SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN

‘Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting; by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger.’

(DfES, 2006)

What is the role and responsibilities of agency staff working with children?

All agency staff must have an up to date DBS. Staff working in contact with children must understand the agency’s policies and reporting procedures and be competent in recognising the signs of abuse and neglect in children.

The agency’s policy states that ‘the agency has a duty to do everything possible to prevent, report and tackle abuse wherever we encounter it’.

It is everybody’s responsibility to recognise and report any suspicions or knowledge of abuse or neglect regarding children.

All staff must be aware of and work following the guidance of the ‘No Secrets’, The RCPCH (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health) publication ‘Safeguarding Children and Young People: roles and competences for health care staff’ March 2014 and always report any allegations of abuse.

What are the legal requirements of safeguarding children?

There are currently a number of legislations that cover the protection of children within the United Kingdom. All agency staff should be familiar with the Children and Young Persons Act 1933; the Children Act 1989; the Children Act 2004 for England and Wales; the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 for Northern Ireland and the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 for Scotland.

The overview of the Children Act 1989 states that the main principles in the legislation are:

•the welfare of children must be the paramount consideration when the

courts are making decisions about them;

•the concept of parental responsibility has replaced that of parental rights;

•children have the ability to be parties, separate from their parents, in

legal proceedings;

•local authorities are charged with duties to identify children in need

and to safeguard and promote their welfare;

•certain duties and powers are conferred upon local authorities to

provide services for children and families;

•a checklist of factors must be considered by the courts before reaching

decisions;

•orders under this Act should not be made unless it can be shown that

this is better for the child than not making an order;

•delay in deciding questions concerning children is likely to prejudice

their welfare.

What are the main aims of safeguarding children?

The Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013) document has defined ‘safeguarding’ and ‘promoting the welfare of children’ as:

  • protecting children from maltreatment;
  • preventing impairment of children's health or development;
  • ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
  • taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

The Key Principles of Working Together to Safeguard Children are:

  • safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part
  • a child centred approach: for services to be effective they should have a clear understanding of the needs and views of children

Changes in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013) are:

  • referral of allegations against those who work with children
  • clarification of requirements on local authorities to notify serious incidents
  • definition of serious harm for the purposes of serious case reviews.

All staff working with children should read and understand the “Working Together to Safeguard Children” document. A link to the document can be found in the useful website section.

Children are dependent on adults for support, with young children not having their own voice. It is important to notice any possible signs and/or indicators of abuse/neglect in order to provide support for the children and their families.

Recognising the signs of abuse and/or neglect

The main types of abuse/neglect include:

  • Bullying
  • Neglect
  • Physical Abuse
  • Emotional Abuse (including domestic abuse)
  • Sexual Abuse (including ‘sexting’)
  • Child Trafficking
  • Radicalisation
  • Female Genital Mutilation

(However, many of these types of abuse may overlap, for example: children suffering from bullying will also suffer from emotional harm).

Typical signs of a child being bullied (NSPCC, 2014)

  • has their belongings taken or damaged
  • is over-tired and hungry from not eating lunch (if their dinner money or lunch has been taken)
  • is afraid to go to school, is mysteriously 'ill' each morning, or skips school
  • suffers a drop in performance at school
  • asks for, or steals, money (to pay)
  • is afraid of travelling on the school bus or on their own to school
  • is nervous, loses confidence, or is distressed
  • stops eating or sleeping
  • begins to bully others
  • refuses to say what's wrong or is withdrawn
  • is physically injured.

Typical signs of a child being physically abused (NSPCC, 2014)

  • bruising:on the cheeks, ears, palms, arms and feet and on the back, buttocks, tummy, hips and backs of legs
  • on babies who are not yet crawling or walking
  • a history of bruising
  • multiple bruises in clusters, usually on the upper arms or outer thighs
  • bruises which look like they have been caused by fingers, a hand, or an object
  • burns or scalds:burns of the backs of the hands, feet, legs, genitals, or buttocks and burns which have a clear shape, like a circular cigarette burn
  • large oval shaped bite marks
  • fractures
  • scarring
  • poisoning
  • drowning or suffocating
  • head injuries caused by a blow or by shaking
  • fabricated or induced illness.

As well as the physical signs of abuse, children may also suffer mental health or behavioural problems such as:

  • depression and anxiety
  • aggression and violence
  • problems with relationships and socialising
  • trying to hide injuries under clothing
  • running away from home
  • being distant and withdrawn.

Typical signs of a child being emotionally abused (NSPCC, 2014)

  • difficulty learning
  • problems with relationships and socialising
  • rebellious behaviour
  • aggressive and violent behaviour
  • anti-social behaviour and criminality
  • self-isolating behaviour (making people dislike you)
  • negative impulsive behaviour (not caring what happens to yourself).
  • delay in child’s physical development
  • may have mental health problems such as eating disorders and self-harming

Typical signs of a child being sexually abused (NSPCC, 2014)

  • suddenly starting to behave differently
  • aggressive behaviour
  • sleep problems
  • bed-wetting or soiling
  • risk-taking behaviour during adolescence
  • negative thoughts
  • not looking after themselves
  • problems with school, or missing school.

Avoiding particular adults

  • Avoids being alone with a particular family member
  • Fears an adult or is reluctant to socialise with them.

Sexually inappropriate behaviour

  • Becoming sexually active at a young age
  • Promiscuity
  • Use of sexual language or information that you would not expect them to know

Physical symptoms

  • Anal or vaginal soreness
  • An unusual discharge
  • Pregnancy

Typical signs of a child being neglected:

  • poor muscle tone/prominent joints
  • poor skin: sores, rashes, flea bites
  • thin or swollen tummy
  • poor hygiene, like being dirty or smelly
  • untreated health problems, such as bad teeth
  • unwashed clothing
  • inadequate clothing, like not having a coat in winter
  • difficulties with school work
  • missing school
  • being anxious about, or avoiding, people
  • difficulty in making friends
  • being withdrawn
  • anti-social behaviour
  • early sexual activity
  • drug or alcohol misuse.

Typical signs of child trafficking:

Signs that a child has been trafficked may not be obvious but you might notice unusual behaviour or events. These include a child who:

  • spends a lot of time doing household chores
  • rarely leaves their house, has no freedom of movement and no time for playing
  • is orphaned or living apart from their family, often in unregulated private foster care
  • lives in substandard accommodation
  • isn't sure which country, city or town they're in
  • is unable or reluctant to give details of accommodation or personal details
  • might not be registered with a school or a GP practice
  • has no documents or has falsified documents
  • has no access to their parents or guardians
  • is seen in inappropriate places such as brothels or factories
  • possesses unaccounted for money or goods
  • is permanently deprived of a large part of their earnings, required to earn a minimum amount of money every day or pay off an exorbitant debt
  • has injuries from workplace accidents
  • gives a prepared story which is very similar to stories given by other children.

Signs an adult is involved in child trafficking

There are also signs that an adult is involved in child trafficking, such as:

  • making multiple visa applications for different children
  • acting as a guarantor for multiple visa applications for children
  • travelling with different children who they are not related to or responsible for
  • insisting on remaining with and speaking for the child
  • living with unrelated or newly arrived children
  • abandoning a child or claiming not to know a child they were previously with

(NSPCC, Child Trafficking)

Typical signs of child radicalisation:

Radicalisation can be really difficult to spot. Signs that may indicate a child is being radicalised include:

  • isolating themselves from family and friends
  • talking as if from a scripted speech
  • unwillingness or inability to discuss their views
  • a sudden disrespectful attitude towards others
  • increased levels of anger
  • increased secretiveness, especially around internet use

Children who are at risk of radicalisation may have low self-esteem, or be victims of bullying or discrimination. Extremists might target them and tell them they can be part of something special, later brainwashing them into cutting themselves off from their friends and family. (NSPCC, Radicalisation)

Typical signs of female genital mutilation:

A girl or woman who's had FGM may:

  • have difficulty walking, sitting or standing
  • spend longer than normal in the bathroom or toilet
  • have unusual behaviour after an absence from school or college
  • be particularly reluctant to undergo normal medical examinations
  • ask for help, but may not be explicit about the problem due to embarrassment or fear. (NSPCC, FGM)

If you have concerns over what the child has said to you, ensure that you:

  • Listen to the child
  • Reassure the child
  • Enquire with these questions:

T: Tell me about…

E: Explain to me…

D: Describe for me…

DO NOT EXAMINE OR INVESTIGATE YOURSELF.

Reporting & Recording

The agency’s child protection policy states ‘any member of staff or agency worker who knows or believes that abuse of a child is occurring has an obligation to report it as quickly as possible to their manager orcall cente team’.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child:

  • Write down accurate notes, including: date, time and behaviour.
  • Use a body map with short descriptions.
  • Consult with designated safeguarding officer/manager immediately.

Importance of partnership working

People working in close proximity with children have support from various networks including their safeguarding officer, manager, community care team, local children safeguarding boards (LSCBs), childrenscentres, social workers and the police.

It is important to work in partnership with other professionals in order to keep a record of the child’s safety and any unusual or suspicious activity.

Facts and figures of children being abused and/or neglected

The NSPCC have noted that:

  • In 2012/13, ChildLine counsellors dealt with 1.4 million contacts from children about various problems including, bullying, sexual abuse, violence and mental health issues.
  • On average, every week in the UK at least one child is killed at the hands of another person.
  • Neglect is the most common reason for a child to be the subject of a child protection plan or on a child protection register in the UK.
  • 1 in 20 children in the UK have been sexually abused.

Useful documents

The Every Child Matters agenda is now archived, but provides information on children’s welfare and their rights. For best practice this guidance could be referred to for more information. Additionally, the ‘What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused’ is also archived but will provide information and guidance on recognising the signs of abuse.

(See websites for the links to these guidance documents).

ICS have different Safeguarding Children Policies dependent on geographical locations which cover local legislation. Please ensure that you follow the correct link to gain access to the appropriate policy.

VIDEOS

Partnership working in child protection:

Partnership working in child protection: Cardiff case study:

Partnership working in child protection: Scunthorpe case study:

USEFUL WEBSITES

The RCPCH (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health) publication ‘Safeguarding Children and Young People: roles and competences for health care staff’ March 2014:

NMC website- Safeguarding:

NSPCC website:

Safe network website:

Child protection legislation timeline:

Preventing child abuse and neglect:

Every Child Matters document:

Royal College of Nursing - The Role of the DesignatedNurse for Safeguarding Children and Young People in England:

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF):

Child Trafficking – NSPCC:

Radicalisation – NSPCC:

Working together to safeguard children:

References

Hall, A. (2015). Safeguarding in Schools. Retrieved July 25, 2015, from Safeguarding in Schools:

Radford et al (2011) Child abuse and neglect in the UK today.[online] Available from: [accessed: 18.06.14]

NSPCC (2013) Real life stories: the NSPCC annual report and accounts 2012/13. [online] Available from: [accessed: 18.06.14]

NSPCC. (Undated) Facts and Figures About Child Abuse in the UK [online] Available from: [accessed: 18.06.14]

DCSF. (2013) Working Together to Safeguard Children: A Guide to Inter-agency Working to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children. [online] Available from: 18.06.14]

An Overview of the Children Act 1989 [online] Available from: [accessed: 18.06.14]

Reviewed 08/09/2016

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