Safeguarding children advice for professionals


Conference report formats

Voice of the child tools

The North East Lincolnshire voice of the Child Tools and guidance will enable a consistent approach to capturing the voice of the child.  It is a unitary wide tool for capturing the voice of children/young people from 0 to 18.

Missing from Home and Care Protocol

Children going missing from home or care is a key safeguarding issue.  Children who go missing are at risk of harm in the short term which can often have long term implications. Research findings estimate that approximately 25% of children and young people who go missing are at risk of significant harm – determining which children requires professional judgement and assessment. There are concerns about the links between children running away and the risks of Child Exploitation (Sexual or Criminal).

This protocol is designed to support an effective collaborative safeguarding response from all agencies involved when a child goes missing. It aims to provide guidance for assessing both the risk of the child going missing and the risk to the child when they are missing.

NEL SCP Missing Protocol (PDF, 1.08MB)

Child Criminal Exploitation

This guidance is primarily aimed at frontline staff who work with children, young people and potentially vulnerable adults.

Child Criminal Exploitation Guidance

Child Sexual Exploitation

Child Sexual Exploitation Guidance

Child Sexual Abuse

The Child Sexual Abuse guidance is aimed at all practitioners.

Child Sexual Abuse (trixonline.co.uk)

Multi Agency Pathway for suspected Child Sexual Abuse.

Multi-agency pathway for suspected child sexual abuse (PDF, 253KB)

Young Minds Matter  (YMM)

YMM provide specialist services for children and young people up to the age of 18.

Young Minds Matter

Consent and information sharing

Practitioners have advised that there is some ambiguity around when it is appropriate to gain consent. Information sharing is vital to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. These guides give an understanding as to when consent is required and information sharing is appropriate.

Escalation Procedure

When a range of professionals and agencies are undertaking assessments and providing services for people, there will inevitably be times when perspectives differ and conflicts of opinion or views give rise to challenge and or disagreement. This is particularly likely to occur when assessing need and risk and making decisions about the best ways forward to achieve the best or safest outcome for individuals. Occasionally there will also be conflict over who is best placed to provide interventions and how to make the best use of resources available to achieve the desired outcomes.

North East Lincolnshire aspires to be a place in which healthy and constructive challenge is seen as a positive not a threat; where we learn from one another and respect others views and opinions; and where we always strive to resolve differences in the best interest of the people we serve.

For more information please view the NEL Safeguarding Children Policy & Procedure Manual .

Safety in sports

In North East Lincolnshire we want all children to be safe whilst having opportunities to take part in healthy activities they enjoy. In recent reports it has shown that children can be vulnerable when involved with sport and leisure activities. As an organisation we have a responsibility to safeguard children and to inform families about staying safe whilst their child is participating in sporting and leisure activities.

Safety in Sports (PDF, 682KB)

Domestic Abuse – Coercive Control

Research in Practice for Adults and Women’s Aid have developed a coercive control website  for social workers and other health and social care practitioners to develop their knowledge and skills in working with situations of coercive control.

Safe Sleeping and Managing Crying

For more information please go to our Safe Sleeping and Managing Crying page.


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