Best Health for Everyone

Safeguarding Children and Young People

Safeguarding Children and Young People is a term for a range of measures and approaches to keep children safe. This includes child protection, as well as the statutory duties to promote children’s wellbeing organisations have to adhere to.

NHS Coventry believes Children and Young People have a fundamental right to be protected from harm, therefore all those who Commission services, and those who come into contact with children and their families or adults who may be parents or carers in their everyday work, have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Safeguarding Children is everybody’s business. The process for protecting children is carried out by multi-agency working.

NHS Coventry is committed to safeguarding children and demonstrates the level of seriousness afforded to this by working in partnership with a range of other agencies, under the leadership of Coventry Safeguarding Children Board, to ensure appropriate actions are taken locally to drive this agenda forward.

NHS Coventry expects all employed and commissioned staff to share this commitment. This is done by having in place robust policies, procedures, training strategies, supervision and access to advice and support from Designated health professionals who are specialists in safeguarding and child protection.

Designated Professionals
The Designated Doctor and Nurse take a professional lead on all aspects of the health service contribution to safeguarding Children and Young People across NHS Coventry area.
Legislation underpinning this work includes;

• Children Acts 1989 and 2004.
• The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1992
• Statutory guidance
• Working Together to Safeguarding Children 2010.    

How can I access this service
This service is not provided direct to the public.
If you suspect or believe a child is suffering or is likely to suffer Significant Harm including any form of mistreatment or abuse, you should report your concerns.  

In an Emergency
If a child is in immediate danger or left alone, you should contact the police or call an Ambulance (call 999) or; Social worker (out of office hours): Tel: 024 7683 2222

Non Emergency
If there is no immediate danger or you need advice or information, you should:

• call the Referral and Assessment Service on 024 7678 8555
• text CHILD CONCERN to 60003,
• talk to a teacher, doctor or health visitor, or
• call your local police station

Advice/Information
If you want to discuss your concerns or need advice e.g. if you are not sure whether your concerns are justified, and you would like more information about issues like confidentiality or you would like to know what happens next (after you have reported your concerns), do one of the following:

• Call Childline on 08001111
• Call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000
• Coventry LSCB Procedures are available online at www.coventrylscb.org.uk    

• Commissioning
  Process by which the health needs of the local population are identified. Priorities for investment are set and appropriate services are purchased and evaluated. Primary Care Trusts do not provide all of the healthcare services needed by the local population, they buy-in or commission services from other provider organisations. Typically this includes local hospitals.