Introduction

These Safeguarding Children Procedures have been adopted by the Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board and are fully supported by all partner agencies involved in the safeguarding of children.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined within Working Together as:

.... and undertaking that role so as to enable those children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.

This definition clearly defines safeguarding in holistic terms. Effective child protection is defined as essential to the work of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children but sets this work in the wider context of agencies and individuals being proactive in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children so the need to protect children from harm is reduced.

Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board are committed to the right of children to have their basic needs met, to achieve their full potential and to live in an environment where they are protected from emotional, physical and sexual abuse and neglect. It is recognised that most children thrive when their parents or carers are helped to provide a good standard of care for them.  Parents, carers and children will therefore be supported and encouraged to work with the agencies in Wolverhampton to achieve those standards of care which enable children to be safeguarded and to achieve their full potential.

Although these procedures focus on child protection it is implicit that any assessment of a child under these procedures looks at all the needs of the child and that the needs of the child and the family will be addressed within the broad continuum of child in need services.

"It is not possible to separate the protection of children from wider support to families. Indeed often the best protection for a child is achieved by the timely intervention of family support services"

Lord Laming.
Victoria Climbie Inquiry.

End