Safeguarding: Legislation, Roles, Reporting, Confidentiality and Child Protection

This article discusses the importance of safeguarding children and young people, summarizing current legislation and guidelines for safeguarding, analyzing how they inform policy and procedures, explaining the roles and responsibilities of early years practitioners, describing lines of reporting and confidentiality boundaries, and explaining child protection in relation to safeguarding.

Safeguarding 742915:

Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Summarize current legislation and guidelines for the safeguarding, protection and welfare of
children............................................................................................................................................2
1.3 Analyzes how current legislation and guidelines for safeguarding inform policy and
procedures........................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Explain the roles and responsibilities of the early years’ practitioner in relation to the
safeguarding protection and welfare of children.............................................................................6
2.2 Describe the lines of reporting and responsibility to meet the safeguarding, protection and
welfare of children...........................................................................................................................6
2.3 Explain the boundaries of confidentiality in relation to the safeguarding, protection and
welfare of children...........................................................................................................................7
2.4 Analyse the benefits of partnership working in the context of safeguarding, protection and
welfare of children...........................................................................................................................7
3.1 Explain child protection in relation to safeguarding..................................................................8
3.2 Describe signs, symptoms, indicators and behaviours that may cause concern relating to:......8
3.3 Describe actions to take if harm or abuse is suspected and /or disclosed..................................9
3.4 Explain the rights of children and parents/ carers in situation where harm or abuse is
suspected or alleged.......................................................................................................................10
3.5 Explain the responsibilities of the early year’s practitioner in relation to whistle blowing....10
4.1 Explain why serious case reviews are required.......................................................................10
4.2 Analyse how serious case reviews inform practice.................................................................11
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................11
Reference List................................................................................................................................12

Introduction
Safeguarding is considered as one of the most important as well as sensitive issues of today.
Most of the countries have realized the importance rather the necessity of safeguarding the
children and young people. On the other words, it can be said that safeguarding can be accepted
as one of the best initiatives that the nation take in order to keep safe the countrymen especially
for the people who are unable to keep them safe by themselves such as children, young people
and even the elderly people. This assignment is concerned of the safeguarding, protection and
welfare of the children. Making safe all the children of a nation is not a flimsy issue rather in
order to make activate the safeguarding regime, the respected government has enabled number of
legislations through which a better outcome can be expected. With restless efforts of the
organisations, individuals and the government ensuring a better world for the children is
possible.
1.1 Summarize current legislation and guidelines for the safeguarding, protection and
welfare of children.
Legislation is accepted as the best tool through which a nation can direct and maintain its
countrymen in the right track. On the other words, it can be said that it is the duty of the
government to ensure that all the countrymen are getting equal facilities and protection. And in
order to perform the duties, the government has enabled bunch of legislation. In the next lines,
the most relevant acts, legislations are summarized.
● Working together to safeguard children (2013) - “Working together to safeguard children
(2013)” was introduced into the force on 15th April, 2013. With the same title, in 2010, a
document was released but it is getting accepted as the updated version. According to this
statutory guidance, the organisations and the individuals should enable a proper working regime
in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children. The framework of this opinion is
about the children and their families who are in need (2000). And this regime falls under the 11th

section of the Children Act 2004 (2007). Generally the statutory guidance focuses on the legal
requirements (Peckover and Trotter, 2015)
● What to do if you are worried a child is being abused (2006) - this is a non-statutory
guidance and was introduced into the genre in order to make responsible the people who are
directly and indirectly connected with the children through their work such as social care,
education, health care, the police and the adult services. Here the responsible people need to
follow four principles such as-
 All the children have the right to remain safe from any kind of abuse and neglect
 Safeguarding the children is considered as the responsibility of all the countrymen
 The issues related to the child abuse should get solved as early as possible unless it can
take a more complicated form
 All the agencies should enable the co-ordinate responses in order to support and protect
the children and families
Along with these principles an individual can take right step during the requirement. Generally,
there are four steps through it is possible to identify and response to the potential abuse or
neglect-
Better alertness> Question behaviors> Ask for help> refer
● Children’s act (2004) (emphasis on multi agency working) - according to this Act,
safeguarding is the responsibility of all the people and it takes most important form when it
comes to safeguarding the children. Actually, safeguarding is a wide idea and it can get achieved
only through the various outcomes for the children and young people. Here few facts such as
education, health, development, and economic circumstances get incorporated. In order to
improve the living condition of the children this Act generally acts as a legislative spine.
●Protection of children act (1999) - this act was introduced into the genre in order to notify the
regulated childcare organisations to maintain a statutory duty in order to reveal the names, with
whom they are facing complications to promote and maintain proper safeguarding for children
for possible insertion in poCA list.

● The disclosure and barring service (DBS) - when the concern comes to children and young
people then an organisation has some legal obligations in order to make it sure that all the
employees are suitable to perform in close proximity to children and young adults. And in order
to check the ability or the employee is suitable or not the use of DBS checking is enhanced.
1.3 Analyzes how current legislation and guidelines for safeguarding inform policy and
procedures.
Policy and procedures are there to offer proper guidance in order to accelerate the steps to
perform the best task according the circumstance criteria. It is also noticed that here the regime
of information recording and managing the complaints are also important in order to ensure the
implementation and compliance. But here the current legislation plays a pivotal role or it can be
said that policies and procedures are in right track because of the right implementation of
legislation. According to the assignment criteria, in the following lines, five legislations are
discussed (Humphreys and Bradbury‐Jones, 2015)
Equalities Act 2010- this Equality Act 2010 has brought together 116 separated pieces of
legislation into one single Act. And all of these in one alignment ensure the rights and advance
equality for all the people. Generally, it concentrates on the portions where an individual is not
getting his/her proper facilities according the right. Discrimination can get properly judged more
closely when it comes to safeguarding the children. Favoritism cannot be accepted to an
organisation or any framework which has aimed to serve the children. The organisations should
ensure the appropriate staff setting, provide them proper training and warning to perform their
task without considering any discrimination.
Health and Safety at work Act (1992/1999) - according to this Act, here the risk assessment is
accepted as one of the most important parts. Related organisations with more or less employee
support need to record the identification of the risk assessment. Actually, the organisations
should enable proper training regime and there is a need of a competent person in order to ensure
that all the employees are properly aware of their roles and responsibilities and what to do
exactly in an emergency. In order to make the regime activated maintaining proper duty of
employers to the staff, display H& S at work poster, proper monitoring of risk assessments and
health and safety representative support is important (Richards and Gallagher, 2017)

Medicines Act 1996- Medicines Act is there to protect the children. When the need of medicine
came to meet then prescribed medicine are the utmost need. But in case of non-medically
qualified person the consent of the parents is important. The organisation should provide proper
training to its non-medical employees to gain a sound knowledge on medicine and its
application.
Child care Act 2006- this act was introduced into the genre in order to form condition about the
duties and power of the related local authorities and other bodies in the United Kingdom in order
to improve the wellbeing of the young children. With the introduction of this Act, the related
authorities can define its new duties in order to improve the every child matter outcomes,
childcare for working parents and information services for the parents (Szilassy et al. 2017).
The Children Act 2004- presently it is accepted as the basis for official administration of thee
related organisation sin in order to help the children. And here automatically all the local
government functions which aim children welfare and education get incorporated. The main
purpose of the introduction of this Act is to better control the official intervention when the
interest is on the children (Daniel et al, 2015)
2.1 Explain the roles and responsibilities of the early years’ practitioner in relation to the
safeguarding protection and welfare of children.
 When it comes to safeguarding then all the related individuals of the care unit need to
play some roles and these roles are really important in order to care and protect the
children of the community. In the next lines, the utmost roles are discussed.
 The applied regime is in the right track or not it can get best evaluated only though the
close supervision. Actually it is noticed that children often cannot express their actual
feelings or sufferings and that’s why in order to care and heal them enabling proper
supervision regime is important.
 Comforting the children is another great thing and with the development of trust
relationship between the care given and the children, treating the children through the
better regime is possible. A comfortable person and an environment is important in order
to understand the mental setting of the children.

 All the care organisations should avail the employees who have proper knowledge on
health and safety policy. And the management should also be able to running the policies
according to the need of the children and organisation.
 It is an all agreed fact that evaluating the potential risks is truly important and it become
more vital when it comes to child care units.
 The common assessment framework is important to perform the required task in the
appropriate manner. And this can get perfectly accelerated when the organisations follow
the procedures and apply for safeguarding children.
 In a working atmosphere any kind of incident can take place and which can directly and
indirectly affect the regime and that’s why keeping record and reporting the facts and
incidents is really important.
 Proper safeguarding training is another important feature and through it a care
organisation can make its employees more responsible about their roles.
2.2 Describe the lines of reporting and responsibility to meet the safeguarding, protection
and welfare of children.
According to EYFs having proper safeguarding setting in all the care units is really important.
But safeguarding is not a single task rather it can be accepted as an alignment of a lot of tasks,
which only aim the protection, safeguarding and wellbeing of the children (Price and Spencer,
2015). Why safeguarding has become this much important to a nation may be a matter of wonder
and in order to highlight the reasons it can be said that the sufferings and increasing crime to the
children and young people of a nation have gained the attention of the government. In order to
make a nation stronger and to keep well the nation, a government may introduce the
safeguarding regime. Safeguarding is not a single task and it cannot get performed by a single
organisation or only by the government. With the proper help of implemented legislation, care
units and even the responsible individuals enabling proper safeguarding for the children is
possible.

2.3 Explain the boundaries of confidentiality in relation to the safeguarding, protection and
welfare of children.
Actually, according to the Data Protection Act 1998, the personal information should remain
properly stored when it comes to safeguarding a child. And in order to attend the child’s welfare
often the detailed data gets required by the professional care suppliers. In order to make the
process hassle free, the detailed data of the child should keep separately so that it can get
properly placed in front of the professional in order to accelerate the wellbeing of that child. But
this detailed data should not get discussed outside of the setting (Waterhouse, 2015).
2.4 Analyse the benefits of partnership working in the context of safeguarding, protection
and welfare of children.
In the earlier portions, it is mentioned that safeguarding is not a single task rather it requires help
from all the level of a community. The government cannot make it run alone if the care
organisation does not show any interest on it or help the government. In order to offer better
safeguarding to the children of the nation, a care organisation needs to work with the government
and follow the legislation and policies. With the proper guidance and permission, an organisation
can merge to the root of the problem and it is really helpful to solve a safeguarding problem
instantly. On the contrary, having better relationship of an organisation with the health visitors,
parents, dietician, social workers counselors make more prominent partnership and this is really
important for the safeguarding children.
3.1 Explain child protection in relation to safeguarding
Child protection and safeguarding are the most serious topics of today. Abuse of the children is
not accepted in a society although it is taking place in the community (Waterhouse and McGhee,
2015). Abuse, neglect, ill-treatment all of these are really harmful for a child and it can make
his/her life complicated. But all of these can get best protected through the proper safeguarding
regime. Thorough the proper safeguarding setting enabling proper protection is possible. When
all the people remain aware of the protection of the children then the society automatically offers
better place and setting to the children.

3.2 Describe signs, symptoms, indicators and behaviours that may cause concern relating
to:
Domestic abuse- the children who have suffered the domestic abuse can be of following signs,
symptoms, indicators and behaviors (Jude, 2018).
Signs- aggressiveness in nature,
Symptom- low to high anti-social behavior
Indicator- generally suffer from anxiety or depression
Behavior- poor performance in the school or any field due to continuous interruption (domestic
abuse)
Neglect- avoiding a child by the parents or leaving him/her alone in home for a long time can
result in such issue.
Signs- poor appearance and hygiene
Symptom- many problems in health and development
Indicators- problems in house and family
Behavior- sleeping and eating disorder, over anxious, wets the bed and even the self harm
thoughts
Physical abuse- with only one or two signs it cannot get assumed that the child is suffering
through physical abuse as all the children face some small and medium accidents during play.
But there are few signs, symptoms which need to care properly (Richard and Gallagher, 2017).
Signs- bite marks, fracture or broken bones, bruises
Symptoms- fears to talk with anyone, abnormal tension
Indicators- nightmares, sudden change in behavior
Behavior- poor performance in school, criminal risk taking behavior and drug and alcohol
problems

Emotional abuse- it is also another important issue which all the responsible individuals should
care about.
Signs- over affectionate towards the strangers, poor confidence level
Symptoms- act of adulthood, isolated from the parents
Indicators-anxious activity, sleeping disorder
Behavior-self harm thoughts, making distance from the known one
Sexual abuse-
Signs- avoid staying alone or with any other individual, frightened of a particular person
Symptoms & Indicators- anal or vaginal soreness, STI, pregnancy (unwanted)
Behavior- promiscuous behavior, over activeness in sexuality at a young age (Peckover and
Trotter, 2015).
3.3 Describe actions to take if harm or abuse is suspected and /or disclosed
If it is about suspect of abuse or harm then the individual who is in charge should properly show
the concern to the child. In order to make the child comfortable, he/she should assure the child
not to having any fear. Gaining the trust of the child is also important. The regime should get
accelerated with proper recording setting. It is also noticed that cross examine can terrorize a
child. Whatever the outcome is, it should get properly discussed with the safeguarding officer.
And the judgment can vary on various conditions (Jude, 2018).
3.4 Explain the rights of children and parents/ carers in situation where harm or abuse is
suspected or alleged.
If a child has undergone several abuses then it is a completely sensitive situation and the child
should get cared properly. But the child can get proper justice and treatment and in order to avail
that having proper awareness of the rights of a child is important for the care units and each
responsible human being. After the harm, the child should not get called from several medical
examinations unless it can traumatize her/him. After that the child should get proper protection

and if he/she found his/her home to live comfortably then the authority should enable that regime
(Jones, 2017).
When it comes to the right of the parents then the parents have the right to express their own
opinion but if the child is still suffering then the parents have no immediate rights.
3.5 Explain the responsibilities of the early year’s practitioner in relation to whistle
blowing.
Whistle blowing is indeed a very important aspect when it is about safeguarding the children
from the harms and abuse (Brown et al. 2017). And in order to accelerate the process, the
practitioner needs to be aware and follow the related policies and procedures according to the
setting. The poor practice or any incident related to child abuse should get properly reported to
the high authorities by the practitioner as early as possible. The regime is completely supported
and protected by the supervisor or manager.
4.1 Explain why serious case reviews are required
Serious case review takes place when the situation gets beyond control such as death of a child
or very critical condition of a child. The main intentions of serious case review are highlighted
and keep in concern the lesions, better promotion of safeguarding in all the levels of a society
setting and proper establishment of the lesions. (Ammerman et al. 2015)
4.2 Analyse how serious case reviews inform practice
Actually, it is noticed that the responsible professionals here need to understand the exact
incidents or concepts of each incident and identify the potential changes in order to prevent such
tragedies to the children (Reddy and Minnaar, 2015). Here serious case review can help best as it
merges towards the root of problem. The setting should also be favor of child care and for
instance it can be stated that keeping the phone at a particular place during the work (by the
professional) can create a better awareness among the children about discipline.

Conclusion
After the long discussion, the assignment has reached its conclusion point. Thorough the entire
assignment it is getting clear that safeguarding is one of the most important initiatives by the
government and it become more sensitive when it comes to the children and young people.
Safeguarding is not a single task and the government cannot perform it alone if there is no help
from the care units. On the contrary, it can be said that care units cannot perform the
safeguarding task if there is no help from the government. Lastly it can be said that safeguarding
the children of a nation is the utmost duty of every person of that nation.

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