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<p>Further to the answer provided by my hon. Friend, the Member for Louth and Horncastle
on 15 July 2019, the statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote
the welfare of children, titled ‘Working together to safeguard children 2018’, is
very clear that anyone who has concerns about a child’s welfare should make a referral
to local authority children’s social care. This should be done immediately, if there
is a concern that the child is suffering significant harm, or is likely to do so.
This guidance can be found at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2</a>.</p><p>
</p><p>That same guidance also sets out that assessments, including early help assessments,
should look at the nature and level of risk faced by a child, and whether the risk
is from within or external to the family. In response, local areas should have a comprehensive
range of effective, evidence-based services in place to address assessed needs early.</p><p>
</p><p>A number of our best performing local authorities, known as Partners in Practice,
are testing different approaches to how best to assess and support children who are
at risk of abuse from extra familial threats. This includes funding up to £2 million
for the London Borough of Hackney to test a contextual safeguarding approach through
the Innovation Programme. The project is being externally evaluated and we expect
the final report in September 2020.</p><p> </p><p>The department is also funding the
‘Tackling Child Exploitation Support Programme’ to provide evidence-based expertise,
advice and practical support to safeguarding partners in local areas to develop an
effective multi agency response to extra-familial harms, such as child sexual exploitation,
child criminal exploitation, and gang and drug involvement that exploit vulnerable
children.</p>
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