Revised Government guidance on safeguarding children - Working Together to Safeguard Children - published last night (17 March) gives detailed advice on how professionals can keep the child at the centre of all interventions. In a new section on the child in focus, paragraph 1.18 explains:

Effective ongoing action to keep the child in focus includes:

● developing a direct relationship with the child;

● obtaining information from the child about his or her situation and needs;

● eliciting the child’s wishes and feelings – about their situation now as well as plans and hopes for the future;

● providing children with honest and accurate information about the current situation, as seen by professionals, and future possible actions and interventions;

● involving the child in key decision-making;

● providing appropriate information to the child about his or her right to protection and assistance;

● inviting children to make recommendations about the services and assistance they need and/or are available to them;

● ensuring children have access to independent advice and support (for example, through advocates or children’s rights officers) to be able to express their views and influence decision-making; and

● the importance of eliciting and responding to the views and experiences of children is a defining feature of staff recruitment, professional supervision, performance management and the organisation’s broader aims and development.

The Children's Rights Alliance for England made a comprehensive submission on the draft guidance, showing how children's wishes and feelings could be given much more prominence. Carolyne Willow, CRAE's national co-ordinator says:

'We are thrilled the Government accepted so much of our advice and hope the revised guidance will help to transform safeguarding services, putting children's own perspectives, wishes and feelings at the top of everyone's agenda. In recent months, we have heard yet more devastating stories of children in terrible circumstances not being asked their views. We'd expect every decent human being faced with a child who looks like they are troubled or in danger to ask how they are: to repeatedly hear about professionals employed to protect and care for children not making direct contact with them is totally unacceptable. The strong messages in this guidance about listening to children, and acting on what they say, should make a big difference.'   

The guidance can be downloaded from here (external site).