Statutory guidance and policies

As a practitioner, it is important to know the contextual statutory guidance and the policies which are in place for the support of children who may have been abused…

Policy

Levin (1997, cited in Baldock, Fitzgerald, and Kay, 2013:2) states that policy is:

'a stated intention'

'action taken on an issue by those with responsibility'

'an indication of the formal status of a course of action'

Policies can be national (e.g., produced by the government) or local (services or provision).

Can you cite examples of child protection policies within your context?

(The "procedure" comprises the steps taken to carry out the policy.)

Statutory guidance

This is a general term for a variety of means of implementing laws … these set out how an Act is to be implemented and [they] are compulsory.

Johns (2017: 14)

The following are four important statutory and non-statutory guidance documents in relation to Child Protection:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children HM Government, (2021) This is a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It covers legislative requirements and expectations of individual services, with a clear framework for LSCBs. The document should be read by anyone who works directly or indirectly with children and families. An amendment was made in 2019, highlighting the changes within the Children and Social Work Act 2017.
• Keeping Children Safe in Education (2023) - This is statutory guidance for schools and colleges. The first part of this document should be read by all professionals working within educational establishments.
• What to do if you are worried a child is being abused (DfE, 2015) - This is non-statutory advice, produced to help practitioners identify child abuse and neglect and take appropriate action. This is for anyone who has contact with children during the course of their work.
• Prevent Duty Guidance: England and Wales (HM Government 2023) - This is non-statutory guidance to help practitioners understand their responsibilities under 'Prevent Duty'.

Again, this section has provided a brief overview of the statutory and non-statutory guidance relevant to child protection within England and Wales. As you are practising in a national or international context, you may not work with this legislation.

Stop and think

At this stage, it is beneficial to you to investigate the guidance that is particularly relevant to you. You can do this by going to your local government website and researching guidance concerned with the protection of children.

Activity

Aim: To read a journal article about child protection legislation in Pakistan and make notes

Duration: 60 minutes

Feedback: Your tutor will read and may comment on your thoughts in the Discussion Board (The link to the Discussion Board is not available in this course taster)

Task: Read the following article which considers child protection legislation from a Pakistan perspective

Tahira, J. (2019) Baluchistan Child Protection Act, 2016: What have we learnt from Child Protection Legislation in Pakistan Since 2004?, Pakistan Journal of Criminology, 11(2), pp. 107-119 which you can access in your online reading list (The link to the online reading list is not available in this course taster).