of all individuals and agencies working with children and families, and with adults who may pose a risk to children, across professions, agencies and departments and in the statutory and voluntary and independent sectors. The effective protection of children cannot be achieved by a single agency acting on its own. The procedures clarify how individuals and agencies should communicate and work together effectively in partnership in order to identify vulnerable children, keep them safe from abuse and neglect and improve outcomes for them.
The Children Act 2004 names the organizations that have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are constituent members of the Local Safeguarding Boards. The Local Safeguarding Boards have a responsibility to ensure that the All Wales Child Protection Procedures are fully implemented within their areas and to monitor their effectiveness.
The procedures are a public document and acknowledge that members of all communities can have a vital role in alerting social services departments and the police to concerns about harm to children.
To access further advice on Child Protection, please go to the following useful links:
For additional reading on child protection and children's rights see this article or to our Library