Underlying Policy, Principles and Values

Throughout this Manual, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:

• Protecting children from maltreatment;
• Preventing impairment of children's health or development;
• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
• Undertaking that role so as to enable those children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.

Protecting children from maltreatment is important in preventing the impairment of health or development. Protecting children from maltreatment and preventing impairment of children's health or development are necessary, but not sufficient to ensure that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.

Young people at serious risk of harm through Domestic Abuse or through frequent Running Away are likely to have significant needs. Agencies and professionals need to ensure that the safeguarding process responds effectively to the needs of children at risk of suffering violence within the community. This may involve both the perpetrators and victims of violent activity.

To achieve this, children need to feel loved and valued, and be supported by a network of reliable and affectionate relationships. If they are denied the opportunity and support they need to achieve these outcomes, children are at increased risk not only of an impoverished childhood, but of disadvantage and social exclusion in adulthood. Abuse and neglect pose particular problems.

The NEL SCP is committed to ensuring that families in North East Lincolnshire have access to a wide range of services and professional support to help them bring up their children. The NEL SCP believe that in the great majority of cases, it should be the decision of parents when to ask for help and advice on their children's care and upbringing. However, professionals do also need to engage parents early when to do so may prevent problems or difficulties becoming worse. Only in exceptional cases should there be compulsory intervention in family life: for example, where this is necessary to safeguard a child from suffering Significant Harm. Such intervention should - provided this is consistent with the safety and welfare of the child - support families in making their own plans for the welfare and protection of their children.

Child protection is part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. This refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm.

Effective child protection is essential as part of wider work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. However, all agencies and individuals should aim pro-actively to safeguard and promote the welfare of children so that the need for action to protect children from harm is reduced.

The North East Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership and all managers, employees, professionals, volunteers, carers, independent contractors and service providers must ensure that their practice reflects an approach which is:

1. Child-centred
   Some of the worst failures of the system have occurred when professionals have lost sight of the child and concentrated instead on their relationship with the adults. The child should be seen by the practitioner and kept in focus throughout work with the child and family. The child's voice should be heard and account taken of their perspective and their views.
   The over-riding principle is that the needs and rights of children come first i.e. the safety and well-being of the child are paramount. Where the rights and needs of the child conflict with those of adults, whether parents/carers or professionals, any conflict must be resolved in the child's favour. The NEL SCP strongly endorses the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;
   
   
2. Rooted in child development
   Those working with children should be informed by a developmental perspective which recognises that, as children grow, they continue to develop their skills and abilities. Each stage, from infancy through middle years to adolescence, lays the foundation for more complex development. Plans and interventions to safeguard and promote the child's welfare should be based on a clear assessment of the child's developmental progress and the difficulties a child may be experiencing. Planned action should also be timely and appropriate for the child's age and stage of development;
   
   
3. Focused on outcomes for children
   When working directly with a child, any plan developed for the child and their family or care giver should be based on an assessment of the child's developmental needs and the parents/caregivers' capacity to respond to these needs within their community contexts. This plan should set out the planned outcomes for each child and at review the actual outcomes should be recorded.
   The purpose of all interventions should be to achieve the best possible outcomes for each child recognising each is unique;
   
   
4. Holistic in approach
   Having an holistic approach means having an understanding of a child within the context of the child's family (parents or care givers and the wider family) and of the educational setting, community and culture in which he or she is growing up. The interaction between the developmental needs of children, the capacities of parents or care givers to respond appropriately to those needs and the impact of wider family and environmental factors on children and on parenting capacity requires careful exploration during an assessment.
   The ultimate aim is to understand the child's developmental needs within the context of the family and to provide appropriate services which respond to those needs. The analysis of the child's situation will inform planning and action in order to secure the best outcomes for the child, and will inform the subsequent review of the effectiveness of actions taken and services provided. The child's context will be even more complex when they are living away from home and looked after by adults who do not have parental responsibility for them;
   
   
5. Ensuring equality of opportunity
   Equality of opportunity means that all children have the opportunity to achieve the best possible development, regardless of their gender, ability, race, ethnicity, circumstances or age. Some vulnerable children may have been particularly disadvantaged in their access to important opportunities and their health and educational needs will require particular attention in order to optimise their current welfare as well as their long-term outcomes in young adulthood.
   The NEL SCP recognise that children and families can suffer from discrimination because of race, ethnic origin, religion, culture or disability. The partnership is committed to promoting equity of service, and to working in a non-discriminatory manner. NEL SCP recognises the challenge of working in Lincolnshire where minority groups are often small and isolated.
   The principle of equal opportunities also means that children in minority groups have an equal right to protection from abuse, and that the same standards should apply when assessments are being made. Cultural factors neither explain nor condone abuse or Neglect, and it must be acknowledged that children from all backgrounds can be abused or neglected.
   
   
6. Involving of children and families
   In the process of finding out what is happening to a child it is important to listen and develop an understanding of his or her wishes and feelings. The importance of developing a co-operative working relationship is emphasised, so that parents or care givers feel respected and informed, they believe agency staff are being open and honest with them, and in turn they are confident about providing vital information about their child, themselves and their circumstances. The consent of children, young people and their parents or care givers should be obtained when sharing information unless to do so would place the child at risk of suffering Significant Harm. Decisions should also be made with their agreement, whenever possible, unless to do so would place the child at risk of suffering significant harm. See below and also Information Sharing;
   
   
7. Sharing Information
   Research and experience have shown that keeping children safe requires professionals and others to share information about children and about their parents/carers and others who may pose a risk of harm to children. Often, it is only when information from a number of sources has been shared and is then put together that it becomes clear that a child is likely to suffer Significant Harm. NEL SCP therefore endorses the principle of sharing information to protect children. At the same time the legitimate concerns and anxieties of professionals and agencies when dealing with sensitive personal information are recognised.
   NEL SCP believes that:
   • The best way to resolve any potential difficulties is normally for agencies and professionals to seek the consent of the subject of the information to share it with others;
   • Where consent is not given, or seeking consent would lead to a child being likely to suffer significant harm, sharing information should not normally be a problem where Children's Services are carrying out enquiries under. The law and most professional guidance in these circumstances would normally allow information to be disclosed without consent in order to safeguard the child and/or for the purposes of the prevention or detection of crime;
     
     
8. Where Children's Services are seeking information as part of a social work assessment, in order to decide among other things whether a Section 47 Enquiry is needed, the position is less clear. The consent of children, young people and their parents or caregivers should be obtained when sharing information unless to do so would lead to the child being likely to suffer significant harm.
   Building on strengths as well as identifying difficulties.
   Identifying both strengths and difficulties within the child, his or her family and the context in which they are living is important, as is considering how these factors have an impact on the child's health and development. Too often it has been found that a deficit model of working with families predominates in practice, and ignores crucial areas of success and effectiveness within the family on which to base interventions.
   Working with a child or families strengths becomes an important part of a plan to resolve difficulties;
   
   
9. Multi and inter-agency in approach
   From birth, there will be a variety of different agencies and programmes in the community involved with children and their development, particularly in relation to their health and education. Multi and inter-agency work to safeguard and promote children's welfare starts as soon as there are concerns about a child's welfare, not just when there are questions about possible harm.
   NEL SCP recognises that agencies have different roles and responsibilities in terms of child protection. The essence of effective collaboration lies not in blurring these differences but in recognising that each agency and professional has its own contribution to make, complementing the roles of others. The main roles of agencies in relation to child protection are summarised in Information Sharing;
   
   
10. A continuing process not an event
    Understanding what is happening to a vulnerable child within the context of his or her family and the local community, and taking appropriate action are continuing and interactive processes and not single events. Assessment should continue throughout a period of intervention, and intervention may start at the beginning of an assessment.
    
    
11. Providing and reviewing services
    Action and services should be provided according to the identified needs of the child and family in parallel with assessment where necessary. It is not necessary to await completion of the assessment process. Immediate and practical needs should be addressed alongside more complex and longer term ones. The impact of service provision on a child's developmental progress should be reviewed.
    
    
12. Informed by evidence
    Effective practice with children and families requires sound professional judgements which are underpinned by a rigorous evidence base, and draw on the practitioners knowledge and experience.
    The NEL SCP aims to be a learning organisation and is committed to the principle of continuous improvement of services. Learning will take place at different levels and in a number of different ways, including:
    • Through the work of Sub-Groups developing practice guidance;
    • Through auditing and monitoring of performance against targets;
    • Through consideration of individual cases by the Inter-Agency Significant Incident Review Group;
    • Through Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (previously Serious Case Reviews);
    • Through dissemination of national research and best practice.

The NEL SCP strongly supports the principle of working in partnership with children, parents/carers and other family members. The importance of developing a co-operative working relationship is emphasised, so that parents or caregivers feel respected and informed and that they believe agency staff are being open and honest with them. In turn they are confident about providing vital information about their child, themselves and their circumstances.

Partnership does not mean always agreeing with parents, or always seeking a way forward which is acceptable to them. The focus should remain on the child and what is best for him/her. Decisions should also be made with their agreement, whenever possible, unless to do so would lead to the child suffering significant harm.

Work in partnership with families must be based on the following principles:

• Treat all family members with dignity and respect and offer a caring and courteous service;
• Enable all family members to participate in the assessment process, regardless of race, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation or ability;
• Ensure family members know the child's safety and welfare has priority;
• Minimise infringement of privacy consistent with protecting the child;
• Be clear about powers and purpose of any intervention;
• Be aware of the impact on the family of professional actions;
• Respect confidentiality and pass on information and/or observations about the family only with permission or to protect the child;
• Listen to and try to understand the concerns, wishes and feelings of the child and family before formulating explanations and plans;
• Learn about the child's religious, cultural, community and familial context;
• Consider strengths, potential and limitations of family members;
• Ensure all family members know their responsibilities and rights with respect to receipt or refusal of services and its consequences;
• Use simple jargon-free language appropriate to age and culture of each individual;
• Be open and honest about concerns and professionals' responsibilities, plans and limitations;
• Allow individuals time to absorb professional concerns and processes;
• Distinguish between personal feelings, values, prejudices and beliefs, and professional roles and responsibilities and seek and use supervision to check achievement of this;
• Always acknowledge errors, failures or oversights and the distress caused to families;
• Give explicit consideration to the potential conflict between family members and the possible need for children or adults to speak without other family members present;
• Children and young people should be consulted and kept informed about what is to happen to them;
• Children's welfare must be safeguarded by prompt, positive and pro-active attention.

Any timescales referred to in the procedures are the minimum standards required by NEL Safeguarding Children Partnership. Where the welfare of the child requires it, shorter time-scales must be achieved.

The following is intended to ensure the security of children's case records and the integrity of the information that they contain.

Good quality case recording is essential in ensuring:

• Continuity of service to children and families when staff are unavailable or change, or when a service resumes after a period of time;
• Effective risk management practices to safeguard the well-being of children, especially in emergency situations;
• Effective partnerships between staff, children, their families, their carers, other agencies and service providers;
• Clarity of information for everyone involved in the planning and delivery of services, and in the event of investigations, inquiries, or audits;
• Adequate information for staff and managers to ensure the best possible utilisation of available resources;
• As a means by which to ensure accountability and adherence to procedures and statutory responsibilities.