The Safeguarding Children Boards brings together representatives from different agencies who work with children, so that everyone can work together to keep children safe from harm.
What is meant by harm?
- Physical harm, such as physical assaults like kicking, punching or burning.
- Neglect, such as leaving children on their own, not feeding or looking after them properly.
- Sexual harm, which is usually inappropriate sexual behaviour by an adult towards a child.
- Emotional harm, which is when adults do or say things to children that make them feel frightened or unloved.
Safeguarding Children Boards works hard to keep children safe.
Boards do this by:
- working to make sure that children grow up in a safe, nurturing environment
- targeting certain groups of people who might be more vulnerable
- protecting children who are suffering or are at risk of suffering harm
The work involves helping people to recognise the signs of abuse and neglect, among many other things. One of the main aims of Safeguarding Boards is getting the message across that keeping children safe is everyone's responsibility.
Policies and procedures Safeguarding Boards develop policies and procedures that help to safeguard children. People who work with children use these policies to know -
- what to do when they are concerned about a child
- what training people should have if they work with children
- how to recruit and supervise people who work with children
- how to investigate any allegations against people who work with children
- how to make sure children who are privately fostered are kept safe and well
- how to work with other children's services authorities and their board partners
They also investigate serious cases of abuse or neglect, and when there is concern for the way the situation has been dealt with.
Lancashire has three Local Safeguarding Children Boards, they are:
Lancashire Safeguarding Children Board