Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures Manual

This chapter has been updated in regard to the Think Family when undertaking assessments.

This chapter has been updated in line with the new digital referral system for reporting potential victims of Modern Slavery.

This chapter has been updated to reflect Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance (updated September 2019) and reference to Upskirting which is a specific example of abusive behaviour which has been linked to on-line bullying and grooming. Upskirting is a criminal offence and, as such, should be reported to the Police.

This chapter has been updated to take account of the new NRM digital referral form and the change to a Single Competent Authority (SCA).

This chapter has been updated in line with new NRM digital referral form to report Modern Slavery.

This procedure has been significantly updated and should be re read.

This procedure has been extensively reviewed and should be re-read in its entirety.

This chapter has been refreshed where required and updated to add a new Section 6, Elective Home Education to reflect the DfE updated guidance on Elective Home Education for local authorities. A new Section 7, Unregistered Schools has also been added.

A link to the refreshed HM Government Strategy for Ending Violence against Women and Girls Strategy 2016 – 2020 has been added into Section 1, Definition.

This guidance has been reviewed and refreshed throughout as required to ensure consistency with terminology used in current DfE publications, including Working Together to Safeguard Children and Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Information has also been added regarding schools' responsibility to safeguard children in accordance with the latest DfE guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children and Keeping Children Safe in Education.

This chapter has been revised to reflect updated guidance on Assessment in Working Together to Safeguard Children.

This procedure has been revised to reflect updated guidance for organisations, agencies and individuals to ensure that their functions, and any services that they contract out to others, are carried out with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children as set out in Chapter 2: Organisations Responsibilities in Working Together to Safeguard Children.

This procedure has been updated to reflect local practice. See Section 7, Information for the Conference.

This procedure has been updated to reflect updated guidance for organisations, agencies and individuals to ensure that their functions, and any services that they contract out to others, are carried out with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children as set out in Chapter 2: Organisations Responsibilities in Working Together to Safeguard Children.

This procedure has been slightly updated to reflect local guidance.

A definition has been added for Child Sexual Abuse within the family environment (also known as Intra-familial Child Sexual Abuse) see Section 1, Definition. In Section 2, Risk and Indicators, a model suggested by the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse outlining some of the likely impacts of Child Sexual Abuse has been included.

This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout to reflect the latest Prison Service publications covering the provision of visits, including visits to prisoners who are identified as posing a risk to children and additional guidance in Chapter 2, Working Together to Safeguard Children on the statutory duties which apply to the Prison Service to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

This guidance has been reviewed and refreshed as required. In the Further Information section a link has been added to the Catch 22 publication Social Media as a Catalyst and Trigger for Youth Violence.

This procedure has been updated to reflect local practice and should be re-read. See Section 5, Protection and Action to be Taken.

This procedure has been updated, Section 5, Protection and Action to be Taken has been updated to reflect local practice.

This procedure has been significantly updated and should be re read.

This chapter has been updated. In the Further Information section, a link has been added to Statutory Guidance: Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006.

This procedure has been significantly updated and should be re read.

This procedure has been updated to reflect local practice.

• Learning and Improvement Framework.

This procedure has been revised and refreshed and should be re-read in its entirety.

This procedure has been revised and refreshed and should be re-read in its entirety.

This chapter has been revised throughout in line with case-law and updated good practice guidance.

Section 7, Law has been updated to reflect local practice.

A link in Further Information section was added to Lets Talk About It.

The Further Information section has been revised and updated.

This chapter has been reviewed and updated. Information has been added with regard to Technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviour (TA-HSB) and Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2018. The Further Information section has been reviewed and updated.

A link has been added to the Child Protection Evidence Resource.

This chapter has been updated in regard to the General Data Protection Regulations 2018.

More information has been added in regard to police and local authority checks.

A link has been added to the NHS CPIS - this is helping health and social care staff to share information securely to better protect society's most vulnerable children.

This chapter has been updated to include a link to the Home Office publication Criminal Exploitation of Children and Vulnerable Adults: County Lines. Information has also been added throughout to describe how organised criminal groups exploit young people and use them to distribute money and illegal drugs along 'county lines'.

The statutory guidance in Section 5, Issues has been updated to link to the Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities (DfE 2017). The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is referenced in relation to age assessments.

Section 4, Section 85 Referral Process has been updated.

The statutory guidance in Section 4, Protection and Action to be taken has been updated to link to the Care of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities (DfE 2017). The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is referenced in relation to age assessments.

The term historical abuse has been updated to Non-recent (historical) abuse.

Section 7, Information for the Conference has been slightly updated and Section 10, Child Does Not Require a Protection Plan has been extensively updated and should be read.

This chapter has been substantially updated and should be re-read in its entirety.

The Further Information section has been revised and updated with a link to the Centre of expertise on Child Sexual Abuse – Key messages from research on child sexual exploitation. A further link has been added to Child sexual exploitation: Practice Tool (2017) (open access) - further background information about child sexual exploitation and additional commentary around some of the complexities of practically responding to the issue.

This chapter has been substantially updated and should be re-read.

In Section 4, Children Missing from Care and Care Leavers in the guidance on Independent Return Reviews a small amendment has been added clarifying the importance that a Return Interview should be offered and provided within 72 hours of the child being located or returning from absence. This is in line with the Statutory Guidance on Children Who Run Away or Go Missing from Home or Care (2014) and is important to reduce the risk of the loss of important information or evidence. In Section 6, Children Missing from Education (CME) clarification that a Child missing from school for more than four weeks the pupil can be removed from the admission register when the school and the local authority have failed, after jointly making reasonable enquiries, to establish the whereabouts of the child.

This chapter has been substantially updated and should be re-read in its entirety.

Section 4, Protection and Action to be Taken has been substantially updated.

A link has been made to the Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy and Childhood – Multi-agency Guidelines for Care and Investigation.

Updated links have been added to Section 4.12, Early Years and Childcare with regards to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS) and a link to Ofsted Guidance: Inspecting Safeguarding in Early Years, Education and Skills Settings (2016) has been added which states during term time, or when the setting is in operation, the designated safeguarding lead or an appropriately trained deputy should be available during opening hours for staff to discuss safeguarding concerns.

This chapter has been updated to replace Head of Service with Strategic Manager.

This chapter has been added so that the views of children and young people are sought.

This link has been added to the manual.

The definition has been updated in Section 1, What is Child Sexual Exploitation? and a number of amendments have been made in Section 3, Indicators and environmental factors and in other areas to consider. Section 4, Children and Young People who go Missing and Section 5, Protection and Action to be Taken have been updated.

As well as Section 7, Supporting Children and Young People out of Child Sexual Exploitation, it is therefore advisable to read the whole chapter again to refresh and update the user's knowledge.

This chapter has been amended to encompass the updated statutory guidance 'Children Missing Education' (DfE, September 2016). Section 1, Definition and Overview has been expanded to include an overview as well as the definition. Section 2, Risks, has been updated to include some specific groups of children who are vulnerable. Section 3, Indicators, has been expanded to reflect the duties and requirements of schools and LAs. Links have been updated in the whole chapter.

This chapter has been updated and now includes information on the recently introduced 'outcome 21' in Section 5, Issues. Where young people are voluntarily sending/sharing sexual images or content with one another the police may use this new recording code to record that a crime has been committed but that it is not considered to be in the public interest to take criminal action against the people involved. This chapter also links to LawStuff which is run by Coram Children's Legal Centre and gives free legal information to young people on a range of different issues.

This chapter has been updated with information about the four types of FGM as defined by WHO. Links have been added to both the new Home Office FGM protection orders factsheet; and to the guidance to the 'Statement opposing female genital mutilation' (often referred to as a health passport).

This update includes further detail in the following sections; Section 2, Risks, Section 3, Indicators and Section 6, Issues to reflect relevant points from the 'Protocol on the handling of 'so-called' Honour Based Violence/Abuse and Forced Marriage Offences between the National Police Chief's Council and the Crown Prosecution' (November 2016). In Further Information, links have been added to Multi-Agency practice guidelines: Handling cases of forced marriage 2014 and to Apply for a forced marriage protection order (GOV.UK).

Further detail has been added in line with the 'Protocol on the handling of 'so-called' Honour Based Violence/Abuse and Forced Marriage Offences between the National Police Chiefs' Council and the Crown Prosecution Service' (November 2016). Links have been added to the Forced Marriage Guidance (Home Office)- information and practice guidelines for professional protecting, advising and supporting victims and to SafeLives Dash risk checklist for the identification of high risk cases of domestic abuse, stalking and 'honour'-based violence.

This chapter has been updated with a revised definition of Harmful Sexual Behaviour and information regarding a continuum of sexual development as an aid to understanding sexual behaviour in children. Additional links to external guidance have also been added.

Minor amendments have been made to the text and a flowchart for Sexually active young people has been added.

The text has been updated in the last paragraph in Section 1.5, Appointing Reviewers.

In Section 4.12, Early years and Childcare text has been added in the second bullet point to clarify the guidance to include a 'deputy safeguarding lead' and a designated safeguarding person on the premises at all timers.

This chapter is new and replaces the previous chapter.

This chapter is new and should be read in full.

This chapter has been revised and replaces the previous version. The chapter should therefore be read again.

New Sections 12, Historical Abuse and 14, Schools and Educational Establishments have been added.

The information regarding the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit, which is linked to from this chapter, has been revised.

A new paragraph has been added into Section 4, Strategy Discussion / Meeting and the text has been updated.

Section 2, Looked After Children and Child Protection Conferences has been substantially revised and updated. Additional information has been added regarding the electronic and digital recording of meetings as has been a link to the Law Society publication 'Attendance of solicitors at local authority Children Act Meetings'. Other minor changes have been made throughout the chapter.

Minor revisions have been made to this chapter as part of an ongoing refreshment process.

A link to Staying in Touch with Someone in Prison: the Internet and Social Media on the GOV.UK website has been added.

Minor revisions have been made to this chapter as part of an ongoing refreshment process.

This chapter has been updated to include the 'Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2016 to 2020 (Home Office, 2016), and the 'Information Guide: 'Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse (APVA)'. Text has been added in Section 6, Issues, in the paragraph about 'risk assessment tools and their use'.

Minor revisions have been made to this chapter as part of an ongoing refreshment process.

This chapter has been refreshed and a link to the DHSC, Female Genital Mutilation Risk and Safeguarding Guidance for Professionals has been added.

Minor revisions have been made to this chapter as part of an ongoing refreshment process.

This chapter has been re-titled (from Abuse Linked to Faith and Belief) and minor revisions have been made as part of an ongoing refreshment process.

A link to 'Serious Case Review Quality Markers - Supporting dialogue about the principles of good practice and how to achieve them' has been added to this chapter.

This chapter has been added to the manual.

This is a new chapter which has been added to the manual.