Working Together 2023: Key Changes Summary for Social Workers

What is Working Together?

Working Together to Safeguard Children is the statutory guidance that sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It applies to all agencies and professionals who work with children and families in England.

The 2023 version replaced the 2018 guidance and came into force in December 2023. All social workers should be familiar with its key requirements.

Key Changes in 2023

The 2023 update made several significant changes:

1. Strengthened Multi-Agency Working

• Greater emphasis on equal partnership between the three safeguarding partners (local authority, police, ICB)
• Clearer expectations for information sharing between agencies
• Updated guidance on multi-agency safeguarding arrangements (MASAs)
• Stronger focus on education's role in safeguarding

2. Updated Assessment Framework

• Simplified assessment process focusing on the child's needs
• Removal of distinction between "initial" and "core" assessments
• Emphasis on proportionate, timely assessments
• Greater flexibility in assessment timescales based on need

3. Child-Centred Practice

• Stronger emphasis on the child's voice throughout
• Updated guidance on seeing and speaking to children
• Recognition of children's diverse needs and identities
• Emphasis on understanding the child's lived experience

4. Contextual Safeguarding

• Recognition of extra-familial harm
• Guidance on responding to exploitation
• Focus on environmental and community factors
• Updated approach to adolescent safeguarding

The Safeguarding Partners

Working Together 2023 confirms the three statutory safeguarding partners:

1. Local Authority: Through the Director of Children's Services
2. Police: Through the Chief Officer
3. Integrated Care Board (ICB): Through the Chief Executive (replacing CCGs)

These partners must work together to:

• Agree how they will coordinate safeguarding services
• Act as a strategic leadership group
• Implement local and national learning
• Commission and publish local child safeguarding practice reviews

Relevant Agencies

Beyond the three partners, Working Together identifies "relevant agencies" who must work with safeguarding arrangements:

• Schools, colleges, and other education providers
• Early years providers
• NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts
• Primary care providers
• Probation services
• Youth offending teams
• Housing authorities
• Cafcass

Early Help

Working Together 2023 emphasises early help as the foundation of effective safeguarding:

Key Principles

• Early help is everyone's responsibility
• Services should be coordinated around the family
• A lead practitioner should coordinate multi-agency support
• Consent is normally required for early help services

When Early Help is Needed

Early help should be considered when children:

• Have disabilities or additional needs
• Show signs of engaging in anti-social behaviour
• Are in families experiencing mental health, substance misuse, or domestic abuse
• Are young carers
• Show early signs of neglect
• Are at risk of exploitation

Assessments

Working Together 2023 provides updated guidance on assessments:

Purpose of Assessment

• Gather information about the child and family
• Analyse the child's needs and any risks
• Decide what services or interventions are needed
• Form the basis for a plan

Assessment Timescales

• Should be completed within 45 working days of referral
• But should be proportionate and completed as quickly as possible
• Urgent protective action should never be delayed for assessment

What Assessments Should Consider

• Child's developmental needs: Health, education, emotional and behavioural development, identity, family and social relationships, social presentation, self-care skills
• Parenting capacity: Basic care, safety, emotional warmth, stimulation, guidance and boundaries, stability
• Family and environmental factors: Family history, wider family, housing, employment, income, social integration, community resources

Section 47 Enquiries

When there is reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, the local authority must make enquiries (Section 47, Children Act 1989).

Key Requirements

• The child must be seen (unless this would increase risk)
• Multi-agency strategy discussion must take place
• Enquiries should determine what action is needed
• The child's wishes and feelings must be ascertained

Child Protection Conferences

Working Together sets out requirements for child protection conferences:

Initial Child Protection Conference

• Should be held within 15 working days of the strategy discussion
• Brings together family and professionals
• Decides whether the child needs a child protection plan
• Chair should be independent and qualified

Review Child Protection Conferences

• First review within 3 months
• Subsequent reviews at least every 6 months
• Reviews whether the plan is working
• Decides whether to continue, change, or end the plan

Information Sharing

The 2023 guidance strengthens expectations around information sharing:

Key Principles

• Information sharing is essential for safeguarding
• Fears about sharing should not prevent appropriate disclosure
• GDPR and data protection do not prevent safeguarding information sharing
• Consent should be sought where appropriate but is not always required

When to Share Without Consent

• When there is a safeguarding concern
• When obtaining consent would increase risk
• When consent cannot reasonably be obtained
• When sharing is required by law

Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews

Previously known as Serious Case Reviews, these are now called Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews:

When a Review is Required

• When a child dies or is seriously harmed
• And abuse or neglect is known or suspected
• Rapid review must be completed within 15 working days
• Decision on whether full review is needed within one month

Purpose

• Learn lessons to improve practice
• Identify what works well
• Not to blame individuals
• Share learning locally and nationally

What This Means for Practice

For frontline social workers, Working Together 2023 means:

Documentation

• Clear recording of the child's voice and views
• Evidence of multi-agency working
• Documented analysis, not just description
• Clear rationale for decisions

Practice

• Always seeing and speaking to the child
• Working in genuine partnership with other agencies
• Sharing information appropriately and promptly
• Considering the whole context of risk (including extra-familial)

Key Takeaways

• Working Together 2023 is statutory guidance that must be followed
• Emphasis on equal partnership between the three safeguarding partners
• Child-centred practice with the child's voice throughout
• Flexible, proportionate assessments focused on need
• Information sharing is essential - don't let fear prevent appropriate disclosure
• Recognition of extra-familial harm and contextual safeguarding