ACCESS OF JUSTICE TO CHILDREN AND TEENS

DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA NATIONAL LAW

UNIVERSITY

IHL GD WRITE UP

THIS PROJECT IS SUBMITTED BY-

DIWAKAR ADARI

2013003
It is important that we safeguard children and young people for them to be happy
and enjoy life, and if children and young people are enjoying themselves then they
are more likely to reach their full potential later on in life. No child or young person
should have to experience any abuse be it physical, emotional, sexual or neglect. It
is also important that we can recognise the signs and symptoms of physical,
emotional, sexual abuse or neglect and those with disabilities are over three times
more as likely to experience either neglect or abuse according to the National
Working Group on Child Protection and Disability study in 2013.

It is important that we use a person-centred approach as all children and young

people are different individually and therefore have different needs to be met. The
Every Child Matters framework sends out a message to all of us working with
children, that each and every child is a unique individual and that it is important that
we as practitioners make sure that they have all the support they need from us to
grow, develop and achieve the five outcomes which are:

• Being Healthy

• Stay Safe

• Enjoy and Achieve

• Make a Positive Contribution

• Achieve Economic Well-being

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out that all children
and young people should have the opportunity to have their voice heard and that we
should offer them the platform whenever possible.

Partnership working in the context of safeguarding means that for us to promote the
safeguarding and well-being of children, it also depends on effective partnership
working between professionals such as health, education, children's social care
workers, voluntary workers and agencies including justice services. Professionals
and agencies have different roles and expertise and it is important for them and us
to be able to work together, effectively to intervene and help vulnerable children.
For example we have the Common Assessment Framework which when used by a
practitioner I.e. key worker in a nursery setting, aims to identify the needs of a child
who may be behind in certain aspects of development. It has been designed so that
the family, professionals and agencies work together, discuss the needs of the child,
and to reach positive outcomes.
Every Child Matters framework also focuses on partnerships working at all levels
including a duty to work together to promote the well-being of children and young
people, as well as make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of
children and young people.

ECM also aims to ensures that Local Safeguarding Children Boards, local directors
of children's services to co-ordinate local government services, a children's
commissioner, work reforms, CAF framework for early intervention are all in place
and that we can all communicate and work together to deliver effective partnership
working for children and young people's safeguarding and well-being.

The duties to be performed by the individual bodies for the betterment of the
children.

Name of Role of Responsibility

Organisation Organisation
Social services The role of Social Social Services staff have a
Services staff is to responsibility to children and
work with and families in need to assess needs
provide needed and provide support. They are
support and also responsible for providing
services for services, welfare, safeguarding
children, adults and protecting the well-being of
and families children, young people and
struggling with vulnerable adults.
every day life.
They can provide
support directly or
arrange for other
agencies to
provide.
NSPCC The role of the The NSPCC have a responsibility
(National Society NSPCC is that it to focus on helping children who
for the provides direct are in danger and distress. The
Prevention of service for NSPCC staff have a responsibility
Cruelty to children, to identify and prevent cruelty
Children) educational to children. It has a
resources, and responsibility to ensure an
campaigns to put appropriate speedy response in
an end to child all cases where children are
abuse. It will work alleged to be at risk of abuse or
in partnership with neglect of any form.
other agencies.
The organisation
can also offer
advice and training
to professionals
working with
children.

Health Visitor Health visitors It is a health visitors

provide support responsibility to carry out
and guidance to checks and if necessary, will
parents, carry out improve the health of babies
assessments of a and young children under the
child's age of 5 years old. If a child is
development. They felt to have additional needs it
will also work is then a health visitors
closely with other responsibility to decide how
professionals such they would best be met, for
as Sure Start example referring a child to a
children centre speech and language therapist,
workers and visit arrange access to support
settings when they groups.
assess children.
GP GP's work in the GP's not only have a
(General community and responsibility in safeguarding
Practitioner) they provide a and promoting the well-being of
spectrum of care children and young people, but
for families. They they have a responsibility to
act as the gateway ensure that the staff they
for other health employ are also trained in
services. They are safeguarding and promoting the
normally the first well-being of children and young
people families people. If a GP has concerns
take their children that a child may be at risk of
to see when they significant harm, then they have
have health a responsibility to follow
problems and procedures and provide a report
therefore a GP may for a child protection
be the first person conference where it is then
that identifies any decided whether a child is at
possible abuse of a risk of significant and what
child. protection should be put In
place.
Probation The probation The probation service has the
services role is responsibility to ensure that
supporting people those who are rehabilitated
with criminal back into the community do not
convictions to be pose a threat to children and
rehabilitated back young people.
into the
community. Their
key role is
monitoring those
convicted of an
offence against
children.
Police The role of the The police have a responsibility
police is to which involves detection and
protect the public prevention of crime. In relation
and to prevent to safeguarding children it is the
crime by upholding police's responsibility to protect
the law. They will children and ensure that the
investigate child welfare of children is paramount
abuse cases and while also undertaking a multi-
bring justice to agency approach i.e. working
those who break with social services in
the law. The police safeguarding a child. They have
will gather a responsibility to also
information and investigate all reports of child
work together with abuse and neglect and identify
other agencies. those responsible, gather the
They also have best possible evidence. To take
power under immediate action to ensure the
legislation to enter safety and welfare of a child
any premises to whilst offenders are then held
ensure that that as accountable through the
individuals are criminal justice system.
protected from
harm.
School The role of staff in All staff working in schools and
school is that they other education first
are to create and responsibility is the welfare of a
maintain a safe child in their care. The
learning safeguarding and protection of
environment for children and young people is
their pupils, while paramount while they are on the
protecting and premises. It is also the
safeguarding their responsibility of the schools that
children. Staff all staff receive the proper
should know how safeguarding training, so they
to pass on are familiar with indicators of
information and to abuse and what to do if they are
whom, i.e. worried that a child is being
safeguarding and abused or is at risk of significant
child protection harm. If a staff member has any
officer if there are concerns about the welfare of a
concerns about the child or suspects another
welfare of a child. member of staff of child abuse
The school should then they need to pass this onto
have a the appropriate person I.e. the
safeguarding policy designated safeguarding and
and procedure in child protection officer. The
place which also designated person then has a
covers bullying and responsibility to contact social
that staff play an services.
important role in
making their pupils
aware that certain
behaviour is not
acceptable
towards them and
how to keep
themselves safe.
Psychology The psychology The responsibilities of the
service service committed psychology service is to promote
itself to supporting the psychological well-being,
children and who the proper development and the
have experienced rights of all children and young
abuse, harm and people including those with
neglect. Their role additional needs. They also have
is to work together a responsibility to help and
with other support parents, families,
professionals i.e. teachers, and professionals from
those from an Early other organisations that are
Years setting to responsible for the welfare of
assess children and children and young people. They
young people to have a responsibility to address
identify if they the problems of children and
have suffered young people who are identified
abuse or neglect, to of suffered from abuse or
experienced neglect, domestic violence,
domestic violence additional needs or other mental
and address health problems by using a care
appropriately. plan and providing treatment
services.
Adult Mental The Adult mental Adult mental health services
Health Service health service role have a responsibility to
is to help adults safeguarding children and young
who may suffer people if they become aware of
from mental health or identified a child suffering or
issues, alcohol, likely to be at risk of significant
substance abuse or harm because of an adult or
learning parent, parent to be who may
difficulties. They be mentally ill and have
will also problems such as alcohol or
collaborate with substance abuse, or learning
children's social disabilities. Staff also have a
care services, responsibility to be aware of
health visitors and indicators of abuse and neglect
a families general to children and refer families for
practitioner if a additional support in line with
child in their care their local child protection
is at risk. policy and procedures.
Early Years Settings such as Early Years professionals have a
Settings and children centre's, responsibility to safeguard and
Providers nurseries, pre- promote the well-being of
schools, children in their care and to
playgroups, or provide a safe learning
services such as environment for them to
childminders or a achieve the five outcomes of
nanny all play an Every Child Matters. There is a
important role in responsibility to also promote
the lives of young good health and take necessary
children. They all steps to prevent the spread of
have a duty to infections and diseases, taking
safeguard and appropriate action if a child
promote the well- becomes ill. Settings have a
being of children responsibility that all staff and
by following those working with access to
legislation, children are suitable by
guidelines and undergoing an enhanced CRB
policies and check before starting work. All
procedures and staff should have up to date
how to implement knowledge of safeguarding and
these in their day know what to do if they suspect
to day work. If that a child is being abused or is
children and young at risk of significant harm, or
people are safe that they suspect that another
and happy then member of staff is neglecting a
they are more child.
likely to reach
their full potential
later on in life.