Quick Guide |
December 2011
This 'Quick Guide' must be read before accessing the body of the manual.
Contents
- Display and Browser Options
- Structure of the Manual
- Amendments
- How to find a Chapter
- Terminology
- Keywords
- Compliance
- Contact us
- Copyright
- Printing and Retaining Copies
1. Display and Browser Options
People with a visual impairment may have difficulty accessing this Manual.
To change the size of the text/layout - please use these accessibility buttons
which are on menu bar on the left side of every screen. Click a larger button to increase your text size, the very largest being high visibility mode.
2. Structure of the Manual
This manual contains the policies, procedures and guidance for Coventry Safeguarding Children Board. In this manual, all Coventry Safeguarding Children's Board Policies, Values and Principles are located in one Chapter called 'Values', which users are required to familiarise themselves with before proceeding to the main body of the Manual. This is available from the left hand side of the screen.
Procedures and Guidance: In an attempt to keep procedures succinct, procedures and more detailed guidance are separated - with links provided as appropriate. 'Procedures' summarise how Managers and Staff must act in given circumstances. 'Guidance' provides direction or advice to a decision or course of action.
3. Amendments
The key changes in this edition of the manual are set out in the table below:
| Updated Chapters | Details |
| 4.1.6 Child Trafficking and Exploitation | This chapter has been updated with added links to the following publications:
|
| 4.1.7 Children and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) | This chapter was amended in December 2011 with the addition of the link to the Multi-Agency Guidelines on Female Genital Mutilation. |
| 4.1.13 Safeguarding Children and Young People with Disabilities – Inter agency Practice Guidance | This chapter has been significantly revised. |
| 4.1.24 Neglect Guidance | This chapter is new. |
| 4.1.26 West Midlands Joint Protocol - Child Protection Enquiries and Related Criminal Investigations | This updated protocol was agreed in February 2011. |
| 4.1.30 Unborn Children | This chapter was updated – in particular Section 4 was revised so that the term Pre-Birth Child in Need Meeting is now used (rather than Pre-Birth Multi Disciplinary Meeting) and Section 10.1, Birth Protection Core Group Planning Meetings was added. |
| 4.1.34 Working with Resistant and Non-Compliant Families | This chapter has been amended to include reference to the findings of a review undertaken by C4EO (Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and young People's Services), which focussed on working with vulnerable families that are 'resistant to change'. |
This manual will be regularly updated with planned updates every 6 months. When the manual is updated, if a Chapter has been significantly amended or is new, it will be indicated in the Contents List and at the top of the relevant Chapter.
The next update is planned for the spring of 2012 and a planning meeting will be held on 27 January 2012.
Any amendments or additions which users wish to be included in the manual should be sent to Hardeep.Walker@coventry.gov.uk in time for that meeting.
4. How to find a chapter
Procedures and guidance are located in individual 'Chapters' which are available from a 'traditional' Contents List - on the left hand side of the screen.
4.1 Using the Contents List
Chapters are categorised or grouped together as follows:
PARTS: The manual contains procedures categorised under a number of Parts, e.g. 'The Basic Procedures'.
CHAPTERS: Within each Part, you'll find individual Chapters/Procedures e.g. 'Child Protection Conferences'.
4.2 You can search for a Chapter
If you aren't sure which service or section to look in, try 'Search' which will help you identify specific Chapters and sub headings within Chapters
5. Terminology
We believe it is crucial to use consistent terminology, which we agree with individual customers, for example:
| 'Child' or 'Young Person' | both these terms are used to mean any child under the age of 18 |
| 'Parent' | means parent or person with Parental Responsibility |
| 'Regulatory Authority' | Regulatory Authority is the generic term used in this manual to describe the independent regulatory body responsible for inspecting and regulating services e.g. Ofsted. |
| 'Social Worker' | This means the worker allocated to the child/family. If there is no allocated worker, the Duty Social Worker or Team Manager is responsible. |
6. Keywords
The manual is accessed by practitioners from varying agencies, who may find terms that they are not familiar with. Therefore, a large glossary (Keywords) of terms such as Significant Harm (Try it: click on the highlighted text). We call them 'Keywords'. Once clicked, the definitions will appear in a new window or tab, depending on your browser. You can leave it open for reference, or close it using the "close" button at the bottom.
Many Keywords are highlighted in the body of procedures, but you can search for the Keyword you need: Go to the Keywords Index, on the left hand side of the screen.
7. Compliance
7.1 Regulatory Compliance
Every effort has been taken to ensure regulatory compliance. If you discover any errors or mistakes, please alert your manager or contact us.
7.2 W3C Compliance
This manual meets the double A Standards of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), for example, it can be accessed by people with high levels of visual impairment. To find out more, click on 'Display Options' on the left hand side of the screen.
8. Contact us
If you have any comments or suggestions to make about this manual please contact us by using the button on the left hand side of the screen, from anywhere within the manual.
9. Copyright
The content of this website can be accessed, printed and downloaded in an unaltered form, on a temporary basis, for personal study or reference purposes. However any content printed or downloaded may not be sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or in or on any media to any person without the prior written consent of Tri-X-Childcare Ltd and Coventry Safeguarding Children Board.
10. Printing and Retaining Copies
The Manual should normally be viewed on line but can be printed, for reference only.
To print a chapter, click on the 
icon which is in the top right hand corner of the relevant procedure
Please note, the Manual will be updated regularly, so staff should avoid retaining printed versions - hard copies are only valid for 72 hours.
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