Children Act 2005 Essay

There are many legislations and guidelines affecting safeguarding of children and young people. The Children Act 1989, assigns duties to local authorities, courts, parents and other agencies to ensure children are safeguarded, their welfare promoted and for children to be consulted in decisions affecting them. The Children's Act 2004 made amendments to the act of 1989 after the failings regarding Victoria Climbe. It places duty on local authorities to work together and share information introducing local Safeguarding Boards to work collaboratively to safeguard children and young people. This includes the five outcomes of Every Child Matters 2003. The Childcare Act 0f 2006 introduced plans for children aged 0-5 to

Children Act 1989 – Determines the duty of early year’s practitioners to identify and meet the separate and distinctive needs of children and to keep them safe. It initiated the belief that the child ought to be at the centre of planning and that a child’s well-being and safety are vital when judgements are made concerning them. This act also recognises the accountabilities of parents in keeping their offspring safe. In this act there are two particular segments that relate to the duty of local authority with concern to child protection, these are-

Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people is extremely important. It involves more than just protecting children from abuse – it also includes promoting their interests, keeping them safe and protecting their rights.

It is everybody’s responsibility to safeguard children – This means every single staff member within a setting; irrelevant of what role they may have there. This also includes non-staff members, such as volunteers, student’s third-party companies (visitors, service providers etc). Each setting should therefore adopt their own safeguarding policy, of which has to be kept up to date and followed at all times.

The children act 1989 has influenced some settings by bringing together several sets of guidance and provided the foundation for many of the standards practitioners sustain and maintain when working with children. The act requires that settings work together in the best interests of the child and form partnerships with parents or carers. It requires settings to have appropriate adult to child ratios and policies and procedures on child protection. This act has had an influence in all areas of practice from planning a curriculum and record keeping. The every child matters framework has

Safeguarding is for everyone and every organisation responsibility to protect children from any harm and promote their welfare (Children Act, 2004). However, the Department of Children, School

The UK Government has defined the term ‘safeguarding children’ as: ‘The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully.’

The importance of interagency working in the safeguarding and protection of children in the UK

The idea behind the Act is to promote (co-ordination between multiple official entities to improve the overall well-being of children. The 2004 Act also specifically provided for including and affecting disabled children. The Act places a duty on local authorities and their partners (including the police, health service providers and the youth justice system) to co-operate in promoting the wellbeing of children and young people and to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

As the wellbeing of the children and young people involves several aspects which need to be protected and care for, a network of organisations working together which protects, enables, prevents and provides the kind of care needed is the best –if not only- way to guaranteeing the safety and better chances of children and young people.

How national and local guidelines, policies and procedures for safeguarding affect day to day work with children and young people

There are a number of agencies which may be involved when working in the context of safeguarding, which means that it’s important that everyone communicates and works in a partnership which ensures the safety and protection of children. Each area of expertise may need to have an input in any one case, and each case should be considered when discussing issues surrounding safeguarding. A working party of ‘team around the child’ meeting may be called involving a number of agencies in order to discuss how to move forward in a child’s best interests.

Children Act 1989 - Parents and professionals must work to ensure the safety of the child. Local

The Children’s Act 2004 revised but does not replace Children’s Act 1989. The Act presents a legislative foundation which covers universal services in which every child can access, in addition to more targeted services for those children with added needs. The main aim of the Act is to promote a multi-discipline working including integrated planning, commissioning and provision of services, in addition to increasing accountability and improving the organisation of individual and joint services within the local authority.

The children act 1989 & 2004 – the government create a joined up system of health, family support childcare education services so that all children can get the best start. Under the every child matters; organizations providing services such as schools, hospitals, the police working together and share information so that all children and those vulnerable groups have support they need to; - be healthy