5.1 Definitions of safeguarding

In England, The Children Act (2004), the schools inspectorate Ofsted (2015a, 2015b) and education departments (for example, DfE 2014) provide extensive and detailed guidance on safeguarding which can be summarised as:

• protecting children from physical or emotional maltreatment
• preventing impairment of children’s physical, emotional and mental health and development
• ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Every country has legislation and a protocol for child protection. Look for the relevant agencies in your country, for instance: Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI), Estyn the schools inspectorate in Wales, and Safeguarding Scotland.