Analyse how national and local guidelines

All the Government legislative documents such as the Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010, The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families 2000, The Protection of Children Act 1999, The Children Act 2004, Every Child Matters and The Department for Education’s Early Years Foundation Stage Framework as well as the requirements set out by local national councils govern the procedures and policies employed by professionals working with children and how this affects their day to day.

For example the police service is required under national legislation to contact the LSCB whenever they are called to an incident where a child is or could be at risk of harm in the future. LSCB is then required to work with all the organisations and agencies that work with that child and their family including the local Children’s Centre, Health Visitor and/or GP, the child’s school or nursery to work in supporting the child’s welfare and safety. These agencies all work within the guidelines set out in legislation and determines the structures and time scales in which they must comply.

In my own workplace the welfare of the child is paramount and safeguarding children is the primary policy that shapes the procedures in which we operate and how we work with children and the care that we provide. We employ policies such as a Staff:Child Ratio policy, Key Person policy, Arrivals and Departures Door Safety policy, Photography and Recording Devices policy and policies for recording Accidents, Incidents, Pre-existing Injuries and Concerns for a Child to ensure children’s safety whilst in our care and make sure that all incidents within the setting as well as incidents where children arrive with injuries are recorded and monitored. We also follow strict personnel policies such Safe Recruitment and Staff Training and Development policies to ensure that all staff within the setting are suitable to work with children and that they receive regular refresher training in safeguarding children.