Working together to safeguard children: changes to statutory guidance
Applies to England
Download the full outcome
Detail of outcome
A summary of responses received, the government’s response to the consultation and next steps.
Updated Working together to safeguard children statutory guidance is now available.
Original consultation
Consultation description
Working together to safeguard children is the multi-agency statutory guidance that sets out expectations for the system that provides help, support and protection for children and their families. Working together to safeguard children applies at every level from senior leaders to those in direct practice with families, and across all agencies and organisations that come into contact with children. It gives practitioners clarity about what is required of them individually and how they need to work in partnership with each other to deliver effective services. It was last revised in 2018, with a limited factual update in 2020.
In February 2023, the government published Stable homes, built on love, which set out an ambitious plan to transform children’s social care, committing to support every child to grow up in a safe, stable and loving home. Updating Working together to safeguard children is central to delivering on the first phase of this transformation journey, implementing strengthened multi-agency working across the whole system of help, support and protection for children and their families, re-balancing the system towards help at an early point, and ensuring strong, effective and consistent child protection practice.
We encourage you to read the consultation document before responding to the corresponding questions in the survey. Children and young people are encouraged to consider the questions in our children and young people’s guide.
Documents
Last updated 15 December 2023 + show all updates
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Published the 'Changes to statutory guidance: working together to safeguard children government consultation response.'
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First published.