New Working Together Guidance

Date: Wednesday, 20th Dec 2023 | Category: Uncategorised

The government published new Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance on 15 December 2023.

The key changes are:

• New chapter on ‘A Shared Responsibility’ emphasising the importance of strong multi-agency partnership across the whole system including principles for working with parents and carers centred around building positive, trusting and cooperative relationships
• Strengthening how local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements work to safeguard and protect children locally
• Strengthening role of education and childcare settings in early help and broadening the range of practitioners who can be lead practitioners for children and families under section 17 of the Children Act 1989
• Introduction of new national multi-agency child protection standards to improve practice and outcomes for children
• Introduction of non-mandatory reporting of care leaver deaths up to the age of 25 to improve learning and outcomes

A summary of the changes is available, along with the full guidance, on the GOV UK website.

The core Safeguarding Leaders in Birmingham – Sue Harrison (Birmingham City Council), Lisa Stalley-Green (NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB), James Thomas (Birmingham Children’s Trust) and Richard North (West Midlands Police) – meet regularly and are planning a development session to look at revising the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements (MASA) to be compliant with the new Working Together guidance.