Safeguarding Policies & Procedures
The Essex Safeguarding Children Board have a range of policies, practice tools and strategies to help everyone working or volunteering with children in Essex to keep them safe.
SET Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures - (Launched April 2026)
Southend, Essex and Thurrock Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures (2026)
The Southend, Essex and Thurrock Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures are underpinned by Working Together to Safeguard Children (2026), which sets out what should happen in any local area when a child or young person is believed to be in need of support.
The procedures have moved to a NEW web-enabled platform hosted by Tri.x. Please disregard any previous versions you may have.
Local Guidance, Policy and Protocols
Alongside the overarching SET procedures there are some local ESCB practice guidance and protocols that complement them.
SET National Referral Mechanism Pathway (Sept 2026)
SET Hoarding guidance - (Dec 2021)
Pre-birth Assessment multi-agency protocol (April 2024)
Public Law Outline - guide for practitioners (September 2025)
Practice Tools
We have developed a range of ESCB Practice Tools to support practitioners Practice Tools
Strategies
- SET Child Exploitation Strategy
- SET Missing Memorandum of Understanding October 2025
- Philomena Protocol Form
- Philomena Protocol Form Guidance
- Admissions and attendance information (Essex)
- SET Sexual Violence and Abuse Strategy 2020-2023 - Under review
- Southend, Essex & Thurrock Domestic Abuse Board Strategy 2020-2025