SYSTEMS & SERVICES

The UK’s four nations – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – each have their own child protection system and laws to help protect children from abuse and neglect.

Each nation has a framework of legislation, guidance and practice to identify children who are at risk of harm, take action to protect those children and prevent further abuse occurring.

Each UK nation is responsible for its own policies and laws around education, health and social welfare. This covers most aspects of safeguarding and child protection.

Laws are passed to prevent behaviour that can harm children or require action to protect children. Guidance sets out what organisations should do to play their part to keep children safe.

Although the child protection systems are different in each nation, they are all based on similar principles.

NSPCC's Safeguarding Assessment Tool

Early help, also known as early intervention, is support given as soon as a problem emerges, at any stage in a child or young person's life (Department for Education (DfE), 2018).

Early help services can be delivered to parents, children or whole families, but their main focus is to improve outcomes for children. For example, services may help parents who are living in challenging circumstances provide a safe and loving environment for their child. Or, if a child is displaying risk-taking behaviour, early help practitioners might work with the child and their parents to find out the reasons for the child's behaviour and put strategies in place to help keep them safe.

The KidsRights Index is the annual global index which ranks how countries adhere to and are equipped to improve children’s rights. The KidsRights Index is an initiative of the KidsRights Foundation, in cooperation with Erasmus University Rotterdam: Erasmus School of Economics and the International Institute of Social Studies. It comprises a ranking for all UN member states that have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and for which sufficient data is available, a total of 182 countries. 

Our advocacy service is a free and confidential service available to anyone who wants support to make a complaint to the NHS.

• An opportunity to talk to someone  independent of the NHS
• The individual assistance you need to feel supported to make your complaint and throughout the complaints process.
• Information about how to make a complaint and who to contact.

Advice on the CONTACT website regarding making complaints to schools and colleges

The NHS Long Term Plan sets out the priorities for expanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) over the next 10 years.

We are a politically-led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We aim to influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils so they are able to deliver local solutions to national problems.

A list of Local Authorities with links to their Local Offer information

List of Directors of Children's Services for each LA. ADCS members hold leadership roles in children’s services departments in local authorities in England. They specialise in developing, commissioning and leading the delivery of services to children, young people and their families, including education, health, youth, early years and social care services. Working in partnership with other agencies our members work to achieve tailored and joined-up services for children, whatever their identified needs.

NHS care is usually very good and most people don’t have any problems. But occasionally things can go wrong. This page tells you about raising concerns with a clinical commissioning group.

.