Working Together to Safeguard Children: Key Guidance Explained

Working Together to Safeguard Children is statutory government guidance that organisations must follow. It sets out a clear framework so everyone understands who does what and when, from first concerns through to joint assessments and coordinated support.

The guidance explains how agencies should protect children from abuse, neglect and exploitation, and how they should work together and share information so concerns are not missed. It also emphasises early identification by asking professionals to spot emerging risks, record concerns clearly and provide support before problems escalate.

The guidance exists to prevent situations where risks are seen, but no one acts quickly enough. Past reviews showed that different agencies often held important pieces of information but did not share them or escalate concerns in time.

Working Together provides a national framework so every agency understands its responsibilities and can work effectively with others to keep children safe.

The guidance applies to all organisations and professionals who work with children or families. This covers a wide range of services and roles and makes clear that safeguarding is not limited to one sector.

Examples include

• Local authorities and children’s social care
• The police and other law enforcement bodies
• NHS trusts, GPs and other healthcare providers
• Schools, colleges and early years providers
• Charities, voluntary groups and faith organisations that work with children
• Sports clubs, youth groups and other community providers

Even if your role involves only limited or occasional contact with children, you still need to understand the essentials of Working Together. Safeguarding is a shared responsibility and does not sit only with social workers or teachers.

The guidance is built on four key goals. It seeks to:

• Protect children from maltreatment, including abuse, neglect and exploitation
• Prevent impairment of health or development by helping children grow up in safe and supportive environments
• Ensure children experience safe and effective care so that their needs are consistently met
• Enable children to achieve the best possible outcomes so safeguarding supports their wellbeing as well as their safety

Together, these goals provide the foundation for safeguarding practice in the UK and shape how agencies work with children and families every day.

Working Together says that every local area must have three safeguarding partners. These are

• The local authority
• The integrated care board for the NHS
• The chief officer of police

Working together, these partners agree the local safeguarding arrangements. They set out how agencies will work together, how information will be shared and how serious cases will be reviewed.

Schools, colleges and other education providers are expected to be fully involved in these arrangements. They are often the first to notice concerns, and they play a vital role in keeping children safe.

One of the strongest messages in the guidance is that no single agency can safeguard children on its own. Multi-agency working means professionals from different services acting together in a planned and consistent way. This can involve

• Sharing information quickly and accurately
• Holding joint meetings about children who may be at risk
• Coordinating early help services for families who need support
• Agreeing on who will take the lead in protecting a child
• Learning from serious case reviews to improve day-to-day practice

When agencies work in this way, children are less likely to fall through the gaps and support is more likely to reach them at the right time.

The 2023 update places strong emphasis on early help. This means giving support to families as soon as difficulties start to appear rather than waiting until they reach crisis point.

Early help can take many forms. It may involve:

• Parenting support programmes that build confidence at home
• Practical assistance with housing or financial pressures
• Counselling for children who are showing signs of distress
• Support groups for parents affected by addiction or mental health challenges

Early support prevents small problems from becoming serious risks for a child. The guidance explains that every professional has a part to play in this. Whatever your role, you are expected to notice emerging concerns and help families access the right support as early as possible.

Staff who work with children may notice warning signs before anyone else. These include:

• Unexplained injuries or frequent medical visits
• Changes in behaviour, such as withdrawal or aggression
• Poor hygiene, hunger or unsuitable clothing
• A child frequently late or absent from school
• Signs of emotional distress, such as low confidence or fearfulness
• A child showing sexualised behaviour inappropriate for their age

No single sign proves abuse, but if you notice patterns or repeated concerns, you must take them seriously.

When you notice something that worries you about a child, you should not try to handle it on your own. The guidance sets out three clear steps for staff to follow so that concerns are recorded, shared and acted on in a safe and consistent way.

The first step is to write down what you observed as soon as you can. Include dates, times, places and any words the child used. Keep to the facts and avoid adding your own opinions or assumptions. A clear and accurate record helps others understand what has happened and decide what needs to happen next.

Once you have made a clear record, the next step is to pass your concern to the right person. Share it with your Designated Safeguarding Lead or the equivalent role in your organisation. If you are the DSL, you should pass the concern to children’s social care or the relevant safeguarding partners. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999 without delay.

After you have reported the concern, you may still be the person the child turns to. When a child chooses to talk to you, take a moment to steady yourself so you can listen calmly and give them your full attention. Let them use their own words and show that you are taking what they say seriously.

Once they have finished speaking, thank them for telling you and reassure them that they have done the right thing. Then be honest about what will happen next. Explain that you cannot keep what they say a secret and that you will share the information with people whose job is to help keep them safe.

You now have an overview of what Working Together to Safeguard Children is, why it exists and what your role involves. In practice, your duty is to record, report and respond without delay whenever you are worried about a child.

To do this with confidence, you need clear knowledge and practical skills that reflect key guidance such as Working Together. The right training helps you to

• Spot early warning signs of abuse or neglect
• Understand your legal responsibilities
• Follow the correct reporting procedures
• Respond to children in a calm and supportive way
• Work effectively with other agencies

Human Focus provides safeguarding e-learning courses at different levels, so you can choose the training that matches your role and supports the expectations set out in national guidance.

• Level 1 is for staff who have indirect or occasional contact with children and need a solid grounding in core safeguarding duties
• Level 2 is for staff who have regular contact with children or specific safeguarding responsibilities and need greater confidence in recognising and acting on concerns
• The Designated Safeguarding Lead course is for those who hold formal safeguarding duties and must lead decision-making, referrals and multi-agency coordination.

Each course explains the legal framework, the signs of abuse and the actions you are expected to take. Starting your training now can help you feel better prepared to speak up when a child needs you to.