July 2009

Safeguarding the most vulnerable in our society is undoubtedly one of the most important roles that those in public office can perform. It is also a hugely complex area and one where the pendulum can swing from a focus on keeping all children safe to a focus on protecting children from abuse. At times it feels as though the pendulum swings too far and we can lose sight of who is responsible for what and where accountabilities lie in safeguarding and protecting children. The shock wave following the high profile reporting of the death of Baby P means that children’s services are again in the spotlight and under pressure to ‘do things differently’.

This publication discusses what local authorities and their partners need to do to continue to deliver the aspirations for children's services set out in Government's 'Every Child Matters' national framework and the 10-year 'Children's Plan' strategy.

Safeguarding our future – the aftermath of Baby P - outlines how local authorities, their partnering agencies and children's services professionals need to work together to deliver the aspirations for children's services set out in 'Every Child Matters' and the Children Plan

'Talking Points' is a series of opinion pieces produced by PwC's Public Sector Research Centre.