The Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland was established by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in 2012 in recognition of the fact that children are more likely to be protected when agencies work in an all-inclusive, coordinated and consistent way.

The SBNI is the key process for agreeing how children’s agencies will cooperate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in Northern Ireland and for ensuring the effectiveness of those agencies. In carrying out our responsibilities, the SBNI will ensure that organisational boundaries between professionals, agencies and sectors do not act as barriers to protecting children and young people up to the age of 18.