Safeguarding Governance
Introduction
In Redcar and Cleveland the governance of Safeguarding Children and Young People sits in the South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership (STSCP) which is a multi-agency partnership between Middlesbrough Council, Redcar & Cleveland Council, the North East and North Cumbria ICB, and Cleveland Police.
It aims to support and enable local organisations and agencies to work together in a system which places the child at the heart of the process, with a key focus on both improving practice, and enhancing outcomes for children and their families.
To learn more visit: https://stscp.co.uk/
Key National Legislation and Guidance
This is a list of the most recent statutory legislation and guidance that make up the legal framework of the Children and Young People protection system in England:
Statutes
- Children Act 1989
- Education Act 1996
- Education Act 2002
- Children Act 2004
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
- Children and Young Persons Act 2008
- Children and Families Act 2014
- Children and Social Work Act 2017
- Education and Training (Welfare of Children) Act 2021
- Online Safety Act 2023
Guidance
- Department for Education’s Working together to safeguard children 2023
- Department for Education’s Children’s social care: national framework 2023
- Department of Education What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused: Advice for practitioners March 2015
- Home Office Mandatory Reporting of Female Genital Mutilation – procedural information 2016
- Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance on Female Genital Mutilation (Updated July 2020)
- Department of Education Information Sharing: Advice for Practitioners (May 2024)
The NSPCC also provide a list of the most recent statutory legislation and guidance that make up the legal framework of the children protection system in England: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-protection-system/england
To stay up to date with changes in national legislation and guidance the NSPCC provides the CASPAR mailing list, which you can signup to by visiting: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/newsletter/caspar
Safeguarding Policy
We recommend that all Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) adopt the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)’s model Safeguarding Policy Statement, suitably adapting it to their needs.
Safeguarding Procedures
There is a joined up approach to the creation of appropriate safeguarding procedures available through the Tees Safeguarding Children Procedures website, which you can visit here: https://www.teescpp.org.uk
This group is formed by representatives of both the Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership and the South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership and meets once every six weeks to review and develop Tees-wide Safeguarding Children procedures.
Procedures and Guidance on Specific Issues that Affect Children
- Abuse Linked to Spiritual or Religious Beliefs
- Assessing & Responding to the Impact Parental Mental ill Health on Children
- Assessing and Responding to the Impact of Domestic Abuse
- Assessing the Impact of Parental Substance and or Alcohol Misuse on Children
- Asylum Seeking Children
- Avoiding Dual Protection
- Baby Safe Sleep Practice Guidance
- Breast Ironing
- Bruising and Injuries in Non-Mobile Infants a Multiagency Procedure
- Child on Child Abuse
- Child Protection Medical Assessments
- Child to Parent Violence and Abuse
- Child’s Chronology Guidance (Single & Multi-agency)
- Child’s Voice & Lived Experience – Toolkits
- Children at Risk of Blood Borne Viruses (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV)
- Children Entering and Leaving Uk
- Children in Hospital
- Children Returning Home
- Children with Disabilities
- Complex Case Guidance
- Concealed Pregnancy Procedure
- Deliberate Self-harm
- Dogs and Safeguarding
- Family Group Conferences
- Family pack of questionnaires and scales
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
- Forced Marriages
- Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need
- Harm Outside The Home (HOTH)
- Honour Based Violence and Abuse
- Investigating Complex (organised or multiple) Abuse
- Perplexing Presentations/Fabricated & Induced Illness
- Prevent / Channel Referral Process
- Private Fostering
- Racial and Religious Harassment
- Rough Guides for Practitioners
- Safeguarding The Unborn Baby
- Serious Child Safeguarding Incidents, Rapid Reviews & Safeguarding Practice Reviews
- Standing Conference on Drug Abuse Guidelines (SCODA) Questionnaire
- Tees Child Death Overview Panel
- Tees Multi-agency Standards for Case Recording
- Tees Valley Safeguarding Dental Access Referral Pathway (Pilot)
- Think Family Guidance – Safeguarding Adults Children and Families
- Transient Families
- Types of Abuse
- Underage Sexual Activity
- Working with Families Who Find It Hard To Engage
- Working With Parents Who Have a Learning Disability
- Young Carers
Safeguarding Referral Process
If you suspect that someone is being harmed and they are in immediate danger you should ring the police on 999. Where a crime has been committed and the police require informing but there is no immediate danger call 101. In all other circumstances follow the safeguarding referral process to notify the Child Safeguarding team at Redcar and Cleveland Council.
Before you make a safeguarding referral you should speak with your organisations Designated Safeguarding Lead, consult the Framework and determine that the assessed risk is a level four need, which is defined as:
Level of Need 4: A child who has suffered or is at risk of suffering significant harm or has complex needs; that requires a specialist or statutory intervention
If this is the case, you should submit a referral form to [email protected].
Referral Form
Safeguarding Team Contact Details
| During Work Hours | Emergency Out of Office Hours |
| Call 01642 130 700 | Call 01642 524 552* |
Local Authority Designated Officer
| Name | Contact Details |
| Redcar and Cleveland LADO | Call 01642 130708 or email [email protected] |
Safeguarding Training
Safeguarding training courses are managed through an eLearning platform provided by the Teeswide Adult Safeguarding Partnership and are offered free of charge for staff an volunteers working within the Tees area in Statutory, Voluntary or Not for Profit Organisations.
Training can be accessed here: https://www.tsab.org.uk/training/
Find Out More
Additional Reading and Support
NSPCC Learning is a specialist collection of Information and guidance on what you and your organisation can do to protect children from harm.
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) is a leading values-driven improvement agency that works to improve the lives of people of all ages by co-producing, sharing, and supporting the use of the best available knowledge and evidence about what works in social care and social work. Explore their resources for the voluntary, charitable and social enterprise sector here.
Safeguarding Glossary
This glossary is designed to provide you will a list of acronym and terms commonly in use in safeguarding. If you know of a term we have not included below, that it would be useful to provide, please let us know.
| Cafcass | Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service |
| CiOC | Child in our Care |
| CSA | Child Sexual Abuse |
| CSE | Child Sexual Exploitation |
| DBS | Disclosure and Barring Service |
| EPO | Emergency Protection Order |
| FGM | Female Genital Mutilation |
| HOTH | Harm Outside The Home |
| ICO | Interim Care Order |
| IRO | Independent Reviewing Officer |
| LADO | Local Authority Designated Officer |
| MAPPA | Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements |
| MARAC | Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences |
| STSCP | South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership |
| TSCPP | Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership’s Procedures |
