Definition of safeguarding
Understanding the different terms and how they are used by St Brelade’s College
Everyone who works with children has a responsibility to keep them safe. No single practitioner can have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances and, if children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action (Department for Education’s guidance document ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’).
Terminology
- Safeguarding & child protection: The two terms are often used interchangeably, but they actually have very different meanings.
- Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and is based on prevention of harm and the promotion of well-being of all children and young people. It encompasses issues such as young people’s health and safety, strategies to address bullying, the needs of young people with medical conditions, providing first aid, school security, alcohol and substance misuse and other conditions. (St Brelade’s College adopts the definition of safeguarding that is used in the Jersey Children’s Law 2002, the guidance document ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ and statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, which focus on safeguarding and promoting children’s and learners’ welfare.)
- Child protection refers to the activity which is undertaken to protect specific young people who are suffering, or at risk of suffering significant harm.
- Child: a person under the age of 18 years.
- Adult at risk: an adult refers to any adult aged 18 or over who:
- is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness,
- and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself,
- or is unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.
The development of appropriate procedures and the monitoring of good practice are the responsibilities of the Jersey Safeguarding Partnership Board and Children and Families Hub. The Children and Families Hub provides information, advice and support for families and young people. Their aim is to give the right help at the right time, either by connecting to services which can be helpful or responding to any safeguarding concerns. Jersey’s Children First is a standard framework adopted across agencies, services and settings in the public, community and voluntary sectors in Jersey and is designed for all those working with children and young people. Staff and hosts will be made aware of the early intervention framework in order for appropriate support to be offered to children when needed at the right time.
