Staying Safe Action Plan

The DCFS have published their Staying Safe Action Plan, as promised in the 10 year Children's Plan. This follows consultation across government and with practitioners and the public. Children themselves stated that of the 5 Every Child Matters Outcomes, Staying Safe was the most important.

The public believed that children's safety is everyone's responsibility and that it is important to have a balance between risk and safety. The public also see fighting child poverty as the best way to ensure child safety.

The Plan is structured around three approaches, as shown below:
It draws on the Public Service Agreements as set out in the Comprehensive Review (as shown below):

Within the universal safeguarding:

- A big focus on play with new play areas and the most deprived wards receiving staffed play areas.

- Links to the 10 year Youth Strategy

- Communication with parents

- PHSE Continuing Professional development

- Await the Byron Review (due March 2008) into the role of the media and Internet

- Identify and promote best practice in work between Children's and Housing Services (Spring 2008)

Some issues within targeted safeguarding:

- Children's workforce action plan (Spring 2008) will tackle issues in social care for children

- Initiatives for road accidents, fire, domestic violence, bullying, public transport and a range of others

And within responsive safeguarding:

- Strategies focus on work with asylum seekers and migrant children; those at risk of sexual exploitation and those at risk of forced marriage.