Safeguarding

Children and young people may need to be looked after away from their families for a number of reasons that require the local authority to assume parental  responsibilities for health, safety and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people.  It is important that the local authority provides a level of care that ensures these vulnerable children and young people are provided with a level of care that ensures that are safe and afforded equality of opportunities to thrive as young people and develop into functional members of society.

Care workers and Foster carers are trained to play an important role in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of children in care.  We work in partnership  with the local authorities, the looked after child, their families and other agencies (such as education and healthcare) to ensure that the individual needs of each child is the  paramount concern.  The safeguarding of children and young people are underpinned by two principles:

1. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility:  everyone working with children and young people are responsible for keeping them safe.  We work in partnership to identify and raise concerns with other professionals in order to protect and prevent unnecessary risk, harm, exploitation and maltreatment.
2. A child-centred approach:  All workers and other professionals will work in the best interests of the child.  The child’s needs, withes and feelings will be placed at the centre of the planned care arrangements.

Safeguarding children and young people is about more than protecting health and wellbeing.  Safeguarding also involves valuing diverse needs and promoting rights.  Safeguarding is central to providing quality care that is safe and effective.  Safeguarding children involves:

• Protectionfrom risk of abuse, neglect and maltreatment.
• Preventionfrom things that might negatively effect health, wellbeing and development.
• Empoweringchildren and young people by informing and supporting them to make their own informed choices.
• Partnershipworking with the young person, their family and relevant agencies to provide and maintain high quality care that meets actual needs.
• Proportionality:  safeguarding decisions are appropriate to the level of identified risk and action will only be taken in the best interest of the child and only when needed.
• Accountability:  Carers and other agencies working with children and young people will accept responsibility and be accountable for their own actions.