Using this Manual

This manual is devised to provide you with a set of chapters which comply with Working Together to Safeguard Children. The content has been written in a succinct style which is intended to be accessible to a wide range of users from all the agencies that are partners in the St. Helens Safeguarding Partnership and the third sector.

The manual has been organised with the Core Procedures in the most prominent place. These chapters explain the actions that must be taken when there are concerns about the welfare of a child.

Chapters which relate to guidance have been written in Safeguarding Practice Guides which capture the most significant points and avoiding a level of detail which put the reader off. Where more detailed guidance is required, this can be included either through a link from a Safeguarding Practice Guide or as a replacement for a Safeguarding Practice Guide.

These procedures use the word ‘must’ where the provision is a legal requirement. The word ‘should’ is used where the provision should be complied with but is not a legal requirement, such as where it is taken from non-statutory government guidance or accepted good practice.

This manual will be updated on a regular basis and a summary of the changes can be accessed via the 'Amendments' button on the Home page.

You can register to be alerted to any changes by clicking here.

The process for updating will be agreed in advance between the St. Helens Safeguarding Partnership and tri.x and it will take the form of suggestions from tri.x of additions and amendments plus the inclusion or referencing of work generated by the St. Helens Safeguarding Partnership.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please contact your manager.

Please contact Safeguarding Children Partnership, email: safeguardingchildrenpartnership@sthelens.gov.uk with any suggested additions, amendments or where there are other issues, e.g. broken links, to the manual.

This manual will next be updated in April 2025.

This manual contains a documents library which can be accessed via the navigation bar. If there is a resource that you think should be added talk in the first instance to your manager.

The nominated administrator for this area will be able to access online training in the use of the area from tri.x.

This library is populated and maintained locally and not by tri.x. tri.x will not be responsible for content which is added into this area, and any concerns should be directed to the contact person with responsibility for the procedures.

The manual is accessed by readers who may find terms that they are not familiar with. Therefore, a glossary of definitions is available under the resource tab.

There is also a National Contacts resource populated with details of key national agencies and organisations likely to be relevant to procedures user.

Every effort has been taken to ensure regulatory compliance. If you discover any errors or omissions, please alert your manager.

We recommend that you register with us to automatically receive notification when this manual is updated, and to receive a monthly newsletter containing articles which may be of interest. Click on the 'Register for Updates' button on the home screen, to complete and send your details to us.

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The content of this website can be accessed, printed and downloaded in an unaltered form, on a temporary basis, for personal study or reference purposes. Content printed or downloaded may not be sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or in or on any media to any person without the prior written consent of tri.x and St. Helens Council.

This website aims to achieve Double-A conformance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines in accordance with government guidelines. 

The Manual is intended to be viewed on line to ensure only the most up-to-date version of procedures are being used. It will be updated regularly so, in the unlikely event there is a requirement for hard copies they should be destroyed after 72 hours.

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