Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive
On 18 November 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) published a policy statement titled “Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive: Breaking Down the Barriers to Opportunity”. This statement outlines the government’s vision to reform children’s social care. It highlights how national and local governments will collaborate using a whole-system approach to ensure the care system is child-centred. The statement also introduces measures to strengthen multi-agency child protection by making education a statutory partner, as well as reducing profit-making among care providers through increased regulation and transparency. Additionally, it announces collaborative safeguarding measures between schools, families and other agencies that may influence future policies and procedures.
You can read the full policy statement and the accompanying press notice summarising the announcement on GOV.UK here:
Policy paper: Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive
Press release: Biggest Overhaul in a Generation to Children’s Social Care
Below is a summary of key proposals that may impact future safeguarding processes and systems:
Continued commitment to early intervention
Addressing risks at an early stage remains a cornerstone of safeguarding; this involves supporting families and children’s development before crises escalate. The government continues to prioritise these services to ensure that, wherever possible, children can remain safely with their families.
Multi-agency child protection teams
A major reform in this policy statement is the introduction of new multi-agency child protection teams, which will include schools and other education and childcare settings, families and local services as statutory partners. This provides a holistic view and collaborative safeguarding of the child’s circumstances, enabling more effective interventions and a supportive network.
Legal clarity on information sharing
The policy statement addresses the ongoing confusion around data sharing for safeguarding purposes. It calls for clear legal guidance to help professionals understand their responsibilities and limitations. This clarity aims to remove barriers that delay timely and effective interventions.
Streamlined data sharing with a Single Unique Identifier (SUI)
The policy statement introduces a Single Unique Identifier (SUI) for children, ensuring consistent identification of a child across different systems. This innovation will enable professionals to access accurate and timely information about the same child and increase the ease and possibility of linking data together across different datasets, promoting early intervention and better communication.
Expanded role for Virtual School Heads
The responsibilities of Virtual School Heads, who currently oversee the education of children in care, will be extended to include children living with kinship carers and those children on child protection and child-in-need plans. This ensures that all vulnerable children receive the educational support they need, adding another layer of safeguarding.
New duty on parents educating children at home
To protect children who are subject to child protection enquiries or plans, parents will now require local authority consent to home educate. This measure ensures that children remain under proper oversight, addressing potential safeguarding risks.
Family Group Decision Making
The proposal suggests making Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) a mandatory process. FGDM involves extended family and close friends in creating a safety plan for the child. By leveraging the child’s support network, this approach promotes sustainable safeguarding outcomes.
Supporting care leavers (Aged 18–25)
Recognising the vulnerabilities of care leavers, the government will mandate that all local authorities establish statutory teams to support young adults aged 18 to 25. This measure aims to provide tailored safeguarding support during a critical developmental period.
Focus on data management
The policy stresses the importance of robust data management practices. Safeguarding records must be accurate, securely stored and shared only when appropriate. Regular audits will ensure compliance, balancing safeguarding needs with privacy considerations.
Conclusion: A vision for the future
The “Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive” proposal presents a forward-thinking approach to children’s social care. By emphasising collaboration, early intervention and clear safeguarding protocols, it seeks to address systemic gaps and empower families. Safeguarding children is a shared responsibility and these reforms bring us closer to a system where every child can feel safe, supported, and empowered to thrive. With effective implementation, this policy has the potential to create a transformative impact on the lives of children and families across the UK.
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Meet one of our safeguarding experts and author of this article
Anna Bowden is a key member of our in-house safeguarding training team. She has had an extensive career in education and leadership, with a wealth of knowledge gained through her work in schools, most recently as Head of School.
Her experience in education has given her expert understanding of safeguarding practices and a commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of pupils. In addition, her specialist knowledge, gained through hands-on experience, enables her to write high-quality content and deliver outstanding training that is learner-focused and informed by practical case studies.
