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Safeguarding Children, Young People and Adults with Care and Support Needs

Basildon Borough Council believes that all children and adults with care and support needs in the Borough have the right to be safe from harm and deserve the opportunity to fulfil their full potential.

Basildon Council recognises the role and responsibilities it has in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults with care and support needs including the contribution it must make to working together with other agencies to ensure the well-being of children or those with care and support needs in the Basildon Borough.

Basildon Council works in line with both the Southend, Essex and Thurrock (SET) Child Protection Procedures and Safeguarding Adults Guidelines.  The guidelines can be accessed from the following locations;

Whilst Basildon Council does not have a statutory responsibility for child protection (this lies with Essex County Council) it is obliged to perform certain functions that will help safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the area.

Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 sets out duties for the responsible local authority (Essex County Council) around making enquiries in certain circumstances to decide whether it should take any action to safeguard or promote the welfare of a child. Basildon Council has a duty to assist the responsible local authority in making these enquiries.

Section 10 of the Children Act 2004 states that each local authority must make arrangements to promote co-operation between the authority and its partners and any other relevant persons or bodies working with children in the area. Section 11 of this Act requires a range of organisations (including borough councils) to ensure that their functions, and services provided on their behalf, are discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Section 13 of the Act requires a range of organisations, including Basildon Council, to participate in Local Safeguarding Boards.

The Care Act 2014 which received royal assent on 14 May 2014, and was implemented in April 2015, reformed adult social care and support legislation. It put adult safeguarding in statute for the first time and places a duty on Local Authorities to consider a person's well-being at all times. The Act also made Local Safeguarding Adults Boards statutory bodies. Basildon Council has a duty to co-operate with the Local (Essex) Safeguarding Adults Board.

Basildon Council has a Designated Safeguarding Lead Officer who is required to lead on this important area of work and a Safeguarding Policy which outlines the roles and responsibilities of all Council employees, members, those contracted to deliver services on behalf of the Council and volunteers to report and refer any concerns they may have regarding the safety of a child, young people and adults with care and support needs.　 The Council has a safeguarding strategy and procedures to deal with safeguarding concerns and works hard to ensure that training is made available to support all those concerned in safeguarding matters.　 Furthermore, the Council operates a Safer Recruitment and Selection Procedure to ensure the safer recruitment of all employees and holds a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Umbrella Body Status to prevent unsuitable people from working with children, young people and adults with care and support needs.

For further advice or to report a concern, please see our Help and support page.