All Council employees and elected members have a duty of care to support and protect children and vulnerable adults within the City.
The nature of our role means that we meet children and vulnerable adults everyday, whether that is in our communities or other public places. This provides us with an insight into peoples lives which is sometimes hidden from other agencies. This places us in a unique position in terms of being able to recognise achild or vulnerable adult in need, at risk or suffering from abuse. This handout gives youinformation about:
- how toreact to situations which you may come across relating to safeguarding;
- how to make a referral for furtherhelp; and
- the Council’s role as Corporate Parents of children who are looked after.
This is a really important matter so please take time to read this information. If you have any concerns about a child’s or vulnerable adult’s safety, you can speak to a colleague within the Council’s Social Care Directorates on the contact numbers given below.
The abuse of children and vulnerable adults can have major long term effects on all aspects of a person’s health, development and well being. In the worst cases abuse can lead to death. Over the past 10 years high profile abuse cases such as the Victoria Climbie case in 2000, the murder of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells in 2002, the murder of Steven Hoskin in 2006, the case of Peter Connolly in 2007, and the suicide-murder of Fiona Pilkington and FranceccaHardwick in 2007 have led to a number of in-depth enquiries into how children and vulnerable adults in England are safeguarded. These enquiries have identified gaps in safeguarding policy and procedure and made recommendations for improvement, such as better inter-agency working and better training. Elected members could be in a key position to recognise a child or vulnerable adult suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm.
A person may experience more than one type of abuse at any one time. In some cases children and vulnerable adults are not aware they are being abused or may be put under great pressure not to tell anyone about it. This may mean a child or vulnerable adult does not report abuse themselves.
Children and vulnerable adults may find it very difficult to talk about the abuse they are experiencing. Therefore staff and elected members have a vital role to play in looking out for the possible signs and referring their concerns on. The following are some possible signs that a child or vulnerable adult may be at risk of, or is suffering harm. In some cases these signs may have an acceptable explanation. This list does not cover every possibility and some of the signs and indicators will be present in more than one type of abuse.
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