Working together to safeguard children
Statutory guidance on multi-agency working to help, support and protect children.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
This guidance is for:
- statutory safeguarding partners (health, local authorities, and police)
- directors of children’s services
- education providers and childcare settings
- social workers
- health professionals
- police (including British Transport Police)
- adult social care services
- housing and homelessness services
- Prison and Probation Services
- children’s homes
- secure establishments (secure training centres and young offender institutions)
- youth offending teams
- UK Visas and Immigration, Immigration Enforcement, and Border Force
- Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass)
- the armed services
- Channel panels
- voluntary, charity, social enterprise (VCSE) and faith-based organisations, and private sectors
- sports clubs and organisations
It applies to:
- all organisations and agencies that have functions relating to children
- all education providers and childcare settings
Statutory guidance is issued by law. You must follow it unless there’s a good reason not to.
Statutory framework
The statutory framework sets out the legislation relevant to safeguarding. It should be read alongside the statutory guidance.
Guidance for children and young people
Practitioners can use the following resources with children, young people and their families:
- Working together to safeguard children: an illustrated guide for children, young people and their families
- the short accompanying animated video
- a toolkit of resources
These materials were co-produced with children and young people, along with the Department for Education’s Social Care Advisory Board, facilitated by the National Children’s Bureau.
Practitioners can request the toolkit by emailing: workingtogether.statutoryguidance@education.gov.uk.
Related guidance
Improving practice with children, young people and families provides advice for local areas on embedding ‘Working together to safeguard children’ and the Children’s social care: national framework.