Keeping every Child safe with Safeguarding and Child Protection
- Mable Green
- Aug 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 27
What is Safeguarding and Child Protection
Safeguarding is the action taken to promote children's welfare and protect them from harm. Child protection identifies those suffering or likely to be harmed.
Safeguarding means:
protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
preventing harm to children's health or development
Ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
Taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.
Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures, which detail how to respond to concerns about a child. NSPCC
The protection of children in legislation
Child protection laws started in 1880, protecting the interests of children. Compulsory education protected young children from the harsh world of factory employment. There is a long history of legislation and guidelines. The Children's Act of 1908 made protecting children legal and introduced Juvenile courts. The Punishment of Incest Act made sexual abuse within families illegal. In 1974, the Area Children Protection Committee (ACPC) started coordinating local groups in England and Wales to safeguard at-risk children in response to cases of child abuse and murders at the hands of their abusers. There have been many updates on protecting children and vulnerable adults.
Virtual college video - The history of child protection.
The Government publication Keeping Children Safe in Education was first published in 2015 and is updated yearly.
The need for support
The hardest thing was sending a child to school, knowing that the adults around him didn't believe or take him seriously. Some are more vulnerable to bullying and mental health issues when they cannot stand up for themselves. There is a need for supportive adults who understand. There's a lasting effect on children of those who experience high anxiety levels. Feeling anxious, singled out and struggling with the school's social interactions makes life hard or even scary. A stressed child will not learn.
Send code of Practices - 0 to 25
The Children and Family Act 2014 led to the SEND Code of Practice being implemented across schools, health and social care. The changes support all children, not just children with Special Educational Needs and Disability. Published and maintained by the Department of Education, covering children from birth to 25 years, from the beginning of child care to employment. There is an emphasis on coordinated care across education, Health and Social Services; information is shared, and everyone knows what is happening with children and young people who are at risk.
Areas considered by the policy that come under the SEND policy include:
Communication and Interaction: Speech and Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
Cognition and learning literacy and numeracy - Dyslexia (Reading and literacy), Dyspraxia (Physical coordination) and Dyscalculia (Maths)
Social, Mental and Emotional Health Support regulating and managing emotions, Autistic Spectrum disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety and other Mental Health Issues.
Sensory and physical needs: Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Visual and hearing impairment
(These are just labels to help define and understand the different categories.)
The provision of the Educational, Health and Social Care plan (EHCP)
The SEND provision must consider the child and the parents' views, wishes and feelings, putting them at the heart of the care with financial support if needed in the form of an Educational Health Care plan (EHCP).
The criteria for qualifying for an EHCP are complex; many more would benefit from targeted support in the classroom. The law requires that every school appoint a Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCo). This senior teacher coordinates the support and education of children with Special Educational Needs and liaises with outside agencies.
The lasting legacy of spending cuts
Between 2010 and 2019, total public spending on education across the UK fell by £10 billion, or 8%, in real terms. This led to a fall in the share of national income devoted to education spending (down from 5% of national income in 2007 to 4.4% in 2019). If education spending had remained 5% of national income, it would have been £16 billion higher in 2019. There was a 3% real-terms increase in education spending in 2020. This reflects the temporary extra levels of support provided during the pandemic.
The Annual Report of Educational Spending 2024 -2025 - funded by The Nuffield Foundation.
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