The Roles Of The Social Worker

Safeguarding means protecting and promoting the child’s welfare and putting measure in place to prevent abuse. Child protection is protecting a child where there is reason to believe that the child has suffered or are likely to suffer as a result of abuse.

Children Act 2006 – Is an Act that defines the new duties imposed on the Local Authorities in respect to improving the Every Child Matters outcomes for pre-school children. The Act also defines new rules in relation to childcare for working parents as well as parental information services. It is aimed at improving the well-being of young children. It emphasises the importance of safeguarding children and young people within an educational setting. If a child discloses neglect or abuse; an establishment should have instructions to help the child. This could be referral to an outside organisation or internally.

Children Act 1989 – Determines the duty of early year’s practitioners to identify and meet the separate and distinctive needs of children and to keep them safe. It initiated the belief that the child ought to be at the centre of planning and that a child’s well-being and safety are vital when judgements are made concerning them. This act also recognises the accountabilities of parents in keeping their offspring safe. In this act there are two particular segments that relate to the duty of local authority with concern to child protection, these are-

Unit 16 Understand Safeguarding of Children & Young People (for those working in the adult sector) and Unit 14 Safeguarding and Protection of Vulnerable Adults Assignment

Child protection however, is just one aspect of safeguarding and focusses on how children are protected from abuse and neglect.

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

1.1 Outline current legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures within own UK home Nation affecting the safeguarding of children and young people

Any individual who comes into contact with children in their daily work has a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of children. Safeguarding means protecting and promoting the childs welfare and putting measures in place to prevent abuse. Child protection is protecting a child when there is reason to believe that the child has suffered or is likely to suffer from abuse or neglect. In order to ensure this happens within a school setting, there are many laws that protect the welfare and safeguarding of children:-

Today we use the term safeguarding instead of child protection because it covers a much broader range. These changes were influenced by the first Joint Chief Inspectors’ safeguarding report 2002 and formalised in the Every Child Matters legislation outlined in the Children Act 2004. By safeguarding a child or young person we ensure they get the very best of the opportunities available to them for them to achieve the best of their potential while keeping them safe from bullying, crime, accidents, neglect and abuse.

1. Outline current legislation, guidelines, policies and procedures within own UK Home Nation affecting the safeguarding of children and young people.

The importance of interagency working in the safeguarding and protection of children in the UK

Working Together to safeguard children 2015 is a statutory guidance and says ‘’specific duties in relation to children’s need and children suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.’’ (Gov.uk)

Working together to safeguard children 2006 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’s Act 1989 and the Children’s Act 2004. It is important that all practitioners within settings and environments looking and caring after children and young people must know their responsibilities and duties in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, following their legislations, policies and procedures.

My role while working with Sam is to be a teacher and an enabler. As a teacher I will be educating Sam about the benefits of joining AA and how it will help to better his life situations and to reach his goals. (Velten, 1996). I also will help Sam enroll himself in AA, which will help him to heal on not only a physical level, but also on an emotional level. It will also connect him to other resources and others that are experiencing some of the same struggles as he is. (Velten, 1996, p.105). I will also be teaching him how drinking can contribute to homelessness. (Polcin, 2016). I also want to have a discussion with Sam; about how his diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder can impact his day-to-day life. (Wanklyn et al., 2016).

The policy tells professionals and agency what their power and duties are those of other profession they work with. It also clarifies the ethical practice issues and ensures decision making equitable and ethical. There are many legislation and policy that led to multi agency working; however the writer will clarify few that related to children services and mental health service. In children centre, those legislation and policy includes; ‘‘Working together to safeguard children 1999; however the current version was formed in 2006, Children Act 1989, this Act was influenced by the deaths of Jasmine Beckford, Tyra Henry and Kimberley Carlisle which shaped the foundation of inter agency child welfare practice and all of this deaths occurred in mid 1980s. The Act obliged professionals to work jointly with children who are in need and at risk.