Protecting Children is everyone’s business. The Safeguarding Unit exists to play an important part in safeguarding children and young people.

Child Protection Strategy Meetings

Where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is suffering significant harm, the role of the Unit is to administer and independently chair complex child protection Strategy Meetings to decide whether child protection enquiries are necessary and how they should be undertaken.

Child Protection Initial Case Conferences and Reviews

If a child protection enquiry concludes that there is reasonable belief that a child is at continuing risk of significant harm, the Unit will administer and independently chair Initial Case Conferences and Reviews.

Case conferences are held in accordance with Government guidelines and the Children Act 1989.  A case conference will only place a child’s name on the register after it has considered all the information available. If a child who is registered in another area moves to Torbay, his or her name will be placed on the register immediately and until a transfer-in case conference has taken place. A case conference will devise an Outline Child Protection Plan for registered children.  This is to co-ordinate activities designed to minimise the risk whilst they are addressed and involves co-operation between the child, parents/carers and professionals.  A key worker will be responsible for co-ordinating the plan.

The Unit’s job is to ensure that child protection meetings take place according to good practice guidance.

Child Protection Register

The Unit also maintains Torbay’s Child Protection Register. This is a register of children believed to be at continuing risk of significant harm. This is strictly confidential and only accessible to statutory agencies working to protect children on a need to know basis.

The Child Protection Unit’s core tasks include:

• To provide a neutral and unbiased service of co-ordinating, chairing and recording Child Protection Meetings.
• To keep an up to date confidential Child Protection Register.
• To undertake all the responsibilities associated to the role of Custodian of the Child Protection Register.
• To collate Child Protection statistics.
• To offer advice and guidance on Child Protection matters.
• To encourage awareness of local child protection policy.  
• To contribute to raising standards and awareness of practitioners through information on research and practice developments.
• To respond to the protection of children from harm Licensing Act objective on behalf of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board.
• To administering legal planning meetings and secure order meetings.
• To keep an up to date confidential register of people who are considered to present a risk to children.
• To co-ordinate Children Services involvement in Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements.  
• To administer and undertake work on behalf of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board.
• To maintain a list of children missing nationally.
• To provide consultation on section 175 of the 2002 Education Act and fulfilling the role of Designated Lead Officer in the “Allegations against Teachers and other staff” guidance.

Note: the work of the Safeguarding Unit is referenced in Plymouth, Torbay and Devon Multi-Agency Child Protection Procedures and may be accessed on the Torbay Council website - Child Protection Procedures.

Note: The DOH guidance ‘What to do if your worried a child is being abused’ may be accessed online.

If you wish to seek consultation on matters related to the safeguarding of children contact The Child Safeguarding Unit.

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