Legal and Ethical Issues in Childcare

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-

In order to not only promote the welfare of children within a setting but also to protect them from harm and abuse there are a number of pieces of legislation and statutory guidance that must be adhered to. Both laws and statutory guidance are mandatory and so legally enforceable and must act as a foundation of which policies and procedures within any setting can be based upon.

1.1 Outline current legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures within own UK home Nation affecting the safeguarding of children and young people

Assess strategies and methods used to minimise the harm to children, young people and their families where abuse is confirmed (M3).

Often children die or get seriously injured due to abuse or avoidable accidents. Society has a duty to protect children. We have a range of professional organisations supported by legislation, policies and procedures in order to do this. When the procedures and policies do not work society has failed at the thing it is meant to do. It is vital and that the causes of failure are known and dealt with.

Unit 516 Understand Safeguarding of children and young people (for those working in the adult sector) P5

This is when children are suffering from any form of abuse or neglect. It also involves protecting children and young people from maltreatment and preventing impairment of a child’s health and development by ensuring

* Analysing the child’s and families need’s and the level of risk or harm the child may be suffering

Police – must be informed at the earliest opportunity when any criminal offence has been, or is suspected of having been committed against a child. The decision concerning instigation of criminal proceedings is made by the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS. This decision is made, whenever possible after consultation with other agencies. All forces have a Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU). It is their responsibility to:

An Act to reform the law relating to children; to provide for local authority services for children in need and others; to amend the law with respect to children’s homes, community homes, voluntary homes and voluntary organisations; to make provision with respect to fostering, child minding and day care for young children and adoption; and for connected purposes.”

1.1- Outline the current legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures within own UK Home Nation affecting the safeguarding of children and young people-

There has been certain legislation in the United Kingdom along with home policies and procedures that affect the safeguarding of children and young people. Policies and procedures for safeguarding and child protection in England and Wales are the result of the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004 brought more changes that affected the way the child protection system works here in the United Kingdom and so affecting the safeguarding of children and young people. Through the protection policies and procedures for safeguarding children and young people, settings which work with children and young people have an important role in the

The following is an outline of current legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures within own UK Home Nation for safeguarding children

It is the educator’s role to report any suspicions of child maltreatment. There are times when CPS may