In December 2023, the Department for Education published revised statutory guidance called working together to safeguard children 2023. It focuses on:
- strengthening multi-agency working across the whole system of help, support and protection for children and their families
- keeping a child-centred approach while bringing a whole family focus
- embedding strong, effective and consistent multi-agency child protection practice
The guidance requires the three safeguarding partners, local authority, Integrated Care Board and the police to publish local safeguarding children’s arrangements. They all take and to take equal responsibility for the coordination and effectiveness of those arrangements. Strong multi-agency and multi-disciplinary working is vital to identifying and responding to the needs of children and families.
The expectations for multi-agency working outlined in working together 2023 complement our NSSCP values:
Learn - transparency and respect
We will foster a culture of openness, respect and transparency. Our partners are required to work openly together and to learn from collective and individual experience. They seek and receive assurance on the overall effectiveness of work to safeguard and protect children in North Somerset.
Resource - integrity and honesty
We will be honest and open with each other on areas of challenge, transformation and system change to inform decisions on future initiatives and collaborative working.
Mutual challenge - challenge and innovate
We will respectfully and constructively challenge each other to drive continuous improvement and deliver the best outcomes for North Somerset’s children.
Collaborate - collaboration and partnership
The three safeguarding partners and all relevant agencies will work proactively, effectively and collaboratively together. We will value differences to help drive improvements for children and young people.
Include - care and listening to the voice and lived experience of the child
Everything we do will benefit children and young people in North Somerset. We will ensure that our work is child-centred. We continually seek to care and engage, and involve our children and young people and their families.