Safeguarding policy

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and all staff who, during the course of their employment have direct or indirect contact with children and families and vulnerable adults, or who have access to information about them, have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.

There is a duty on organisations to make appropriate arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Also government guidance makes it clear that it is a shared responsibility, and depends upon effective joint working between agencies and professionals that have different roles and expertise.

The statutory inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié and the first joint Chief Inspectors report on safeguarding children highlighted the lack of priority status given to safeguarding. The government response to these findings included the Green Paper Every Child Matters and the provisions in the Children Act 2004. Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a duty on all agencies to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.  The Health and Social Care Act 2008 also places statutory duties on organisations and individuals.

For Kirklees council this means that ...

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults is not just the province of those working directly with these groups of people.

Kirklees Council aims to ensure that no act or omission on the part of the organisation, or that of its staff, or partner organisations puts a child, young person or vulnerable adult inadvertently at risk; and that rigorous systems are in place to proactively safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and support staff in fulfilling their obligations.

This policy applies to anyone employed directly or indirectly by Kirklees Council, and also includes students, volunteers and work placements.

This policy is available to independent contractors and should be implemented as good practice.

This policy focuses on the workplace responsibilities of staff, although responsibilities to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults extend to an individuals personal and domestic life.

This document will be reviewed periodically, in line with national and local guidance.