Here is some information about the importance of safeguarding children and young people and procedures for child protection.
Everyone who works with children has a duty to keep them safe from abuse
Here are the main current legislations, guidelines, policies and procedure. They are put in place for protecting and safeguarding children again abuse.
Children Act 1989
This act aims to simplify the laws that protected children and young people in the UK. This makes it clear to all who work with children what their duties are and how they should work together in the event of allegations of child abuse.
Protection of Children Act 1999
The Protection of Children Act 1999 came into force in October 2000 and introduced the Protection of Children Act (PoCA) List in which the secretary of state has a duty to record the names of individuals who are considered unsuitable to work with children.
All regulated child care organisations (as defined in the Act) have a statutory duty to refer the names of those individuals who fulfil certain criteria making them unsuitable to work with children for possible inclusion in the PoCA List.
Child care organisations proposing to offer individuals employment in child care positions must not employ individuals whose names are included on the PoCA List or List 99 (on the grounds that they are unsuitable to work with children) and must cease to employ such individuals in child care positions if they subsequently discover that they are included on these Lists. In fact, it is an offence to knowingly offer work to or to employ for a child care position, an individual who is disqualified from working with children and individuals who apply or offer to work, accept work or continue to work with children in such positions will be committing a criminal offence and can face prosecution if they are so disqualified.
Children Bill 2004
In 2003 there was a widespread recognition that services for children were still not working together to