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Section 175 2025/26: Topic 6 - Local Priorities & Learning

What is Section 11?

Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places duties on a range of organisations and individuals to ensure their functions, and any services that they contract out to others, are discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

What Does Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children Mean?

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means (KCSIE2025):
  • Protecting from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the harm, including online
  • Preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
  • Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
  • Children grow up in circumstances consistent with provision of safe & effective care
  • Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge


What is the responsibility of schools/education settings?

Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities (in relation to their education functions and governing bodies of maintained schools and further education institutions, which include sixth-form colleges) to exercise their functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children who are pupils at a school, or who are students under 18 years of age attending further education institutions. The same duty applies to independent schools (which include Academies and free schools) by virtue of regulations made under Section 157 of the same Act.

Completing and Scoring the Self-assessment

The audits consist of a series of questions which relate to specific arrangements, including policies, procedures, managing allegations and training which help safeguard children and young people.

When agencies have completed their audit, a blank Action Plan template can be downloaded from the WSCP website and populated with any areas requiring further improvement. The WSCP will dip sample audits after each topic, and action plans on an annual basis.

PRINTING YOUR AUDIT
To keep a copy of your audit, fill in the questions and select 'email a copy' before you click 'done'. The WSCP keep copies of every audit, you can request a copy of your audit by contacting Kat Ryan.

To find out more about Section 175, follow the link to our website
1.Please select your setting from the options below(Required.)
2.Please provide details of the professional completing this audit(Required.)
3.Are relevant staff aware that the WSCP publishes an Annual Report of all activity, learning from audits, priority safeguarding areas and Business Plans?(Required.)
4.Are staff encouraged to access the WSCP website to access training, learning from reviews, information about local campaigns and policies and procedures?(Required.)
5.Are relevant staff aware of the WSCP's local priorities for 2024-26?
6.Does your school/setting identify and promote safeguarding learning opportunities for all staff alongside the local training offer?(Required.)
7.Do all staff have access to the statutory Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPR’s) published by the WSCP and associated learning?(Required.)
8.Do staff have regular opportunities to reflect on practice?(Required.)
9.Does your school/setting ensure that learning is disseminated and embedded across your organisation?(Required.)
10.Does your school/setting have its own mechanisms in place to ensure lessons from practice result in improvements?(Required.)
11.If yes, please can you explain which mechanisms you are using?
12.Do staff know how to access local learning materials and resources from the WSCP including 7 minute briefings, practice guidance and strategies?(Required.)
13.Do staff in your school/setting feel they can contribute to the work of the WSCP to strengthen local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements?(Required.)
14.Are staff are aware of your school/settings Section 11/175 audit findings and identified improvements?(Required.)
15.Does the voice of children and young people inform your school/settings learning and improvement?(Required.)
16.If yes, how does the voice of children and young people inform the school/settings learning and improvement?
17.Are staff aware of what Private Fostering is and their responsibilities to refer any identified cases to the LA?(Required.)
18.Are staff aware of Wirral's multi-agency Neglect Strategy 2023-26?(Required.)
Evidence
19.If you have a good practice example or case study in this area, please upload it here.
If you have any evidence to support your response to this topic, please use the upload feature below or e-mail Kat Ryan with your evidence.
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