Safeguarding disabled children guidance

This guidance is for all professionals engaged in the care and support of children and young people with complex needs and disabilities. It was formulated by the Gateshead Safeguarding Partnership and is designed to be universally applicable across all partner agencies. 

The guidance has been updated to reflect changes in statutory guidance and incorporates insights from both national and local reviews. It is relevant for those working in a wide range of sectors including children's social care, health, education, schools, early years, youth services, the youth justice system, the police, as well as the independent and voluntary sectors.  

It aims to raise awareness of best practice principles and of the additional safeguarding risks that affect children with complex needs and disabilities.  

A child is defined as: a child and young person aged up until 18 years .

The definition for Complex Need and Disability as adopted by Gateshead Safeguarding Partnership is as follows: 

 'A child/young person with two or more needs affecting their physical, mental, social, or financial wellbeing. Such needs typically interact with and exacerbate one another, resulting in a significant and enduring impact on their life, often leading to the need for specialist support from education, health and/or social care'.  

The definition for disability is: 'a physical or mental impairment resulting in a substantial and long term negative effect on ability to carry out normal daily activities.' The definition of substantial is: 'more than minor or trivial, for example, it takes much longer than it usually would to complete a daily task such as getting dressed. Long term means 12 months or more,' (Equality Act, 2010).