Child Safeguarding Unit

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

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.

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.

The Unit also maintains the list of children subject to a Child Protection Plan in Torbay. This is a list 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.

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