Safeguarding Young People and Referring Safeguarding Concerns

The Protection Standard is that young people are enabled to feel safe and that their needs are met.

In particular, the registered person is required to:

1. Ensure that young people:
   1. Are protected from harm;
   2. Are enabled to keep themselves safe;
   3. Have their individual needs met;
   4. Have 24-hour access to help in a crisis or emergency situation;
2. Prepare and implement child protection policies;
3. Ensure that the effectiveness of child protection policies is kept under review and ensure that, where appropriate, those policies are revised;
4. Comply with requests from a local authority to provide it with information relating to a young person for whom it is the accommodating authority;
5. Ensure that there is a suitable person representing the supported accommodation undertaking available to attend any meeting the accommodating authority may hold about a young person;
6. Ensure that staff:
   1. Are familiar with and act in accordance with child protection policies;
   2. Have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a young person is at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or any other harm, and act to reduce such risk;
   3. Work collaboratively with young people to help them understand how to keep safe, by offering guidance and support on how to minimise any potential risk of harm;
   4. Work collaboratively with other professionals and agencies, and share information where relevant to keep young people safe;
   5. Support young people to maintain appropriate and safe relationships with family, friends and other people who are important to them;
   6. Understand the relevant roles and responsibilities assigned to them by the registered person in relation to protecting young people.

Safeguarding policies should be shared with staff during their induction period and available to all young people in a format that is easily accessed and understood by each young person before or when they arrive at the setting and must be clear and user friendly. 

All staff are also made aware of the procedure on Whistleblowing or Raising Concerns at Work which informs staff how to report any circumstances within the Service which they consider likely to significantly harm the safety, rights or welfare of any young person using the Service, without fear of being victimised or dismissed.

The Service works to ensure that young people are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

The registered person will ensure:

• That staff:
  • Assess whether each young person is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the young person’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the young person;
  • Help each young person to understand how to keep themselves safe and minimise the risks;
  • Have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a young person is at risk of harm;
  • Manage relationships between young people to prevent them from harming each other;
  • Understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children and young people that you support:
  • Take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a young person’s welfare; and
  • Are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the Service’s child protection and safeguarding policies;
• That the premises/properties used for the purposes of the Service are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each young person from avoidable hazards and maintain good health and safety requirements; and
• That the effectiveness of the Service’s child protection and safeguarding policies are monitored regularly.

See also related procedures on protecting young people from specific types of harm and abuse:

• Recognising Abuse and Neglect;
• Allegations Against Staff; 
• Missing;
• Self Harming and Suicidal Behaviour; 
• Safe Use of the Internet, Social Media and Photographs;
• Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation;
• Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines; 
• Safeguarding Young People from Radicalisation and Extremism; 
• Female Genital Mutilation. 

Safeguarding is a term which is broader than 'child protection' and relates to the action taken to promote the welfare of young people and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Safeguarding is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children as:

• Protecting children and young people from maltreatment;
• Preventing impairment of children's and young people's mental and physical health and development;
• Ensuring that children and young people grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care and support; and
• Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.

There are four defined categories of child abuse:

• Physical Abuse;
• Emotional Abuse;
• Neglect;
• Sexual Abuse.

See also: Recognising Abuse and Neglect Procedure.

There is a strong safeguarding culture within the Service where young people are listened to, respected and involved in both the development of the Service and decisions about the setting, taking into consideration any impact on young people of settings that also accommodate adults.  

All staff should strive to build positive relationships with young people in the setting and develop a culture of openness and trust that encourages them to be able to tell someone if they have concerns or worries about their safety or well-being. Staff should establish good links with external agencies that can support and help young people.

Young people should be encouraged to develop positive relationships with others both in and outside the setting, such as with professionals delivering floating support. However, staff should be alert to the possibility that young people may be at risk from some relationships including with other young people in the setting, staff, family members, friends and others outside the setting and they therefore should take appropriate steps to protect a young person where there are concerns for a young person’s safety.  Staff should model and help young people to understand what makes a healthy, nurturing relationship. Staff should be skilled to recognise the signs and provide support to young people in danger of or involved in exploitative or damaging relationships with others and, where appropriate, provide guidance and advice to young people on how to keep themselves safe.

All staff will undergo Safeguarding training. Staff need the knowledge and skills to recognise and be alert for any signs that might indicate a young person is in any way at risk of harm and should know what to do when they have concerns. The registered person will ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed as needed and recorded in the Service’s Workforce Plan. See also: Staffing and Safe Recruitment Procedure.

Staff should do everything they can to ensure young people feel and are safe. Staff should support young people to be aware of and manage their own safety where possible, both inside and outside the setting.  Staff skills for safeguarding should include being able to identify signs that young person may be at risk, and support young people to get the help they need to stay safe and reduce risks. Staff should encourage young people to express their views about whether they feel safe both within and outside the Service. Staff should support young people to understand how to ask for help to stay safe and that the Service is an environment which supports this.

All staff will be made aware of and have access to the Whistleblowing or Raising Concerns at Work Procedure. 

Supervision of staff practice should ensure that staff are engaged in the safeguarding culture of the Service so they understand what they would need to do if they found other staff misusing or abusing their position to the detriment of the safety of a young person. See also: Allegations Against Staff Procedure and Notification of Serious Events. 

Staff should have a good idea about the circumstances and routines of the young person by establishing and maintaining a good relationship with them. The registered person will need to ensure that arrangements are in place for staff to maintain regular and sufficient contact with the young person to be able to identify any safeguarding risks, mental and physical health issues, signs of harm, and/or if the young person has gone missing. 

To safeguard all young people in the setting as well as staff, some settings may use a buzzer system for entry to the building after certain hours, use magnetic fobs, or if appropriate, have a suggested curfew. As the level of autonomy for young people in supported accommodation will often be high, it is not expected that they should need permission to leave and return to the setting for same-day outings, but it is expected that staff and young people maintain good communication regarding the young person’s whereabouts. Any rules or practices of the setting should be proportionate and balanced and should not unnecessarily hinder the young person’s autonomy. Staff should explain why the rules are in place and evidence their benefit to ensuring a safe and secure setting.

Settings should have a policy on overnight stays that is commensurate with the needs, vulnerability, and autonomy of the young people accommodated at the setting. Specific arrangements for each young person may be put in place and must be in line with any agreements reflected in the young person’s relevant plans. It is expected that staff maintain regular communication with young people and encourage them to advise staff of planned overnight stays, where they will be staying, with whom, and a plan for return. Policies and practices around overnight stays should be clear to staff and young people so that risks to a young person, including going missing, are mitigated and quick action can be identified and taken where there is cause for concern.

In supported lodging settings, as part of developing a strong and trusting relationship, it is expected that hosts and young people maintain good communication to ensure the comfort and safety of all those living in the host’s home, including any other children. The host and young person should work together with the support of the social or support worker to set out and agree house rules, boundaries and expectations and promote a culture of open dialogue from the outset, so the young person feels at home. Any house rules agreed should be reasonable and for the purpose of ensuring the safety and security of all those living in the host’s home as well as mitigating risk of danger or harm to the young person or any other person.

See also Visitors to the Service/Property. 

The Service is proactive in working with young people to reduce the risk of harm to them, and sets high expectations to ensure that young people feel safe and are safe, understand how to protect themselves and are protected from significant harm, including (but not limited to) neglect, abuse, sexual and criminal exploitation, accidents, bullying, self-harm, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, homophobic behaviour, racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination, and radicalisation. Any discriminatory behaviours are challenged and help and support are given to children and young people about how to treat others with respect. Staff are prepared and supported to respond to young people who may face these risks, and receive suitable training. Young people must feel safe and be safe. Staff should support young people to be aware of and manage their own safety both inside and outside the Service. Staff should help young people to understand how to protect themselves, feel protected and be protected from significant harm. 

Proactive and creative safeguarding practice means that all young people, including the most vulnerable, have a strong sense of safety and well-being and so are unlikely to be missing from their placement/ property on a regular basis. See: Missing Procedure.

Staff will be prepared and supported to manage situations and behaviour, and use clear and consistent boundaries to contribute to a feeling of well-being and security for young people. Young people will be involved in creating ways to de-escalate situations and finding creative alternative strategies that are effective.

Care and Pathway planning should ensure that any risks associated with the young person’s offending, misusing drugs or alcohol, self-harming, going missing, being affiliated with gangs, being subject to sexual or criminal exploitation, extremism or radicalism are known and understood by the staff who are supporting them. This includes regular contact and planning with the young person’s allocated social worker and their family, if this is appropriate and in accordance with plans for their future.

The registered person will regularly review and act on any known risks to young people, taking advice and guidance from local partners and agencies as appropriate.

The duties and responsibilities of local authorities and others who deliver children’s services with regard to safeguarding children and young people, are set out clearly in the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children.  

The specific responsibilities of the young person’s accommodating authority, for safeguarding children and young people who are looked after, are set out in Children Act 1989: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review. 

The specific responsibilities of local authorities and their staff in exercising their social services functions for supporting care leavers are set out in Children Act 1989: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers. 

The registered person should seek to involve the accommodating authority and the local authority where the setting is located, and other relevant persons whenever there is a serious concern about a young person’s welfare. They are also required by the Regulations to notify the accommodating authority, Ofsted and other relevant persons about any serious events. The registered person should have regard to the local authority’s self-harm and suicide prevention strategies and procedures (where available), should embed practices to reduce the risk of self-harm and suicide and, should provide information and support to those bereaved or affected by suicide.

See also Self Harming and Suicidal Behaviour.

Both the arrangements for contact between agencies and any contact details (telephone numbers, email addresses, etc.) should be included in the relevant plans agreed between the registered person and the accommodating authority and should be updated regularly.

There should also be information on who the young person can contact to receive on-call help in a crisis and emergency 24 hours a day and in the absence of staff on site.

The registered person is responsible for coordinating safeguarding referrals.

However, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and protecting them from abuse and harm is a shared responsibility and depends on effective joint working between all staff working in the Service and other agencies. All staff have a responsibility to report any suspicions that a young person has been mistreated or harmed.

Local authorities have a duty to promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young people and to investigate and take necessary action to protect children and young people from abuse and harm.

The Service will maintain effective links with local authorities, designated officers and other safeguarding agencies and ensure that there is good communication about safeguarding issues, such as any injuries sustained during restraints or allegations against staff. The Service also has good relationships with relevant local voluntary sector organisations that may be able to offer specialist support to young people in keeping themselves safe.

The Service will also make all notifications to notify accommodating authorities, and other relevant persons about serious events (see Notification of Serious Events Procedure). 

The safety of young people in supported accommodation is paramount. The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to identify safeguarding risks and early signs of poor mental health and know how to take action and/or escalate their concerns if existing resources are not available or flexible enough to meet the young person’s needs. Staff should be aware of any additional risk that may be present in the event of an emergency placement—including where they may have limited information on the young person—and should have the relevant skills and knowledge to appropriately manage this risk and take action.

Staff should build trusting relationships with young people, enabling staff to understand the risks each young person faces. Staff should take reasonable precautions and make informed professional judgements based on the young person’s individual needs, circumstances and level of autonomy when identifying a particular risk or following a particular course of action. Staff should discuss the risk and/or concern with the young person and agree steps to mitigate it including what the young person can do to keep themselves and others safe as well as what further support the Service can provide to safeguard the young person. 

Where there are safeguarding concerns for a young person, their placement plan discussed with the young person and agreed between the registered person and their accommodating authority must include details of the steps the Service will take to work with the young person to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. Staff should work with other agencies where appropriate to help young people understand the risks they face, including risk-taking behaviour, and build on the young person’s strengths and skills so that young people are supported and better equipped to make informed decisions.  Staff must share relevant information and decisions with the young person’s accommodating authority and, where appropriate, other relevant agencies/professionals providing support, for the purposes of safeguarding the young person or others. Staff should inform the young person of any information sharing and explain the reasons behind the sharing. For further advice on effective information sharing to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, see Information sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers. 

See Information Sharing.

See also Risk Assessment and Planning Procedure

Staff should make available in the Service, and in the Young Person’s Guide, information in an appropriate form on how young people can contact their accommodating authority to call for a review of their care/path pathway plan they have concerns about their safety or welfare. Settings must ensure that young people understand they can speak to an independent advocate, Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), their Personal Advisor, Ofsted inspectors or other relevant persons if they have concerns about their safety.

See also: Advocacy, Independent Visitors and Independent Reviewing Officers Procedure. 

Young people will be supported by staff to understand what abuse is. They will be given information about how to report abuse or any concerns about possible abuse. They will be able to access in private, relevant websites or help lines such as Childline to seek advice and help.

Young people will be able to identify a trusted adult who they can talk to about any concerns. It is essential that young people are listened to and enabled to report any allegations at the earliest opportunity.

The general principle is that all safeguarding concerns and any allegations must be reported.  Staff should report any allegation or disclosure of abuse immediately to the registered person.

Young people must be listened to and enabled to report any abuse or neglect at the earliest opportunity.

The following actions should be taken when there is any concern or, disclosure about the welfare of a child or young person. This includes non-recent or historical abuse that may have occurred at some time in the past and may not have been previously reported or investigated.

Harm can be perpetrated by any person, including:

• Another child or young person (including serious or persistent bullying) - see Section 12, Allegations made Against Children or Young People; 
• A member of staff, or registered person, see additional procedures in Allegations Against Staff Procedure;
• A visitor or person in the community;
• A teacher, social worker or other professional;
• A parent or other family member.

Staff should firstly make their report to the Service’s registered person, unless the registered person is implicated. In which case staff must notify one of the following:

• Another manager who is not implicated;
• The local authority Children's Social Care Services in whose area the Service/property is located;
• The young person’s allocated social worker/the accommodating authority;
• Police.

In an emergency, where there is an immediate risk to the young person, staff must take necessary action. This may involve asking for police assistance or seeking emergency medical assistance e.g. taking the young person to hospital or contacting the emergency services via 999. If the young person is taken to hospital or the police are called, staff must inform them that there is a suspicion of abuse or harm. Thereafter staff must notify the registered person (or other agency) as described above.

Once notified, the registered person will be responsible for following the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Children Procedures for the area and making a referral to the local authority Children's Social Care Services (see Section 11, Action by the Registered Person). 

When sharing information about a young person with Children’s Social Care, it is good practice for practitioners to be transparent about their concerns and to seek to work cooperatively with the young person.

However, referrals can be made without first informing the young person where to do so would place a young person at risk. Any decision not to inform a young person must be recorded with reasons.

The Service must keep a record of all safeguarding concerns and the actions taken by staff/registered person.

When a staff member sees, hears or is told anything that causes them to become concerned that a child or young person is suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm, they must report it immediately - as described above in Section 9, Reporting Concerns.

Young people will sometimes disclose abuse to an adult who they have come to feel they can trust. If a young person discloses abuse it is important that staff respond appropriately by remaining calm and receptive; listening without interrupting; only asking questions for clarification and acknowledging the young person’s courage in telling.

It is not the staff member's responsibility to investigate or in any way make judgements about what is reported to them. Investigations, if necessary, must be undertaken by the police and Children's Social Care.

If a disclosure or allegation of abuse or harm has been made, staff should discuss with the young person or other person who has made the complaint what steps they would like taken to protect them and their wishes should be shared and, if not in conflict with procedures, followed.

Where the allegation or disclosure is of a non-recent or historical nature, e.g. relating to abuse or harm that may have been perpetrated in another placement or by family members, allegations must be taken seriously and must be reported in the same way as any other allegation.

Staff must not give absolute guarantees of confidentiality to those who report possible abuse or harm, but they should guarantee that they will take steps to ensure that appropriate action is taken and the young person protected.

If an allegation or any suspicion is about the behaviour, past or present of another member of staff, including managers, which may in any way put young person at risk, staff must follow the Allegations Against Staff Procedure. 

Staff must make a written record as soon as possible of what they have been told, any questions they asked and the replies given and the actions taken and by whom. They must then give the report to the registered person.

This information should be placed on the young person's record except where a colleague is implicated or there is any risk to the young person as a result, in which case notes/records should be given to the manager dealing with the matter.

Staff should not discuss the matter with others, including other staff, parents etc. unless asked to do so by those responsible for dealing with any subsequent investigation or enquiry.

After receiving a report of a concern, suspicion or allegation of abuse or harm, the Service’s registered person must firstly take any steps needed to protect any young person from risk of immediate harm.

The registered person should ensure the following people are notified, and retain a record of the referral:

• Children's Social Care in the area where the Service/property is located;
• If the suspicion/allegation relates to a member of staff/professional*, the registered person should ensure the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)/Team of Designated Officers is notified;
• The accommodating authority/the allocated social worker.

^{*Re Allegations Against Staff: See Allegations Against Staff Procedure.}

The procedures that will be followed will depend on the decisions made by Children's Social Care and the social worker. It is also likely that the Regulatory Authority will be involved in decision making.

The registered person will co-operate with the decisions/actions taken by them.

Following receipt of the referral, if Children's Social Care have concerns that a young person has suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm a Strategy Discussion/Meeting will be convened, to decide whether to initiate a Child Protection Enquiry and, if so, to agree the following with the registered person:

1. Arrangements for any medical examination of the young person;
2. Any immediate arrangements for protection of the young person, including whether the young person should be moved to another placement;
3. Whether it is necessary to inform staff and if so who will do it;
4. Whether any implicated staff should be suspended or moved;
5. Who should inform/update the person making the initial allegation of the steps/actions taken?
6. If parents should be informed.

The registered person should ensure that the young person is supported during any enquiries/investigation, this may require an independent advocate or independent person to be involved. The registered person should also ensure that all staff co-operate fully.

If the registered person is not satisfied with the response from either the local authority where the Service is situated or the accommodating authority, they should escalate their concerns appropriately, including by writing to the director of children’s services (DCS) in the accommodating authority.

Abuse and harm can be perpetrated upon one child or young person by another in many different ways, including persistent or serious bullying, sexual exploitation, aggressive, exploitative or other threatening behaviour which places a child or young person at risk.

Where there is any suspicion or allegation of abuse or harm perpetrated by one young person upon another, the procedures in Section 9, Reporting Concerns should be followed.

Protecting the rights of both victim and alleged perpetrator is important. It may be necessary, dependent on an assessment of all the facts, to separate the alleged perpetrator and victim but it may not be possible to explain why this is necessary to the perpetrator.

Throughout the process thereafter it will be necessary to ensure that young people with allegations made against them are properly supported, by an independent person if appropriate or required, as well as their social worker.

Once the investigation is complete, consideration will then need to be given to the needs and interests of both alleged victim and perpetrator, and whether counselling and/or other support should be given.

Children or young people who are known to have sexually abused other children should not be placed together unless a risk assessment has been undertaken by someone specially qualified to do so.