Professional concerns resolution process
When working with practitioners from other agencies there might be times when there are differences of opinion on how to respond to an identified concern about a child, young person or family. In these cases practitioners should follow the steps in the Professional Concerns Resolution Process.
The guidance provides a clear process to ensure that all practitioners involved in multi-agency work understand the steps they should take when concerns arise. These include:
- Keeping a clear written record which is shared with everyone involved.
- Agreeing timescales and,
- Recording all decisions and outcomes.
For the complete step by step process on managing professional disagreements please see the Professional Concerns Resolution Process.
Safeguarding children in elective home education
This briefing on Safeguarding Children in Elective Home Education from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (the Panel) is part of an ongoing series of publications to share information arising from work undertaken by the Panel with safeguarding partners and others involved in child protection.
The briefing explores common themes and patterns identified across reviews and highlights practice issues raised by safeguarding partners from across England.
The issue of home schooling has received considerable national attention, particularly in the context of wider concerns about education attendance during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Panel supports the right of parents to educate their children at home. They share the view of the Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, that home education is not, in and of itself, a safeguarding risk (see her recent report Lost in Transition? The destinations of children who leave the state education system).
The Panel are of the view that there are some children within this cohort who will require the attention of safeguarding agencies because they are at risk of harm and may not be visible to services. It is on this group of children that this Panel briefing is focused. The briefing draws on evidence from rapid reviews and LCSPRs undertaken by local safeguarding partnerships where children who have been electively home educated have suffered serious harm or died because of abuse or neglect. It seeks to support safeguarding partners, practitioners and others involved in safeguarding children, to better understand and address some of the risk of harm factors which may be experienced by children who are being electively home educated.
The briefing considers the following:
- The legislative context and the role of statutory agencies.
- Evidence about children who are home educated and suffer harm and abuse, including the relevance of why some parents choose to home educate their children.
- What we can learn from analysis of rapid reviews and from local child safeguarding practice reviews about the risk of harm factors for children who are home educated.
- What actions might need to be taken at a local and national level to help protect this group of children from harm and abuse.
See Safeguarding children in Elective Home Education from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
Update from the Independent Scrutineer
David Derbyshire has been in post since September 2023, as the Independent Scrutineer of arrangements for safeguarding children in Leeds.
This role was introduced by statutory partners in Leeds as a response to the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, which made it a requirement for all safeguarding partnerships to appoint an independent scrutiny function.
David’s reports to date have been positive about the state of safeguarding in Leeds. He states that different agencies work together well and that practitioners and managers are aware of the need and value of conversation where there are concerns.
The report of the JTAI inspection on arrangements concerning serious youth violence in Leeds published in May 2024, was evidence of the strength of multi-agency working and the priority given to excellence in practice with children and families. Through his discussions with senior and junior staff, he has been struck by the level of pride which exists among the Leeds workforce and this pride is very much aligned with the encouragement to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.
See our website for the full update.
Safeguarding children all summer
During the next few months we will be posting messages via our social media channels, on how to keep children and young people safe over the summer holidays.
The messages aim to keep safeguarding children and young people in everyone’s minds, by providing helpful tips and advice on a variety of topics including:
- Water safety
- Online safety
- Keeping babies safe in hot weather
- Safeguarding in sports.
Please help us inform children, young people and families by reposting our messages via your own channels.
You can follow our accounts here:
Practitioner group
Would you be interested in joining a Practitioner Group?
Group members will:
- Give feedback on the LSCP’s guidance and information
- Share their opinions on learning from reviews and LSCP messaging
- Be encouraged to make suggestions from a practitioner's point of view.
If you'd like to get involved please email us at: lscp.info@leeds.gov.uk
LSCP Safeguarding Training
We provide a series of multi-agency safeguarding learning and development opportunities for Leeds practitioners. Spaces are currently available on the following:
- Introduction to Safeguarding
- Introduction to Child Exploitation
- Working Together to Safeguard Children and Young People
- Safeguarding Children & Young People Refresher Training
New briefings
- Managing Allegations Against Professionals Who Work With Children
- Preparing for Engaging in Child Protection Conferences (ICPC)
Dates for your diary
30 July World Day against Trafficking of Persons
8 August International Safe Sport Day
10 September World Suicide Prevention Day
20 - 26 September International Week of the Deaf
23 - 27 September ICON Week