A Shared Responsibility

Safeguarding children, particularly protecting them from Significant Harm, depends upon effective joint working between agencies and practitioners that have different roles and expertise.

Whilst Knowsley Children's Social Care has the lead role in working with families where the children are at risk of Significant Harm, working to protect children is not the sole responsibility of one agency. Safeguarding children depends crucially upon effective information sharing, collaboration and understanding between agencies and professionals at all levels.

For those children who are suffering, or at risk of suffering Significant Harm, joint working is essential, to safeguard the children and, where necessary, to help bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes against children. All agencies and professionals should:

• Be alert to potential indicators of abuse or neglect;
• Be alert to the risks which individual abusers, or potential abusers, may pose to children;
• Share and help to analyse information so that an assessment can be made of the child's needs and circumstances;
• Contribute to whatever actions are needed to safeguard the child and promote his or her welfare;
• Take part in regularly reviewing the outcomes for the child against specific plans; and
• Work co-operatively with parents unless this is inconsistent with ensuring the child's safety.