Tameside SCB

The new edition of Working Together to Safeguard Children has been published in March 2010. This is the central government document that provides statutory and non-statutory guidance for practitioners, policy makers and managers. The TSCB Safeguarding Children Framework will be revised to reflect the changes.

The new edition of Working Together to Safeguard children includes the following changes. To find out more about the full set of changes go to the Safeguarding Library

• The importance of keeping the child in focus is re-emphasised, particularly ascertaining the wishes and feelings of children and young people before making decisions to protect them
• The definition of children at risk now includes young people at risk of harm from community based violence such as gang, group and knife crime
• The requirement for LSCBs to produce and publish an annual report on the effectiveness of safeguarding in the local area
• The appointment of two representatives of the local community as lay members to each LSCB
• Statutory representation on the LSCB of schools
• The Children’s Trust Board should work with the LSCB to ensure that local arrangements for use of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) are clearly distinguished from the need to refer a child to children’s social care services
• Children who might require protection now includes;
  • children abused through sexual exploitation
  • children affected by parental mental ill health
  • young victims of crime
• A new function for the LSCB to monitor safeguarding performance by all partners through a peer review process, self evaluation process, data and self audits
• Research indicates that where LSCBs manage inter-agency training this is highly effective.
• Initial assessment timescale changes to 10 working days
• Greater emphasis on the importance of good analysis
• A new section on the abuse of disabled children reflecting, “Safeguarding Disabled Children- Practice Guidance”, DCSF 2009
• Clarification of the responsibilities of LSCBs in respect of child deaths