2.2 Current Legislation

2.2/1.1
Current Legislation

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
This agreement identifies the rights and freedoms of all children in a set of 54 articles. These rights include articles that ensure that children are safe and looked after. Article 19 states a child’s right to be ‘protected from all forms of physical and mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent, maltreatment or exploitation including sexual abuse.’ The UK signed up to this treaty in 1991 and is therefore legally bound to enforce legislation in support of these articles.

Children Act 1989
This Act outlines the responsibilities of parents and professionals to ensure the safety of children. There are two sections that focus on child protection.
Section 17 states that local authorities must have a system to ‘safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need.’
Section 47 states that the local authority have a duty to investigate if they have ‘reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives, or is found, in their area is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
Education Act 2002
This outlines the responsibilities of local education authorities and all those working within them to ensure that all children are safe and free from harm.
Children Act 2004
This provides the frame work for Every Child Matters.
It requires that all services work closely together.
Services have a shared database which is relevant to the safety of children.
Common assessment framework to aid the early identification of children in need.
Earlier support for parents who are experiencing difficulties.

Policies which safeguard
All schools must have policies which ensure the safety and well-being of their pupils.
These policies will show the procedures that staff must follow if they have any concerns. The policies must cover;
Safeguarding and protecting and the procedures for reporting.
E-Safety
Bullying, including Cyber Bullying.

Guidance

The Department for Education issues guidance for local authorities. Schools use this to create their own procedures and policies.
Two the Department for Education have issued are;

Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010)
This is guidance outlines what organisations have to do and how they have to work together to ensure that all children and young people are safeguarded.

What to do if you’re worried about a child is being abused (2006)
This guidance has been issued to assist those who work with children and young people.

I have included a copy of the current Gable Hall Policies for safeguarding.

2.2/3.5
Confidentiality

When working in a school it is almost certain that at some point you will be privy to confidential information. Schools hold extensive files on pupils and their families. This information should never be disclosed to any third party. The only exception to this is in matters of safeguarding. If you become aware of any information that relates to the safeguarding or wellbeing of a child or young person then it is your duty to report it to the relevant agencies. At Gable Hall School we have two Child Protection officers and any concerns that I may have, must be raised with them. I have a responsibility to ensure that the children I work with are safe and free from harm. Once I have informed the relevant people and/or agencies the matter is to be kept strictly confidential and not to be discussed with anyone else. If I were concerned that a child may be at risk of harm, then I would have a duty to act on my concerns and report it to the designated Child Protection officer.