At Highfield, we follow both national and local safeguarding guidance to make sure children receive the right help at the right time. This section brings together the key documents we use so parents, carers, staff, and professionals can easily find reliable, up‑to‑date information.

National Guidance

Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)

This is the main national guidance for everyone who works with children. It explains how agencies must work together to keep children safe, the principles of early support, and the standards expected in child protection practice.
[gov.uk]

What it covers:

• Multi‑agency working
• Expectations for all professionals working with children
• The importance of child‑centred, family‑focused practice
• National child protection standards

Highfield follows this guidance as part of its statutory safeguarding duties.

Statutory Framework for Safeguarding

This framework outlines the laws and legislation connected to safeguarding children, including duties under the Children Acts and Education Acts.
[Statutory Framework]

It includes:

• Children Act 1989 & Children Act 2004
• Education legislation relevant to safeguarding
• Local authority responsibilities
• Emergency protection powers
• Legal duties to safeguard and promote welfare

This framework supports school policies and informs how safeguarding procedures are applied.

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)

Schools are legally required to follow KCSIE, which sets out what staff must do to safeguard pupils. Highfield provides this guidance to all staff and ensures it is read annually.

Information Sharing Guidance

This national guidance helps professionals understand when and how to share information to keep children safe, ensuring they can act quickly when concerns arise.

Local Guidance (Bolton Safeguarding Children Partnership)

Bolton Framework for Action (Thresholds)

The Bolton Framework for Action sets out how local practitioners identify, assess, and respond to children’s needs across the continuum of support — from early help through to statutory intervention.
[Bolton Statutory Framework]

It explains:

• When early help should be offered
• Thresholds for higher levels of support
• When children may require protection
• What practitioners should do at each level
• How agencies work together in Bolton

Bolton Start Well / Multi‑Agency Guidance

Additional Bolton safeguarding information includes:

• Local training
• Early Help processes
• Practitioner tools
• Local safeguarding procedures
  [Bolton Start Well]

Highfield staff use this guidance to ensure practice aligns with local expectations and multi‑agency processes.

How Highfield Uses These Documents

Highfield’s safeguarding practice is shaped by:

✔ National statutory guidance

(e.g., KCSIE, Working Together)

✔ Local multi‑agency guidance

(e.g., Framework for Action, Bolton thresholds)

✔ Internal school policies

(Reviewed annually and aligned with national & local requirements)

These documents ensure that:

• Staff understand how to recognise concerns
• Children receive support early
• Decisions are consistent and evidence‑based
• We work closely with Bolton agencies
• Information is shared appropriately and safely

Where to Access These Documents

We make key documents available so families and professionals can read them directly:

National

• Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) – via GOV.UK [gov.uk]
• Statutory Safeguarding Framework – legislation overview [Statutory Framework]
• Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) – PDF on our site [Safeguarding]

Local (Bolton)

• Bolton Framework for Action (Thresholds) – BCSP document [BCSP Document]
• Local safeguarding guidance & training – Bolton Start Well [Bolton Start Well]