Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
Safeguarding means:
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about a child.
In England, the Department for Education is the government sector responsible for all child protection policy. On a local level, local safeguarding partners such as the police, the local authority and designated safeguarding groups are in charge of managing any complaints or issues and ensuring that the principles of the Children Act are upheld.
At Thomas's we work to our values to ensure that every child, regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, has a right to equal protection from harm.
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. The Police will assess the situation and take the appropriate action to protect the child.
If the child is not at immediate risk, contact your local child protection services. Their contact details can be found on the website for the local authority the child lives in.
Many people worry, “What if I am wrong?” but if we take a child-centred approach to safeguarding, we should all be asking, “What if I am right?” By raising a concern, you could be protecting not just one child but future children. Whenever you are worried, whether it’s a big or little worry, always tell someone who can help.
