Multiagency Safeguarding Reform - Behavioural Insights Research Paper

Following the multi-agency safeguarding reforms, safeguarding partners must work together in a jointly designed and locally owned partnership arrangement. This is the first time there has been a joint duty on local authorities, health and police to work together to safeguarding children. This approach relies on new ways of working and a culture change in the way that partners behave and collaborate. For many local areas this has been challenging to implement.

While plans for all of the all the partnerships are now published and are being put into action, full implementation will be an evolutionary process and local areas will continue to adapt their plans as new learning and approaches are disseminated over the next 12 to 18 months. The purpose of this research is to identify how the three agencies are building, developing and maintaining strong working relationships, to improve local safeguarding approaches.

The research will seek to identify and understand the key behaviours required for successful multiagency working. A behavioural perspective is required as we are specifically interested in the meanings that people attach to actions, decisions, beliefs, values and to help explain how respondents make sense of, and interpret, the world around them and what influences their behaviours.