Section 11 Self-Assessments

What is Section 11?

Assessing the effectiveness of safeguarding efforts by key people and organisations in the city is crucial to improving outcomes for children and young people. Section 11 (s11) of the Children Act 2004 places a statutory duty on key organisations to self-assess the extent to which they meet the safeguarding requirements and standards.

The Brighton & Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership is responsible for monitoring and evaluating these self-assessments and advising organisations on ways to improve. The audits are repeated every other year so that agencies have time to submit their evidence, create their action plans to address any weaknesses identified, and to challenge findings.

This process contributes to the BHSCP scrutiny function and is also a mechanism for understanding how we can support partner agencies in further developing any specific aspects of safeguarding arrangements.

It is important to remember that s11 does not give agencies any new functions, nor does it override their existing functions. Instead, it requires organisations to carry out their existing functions in a way that takes into account the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The audit is an opportunity for each agency to demonstrate compliance with statutory guidance.

Who does Section 11 apply to?

Working Together 2018 identifies that Section 11 applies to the following agencies and organisations:

• Local authorities and district councils that provide children’s and other types of services, including children’s and adult social care services, public health, housing, sport, culture and leisure services, licensing authorities and youth services
• NHS organisations, including the NHS Commissioning Partnership and Clinical Commissioning groups, NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts
• The police, including police and crime commissioners and the chief officer of each police force in England and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime in London
• British Transport Police
• The Probation Service – (now the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Company)
• Governors/Directors of Prisons and Young Offender Institutions
• Directors of Secure Training Centres
• Youth Offending Teams/Services
• Private and voluntary organisations who are commissioned or contracted to provide services on behalf of the bodies listed above

See our guidance for 2018’s Section 11 self-assessment here.

Please contact BHSCP.admin@brighton-hove.gov.uk for any queries.