Safeguarding guidance

Department for Education guidance places a shared and equal duty on local safeguarding partners to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in their area.

The guidance outlines how these partners (the local authority, police and health boards) must work together under multi-agency arrangements.

To find out how agencies must work in partnership to keep children safe and the legal duties they must meet use the following DfE guidance:

• Keeping Children Safe in Education
• Working Together to Safeguard Children
• What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused: advice for practitioners

Local safeguarding partners

In Essex, these arrangements sit under the Essex Safeguarding Children Board and involve the following statutory partners:

• Essex County Council (ECC)
• Essex Police
• the three NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) covering Essex

The three NHS ICBs covering the county are:

• NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB
• NHS Mid and South Essex ICB
• NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB

Local guidance

Local guidance outlines the procedures professionals must follow and how agencies should work across Essex to safeguard children.

To find out how agencies and individuals should work together on safeguarding use the following online guidance Early help and effective support for children and families on the Essex Safeguarding Children Board (ESCB) website.