Safeguarding

The Barnsley Safeguarding Children Partnership supports a multi agency approach to promoting better outcomes for children and young people. Their aim is to protect them from harm and neglect. 

Practitioners and professionals can access vital safeguarding resources below.

Information and resources

COVID-19 guidance

Multi-agency training and events

Find out more about the training and events available to professionals

View training calendar



Support for children's social workers

Children's social workers across Yorkshire and Humber make a positive change to the lives of hundreds of people everyday.

Children's Social Work Matters is a programme that aims to attract and support children's social workers. It'll improve social work practice across the Yorkshire and Humber region.

If you're a children's social worker, make sure you register with our local Children's Social Work Matters. You'll be able to stay up to date with social work news and connect with colleagues. You'll also get access to monthly webinars.

ICON programme about infant crying

ICON aims to prevent abusive head trauma in babies by helping parents know that crying is normal. It helps them to develop ways of managing crying. Stopping them getting to the stage where they feel like harming the baby. 

The ICON message is being given by midwives and health visitors. It's done prior to, and after birth.

If you're working with families with new babies, please ask them how they're doing. Remind them of the ICON message, and that they can get support if needed.

  • I - infant crying is normal. It peaks around six weeks of age.
  • C - comforting methods can help soothe a baby. Doing this may stop the crying.
  • O - it's OK to walk away for a few minutes if crying is becoming too much. You just need to make sure the baby is safe.
  • N - Never ever shake a baby. It can lead to serious lifelong injuries and death.

You can find more details on the ICON website.

Private Fostering

Private fostering is defined by The Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regulations 2005 as a 'private arrangement' made for the care of a child or young person under the age of 16 (under 18 if disabled) by someone other than:

  • a parent
  • a person who has parental responsibility for the child
  • a close relative (eg an aunt/uncle/step-parent/grandparent/sibling)

The regulations have been interpreted to include within the definition of 'parent' unmarried or putative fathers.

For the private arrangement to be within the statutory definition of private fostering:

  • The child must have been cared for and accommodated by that person for 28 days or more.
  • The period of actual private fostering is less than 28 days, but the private foster carer intends to privately foster the child for more than 28 days.

Private fostering arrangements are diverse. Arrangements which are private fostering include:

  • Children and young people sent from abroad to stay with another family, usually to improve their educational opportunities.
  • Teenagers who, having broken ties with their parents, are staying in short term arrangements with friends or other non-relatives.
  • Children of prisoners placed with distant relatives.
  • Language students living with host families.

Excluded from the definition are:

  • Children and young people who are considered Looked After or placed in any residential home, hospital or school.

For more information you can watch a short video about private fostering in our community.

What to do if you're worried about a child

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