SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY - 2023 - CHILDREN Safeguarding - policy

Aug 31, 2026

Safeguarding Children Policy sets out how Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB) meets its statutory duty under Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 to safeguard and promote children’s welfare while carrying out its functions. The policy is designed to operate alongside local, regional and national safeguarding procedures, guidance and multi-agency frameworks, and it aligns safeguarding practice with relevant legislation, principles and values for all staff.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatDOCX

Pages57

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Legal basis and statutory duties

Relationship to local, regional and national guidance

Scope for ICB safeguarding practice

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY CONTENTS SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY VERSION CONTROL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY INTRODUCTION Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) under a statutory duty to make arrangements to ensure that in discharging their functions they have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This policy must be operated in conjunction with the following local, regional, and national policies, procedures and guidance: HYPERLINK "https://www.proceduresonline.com/swcpp/somerset/index.html" South West Child Protection Procedures (Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures) HYPERLINK "https://sscb.safeguardingsomerset.org.uk/working-with-children/local-protocols-guidance/" Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) Local Protocols and Guidance HYPERLINK "https://ssab.safeguardingsomerset.org.uk/information/policies-and-procedures/" \l "details-0-0" BaNeS, BNSSG and Somerset Safeguarding Adults Multi – Agency Policy HYPERLINK "https://ssab.safeguardingsomerset.org.uk/information/policies-and-procedures/" Somerset Safeguarding Adults Board (SSAB) local practice guidance and protocols HYPERLINK "https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315993/Care-Act-Guidance.pdf" Care and Support Statutory Guidance issued under the Care Act 2014 HYPERLINK "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children--2" Promoting the health and well-being of looked-after children (2015) HYPERLINK "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2"Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) HYPERLINK "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-practitioners-information-sharing-advice"DfE Information sharing advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers (2018) HYPERLINK "https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/publications/pub-007069" Adult Safeguarding Roles and Competencies for Health Staff (2018) HYPERLINK "https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/publications/pub-007366" Intercollegiate Document: Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competencies for Healthcare Staff (2019) HYPERLINK "https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/safeguarding-policy/" NHS England and Improvement Safeguarding Policy 2019 HYPERLINK "https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/looked-after-children-lac" Intercollegiate Role Framework: Looked after children: knowledge, skills and competences for health care staff (2020) HYPERLINK "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance/revised-prevent-duty-guidance-for-england-and-wales" Revised Prevent Duty Guidance: for England and Wales (2021) HYPERLINK "https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/safeguarding-children-young-people-and-adults-at-risk-in-the-nhs-safeguarding-accountability-and-assurance-framework/" NHSE Safeguarding Children, young people and adults at risk in the NHS: Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework (2022) HYPERLINK "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-abuse-act-2021"Home Office Domestic Abuse Statutory Guidance (2022) HYPERLINK "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/serious-violence-duty" Serious Violence Duty: statutory guidance (2022) HYPERLINK "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modern-slavery-how-to-identify-and-support-victims" \l "full-publication-update-history" Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (2023) This policy complies with statutory duties associated with all relevant safeguarding legislation, including but not limited to the following: HYPERLINK "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contents" The Children Act 1989 HYPERLINK "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/31/contents" The Children Act 2

FAQs

What statutory duty does the Integrated Care Board have under this policy?

Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 requires Integrated Care Boards to make arrangements to safeguard and promote children’s welfare when discharging their functions.

Which types of external policies and guidance does the document align with?

It operates alongside specified local, regional and national safeguarding procedures, local protocols, multi-agency guidance, and statutory guidance covering safeguarding and welfare obligations.

How does the policy link legislation to safeguarding practice?

It states that the policy complies with safeguarding-related statutory duties and outlines how legislation, principles and values inform safeguarding practice for all staff.

Aug 31, 2026

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