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Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures Manual

Amendments

2025

May 2025

Child Protection Conferences	This chapter was updated in May 2025 with new guidance from Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 around purpose and function of Child Protection Conferences and the role of the Lead Practitioner. See Children’s Social Care National Framework: Page 16: Local authorities, police, health, and other relevant agencies, including early years, education settings, and voluntary organisations have responsibilities to work together so that children and young people can be supported for their safety and wellbeing.
Definitions and Recognition of Abuse and Neglect	In May 2025 amendments were made to the definition of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in line with further revisions to Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Domestic Abuse	This chapter was updated in May 2025 to include information on Stalking Protection Orders.
Best Practice Guidance for Safe Recruitment, Selection and Retention for Staff and Volunteers	This chapter was updated in May 2025 to include a link to Disclosure and Barring Service Guidance Leaflets - GOV.UK in Section 9, Further Information.
Pre-Birth Protocol, Procedure and Guidance for Pre-Birth Assessment	This chapter was updated in May 2025.
Resolution of Professional Differences including Escalations	This chapter was updated in May 2025.
Safeguarding Children Abused Through Sexual Exploitation	This chapter was updated in May 2025 to include links to the Related Guidance section.
Online Safety	In May 2025 this chapter was updated in line with the Online Safety Act 2023 Information was added into Section 1, Definition in relation to sexually coerced extortion.
Local Contacts	This chapter was refreshed in May 2025.
Children and Young People Who Go Missing form Home or Care, or Who are Vulnerable to Exploitation	This document was updated in May 2025.
Children Who Go Missing from Home or Care, or who are Vulnerable to Exploitation	This chapter was updated in May 2025 to bring it into line with Children Missing Education (August 2024). The changes are technical updates only to bring the guidance in line with the Working together to improve attendance statutory guidance and the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024. It also highlights pending legislation: The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and brings to the attention of readers Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) Thematic Reviews of Children Not in School in Local Areas which will be undertaken in 2025.
Child Sexual Abuse in the Family Environment	This chapter was refreshed in May 2025.
Children and Young People of Parents with Learning Disabilities	In May 2025 this chapter was refreshed.
Parental Neglect of Medical Needs	This chapter was updated in May 2025.
Safeguarding Children and Young People Who Are At Risk of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, Including the Safeguarding of Separated Migrant Children	This chapter was updated in May 2025.

2024

November 2024

Implementing the Child Protection Plan, Core Group and Lead Social Worker	This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.
Dangerous Dogs	This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.
Female Genital Mutilation Procedure and Pathway	This chapter was updated in November 2024.
Contacts and Referrals	This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.
Management of Suspicious Bruises/Marks in Infants Under 6 Months Old	This chapter was updated in November 2024.
Online Safety	This chapter was refreshed in November 2024, and additional links added in Further Information.
Harmful Sexual Behaviours	This chapter was updated in November 2024.
Best Practice Guidance for Safe Recruitment, Selection and Retention for Staff and Volunteers	In November 2024 a link was added to Education Supply Chains – A Better Hiring Toolkit.
Definitions and Recognition of Abuse and Neglect	This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.
Families First and Early Help	This chapter was updated in November 2024.
Single Assessment	This chapter was updated in November 2024.
Children with a Disability and Child Abuse	This chapter was updated in November 2024.
Children Moving Across Local Authority Boundaries	This chapter was updated in November 2024.
Local Contacts	This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.
Multi-Agency So-Called ‘Honour’ Based Abuse and Forced Marriage Policy and Procedure	This chapter was refreshed in November 2024.

August 2024

Domestic Abuse	This chapter was further updated in August 2024 to reflect the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023.
Pre-Birth Protocol, Procedure and Guidance for Pre-Birth Assessment	In August 2024, information around Safe Sleeping and working with Fathers/Partners was added.

March 2024

Information Sharing and Confidentiality	In March 2024 this chapter was updated.
Best Practice Guidance for Safe Recruitment, Selection and Retention for Staff and Volunteers	In March 2024 this chapter was amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education.
Child Abuse Linked to Spiritual or Religious Belief	This chapter has been refreshed in March 2024.
The HSCP Structure Chart	In March 2024 this structure chart was updated.
Policy and Procedures	This chapter was refreshed in March 2024
Prevent Guidance	This chapter was refreshed in March 2024 and links added to additional guidance in Further Information.
Agency Roles and Responsibilities	In March 2024, a new section, Principles was added into Section 2, Serious Violence Duty, to include information from the Ofsted Framework Joint Targeted Area Inspections of the Multi-agency Response to Serious Youth Violence.
Managing Allegations Against Adults who work with Children and Young People	In March 2024 this chapter was amended in line with revised Keeping Children Safe in Education. New Section 6, The Difference Between an Allegation of Harm and a Concern was added.
Children with a Disability and Child Abuse	This chapter was updated in March 2024.
The HSCP Groups	This chapter was updated in March 2024 to reflect changes in the groups, which support the HSCP system.