The Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership and the BCP Safeguarding Children Partnership have published their revised protection for the unborn child protocol, which includes the following updates:
- Updated to align with Working Together 2026
- Greater clarity on information sharing
- Now includes references to FGM and ‘honour-based’ violence
- Link to the Multi-agency Protocol for Work with parents with learning disability added
- Includes learning from a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review that involved a young person at risk of domestic abuse moving across authority boundaries
- Directs midwives to ask mothers if they have experienced domestic abuse
- Has robust discharge planning for newborn children held to be at risk
- This has been updated to reflect the National Panel’s Review – Protecting all Vulnerable Babies Better, following the death of Victoria Marten
Please take some time to review the protocol and ensure you are adhering to it within your practice working with expectant parents.