BSCB - For professionals

The legal and policy framework for child protection is determined by the Children Act 1989 and formal guidance in 'Working Together to Safeguard Chlidren, 2010', published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Local policy, procedure and guidance for practitioners in child protection is the responsibility of the local safeguarding children board, as established by the Children Act 2004. In Bristol, this is the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB). BSCB is a member of the South West Child Protection Procedures (SWCPP) which provides all agencies in the South West of England with core multi-agency child protection procedures and all professionals should consult these procedures.

These BSCB web pages contain policy, procedure and guidance on child protection for professionals working with children in Bristol. This is the multi-agency policy, procedure and guidance as determined by the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board and must be followed by practitioners and managers concerned with the welfare of children. The guidance provided here is in addition to that within the South West Child Protection Procedures.

In order to ease navigation, the information is placed within three categories. They are: Protocols for Multi-Agency Action (what you “must do” in child protection); Single-agency CP processes (what single agencies should do in child protection); and, Practice guidance by topic (where “best practice” is a matter of professional judgement). The Children's Social Care Child Protection Processes are currently available to Children's Social care staff on 'The Source', though they will be published here in due course. Follow the links below.

• Protocols for multi-agency action
• Single-agency CP processes
• Practice guidance by topic