Signs of Safety (SofS)
Together for Children (TfC) has adopted Signs of Safety as their overarching practice framework for all of its work with children and their families from Early Help, Child Protection, Cared for Children and Fostering, Adoption and now our Partner Agencies as well.
This page will guide you through the Signs of Safety model, and give you the knowledge and tools to use within your own role. Here you will find presentations, training, videos, practice examples, practice guides and much more.
What is Signs of Safety?
Signs of Safety is a strength and question-based approach to working with children, and the adults who are important to them. It aims to 'build people up' by acknowledging what is going well in terms of strengths, keeping a clear focus on what we are worried about for children and young people's safety and wellbeing and what needs to happen for families to reach their goals. Clear, jargon free language is used for everyone to understand clearly the worries, and the plan to manage this.
The aim is to help workers build positive relationships and work in partnership with children, and their important grown-ups by using a strengths-based, solution-focused questioning approach that is grounded in everyday lives of children. It moves away from the 'telling' approach, so that we support people to create their own solutions.
The Signs of Safety framework allows workers to slow down their thinking, critically analyse the information gathered about a child to get a greater understanding around the child's lived experiences, what safety and wellbeing looks like for the child, and how to measure the families progress towards shared goals.
Your Signs of Safety Lead is Roni Johnson.
For any Signs of Safety queries please contact the team at T​fCSignsofSafety@togetherforchildren.org.uk
Essential Reading