•  Paramount – the needs of the child are considered paramount at all times.
•  Protection – we aim to promote high standards of safeguarding policy, procedures and practice in all schools, LA services and early years’ settings that provide for Kent children. Oversight and management of allegations against staff across the sectors as required by LADO function is also a critical function in this respect.
• Prevention – we aim to raise the profile of children’s rights and promote schemes of work in schools across the county that will help to empower children to better protect themselves. In addition we need to ensure that care provided, particularly in specialist residential settings, conforms with the requirements of the National Minimum Standards and outcomes for children are in line with ECM expectations. Child protection training delivered, awareness raising and telephone consultation service is also part of the preventative strategy.
• Partnership – we strive to work collaboratively with internal and external customers and other stakeholders to ensure that these objectives are achieved and maintained. Clear demarcation of roles and responsibilities as defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010 and KSCB Safeguarding Children procedures help to provide a focus for this objective. We will endeavour to function in a reasonable, transparent and proportional manner when working with individuals, schools, parents and multi agency partners.

The work of the CST meets the responsibility of the Local Authority lead officers for safeguarding children in education services and primarily focuses on supporting and challenging schools, early years providers and education services in all matters relating to safeguarding children. This includes:

• provision of consultations to education and early years staff (inlcuding children's centres)
• providing centralised training for designated safeguarding staff within education and early years settings
• managing the process when an allegation is made against a member of the children's workforce as required by the Local Authority Designated Officer function 
• monitoring of care standards in Local Authority residential special school provision and statutory Regulation 33 monitoring visits to all CSS residential provision

Misson Statement:  

"If children and young people are to achieve academically, socially and emotionally, it is imperative that their primary needs for safety and protection are met. All children have a fundamental right to be protected from harm and the Team strives to raise awareness of child protection, care standards and children’s rights across the parameters of educational provision. The values and beliefs that underpin the work of the Team are consistent with the principles enshrined in Ways For Success, and are driven by professional social work ethics that reinforce the rights of the individual to be heard, to be treated fairly and to be afforded opportunities to pursue their potential, regardless of their race, age, gender, disability or sexual orientation. We  are committed to challenging discrimination and disadvantage that we may encounter in our day to day work and the principles of anti-oppressive practice will be adopted to address issues of ignorance, power and powerlessness that lie at the root of abuse, discrimination, victimization and bullying."

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