Jane Hutt, Welsh Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, has issued a guidance document for local authorities and governing bodies on arrangements for safeguarding children under section 175 of the Education Act 2002.

The final guidance, which was the subject of a consultation exercise between 19 March and 13 July 2007, replaces existing guidance circular 52/1995, Protecting Children from Abuse: the Role of the Education Service. The document:

• gives guidance about the effect of the duty to have arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children which was introduced by section 175 of the Act;
• sets out the roles and responsibilities of local authorities, governing bodies, proprietors of independent schools, head teachers, and staff with designated responsibility for child protection in making arrangements, in order to enable people in the education service to play their full part in safeguarding children from abuse and neglect;
• supplements the guidance in Safeguarding Children: Working Together under the Children Act 2004, by setting out the infrastructure and arrangements that need to be in place so that people in the education service have the skills, means and training necessary to ensure children and young people are protected from harm.