In UK all different legislations, guidelines and polices aim to protect well-being of children and promote their safeguarding. The Children Act 1989 This Act has changed the law regarding children safeguarding. Local authorities, courts, parents/carers are assigned with duties and responsibilities in order to promote welfare, safe and happy upbringing of all children. The Children ACT 1989 believes that young people get the best care within their own families and focus on supporting parents and carers. However if there are any allegations or suspicion of child abuse, it gives the local authorities rights to intervene.
TDA 2.4 Understand the importance of promoting equality and diversity in work with children and young people Legislation: Disability Discrimination Act 2005 Schools must draw up a Disability Equality Scheme and access plan. Schools must promote participation in all areas of school life and stop bulling and discrimination. Special Educational Needs Act 2001 This Act makes it illegal to discriminate against pupils with SENs or a disability. Race Relations Act 2000 This Act explains the duties of schools and organisations to promote equality of races. Children’s Act 1989/2004 Describes the duties of local Authorities to provide effective and accessible services for all children according to the needs of the children, it also underpins E.C.M.
which are statutory organisations in England and operate within each local area to ensure that services co-operate to promote the welfare of children and young people. In 2010 another key document was updated and published by the government. called working together to safeguard children; it outlines the key responsibilities for professionals in protecting children from harm and keeping them safe. A very important organisation involved in safeguarding the welfare of children and young people is the Independent safeguarding authority(ISA) (a public body that is responsible for checking the suitability of those who wish to work with children and young people). This organisation operates the Vetting and Barring Scheme ( a scheme setup to help prevent unsuitable people working with children and vulnerable adults).
Children Act 1989 outlines that parents and professionals must work together to ensure the safety of a child. The local authority has a duty to investigate when there is a concern for a child who may be suffering or is at risk of significant harm Children Act 2004 provides legal framework for Every Child Matters. It also includes the requirements for services to work closely, forming an integrated service.There are five key features to the Children Act 2004: 1. Children’s Assessment Framework (CAF) to assist multi-agencies to work together 2. Revised arrangements on sharing information 3.
The children Act 2004 this Act was introduced as a result of the death of Victoria Climbie and was the introduction of 'Every Child Matters' which ensures the wellbeing of children through its five outcomes. The Every Child Matters framework has influenced settings by giving them and other childcare settings a duty to find new ways of working together by sharing information and working co-operatively to protect children from harm. Special educational needs and disability Act 2001 this act strengthens the rights of children with special education needs to be educated in schools. It also provides parents of children with special needs with advice and information. School action is the action taken when special educational needs are identified by teachers and additional help is then given or different from those provided by the usual differentiated curriculums are put place.
The Children Act 1989 covers the following: Reforms the law relating to children Makes provision for local authority services for children in need and others Amends the law with respect to children’s homes, community home, voluntary homes and voluntary organisations Makes provision with respect to fostering, child minding and day care for young children and adoption, and for connected purposes. The act has also been updated with the introduction of The Children Bill which received Royal Assent on 15 November and is now The Children Act 2004. The government has placed great focus on children’s issues and worked hard to safeguard all children whether in the care of their family or being cared for. However following a catalogue of errors by Haringey Social Services between 1999 and 2000 the Victoria Climbie tragedy came to light. This led to Lord Laming compiling a report and guidelines which we now know as Every Child Matters.
A Children’s Centre is reviewing the policies and procedures which will promote children’s health and welfare as well as their development. E1 – Identify FIVE (5) pieces of current legislation. E2 – Describe how each piece of legislation will influence working practices in the setting. The Children’s Act 1989/2004 “The Children’s Act is a United Kingdom act passed on 15th November 2004.” The Children’s Act 1989/2004 was introduced to allow equal opportunities to each and every child. This includes taking into account a child’s religion, racial origin & cultural background.
In 2010 an updated version of ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ was released which supports this view and also supports the essential relationships between agencies. Working Together “sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in accordance with the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004” (DCSF, 2009). According to the National College, “to address the five Every Child Matters outcomes for children’s health, safety, achievement, social contribution and economic well-being, professionals need to communicate in order to build successful working relationships”
ASSESSMENT TASK – CYP 3.3 UNDERSTAND HOW TO SAFEGUARD THE WELLBEING OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE TASK 1 1.1 The Education Act 2002 sets out the responsibilities of Local Education Authorities (LEAs), governing bodies, head teachers and all those working in schools to make sure that children are safe and free from harm. The Children Act 2004 was updated as a result of the Victoria Climbie case and is a major policy in child protection. It also pushed forward a document called ‘Every Child Matters’ which required services to work more closely and share relevant information. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006 is guidance which sets out the duties of organisations and how they must work together to safeguard children and young people. 1.2 Child protection is part of the wider work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is the responsibility of the local authority, working in partnership with other public organisations, the voluntary sector and children and young people, parents and carers and the wider community. A key objective for local authorities is to ensure children are protected from harm. Every child can be hurt, put at risk of harm or abused, regardless of their age, gender, religion or ethnicity.Safeguarding legislation and government guidance says that safeguarding means: * Protecting children from maltreatment * Preventing impairment of children’s health or development * Ensuring children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care. And “undertaking that role so as to enable children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully” (working together to safeguard children) The Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) is the key statutory mechanism for agreeing how the relevant organisations in each local area will cooperate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and for ensuring the effectiveness of what they do. The scope of the LSCB role falls into three categories: * Activities that safeguard all children and aim to identify and prevent maltreatment, or impairment of health or development, and ensure that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with safe and effective care * Proactive work that aims to target particular groups * Arrangements for responsive work to protect children who are suffering, or at risk of suffering, maltreatment.