December 2019
Updated Chapters | |
Chapter Name | Details |
This chapter has been substantially updated and should be re-read. |
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This chapter has been significantly updated. Therefore it should be re-read in its entirety. |
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This chapter has been updated locally. |
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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. |
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This chapter has been significantly updated. Therefore it should be re-read in its entirety. |
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Section 5.3, Health has been updated with a link to the new Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competencies for Health Care Staff. |
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Guidance for Safe Recruitment, Selection and Retention for Staff and Volunteers |
A link has been added to Statutory Guidance: Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 into Further Information. |
New Chapters | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Protocol for an Early Co-Ordinated Response to Serious Safeguarding Cases |
This protocol has been added to the manual and provides additional information to help with serious safeguarding cases. |
This protocol has been added to the manual. |
Next Update: June 2020 |
Archive
June 2019
Updated Chapters | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Responding to Abuse and Neglect |
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. |
Child Protection Enquiries - Section 47 Children Act 1989 |
This chapter has been reviewed. |
Assessment |
This chapter has been revised to reflect updated guidance on Assessment in Working Together to Safeguard Children. |
Allegations Against Staff or Volunteers |
This chapter has been reviewed. |
Children Visiting Prisons |
This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout in 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. |
E-Safety: Children Exposed to Abuse through the Digital Media |
This guidance has been reviewed and refreshed as required. In Further Information, a link has been added to the Catch 22 publication Social Media as a Catalyst and Trigger for Youth Violence. |
Harmful Sexual Behaviour |
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. |
Child Sexual Abuse in the Family Environment |
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. 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 in Section 2, Risk and Indicators. |
Serious Case Reviews |
This chapter has been updated to reflect the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the updated Data Protection Act 2018. |
Agency Roles and Responsibilities |
This chapter has been updated and should be re-read throughout. |
Guidance for Safe Recruitment, Selection and Retention for Staff and Volunteers |
A link has been added to Statutory Guidance: Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006. |
January 2019
Updated Chapters | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Organised and Complex Abuse |
This chapter has been updated to ensure that it is in line with current local processes in Oxfordshire. |
Information Sharing |
This chapter has been updated to incoroporate the guidance provided by the introduction of the General Data protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. |
Joint Protocol for Safeguarding Children Missing from Home or Care in Oxfordshire |
This chapter has been updated to incorporate Oxfordshire's local processes. |
Children of Parents with Learning Disabilities |
This chapter has been revised throughout in line with case-law and updated good practice guidance. |
Female Genital Mutilation |
This chapter has been updated to include a link to the Female Genital Mutilation Screening Tool. |
Self Harm and Suicidal Behaviour |
The Further Information section has been revised and updated. |
May 2018
Updated Chapters | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Female Genital Mutilation |
Several local documents have been added to this procedure. This procedure has been also updated to reflect local practice with regards to NHS actions and protection and action to be taken. |
Gang Activity, Youth Violence and Criminal Exploitation affecting Children |
This chapter has been amended 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'. |
Self Harm and Suicidal Behaviour |
This procedure has been significantly updated to reflect local practice and should be re-read in full. |
Trafficked Children |
Section 4, Protection and Action to be taken, the statutory guidance has been updated to link to the DfE 2017 Care of unaccompanied and migrant children and child victims of modern slavery – statutory guidance for local authorities. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is referenced in relation to age assessments. |
Dangerous Dogs and Safeguarding |
This chapter has been reviewed and updated. |
November 2017
Updated Chapters | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Responding to Abuse and Neglect |
A new Section 12, Non-recent (Historical) Abuse has been added. Information has also been added with reference to 'peer on peer' abuse. The definition of Abuse has been expanded in line with that as identified in Working Together to Safeguard Children and Keeping Children Safe in Education. |
Good Practice in Supporting the Voice of the Child |
This chapter has been updated. |
Domestic Violence and Abuse |
A link to Domestic Abuse: A Resource for Health Professionals (DoH, 2017) has been added into the Further Information section. |
Forced Marriage |
This chapter has been updated with further detail in Section 3, 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). |
Harmful Sexual Behaviour |
This procedure has been updated to reflect local practice. |
'Honour' Based Abuse |
This chapter has been reviewed and 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 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. |
Dangerous Dogs and Safeguarding |
A link to Parent Tips - Keeping Babies and Children Safe Around Dogs in the Home (Institute of Health Visiting) has been added into the Further Information section. |
Child Death Reviews |
A link to Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy and Childhood - Multi-agency Guidelines for Care and Investigation (Royal College of Pathologists, endorsed by The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health) has been added into the Further Information section. |
New Chapters and Features | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Child Sexual Abuse in the Family Environment |
This procedure has been added to the manual. |
(Please note the archived amendments below reflect a previous version of the manual).
July 2016
Updated Chapters | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Initial Child Protection Conferences | This chapter has been updated to reflect current practice regarding the Record of Conferences. |
Child Protection Review Conferences | This chapter has been amended and includes information on Looked After Children with a Child Protection Plan. |
Child Sexual Exploitation | A Legal Briefing: Range of Court Orders Available to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation has been added to the Local Guidance section of this chapter. Information regarding Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPO) and Sexual Risk Orders (SRO) has been added to Section 9, Identifying, Disrupting and Prosecuting Perpetrators. |
Female Genital Mutilation | A new FGM Screening tool has been updated. This can be found in the Related Guidance section of this chapter. |
Information Sharing Protocol | This chapter has been slightly updated to reflect current practice. This chapter now outlines that LSCB's can specifically require information to be provided by an individual or another body if the information is for the purpose of enabling or assisting the LSCB to perform its functions. Where there is a duty to co-operate and a clear need to share information there is an obligation on statutory agencies or individuals to share that information, provided this is for a legitimate purpose. |
New Chapters and Features | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Guidance on use of Mental Capacity Act 2015 re 16/17 year olds | This Guidance has been added to the manual |
Child Death Review Process (including Rapid Response Process and Child Death Overview Panel Process) | This chapter has been re-written to reflect current practice and should be re-read in its entirety. This is guide is to the initial process in the event of a child death and the role of the Child Death Overview Panel. Each agency has its own policies and procedures to follow in the event of a child death. Please refer to these within your own agency. |
December 2015
Updated Chapters | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Escalation Policy for Professionals with Child Protection or Child Welfare Concerns |
The link to OSCB Escalation Policy has been changed so that it now links to an updated policy. |
Child Sexual Exploitation |
Links to Tackling child sexual exploitation: A Resource pack for Councils; Responding to Child Sexual Exploitation- College of Policing and Child Sexual Abuse – The children's Commissioner have been added to Related Guidance. In addition, guidance relating to Working with Sexually Active Young People under the age of 18 in Oxfordshire has been updated. |
Children who Self Harm and/or Display Suicidal Behaviour |
This chapter has been reviewed and substantially updated. It should be read in its entirety. |
Female Genital Mutilation |
This chapter has been updated to reflect Changes to Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 Arising from the Serious Crime Act 2015. A link to Female Genital Mutilation and its Management: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2015 has also been added. The chapter should be read in its entirety. |
Guidance for Professionals Safeguarding Sexually Active Young People Under the Age of 18 Including Those at Risk of Sexual Exploitation in Oxfordshire |
The chapter has been substantially rewritten and a new appendix 2 Legal Briefing: Range of Court Orders Available to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation has been added. The chapter should be read in its entirety. |
Legal Framework for Safeguarding Children in Individual Cases |
There are significant changes to the chapter from section 14 Care Proceedings onward and the chapter should be read in its entirety. |
Information Sharing Protocol |
A link to Information Sharing Advice for Safeguarding practitioners has been added |
Local Contacts |
This appendix has been reviewed and updated. |
New Chapters and Features | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Safeguarding Children and Young People Against Radicalisation and Extremism |
Working Together to Safeguard Children specifies that Local Safeguarding Children Boards, local authorities and their partners should be commissioning and providing services for children who are likely to suffer, or may have suffered significant harm, due to radicalisation and extremism. (Chapter 1, Section 17). From 1 July 2015 all schools and child care providers must have regard to the statutory guidance issued under section 29 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015. Paragraphs 57-76 of the guidance are concerned specifically with schools and childcare providers, registered early years childcare providers and registered later years childcare providers are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of their functions, to have "due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism". This duty is known as the Prevent duty. It applies to a wide range of public-facing bodies which are listed in schedule 6 of the Act as specified authorities in England and Wales, and Scotland. The specified authorities are those judged to have a role in protecting vulnerable children, young people and adults and/or the national security. The Prevent strategy, published by the Government in 2011, is part of an overall counter-terrorism strategy called CONTEST. The aim of the Prevent strategy is to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. In addition, the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (the CT and S Act) sections 36 to 41 set out the duty on local authorities and partners to establish and cooperate with the local Channel Channel panel to provide support for people, children and adults, vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. It is essential that Channel panel members, partners to local panels and other professionals ensure that children, young people and adults are protected from harm. |
July 2015
Updated Chapters | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Referrals (including Referral Pathway) | This chapter has been slightly updated when the link to "What to do if you're worried that a child is being abused" has been updated to link to advice issued by the DFE in March 2015. |
Assessment of an (Unborn) Child of a Young Person who is Looked After, Leaving Care or in whom there is Substantial Social Care/YOS Involvement | A link to the latest NICE guidelines has been added. |
OSCB Protocol for a Co-ordinated Response to Serious/Fatal Safeguarding Cases | Contact details in Section 6 have been amended and updated. |
Bullying | This chapter has been amended when a new paragraph relating to 'sexting' has been added to Section 5, Cyber Bullying. 'Sexting' is the taking and sending of sexualised images of themselves sent by someone, possibly a young person, via mobile phone or other device. It is illegal; although prosecution is extremely rare. It can have significant psychological consequences and should always be viewed as a serious matter requiring a sympathetic yet robust adult response. Links to a series of documents setting out government advice have also been added as resources to this chapter including advice on both bullying and cyberbullying for schools and parents. |
Child Abuse and Information Communication Technology | This chapter has been updated with the following paragraph: As part of the Serious Crime Bill (2015) an offence of sexual communication with a child was introduced. This applies to an adult who communicates with a child and the communication is sexual or if it is intended to elicit from the child a communication which is sexual and the adult reasonably believes the child to be under 16 years of age. The Act also amended the Sex Offences Act 2003 so it is now an offence for an adult to arrange to meet with someone under 16 having communicated with them on just one occasion (previously it was on at least two occasions). |
Protocol for Assessing and Managing Children and Unborn Children at Risk Who Have Parents or Carers with Mental Health Issues | A link to the latest NICE guidelines has been added. |
Learning and Improvement Framework | Section 2, Serious Case Review Process has been completely rewritten to reflect the requirements of Working Together to Safeguard Children and should be read in its entirety. |
Child Death Review Process (including Rapid Response Process and Child Death Overview Panel Process) | Contact details in Section 5, Training for professionals to raise awareness of Child Death Review Processes have been amended and updated. |
Local Contacts | This chapter has been updated. |
New Chapters and Features | |
Chapter Name | Details |
Abuse in Faith Settings | A link to the SAFE (Safe Activities For Everyone) Network Site. The site brings together a wide range of perspectives and resources that are designed to assist and support those working to safeguard children and young people in a variety of Faith settings. |
Removed Chapters | |
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December 2014
Updated Chapters | |
Chapter Title | Details |
Referral Pathways | Sections 7 to 10 of this chapter have been updated to ensure that referrals relating to concerns for the safety of children and young people are referred to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). The sections set out how to refer and explain the possible outcomes of any referral and should be read in their entirety. |
Allegations Against Staff, Carers and Volunteers | This chapter has been updated to to ensure that referrals relating to concerns for the safety of children and young people are referred to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). See above. |
Complex (Organised or Multiple) Abuse | This chapter has been slightly amended to ensure that referrals relating to concerns for the safety of children and young people are referred to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). |
Child Sexual Exploitation | Section 9, Identifying, Disrupting and Prosecuting Perpetrators: Child Protection is Everybody's Business has been added to with a section explaining how the Child Sex Offender Review (CSOR) Disclosure Scheme works. |
Not Attending School | This chapter has been slightly amended to include a link to Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools: Departmental Advice for School Staff. |
Responding to Children and Young People who are at Risk from Domestic Violence and Abuse - Policy and Guidance for Professionals | Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs) were implemented across England and Wales from 8 March 2014. They provide protection to victims by enabling the police and magistrates to put in place protection in the immediate aftermath of a domestic violence incident. Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme ('Clare's Law') The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) (also known as 'Clare's Law') commenced in England and Wales on 8 March 2014. The DVDS gives members of the public a formal mechanism to make enquires about an individual who they are in a relationship with, or who is in a relationship with someone they know, where there is a concern that the individual may be violent towards their partner. |
Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence - Oxfordshire Protocol | This chapter has been updated to reflect The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 which made it a criminal offence, with effect from 16 June 2014, to force someone to marry. |
Information Sharing Protocol | The Child Sex Offender Review (CSOR) Disclosure Scheme is designed to provide members of the public with a formal mechanism to ask for disclosure about people they are concerned about, who have unsupervised access to children and may therefore pose a risk. This scheme builds on existing, well established third-party disclosures that operate under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Police will reveal details confidentially to the person most able to protect the child (usually parents, carers or guardians) if they think it is in the child's interests. |
New Chapters and Features | |
Chapter Title | Details |
Locality Working and No Names Consultations | This new chapter offers professionals a means of discussing cases without making a formal referral and without requiring family agreement as names and identities are not disclosed. The chapter sets out the benefits of a No Names Consultation and the possible outcomes ranging from No Further Action (NFA) to formal referral to Children's Social Care. |
Complex Case Panel: Terms of Reference | This chapter has been previously located within Oxford Children's services Manual and has been relocated to reflect it's emphasis on SCB multiagency working. A small proportion of young people have multiple needs and present serious ongoing concerns to education, health, social care and youth support services. It is likely that most of these services will have offered interventions at different times in the young person's history. However, the services may not have been able to commit the necessary resources and expertise in an integrated way that achieves the desired outcomes. Some cases have become 'stuck' and in a small number of cases the consequences have been tragic as risks have spiralled. The purpose of setting up the complex case panel is to enable managers to realise and share their responsibility for the whole young person, and to avoid taking a reactive stance along specialist divisions. |
Children who Self Harm and/or Display Suicidal Behaviour | This new chapter offers useful guidance for practitioners and managers on the indicators and risks associated with self harm and suicidal behaviour. It then goes on to emphasise the importance of a supportive response demonstrating respect and understanding of the child or young person, along with a non-judgmental stance, are of prime importance. It offers useful contacts and sources of support and advice. |
October 2014
Updated Chapters | |
Chapter Title | Details |
Female Genital Mutilation | This chapter has been substantially updated in regard to Healthcare Professionals guidance and should be read in its entirety. |