The Government’s response to the third joint Chief Inspectors’ report on arrangements to safeguard children

Safeguarding the young and vulnerable is the Government's response to the third joint Chief Inspectors' report on arrangements to safeguard children, published in July 2008, which made a number of recommendations to improve safeguarding arrangements for children and young people.

The 2008 Inspectors' report, available on the Safeguarding Children website, shows much has moved on since the last report in 2005 and it provides evidence of improvements in children's services and in outcomes for children and young people. The Children's Plan, Every Child Matters reforms, the Children Act 2004 and a range of other initiatives have provided a much-needed impetus for change. But the report also highlights continuing concerns that some children are not well-served; rightly challenging the Government, local authorities and all those working with young people to do more to safeguard our most vulnerable children.