These are the things the Government says that professionals should do. They should:
- each follow the guidance that has been written by Government; this is called Safeguarding Together 2019;
- be able to recognise where there are signs of abuse or neglect;
- act quickly on any concerns to make sure that you are safe (by reporting these immediately to social workers or the police);
- listen to you, including about any worries you have about what will happen to you and people you care about;
- be honest with you in explaining what will and won’t be happening;
- share any concerns they have about you with other professionals working with them; share information with other professionals about what is going on, including any early help that needs to be given to you and your family;
- share what else they have been able to find out (often called an ‘assessment’) so that other professionals can understand better what your needs are;
- work with others to provide the right help for you; and put a stop to things that may have been harming you;
- share responsibility with others for deciding what help to give you, and who will be providing this;
- make sure that other bad things don’t happen in your life (like needlessly being taken from your family, friends or school); and
- keep on checking to make sure that the help they are giving is still the right help for you.
(Taken from Young Person’s Guide to Keeping Children Safe by the Office of Children’s Rights Director found at Young Person’s Guide to Keeping Children Safe (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)