ABSTRACT
Reflecting on the impact made with Contextual Safeguarding to date, this chapter documents the key techniques used to diffuse what is arguably quite an innovative approach to delivering a child protections system. Framing the work in relation to Everett’s theory of innovation diffusion, Firmin notes how the approach has presented the Contextual Safeguarding framework as something that adds value, is achievable, aligned to current values, can be trialled without additional risks, and can have an evidenced effect. Three key techniques have been central to achieving this to date: mirroring, co-production and case review. Firmin outlines how each of these has enabled take-up, while also identifying potential pitfalls should any be used without further thought in the future. She argues that for Contextual Safeguarding to sustain, and truly impact systems, mirroring will likely decrease while co-production increases; and further to that, case studies will shift from being about system to challenges, to focusing on ad hoc practice, before moving on to more readily document system successes.
