National And Local Context Of Safeguarding Essay

Local authorities have an overarching responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people in their area. Under the 1989 and 2004 Children Acts they have clear statutory functions, duties and roles.
All adults, and in particular those who work with children, have a responsibility to safeguard children and young people from harm. It is essential that they all play there part to safeguard children and young people as they are unable to protect themselves alone and are far more vulnerable to things such as abuse and neglect than adults are.
Practitioners have a duty to ensure that children and young people are protected while they are in their care and that when there are concerns outside school, these are fully

Childrens safety when in the home environment.
E-safety and security when using the Internet.
Staff awareness and training.
Monitoring and record keeping.
Partnership and involvement with other agencies.

Safeguarding children and young people is a complex task and includes several different factors that need to be considered. Safeguarding does not only consist of the physical safety of children in school and on outside visits, but also their mental and emotional well-being and their e-security in the web environment. Practitioners with day-to-day contact with the pupils need to be well-trained, DBS cleared to work with children and young adults, and also aware of the needs of children and possible signs of harm that abuse and neglect can cause.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:

Protecting children from maltreatment.
Preventing impairment of children's health or development.
Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
Taking action to enable all children to have the best