Using this Manual

The updated manual is laid out as following:

• Procedures – this contains the procedures that meet the national social work requirements and are in line with the legislation and statutory guidance;
• Practice Guidance – this contains local guidance, tools and other information that supports and complements the main procedures; when you click the Practice Guidance button on the top toolbar you will find links to the practice guidance areas for Kingston and Richmond and a separate one for Windsor and Maidenhead. It is important that you use these areas;
• The Kingston and Richmond Safeguarding Children Partnerships and the Windsor and Maidenhead Multi Agency Safeguarding Arrangement Website have a range of guidance on safeguarding topics that are relevant to Achieving for Children employees. These can be accessed from the button on the top toolbar titled SCP Guidance. The London Safeguarding Children Procedures and separately the Pan Berks Child Protection Procedures can also be accessed from the same button. You should read this supplementary guidance that includes guidance on CSE, Domestic Abuse, Missing FGM, Extremism and a range of safeguarding topics as well as the multi-agency child protection processes such as child protection conferences, management of allegations etc.

Achieving for Children is a community interest company created by the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to provide their children's services. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a co-owner of AfC and AfC now deliver children's services across all three boroughs. For more information see the following websites.

Achieving for Children Website

Achieving for Children - Kingston and Richmond

Achieving for Children – Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

Please Note: within Achieving for Children the children and young people they care for are known as Children in Care. However, you will find the term Looked After Children used throughout this manual as this is the term used in the legislation and statutory guidance.

For more information, please contact Lisette Cockell lisette.cockell@achievingforchildren.org.uk or Samukele Matshakayile-Ndlovu samukele.matshakayile-ndlovu@achievingforchildren.org.uk.

This manual will be updated on a regular basis and a summary of the changes can be accessed via the 'Amendments' button on the Home page.

The next planned manual update is October 2025.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please contact Lisette Cockell lisette.cockell@achievingforchildren.org.uk or Samukele Matshakayile-Ndlovu samukele.matshakayile-ndlovu@achievingforchildren.org.uk.

This manual contains a Practice Guidance section which can be accessed via the navigation bar. If there is a resource that you think should be added talk in the first instance to your manager.

This library is populated and maintained locally and not by tri.x.

tri.x will not be responsible for content which is added into this area, and any concerns should be directed to the contact person with responsibility for the procedures.

The manual is accessed by readers who may find terms that they are not familiar with. Therefore, a glossary of definitions is available under the resource tab.

There is also a National Contacts resource populated with details of key national agencies and organisations likely to be relevant to procedures user.

Every effort has been taken to ensure regulatory compliance. If you discover any errors or omissions, please alert your manager.

These procedures use the word ‘must’ where the provision is a legal requirement. The word ‘should’ is used where the provision should be complied with but is not a legal requirement, such as where it is taken from non-statutory government guidance or accepted good practice.

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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. 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 and Achieving for Children.

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The Manual is intended to be viewed on line to ensure only the most up-to-date version of procedures are being used. It will be updated regularly so, in the unlikely event there is a requirement for hard copies they should be destroyed after 72 hours.

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