Transitional Safeguarding Strategy

Transitional Safeguarding is a national priority that recognises the need for a more coherent, developmentally informed approach to safeguarding children as they move between services, approach adulthood and experience transition as young adults. This strategy sets out our shared commitment across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to embed Transitional Safeguarding into core business, ensuring that safeguarding and support does not stop at 18 and that services are responsive to the realities of children and young adult’s lives.

We are aligning with the national drive to strengthen relationships between children’s and adult services, breaking down silos and building a more integrated safeguarding system. This strategy reflects our ambition to create a culture where children and young adults are not only supported through transition but are equal partners in shaping the services that affect them.

It outlines:

• A clear definition of Transitional Safeguarding and why it matters.
• Strategic objectives that reflect both national learning and local priorities.
• A focus on vulnerable groups and contextual risks, including those outside the home.
• Insights from safeguarding reviews and lived experiences of young people.
• A cross-sector pledge to collaboration, accountability, and early intervention.
• Governance structures and mechanisms to measure impact and drive improvement.

This is a strategic framework for change that places children and young adults at the centre, values their voice, and builds a safeguarding system that is inclusive, joined up, and fit for the future.