This document is one of a suite of documents that gives guidance on the governance,
strategic planning and delivery of children’s services, and on the cross-cutting issue of
safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
The documents support provisions in the Children Act 2004, which underpin Every Child
Matters. These include the creation of duties on local agencies in relation to children and
young people’s ‘wellbeing’ and ‘welfare’.
- Children’s Trusts: Statutory guidance on co-operation arrangements, including the
Children’s Trust Board and the Children and Young People’s Plan brings together
statutory guidance on Children’s Trust co-operation arrangements, and the
procedures and functions of the Children’s Trust Board, including the Board’s
role in preparing, reviewing and monitoring the local Children and Young
People’s Plan. It replaces Children’s Trusts: statutory guidance on inter-agency
co-operation to improve well-being of children, young people and their families
(2008) and Children and Young People’s Plan Guidance (2009).
- Statutory guidance on the Duty to Make arrangements to Safeguard and Promote
the Welfare of Children sets out the key arrangements agencies should make to
safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the course of discharging their
normal functions.
- Guidance on the governance, leadership and structures required within the new
strategic framework is provided in The Roles and Responsibilities of the Director of
Children’s Services and the Lead Member for Children’s Services and the chapter on
Local Safeguarding Children Boards within this revised version of Working
Together to Safeguard Children.
These core documents should be used alongside other key policy and planning documents
relating to Every Child Matters. These include:
- The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services,which sets out a 10-year programme to stimulate long-term and sustainedimprovement in children’s health and wellbeing. This guidance will help health
and social care organisations to meet Standard Five on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
- The revised Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations (England)
2010 and accompanying statutory guidance Putting Care into Practice, which
describe how local authorities should exercise these functions for looked after children.
- Information Sharing: Guidance for practitioners and managers and the supporting
materials, which are for everyone who works with children and young people,
and explain when and how information can be shared legally and professionally.
- The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) guides for managers and practitioners,
which are for all strategic and operational managers across all children’s services
who have responsibility for implementing the CAF and for all practitioners who
want to know about the CAF and how to use it.
A number of other documents focus directly on integrated front line delivery and the
processes that support it. Appendix 1 sets out the statutory framework for safeguarding
and promoting children’s welfare.
