All councillors have a role to play
The LGA has published a new ‘must know’ guide offering a high-level overview of the key issues relating to child safeguarding for all councillors.
This is to help councillors understand their role in ensuring their council meets its duties to protect children.
Every council, regardless of type, has legal responsibilities to safeguard children. Councillors will want to consider how their council is meeting these requirements and how all services consider child safeguarding in their plans.
This should be a factor in every council service and decision – not just those traditionally associated with children, such as education or children’s social care, but also housing, licensing and adult social care.
It must consider children’s safety and wellbeing wherever they are – in the home, outside of it, and online.
The guide encourages all councillors, especially those with specific duties towards children, to support the lead member for children’s services and the relevant scrutiny committee, while also ensuring they know how to report any safeguarding concerns raised by constituents. But what is child safeguarding exactly?
Child safeguarding is defined as providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge, as well as protecting them from maltreatment and preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development.
Legislation places duties on upper-tier councils to promote the welfare of children in need and on district councils to work together to improve children’s wellbeing. Every upper-tier council must designate a director and lead member for children’s services, who are politically and professionally accountable for safeguarding children.
All councillors also have corporate parenting responsibilities for children in care and care leavers under the Children and Social Work Act 2017.
Effective child safeguarding relies heavily on multi-agency working.
The local authority, police, and integrated care board are statutory safeguarding partners who must collaborate under local arrangements, with each partner appointing a lead and delegated safeguarding partner.
Other ‘relevant agencies’ – including schools, health services, housing, probation, and voluntary organisations – also have duties.
Information sharing is vital in safeguarding, and national guidance is clear that fear of sharing information must never outweigh the need to protect a child. Clear processes must be in place to facilitate appropriate data exchange between agencies.
A child-centred approach underpins all safeguarding work. This includes prioritising children’s welfare, listening to their voices, and supporting families where possible. Special attention must be given to vulnerable groups, such as disabled children, those in temporary accommodation, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Councillors are encouraged to be proactive, seek training (such as through the LGA’s e-learning platform) and familiarise themselves with local protocols. As a councillor, you should be familiar with your local protocols and know when and how to make a referral if you are concerned about a child (including unborn babies). You should also consider key questions about the effectiveness of services, governance, funding and partnerships.
The LGA’s guide also outlines signs of potential abuse, neglect or exploitation, reminding councillors that they play a key role in identifying risks and reporting concerns.
- Read the LGA’s ‘Must know: safeguarding children’ guide in full.