New guide on inter-agency working to safeguard children

The Government has published new guidance on how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard children and how practitioners should conduct the assessment of children.

The guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children, is published by the Department of Education and will come into effect from 15 April 2013. It aims to help professionals understand what they need to do, and what they can expect of one another, to safeguard children. It focuses on core legal requirements, making it clear what individuals and organisations should do to keep children safe.

This guidance covers the legislative requirements and expectations on individual services to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It also provides a clear framework for Local Safeguarding Children Boards to monitor the effectiveness of local services.

In 2011-12 over 600,000 children in England were referred to local authority children's social care services by individuals who had concerns about their welfare.