child protection services

Achieving best evidence in criminal proceedings: guidance for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including children: volume 1

The Government is committed to improving the protection during the criminal justice process for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including children. This document is issued as part of ‘Action for Justice’, the implementation programme for the ‘Speaking Up for Justice’ report. Following the report, the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 set out a range of special measures to assist vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including children to give their best evidence in criminal proceedings.

Working together to safeguard children

Document that sets out a national framework of guidance on how all agencies and professionals should work together to promote children's welfare and protect them from abuse and neglect.

It is aimed at those who work in the health and education services, the police, social services, the probation service, and others whose work brings them into contact with children and families.

It is relevant to those working in the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors. It replaces the previous version of Working Together Under the Children Act 1989, which was published in 1991.

Exploring beliefs and values

This exercise is designed to prompt participants to ‘surface’ the beliefs and values that underlie their reactions to the situations that children are in. This exercise is usually carried out with a large group split into smaller groups of 4 – 5 people. It lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Parental substance misuse and the effects on children

This guidance has been developed for practitioners in Newcastle working with children and families and/or adults who have care of children where substance misuse is a factor, which affects their lives. It has been produced in response to the increasing problem of substance misuse and particularly the rising number of children who are referred into the child protection arena due to parental substance misuse.