Safeguarding Procedures

Welcome to the Multi-agency Safeguarding Procedures directory for the Wirral Safeguarding Children Board. You can access all of our safeguarding procedures from this page. Each procedure will open in a new tab.

Click here to view the latest updates to the procedures.

Quick links to chapters:

1. Policy Framework

2. The WSCB and Roles and Responsibilities

3. Thresholds and the Continuum of Need (links to main page)

4. Supporting Families Enhancing Futures (links to main page)

5. Managing Individual Cases

6. Children in Specific Circumstances

7. Learning and Improvement Framework and Case Reviews (links to main page)

8. Child Death Overview Panel and Process (links to main page)

9. Individuals who Pose a Risk to Children

10. Complaints and Multi-agency Escalations

11. Multi-agency Protocols and Practice Guidance

12. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018

 

Chapter One – Policy Framework

1.1 Policy, Principles and Values

1.2 Recognition of Significant Harm

1.3 Information Sharing and Confidentiality

1.4 Step Up/ Step Down Process

1.5 Family Group Conferences (links to LA Children’s Services Page)

1.6 Legal Framework for Child Protection

1.7 Race, Ethnicity and Culture

1.8 Use of Interpreters, Signers or Others with Communication Skills

1.9 Safer Recruitment, Selection and Supervision of Staff

 

Chapter Two – The WSCB and Roles and Responsibilities

2.1 WSCB Role and Function

2.2 Agency Roles and Responsibilities

 

Chapter Three – Thresholds and the Continuum of Need – links to main page

3.1 Multi-agency Thresholds Document

3.2 Thresholds on a Page

 

Chapter Four – Supporting Families Enhancing Futures (SFEF) – links to main page

4.1 Multi-agency Practice Guidance

4.2 Beginners Guide to SFEF

4.3 Prompt Sheets for Practitioners

4.4 SFEF On a Page

 

Chapter Five – Managing Individual Cases

5.1 Contacts and Referrals

5.2 Single Assessment Policy and Guidance (links to LA Children’s Services Procedure)

5.3 Strategy Discussions/Meetings and Section 47 Enquiries as Part of Social Work Assessment of Needs and Strengths

5.4 Initial Child Protection Conferences

5.5 Deciding and Recording that a Child Should be Subject to a Child Protection Plan

5.6 Implementation of the Child Protection Plan – Lead Social Worker and Core Group Responsibilities

5.7 Child Protection Review Conferences

5.8 Multi-agency Standards for Child Protection

5.9 Multi-agency Standards for Child in Need (S.17) (new March 2019)

5.10 North-west Protocol for Standards in Supervision of Children and Families Social Workers

5.11 LADO and Managing Allegations against Staff (links to main page)

 

Chapter Six – Children in Specific Circumstances

6.1 Safeguarding Children from Abuse Linked to a Belief in Spirit Possession

6.2 Abuse of Disabled Children

6.3 Children and Young People who Display Sexually Inappropriate and Harmful Behaviour

6.4 Working with Young People Engaged in Sexual Activity

6.5 Bullying in Children and Young People’s Settings

6.6 E-Safety: Safeguarding Children and Young People using Digital and Interactive Technology

6.7 WSCB pan Merseyside Missing from Home Care Protocol and Procedure May 18 (new May 2018)

6.8 Children at Risk of Not Receiving a Suitable Education

6.9 Children Living Away from Home (including Children and Families Living in Temporary Accommodation)

6.10 Private Fostering (links to LA Children’s Services Procedure)

6.11 Management of Children and Young People in Need who are Medically Fit for Discharge

6.12 Children in Need Moving In and Out of Wirral

6.13 North-west Children in Need Moving across Local Authority Boundaries Protocol

6.14 Complex (Organised or Multiple) Abuse

6.15 Children Visiting Psychiatric Wards and Facilities

6.16 Concealed Pregnancies

6.17 Pre-birth Procedure (updated October 2017)

6.18 Responding to Children and Young People who are at Risk from Domestic Violence and Abuse – Policy and Guidance for Professionals

6.19 Dangerous Dogs and Safeguarding Children (links to main page)

6.20 Fabricated or Induced Illness

6.21 Female Genital Mutilation

6.22 Wirral Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage Protocol

6.23 Safeguarding Children from Abroad (including Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children)

6.24 Modern Slavery

6.25 Safeguarding Children and Young People who may have been Trafficked

6.26 Guidance on Safeguarding Children for Faith Groups in Wirral

6.27 Working with Children and Families affected by Substance Misuse

6.28 Mental Illness of a Parent or Carer – Adult Mental Health and Children’s Services Joint Working Protocol

6.29 Children Affected by Gang Activity and Youth Violence

6.30 Safeguarding Children in Licensed Premises

6.31 Safeguarding Children and Young People against Radicalisation and Violent Extremism

6.32 Cross-border Child Protection Cases under the Hague Convention

6.33 Sexual Health Policy and Guidance for Staff Working with Young People under 19 Years of Age

6.34 Child Sexual Exploitation: Multi-agency Strategy, Protocol and Practice Guidance (links to main page)

6.35 Working with Families who Display Disguised Compliance (new Jan 2018)

6.36 Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines (new April 2018)

6.37 Child Exploitation Pan Merseyside Protocol (new October 2018)

 

Chapter Seven – Learning and Improvement and Case Reviews – links to main page

7.1WSCB Learning and Improvement Framework June 2018

7.2 Reviewing Cases below the Serious Case Review Threshold

7.3 Case Review Referral Form

7.4 Notifiable Incidents Procedure

7.5 Learning from Serious Case and other Reviews (links to main page)

 

Chapter Eight – Child Death Overview Panel and Process – links to main page

8.1 pan-Merseyside Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Childhood (SUDiC) Protocol (updated October 2017)

8.2 Child Death Overview Panel, including information for professionals and parents (links to main page)

 

Chapter Nine – Individuals who Pose a Risk to Children

9.1 Managing Individuals Posing a Risk to Children

9.2 List of Relevant Offences

9.3 Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA)

9.4 Visits by Children to Psychiatric Wards, to High Security Psychiatric Hospitals and to Medium Secure Units

9.5 Waiving of Arrangements for Young People who Committed Offences that Potentially Pose a Risk to Children

9.6 Visiting of Prisons by Children

 

Chapter Ten – Complaints and Multi-agency Escalation Process

10.1 Child Protection Conferences Appeals Procedure

10.2 Multi-agency Escalation Procedure (updated October 2017)

10.3 Whistleblowing or Raising Concerns at Work

 

Chapter Eleven – Multi-agency Protocols and Practice Guidance

11.1 Wirral Protocol in Relation to Children with a Child Protection Plan Moving Across Local Authority Boundaries

11.2 Children Placed in Wirral – Notification Procedure

11.3 North-west Pre-care and Care Proceedings Notification and Transfer across Local Authority Boundaries Procedure

11.4 Joint Protocol for the Management of Domestic Abuse Notifications from Merseyside Police and Other Agencies

11.5 Wirral Domestic Abuse Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) Operating Protocol

11.6 Joint Local Protocol between Drug and Alcohol Partnerships and Children and Family Services

11.7 Bruising in Children who are Not Independently Mobile

11.8 Assessment of Sexual Abuse

11.9 Assessing Sexual Perpetrators with Learning Disabilities

11.10 Considerations of Sexual Abuse in Kinship Placements

11.11 Assessing Adult Female Sexual Perpetrators

11.12 Assessment of the Mother as a Protective Parent

11.13 How to Respond if a Child Discloses Sexual Abuse

11.14 Assessment of the Sexually Abused Child

11.15 Assessing Children who Sexually Abuse

11.16 WSCB Neglect Strategy 17-19 (new)

11.17 Neglect and the Graded Care Profile (links to main page)

11.18 Safer Sleeping Guidance

11.19 Good Practice Guidance for Working with Children and Families Affected by Substance Misuse

11.20 Chronology Guidance for Professionals 2018 (new December 2018)

11.21i Police and Children’s Social Care Joint Working Protocol (new May 2019)

11.21ii Police and Children’s Social Care Joint Working Protocol – Appendix  One  

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Chapter Twelve – Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018

12.1 Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)