2.3 Explain what is meant by partnership working in the context of safeguarding

This guide will help you answer 2.3 Explain what is meant by partnership working in the context of safeguarding.

Partnership working in safeguarding refers to different individuals, groups, and organisations cooperating to keep children, young people, and vulnerable adults safe from harm. It brings together education staff, health professionals, social workers, police and other relevant services. The aim is to share knowledge, identify concerns early, and agree actions that protect the welfare of those at risk.

Safeguarding is stronger when no single agency works alone. Each has different skills, information and responsibilities. When these are combined and communication is clear, the risk of harm is reduced.

The foundation for partnership working is trust, respect, and clear communication between partners. All parties must work toward the same purpose of protecting the welfare of the child or vulnerable person.

The Purpose of Partnership Working in Safeguarding

Partnership working exists to protect people who may be at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. By working together organisations can:

• Share relevant information without delay
• Spot concerns earlier
• Plan and act more effectively
• Provide a coordinated response
• Avoid gaps in protection or duplication of effort

No single professional has the full picture of a child’s life. Teachers may see day-to-day changes in behaviour. Health visitors may notice patterns in appointments or injuries. Police may be aware of incidents that happen outside school. When all that information is combined it can reveal a safeguarding risk that no one agency could spot alone.

Key Safeguarding Partners in Education

Partnership working in safeguarding in a school or college environment often involves:

• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) – The person in the school responsible for managing safeguarding concerns. They coordinate with other agencies.
• Social Services – Lead investigations and provide family support if required.
• Police – Respond where crimes are suspected.
• Health Professionals – Such as school nurses, health visitors, or GPs who can identify physical or mental health concerns.
• Local Authority Safeguarding Teams – Coordinate safeguarding policy and responses within the council area.
• Voluntary Organisations – Provide counselling, advocacy or support services.

All these partners work toward protecting the subject of concern. Each has their own roles but they integrate their actions for the best outcome.

Legal Background for Partnership Working in Safeguarding

In the UK, partnership working in safeguarding is supported by legislation and statutory guidance. Key documents include:

• Children Act 1989 and 2004 – Set out the duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
• Working Together to Safeguard Children (statutory guidance) – Outlines how agencies should work together.
• Keeping Children Safe in Education – Statutory guidance for schools and colleges in England.
• Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR – Sets out rules on how information can be shared legally in safeguarding cases.

These laws place duties on organisations to work together and share information where a child is at risk of significant harm.

Communication in Partnership Working

Effective communication is at the heart of partnership working. This means:

• Sharing accurate information at the right time
• Recording concerns factually and clearly
• Using secure methods to pass on information
• Speaking directly to the right person
• Making sure all agencies involved understand the concern and the agreed actions

Poor communication can delay protection and place children at greater risk.

Information Sharing

Information sharing is a sensitive area in safeguarding. Normally, personal information is protected by confidentiality rules. In safeguarding cases, the law allows sharing without consent if:

• There is a risk of significant harm
• The purpose is to protect the welfare of the person concerned

Workers must follow organisational policies and national guidance such as “Information sharing: advice for practitioners”. This means sharing only relevant details and keeping records of what was shared, with whom, and why.

The Role of Schools and Learning Support Staff

In schools, teachers, teaching assistants and learning support staff are often the first to spot changes in a child’s appearance, behaviour or performance. Partnership working means:

• Reporting concerns to the DSL
• Notifying if there are repeated absences or unexplained injuries
• Cooperating with social workers or police when asked
• Providing factual accounts, not opinions, about what was seen or heard

Support staff must work professionally with external agencies and understand the importance of their role in the safeguarding process.

Challenges in Partnership Working

Working with multiple agencies can be challenging. Problems can arise if:

• Agencies have different priorities
• Information is not shared promptly
• Professionals use different terms or systems
• There is a lack of trust between staff from different backgrounds
• Resources are stretched and responses are delayed

Overcoming these challenges requires a shared commitment to the child’s best interests and clear agreed procedures.

Benefits of Partnership Working in Safeguarding

Strong partnership working can bring many benefits:

• Faster action to protect the child
• More consistent support for the family
• Better use of each agency’s strengths and expertise
• Reduced duplication of investigation
• Greater accountability and transparency

Agencies learn from each other and improve their practice over time.

How Partnership Working Looks in Practice

Example Scenario

A secondary school teacher notices a pupil is withdrawn and has become aggressive towards peers. The pupil has missed several days of school and returns with unexplained marks on their arms.

The teacher tells the DSL, who records the concern and checks attendance patterns. The DSL contacts the local authority safeguarding team. At the same time, the police inform the DSL they have attended the pupil’s home after a late-night disturbance.

Health professionals reveal the child missed a recent medical appointment. All this information from different partners shows there may be risk of harm at home. A multi-agency meeting is arranged to agree how to keep the pupil safe while investigating further.

Multi-Agency Meetings

In many safeguarding cases, a multi-agency meeting (often called a strategy meeting) takes place. Partners may include school staff, social workers, police, health professionals, and sometimes family members.

The meeting shares information, decides what further actions are needed, and allocates responsibilities. Everyone agrees to actively carry out their part of the plan.

Building Trust Between Partners

Trust helps professionals work more effectively. It develops when:

• Roles and responsibilities are clear
• Communication is honest and respectful
• Professionals keep promises and meet deadlines
• There is openness to feedback

Without trust, partners may withhold information or fail to collaborate fully, which can put people at risk.

Training and Policies

All staff working with children and young people should have safeguarding training that explains:

• Signs of abuse and neglect
• How to record and report concerns
• Who to contact
• How to work with other agencies

Schools and providers must have clear safeguarding and child protection policies that support partnership working. Staff should know where to find these and how to follow them.

Role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The DSL is a central figure in partnership working in schools. They:

• Receive and record concerns from staff
• Decide if these should be referred to other agencies
• Maintain links with local safeguarding boards or partnerships
• Attend multi-agency meetings
• Update staff on safeguarding developments

The DSL must understand local and national safeguarding procedures to make sure referrals are made on time.

Duty to Act

Everyone who works with children has a duty to act if they suspect a child is at risk. Waiting to be certain can cause more harm. Partnership working gives staff confidence that they will not be working alone in dealing with a concern.

Acting early can involve contacting the DSL as soon as possible so they can liaise with other safeguarding partners. The sooner concerns are shared, the sooner protective measures can be put in place.

Working with Families

In most safeguarding cases, families are involved as partners in finding solutions. Respectful engagement with parents or carers can:

• Build trust
• Reduce defensiveness
• Encourage cooperation

Where there is risk of significant harm, professionals may limit what they share with families to avoid alerting someone who might cause harm. This decision must be based on careful consideration and following safeguarding procedures.

Local Safeguarding Partnerships

Local authority areas in England have safeguarding partnerships made up of:

• Local authority
• Clinical commissioning group (health)
• Police

These strategic bodies oversee safeguarding practice, coordinate local safeguarding training, and review serious cases to see what can be improved. Schools and other organisations work with them to keep children safe.

The Importance of Early Intervention

Partnership working is not just about responding to serious harm. It is also about spotting risks early and giving families support before problems escalate. This is called early help.

For example, if a child is regularly hungry and tired, schools may work with health visitors and family support workers to check if the family needs help with housing, benefits or childcare. Support given early can remove risks before they become severe.

Recognising the Signs Requiring Partnership Action

Signs that may trigger partnership working include:

• Unexplained injuries
• Sudden changes in behaviour
• Frequent absences from school
• Poor hygiene or appearance
• Withdrawal from friends or activities
• Unexplained fearfulness
• Overly controlling adults during conversations

Where any of these are observed, staff must report them to the DSL immediately, who can bring in other agencies.

Avoiding Common Mistakes in Partnership Working

Mistakes that can weaken partnership efforts include:

• Not keeping clear and timely records
• Assuming someone else will take action
• Sharing information too late
• Allowing personal disagreements between professionals to delay action
• Not following agreed procedures

Awareness of these risks helps staff remain focused on protecting the child.

Final Thoughts

Partnership working in the context of safeguarding is about cooperation, trust and shared responsibility. No single person or agency can provide full protection on their own. By bringing together different perspectives, information and skills, risks can be spotted sooner and acted on quickly.

For those working in schools or learning environments, your role is to observe, record, and communicate any concerns without delay. Understanding how partnership working operates gives you the confidence to speak up and know that trained specialists in social care, policing, health and education will respond in a coordinated way to protect the child or vulnerable person.

Strong partnerships can save lives and give those at risk a safer, more supportive environment in which to grow and learn. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and effective partnership working is at the heart of making it happen.