Improving outcomes, safeguarding children

Improving outcomes for over 90,000 children and young people in over 420 projects across the UK today

Outcomes are something individual. It's about developing the right care plans, the right targets and the right measurements for each child and young person.

Quality assurance

Robust evidence is how we can be sure our help is making a positive difference. We've developed a way to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of our services across the UK in line with

• Every Child Matters in England
• Getting It Right For Every Child in Scotland
• Children and Young People: Rights to Action in Wales
• Our Children and Young People pledge in Northern Ireland

Through internal and external research we know if children, young people and families are getting the support they need. That way we know what works and what doesn't. And we'll regularly review this, continually developing our services, keeping the child at the centre, and being there for as long as it takes.

Demonstrating our impact

• The disruption rate for our placements in 2008-09 with adopters approved by Action for Children was 6% compared to a national estimated rate of 30%.
• Ofsted found that 88% of our children's centres were good or outstanding on making a positive contribution compared to the national average of 64%.
• 85% of children and young people engaged with our Exeter Family Intervention Project are linked into some form of education and employment
• At our short breaks projects in Gloucestershire, 100% of children enjoyed and achieved and 100% stayed safe.

Safeguarding children and young people

It's the responsibility of all of us, working together, to make this happen. To stop children suffering child abuse, neglect, domestic violence and bullying. So children can stay safe. At home. At school. And in their community.

When we say 'it's every child's right to stay safe', that means young people too. Particularly vulnerable to assault, exploitation and self-harm - young people have their own safeguarding needs, requiring their own ways of protection.

Putting the child at the centre

You can be assured safeguarding underpins every bit of our work. Our safeguarding procedures are modelled on your best practice. Sharing information with you and other agencies. Working closely when there's a concern about a child's protection. Engaging with local safeguarding boards to influence on a strategic level too. We'll be supporting you every way we can, to ensure the safety of every child.