Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership

Section 11 applies to a wide range of agencies and sectors. These include:

Statutory Agencies

• Local authorities providing children’s and adults’ social care, public health, housing, culture and leisure, licensing, sport, and youth services
• NHS organisations, including NHS England, Integrated Care Boards, NHS Trusts, Foundation Trusts
• Police forces and Fire and Rescue Services
• Probation Service
• Youth Offending Teams/Services

Non‑statutory, Commissioned and Community Services

Even when not directly identified within legislation, numerous organisations need to comply if they provide services to children, young people, or families, regularly interact with children, or deliver services commissioned by statutory safeguarding partners.

This includes voluntary and private sector organisations, faith organisations, early years and childcare providers, sports clubs, youth groups and third‑sector service providers.

Below is a breakdown of the organisational standards expected under Section 11, aligned with Working Together 2023 and national statutory guidance.

1. Governance and Leadership

• A clear line of accountability for safeguarding up to board level
• A senior safeguarding lead with adequate authority, experience, and oversight
• Regular reporting to boards/committees about safeguarding performance, risks, workforce capacity, and learning
• Evidence that safeguarding is a strategic priority within business plans and risk registers

2. Culture of Listening and Participation

• Systems to capture the voice of children and young people, including those with additional communication needs
• Evidence that children’s feedback influences service design, commissioning, and improvement
• Accessible complaints procedures for children, families, and practitioners

3. Policies, Procedures, and Practice Guidance

   Policies should be regularly reviewed and aligned to SCSP procedures

Organisations must have:

• Up‑to‑date safeguarding and child protection policies
• Clear procedures for raising and escalating concerns
• A safe environment for whistleblowing
• Clear expectations for behaviour, codes of conduct, and staff professionalism
• Processes for managing allegations against staff (in line with LADO procedures)

4. Workforce Recruitment, Training, Supervision

Organisations must evidence:

• Safer recruitment processes, including DBS checks and risk‑based re‑checks
• Induction programmes that include safeguarding as a core component
• Tiered safeguarding training appropriate to role
• Regular supervision, reflection, and ongoing CPD
• Mechanisms to support staff well‑being, prevent burnout, and develop professional curiosity 

5. Information Sharing, Escalation and Multi‑Agency Working

Organisations must demonstrate:

• Compliance with national information‑sharing guidance
• Clear internal escalation processes
• A culture that encourages practitioners to challenge decisions respectfully
• Active involvement in SCSP multi‑agency processes
• Participation in local audits, data contributions, learning events, and training

6. Commissioning, Contracting and Procurement

Where organisations commission services, they must:

• Include safeguarding clauses and expectations in contracts
• Ensure providers meet Section 11 standards
• Monitor safeguarding performance via quality frameworks
• Ensure contractors have access to SCSP learning, procedures, and training
• Evidence proportionate oversight of subcontracted services

7. Service User Feedback, Quality Assurance and Learning

Organisations are expected to:

• Collect and analyse feedback from children, young people, families, and staff
• Use performance data and audit findings to determine training needs and areas for practice improvement
• Demonstrate actions’ impact on practice
• Embed learning from reviews (local, regional, national), including Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews

The Sheffield Children’s Safeguarding Partnership and the Sheffield Adults Safeguarding Partnership Board jointly deliver the Section 11 self-assessment which enables organisations to reflect on their safeguarding practice and assure themselves, and the safeguarding partnerships, that they meet the requirements of the relevant legislation.

The self-assessment takes place biennially (every other year) to allow agencies adequate time to implement necessary changes and address any gaps identified during the audit. Annual assurance meetings are held to review progress, report on developments, and identify areas requiring additional support.

1. Self‑Assessment

Every other year partner agencies submit a self-assessment aligned with Section 11 standards (next due March 2026) This tool is used to evaluate the following:

• Leadership and governance
• Safeguarding culture and embedding practice
• Policies and procedures
• Allegations of abuse management
• Recruitment and employment practice
• Induction, training and supervision
• Effective front‑line practice
• Involvement of children, young people, and adults at risk
• Commissioning and contracting
• Information sharing
• Evidence of impact

 Additional questions are added based on:

• SCSP and SASP priorities and golden threads
• Learning from local audits and reviews
• National learning and emerging risks
• Data and trend analysis

 To monitor progress and address emerging challenges, partner agencies are required to submit revised action plans to SCSP and SASPB on a biannual basis (every six months). These plans are reviewed during the annual assurance meetings.

2. Assurance Meetings

In May each year, SCSP and SASPB hold assurance meetings with each statutory organisation. The meetings’ panel is made up of the SCSP/SASPB strategic partners (the leads from Adult Social Care, Children’s Social Care, South Yorkshire Police and the Integrated Care Board), the Adult Safeguarding Board’s Independent Chair and the Children’s Safeguarding Partnerships Independent Scrutineer.

Assurance meetings allow agencies to reflect on their audit responses and action plans, discuss achievements and challenges from the past year, and enable partnerships to request assurance on various safeguarding areas focusing on compliance and impact.

The purpose of these meetings is to:

• Review the organisation’s self‑assessment and progress made on actions identified
• Explore areas of strength and vulnerability
• Challenge and support improvement
• Ensure accountability for actions
• Identify cross‑system themes

 Partners can expect questions about:

• How senior leaders assure themselves that safeguarding is effective
• How the organisation learns from incidents or reviews
• How staff are trained and supervised
• How feedback from children and families influences decisions
• How commissioned services are monitored
• How leaders evidence impacts rather than activity
• Any additional safeguarding questions raised by children and young people e.g. steps taken to address impact of social media on young people

3. Following Assurance Meetings

Based on the self-assessments completed and the discussions held, each organisation develops a clear, measurable action plan, covering identified gaps, responsible leads, timescales, expected outcomes and impact measures.

These are submitted six‑monthly with progress updates to SCSP and SASPB to provide evidence of progress, escalate issues if required and ensure that improvement is sustained.

The themes identified at the meetings are shared with the Executive Boards and inform city‑wide learning and future priorities. A child-friendly version is also created to let children and young people know about the discussions held and the actions that have come from the questions they raised.

• Section 11 Annual Assurance Meeting Highlight Report
• Section 11 Annual Assurance Meeting Feedback for Young People

• Care Act (2014): Section 43
• Care and Support Statutory Guidance: 14. Safeguarding
• Children Act (2004): Section 11
• Working Together to Safeguarding Children (2023): Chapter 4: Organisational Responsibilities
• Information Sharing Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners
• Ofsted Inspection Framework and JTAI Guidance