Supporting children and families
Working Together sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to
safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in accordance with the
Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004. It is important that all practitioners working
to safeguard children and young people understand fully their responsibilities and duties
as set out in primary legislation and associated regulations and guidance.
This guidance was most recently updated in 2006. This latest revision follows the
publication of Lord Laming’s report, The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report,
in March 2009, the acceptance by the Government of all of his recommendations and the
Government’s detailed response and action plan published in May 2009. Many of Lord
Laming’s recommendations are reflected in or given effect by this revised guidance. It has
also been updated to reflect developments in legislation, policy and practice relating to
safeguarding children.
Working Together is addressed to practitioners and frontline managers who have
particular responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and to
senior and operational managers in:
- organisations that are responsible for commissioning or providing services to
children, young people, and adults who are parents/carers; and
- organisations that have a particular responsibility for safeguarding and
promoting the welfare of children and young people.
Part 1 of the document comprises Chapters 1 to 8, which are issued as statutory guidance.
Practitioners and agencies will have different responsibilities that apply to different areas
of the guidance and should consult the preface for a fuller explanation of their statutory
duties. Part 2 of the document incorporates Chapters 9 to 12 and is issued as non-statutory
practice guidance.
This executive summary is not guidance in itself. It aims to help readers gain an overview of
the document, and of main changes made to the 2006 version.
Over time Working Together has become a lengthy document containing a good deal of
material in addition to the core statutory guidance. The Department for Children, Schools
and Families will:
Over time Working Together has become a lengthy document containing a good deal of
material in addition to the core statutory guidance. The Department for Children, Schools
and Families will:
- produce an easily navigable web-based version of this document, with
hyperlinks to relevant supporting guidance;
- produce in partnership with stakeholders a short practitioner guide; and
- work with stakeholders to identify what might be done to present the document
more effectively to ensure that the statutory requirements to safeguard and
promote the welfare of children and young people are not inadvertently
obscured by non-statutory guidance.
