Key provisions introduced in Working together to safeguard children 2018, and updates added in 2020
CASPAR briefing
In July 2018, the Department for Education published a new edition of the statutory guidance Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (Department for Education, 2018)1.
The guidance sets out what organisations in England must to do safeguard all children and young people under the age of 18.
This briefing outlines the main changes in the 2018 version. Key areas covered include:
- assessing need and providing help
- organisational responsibilities
- multi-agency safeguarding arrangements
- local and national safeguarding practice reviews
- child death reviews.
It also summarises further updates made in December 2020 in relation to information sharing, homelessness duty, references to domestic abuse and school's awareness of child mental health.
References
Department for Education (DfE) (2018) Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (PDF). [London]: Department for Education (DfE).Download the briefing (PDF)
Latest Working together to safeguard children CASPAR briefing
Download our 2023 briefing
The DfE published a new edition of its statutory guidance Working together to safeguard children in December 2023.
> Read Working together to safeguard children 2023: summary of changes CASPAR briefing
References
CASPAR briefings
Our CASPAR briefings help people working or volunteering with children and young people understand changes to safeguarding and child protection policy and guidance. They also summarise key research and reports from independent bodies such as Ofsted and the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
