Child Protection
Child protection: Evaluation of policies and procedures influenced by legislation and historical context.
Throughout this evaluation I aim to identify the positive and negative factors that support and influence the formation and structure of our policies and procedures; surrounding safeguarding and child protection.
We cannot understand current procedures for child protection unless we understand past experience and how lessons from history have informed current practice. Safeguarding has been a major feature of the governments practice for many decades. Over the years, the deaths of children have driven changes in policy and practice in child protection in the UK.
While laws protecting children have existed throughout the 20th century, the most significant act in place is the Children’s Act (1989). The act underpins many of the child protection procedures and structures that we use today. This includes a good working practise between practitioners and staff and ensuring that the needs of the children are central; that they are put first, as acknowledged in the opening statement of the settings ‘Safeguarding policy’ (Appendix 1 ) ‘the health, safety and protection of all children in our care are of paramount importance to all staff’. Over the last two decades due to horrific cases of child abuse there has been a call for radical reforms of child protection services within England. The death of Victoria Climbié (2000) led to an inquiry by lord laming (2003). The outcome of the report highlighted that the death represented a gross failure of the system of public agencies responsible for protecting vulnerable children from deliberate harm. When looking at the issue of child protection we have to understand that in the current climate we have range of statutory requirements such as the Early Years Foundation Stage (2012), which is then interpreted into different manifestoes by each setting, thus leading to a convoluted playing field.
In 2003 the government
Throughout this evaluation I aim to identify the positive and negative factors that support and influence the formation and structure of our policies and procedures; surrounding safeguarding and child protection.
We cannot understand current procedures for child protection unless we understand past experience and how lessons from history have informed current practice. Safeguarding has been a major feature of the governments practice for many decades. Over the years, the deaths of children have driven changes in policy and practice in child protection in the UK.
While laws protecting children have existed throughout the 20th century, the most significant act in place is the Children’s Act (1989). The act underpins many of the child protection procedures and structures that we use today. This includes a good working practise between practitioners and staff and ensuring that the needs of the children are central; that they are put first, as acknowledged in the opening statement of the settings ‘Safeguarding policy’ (Appendix 1 ) ‘the health, safety and protection of all children in our care are of paramount importance to all staff’. Over the last two decades due to horrific cases of child abuse there has been a call for radical reforms of child protection services within England. The death of Victoria Climbié (2000) led to an inquiry by lord laming (2003). The outcome of the report highlighted that the death represented a gross failure of the system of public agencies responsible for protecting vulnerable children from deliberate harm. When looking at the issue of child protection we have to understand that in the current climate we have range of statutory requirements such as the Early Years Foundation Stage (2012), which is then interpreted into different manifestoes by each setting, thus leading to a convoluted playing field.
In 2003 the government
References: Carpenter, J., Patsios, D., Szilassy, E. and Hackett, S. (2011) Connect, Shareand Learn: A Toolkit for Evaluating the Outcomes of Inter-Agency Training to Safeguard Children Department for Children, Schools and Families. (2009) Safeguarding children researchinitiativehttp://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/programmeofresearch/index.cfm?type=0 Fish, S Rose, W and Barnes, J. (2008) Improving safeguarding practice: Study of Serious Case Reviews 2001-2003. London: Department for Children Schools and Families. Stein, M. (2009) Quality Matters in Children’s Services: Messages from research. University of Stirling and Action for Children in collaboration with University of Dundee and STRADA (2012) Childhood Neglect: Improving