Task 6. Explain the importance of safeguarding children and young people.
Children and young people are vulnerable in nature. As their journey of life is in initial stages of development. They lack experience to understand and handle certain situations. Their lives can be severely affected by the risk, danger and fear from unknown or from people who are considered closest. If they are not taken care during their childhood, they may suffer from difficult young age and adulthood.
Victoria Climbie’s tragic death highlighted how children are at the risk of being maltreated or abused. Lord Laming’s report covered the possibilities of what can propose danger towards children. It is not enough just keeping children safe from harm/danger or being bullied, but at the same time they should be able to enjoy their childhood, gain life skills, accept challenges and achieve to make their adulthood successful.
Every child matters green paper focuses on all the aspects of children and young people’s welfare.
• It focuses on support to families and carers for effective parenting, fostering or child care.
• Ensure all the people working with children are trained, rewarded and valued.
• Adherence to rules, regulation, policies and guidelines to build safe and secure society/environment for children to grow strong and confident.
• Enjoy physical health and mentally healthy lifestyle.
• Provide equal, growing opportunities to develop life skills for economic wellbeing and positive
There are many social, economical and cultural factors that impact on the lives of children and young people. In my role as a Young Carer’s Support Worker, I work with a number of families living with the consequences of these factors. Every Child Matters (ECM) aims to improve the outcomes and life chances of every child and young person, therefore, it is important we understand and do all we can to help them achieve the 5 outcomes of the ECM, stay safe, be healthy, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, and, achieve economic well-being.
It emphasises the important principles to be followed when working with children and young people: settings must provide a safe and secure environment, if any children are identified as suffering from abuse or likely to suffer the appropriate action must be taken.
Throughout this essay, the health, safety and welfare policy and practise that came about after the Victoria Climbie case will be reviewed and evaluated. After arriving in England in November 1991 from the Ivory Coast, eight-year old Victoria Climbie suffered abuse from her great-aunt, Marie-Therese Kouao, and her great-aunts partner. The anguish and eventual murder of Victoria in 2000 from hypothermia, caused by malnourishment and damp conditions, provoked ‘the most extensive investigation into the child protection system in British history’ as described by Batty (Macleod-Brudenell, 2004). The high media profiled incident exposed a clear lack of precision and communication between all professionals and agencies involved. This is shown by
1.1 outline current legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures within own UK home nation affecting the safeguarding of children and young people.
Children and young people should feel happy, safe, respected and included in the school or early years setting environment and all staff should be proactive in promoting positive behavior in the classroom, playground and the wider community. Policies and practice which make sure the safety and wellbeing of children should already be in place and it is this legislation develop through many years and experiences, and mistakes, that underpin the working practices that are used today.
Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care and
- carry out medical examinations/observations of a child thought to be at risk of abuse.
Ensuring children and young people’s safety and welfare in the work setting is an essential part of safeguarding. While children are at school, practitioners act in ‘loco parentis’ while their parents are away. As part of their legal and professional obligations, practitioners hold positions of trust and a duty of care to the children in their school, and therefore should always act in their best interests and ensure their safety – the welfare of the child is paramount (Children Act 1989). The Children Act 2004 came in with the Every Child Matters (ECM) guidelines and greatly impacted the way schools look at the care and welfare of pupils. Children and young people should be helped to learn and thrive and be given the opportunity to
Safeguarding is for everyone and every organisation responsibility to protect children from any harm and promote their welfare (Children Act, 2004). However, the Department of Children, School
Safeguarding is a fundamental part of our every day activities with children and young people in the most basic of things from
Develop and implement policies and procedures to support the safeguarding of children and young people.
National and local guidelines, policies, and procedures determine the nature of relationship and interaction with children and young people. The policies decide on the rights and privileges of children and young people in the society thus outlining how this group should relate to the entire community. National and local guidelines, policies, and procedures for safeguarding determine practice, planning, and organization of all activities in relation to children and young people. The policies ensure that the procedures for protection of children and young people are clear to all in the daily interactions. The policies enlighten the entire society on how to spot child abuse, violence, and exploitation. The policies also have the essence of creating positive and safe environment for the development of children and young people. Policies also
Often children die or get seriously injured due to abuse or avoidable accidents. Society has a duty to protect children. We have a range of professional organisations supported by legislation, policies and procedures in order to do this. When the procedures and policies do not work society has failed at the thing it is meant to do. It is vital and that the causes of failure are known and dealt with.
To be able to safeguard children effectively we need to be aware of the following policies:
They can also work with parents and carers in the care and treatment of vulnerable children, providing support to the families to help them achieve better parenting skills.