The Importance Of Working For Children To Be Protected

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.’

To be responsible for security and children's safety reporting any concerns to Designated safeguarding children's Person

A significant element of a practitioner’s role in protecting themselves would be to read policies and procedures that are put in place to safeguard them and children or young people in their care. In a care setting a professional can protect themselves by:

Today we use the term safeguarding instead of child protection because it covers a much broader range. These changes were influenced by the first Joint Chief Inspectors’ safeguarding report 2002 and formalised in the Every Child Matters legislation outlined in the Children Act 2004. By safeguarding a child or young person we ensure they get the very best of the opportunities available to them for them to achieve the best of their potential while keeping them safe from bullying, crime, accidents, neglect and abuse.

Children and young people should feel happy, safe, respected and included in the school or early years setting environment and all staff should be proactive in promoting positive behavior in the classroom, playground and the wider community. Policies and practice which make sure the safety and wellbeing of children should already be in place and it is this legislation develop through many years and experiences, and mistakes, that underpin the working practices that are used today.

When it comes to the roles and responsibilities of early years practitioners regarding safeguarding, protection and welfare of children it is important to remember “Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility”1 To help all practitioners achieve this responsibility the EYFS states: “Providers must have and implement a policy, and procedures, to safeguard children.” 2 “Providers must train all staff to understand their safeguarding policy and procedures, and ensure that all staff have up to date knowledge of safeguarding issues.” 3 Every setting must provide clear policies and procedures along with training covering all aspects of safeguarding, child protection, health and safety issue, identifying signs of possible abuse and neglect. However, it is a

Ensuring children and young people’s safety and welfare in the work setting is an essential part of safeguarding. While children are at school, practitioners act in ‘loco parentis’ while their parents are away. As part of their legal and professional obligations, practitioners hold positions of trust and a duty of care to the children in their school, and therefore should always act in their best interests and ensure their safety – the welfare of the child is paramount (Children Act 1989). The Children Act 2004 came in with the Every Child Matters (ECM) guidelines and greatly impacted the way schools look at the care and welfare of pupils. Children and young people should be helped to learn and thrive and be given the opportunity to

Child Protection aims at prevention and reactions in relation to exploitation, violence, and abuse against children. Children obtain protection against activities such as sexual exploitation, labor, trafficking, and harmful traditional practices. Most children are vulnerable to these abuses hence require much protection for full growth and development.

Decision made by an agency with Statutory Child Protection Powers (Police, LA or NSPCC) that emergency action may be necessary to safeguard child

- carry out medical examinations/observations of a child thought to be at risk of abuse.

Safeguarding means protecting and promoting the child’s welfare and putting measure in place to prevent abuse. Child protection is protecting a child where there is reason to believe that the child has suffered or are likely to suffer as a result of abuse.

Professionals within different agencies and organisations all have specific responsibilities regarding safeguarding of children and young people. The concept of integrated working involves everyone who works with children and young people, and is a central part of Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013).

This means keeping children safe from accidents (i.e. road safety), crime and bullying and actively promoting their well-being in a healthy, safe and supportive environment. It also encompasses issues such as pupil health and safety and bullying, about which there are specific statutory requirements, and a range of other issues, for example, arrangements for meeting the medical needs of children with medical conditions, providing first aid, school security, drugs and substance misuse.

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

Safeguarding is the term that has replaced the term Child Protection. It includes promoting children’s safety and welfare as well as protecting children when abuse happens. It has only been developed in the past 50 years, and the need for improved legislation has been highlighted by cases such as Maria Colwell (1973) and Victoria Climbie (2000) as these cases showed weaknesses in procedures.