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Protecting Children and Young People: Framework for Standards
Standard 2
Professionals take timely and effective action to protect children
1 All professionals who come into contact with children or adults caring for them:
- recognise and are alert to the signs that children may need help or protection;
- use their power to help; and
- put people in touch with other professionals as necessary.
2 Mechanisms are in place to ensure professionals know what steps to take to deal with their concerns and demonstrate what action has been taken.
3 Where a concern is raised about a child, professionals:
- see them;
- establish their immediate well-being; and
- take any necessary protective action.
4 If a child is in imminent danger, professionals take immediate action in line with legislative requirements and agency guidance.
5 To help think about the child's life as a whole, professionals actively seek information from other agencies or family members about each child and the adults caring for them, their history and their circumstances.
Professionals can demonstrate they have understood the implications of the information for the child or children's well-being in whatever action they take.
6 Professionals within and across agencies working directly with, or on behalf of, children:
- work together to assess levels of risk and protective factors in a child's life;
- assess the family's capacity to protect each child; and
- demonstrate that the protective action taken reflects the circumstances or characteristics of each child or their family.
7 Professionals plan enquiries or investigations jointly ensuring:
- they gather the best evidence on which to make decisions and to support any subsequent legal proceedings; and
- that the plans are sufficiently comprehensive and robust so that each child is not unnecessarily subjected to repeat enquiries, interviews or medical examinations.
8 Professionals ensure that information about concerns, risk factors and key events in a child's life are recorded and readily accessible in each child's file.
9 Professionals base their decisions on the fullest reliable information available but do not delay taking action for the sake of gathering more information.
10 Professionals take action to protect each child even when their parents may pose a risk to workers. Agencies ensure there are systems and support mechanisms in place to maximise staff safety in such situations.
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