1. When you have finished reading a section, click on the sign to move on

2. The focus of this session
is Child Protection
Protecting children from maltreatment (including unborn children)
Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Providing services that are child centred

3. Our objectives are
To remind ourselves of the importance of Safeguarding procedures and practices.
To examine what we mean by child abuse and it’s possible impact on children, including the official definitions
To identify signs and symptoms of possible child abuse
To explore how we may best and most appropriately respond to children, young people and their carers when we suspect a child is being harmed
To consider the action we need to take when we suspect possible harm to a child

4. Why do we safeguard? Peter Connelly - 2007 Maria Colwell - 1975
Maria was born on 26 March When she was few months old her father Raymond Colwell died and as a result Maria and her siblings were all initially placed in foster care and then with her aunt and uncle, Doris and Bob Cooper, but finally returned to live with her biological mother Pauline Kepple and her partner William Kepple.
Neglected by her mother and new partner and treated very differently than her step-siblings, Maria deteriorated but was left in their care. On 6th January 1973 Kepple assaulted her so badly that she received major internal and external injuries. He wheeled her in a pram to hospital the morning after where she died.
Maria Colwell
Victoria died on 25th February She had taken to a hospital by a taxi driver who was concerned by her appearance. She had hypothermia, multiple organ failure and was
malnourished. Although known to four local authorities whilst in Britain, she had 128 separate injuries and scars on her body. It was described by the pathologist as the worst case of child Abuse he had ever seen.
As a result, the Laming report was published in 2003 with 58 recommendations.
Victoria Climbie- 2003
Peter was known throughout the initial publication of his case as Baby P. He was 17 months old when he died in London after suffering more than fifty injuries over eight months. He had been
repeatedly seen by professionals in children services and the NHS.
Injuries recorded post mortem were a broken back, broken ribs, mutilated fingertips and missing fingernails. He had been seen the day before he died by a paediatrician where these injuries were likely undetected. Haringey Council’s Children & Young people Service were advised that the threshold for initiating Care Proceedings had not been met. Connelly’s mother had been repeatedly arrested for offences against him.
Peter Connelly
Khyran Ishaq- 2008
Khyran was one of five children, at the time of her death, two of her siblings were found to be in a serious state of malnutrition and at risk of dying. The home had food available but the kitchen was locked to prevent the children from eating.
Kyra was seven when she died. At the time of her death she weighed 2st 9lb, she had lost approximately 40% of her body fat and her body mass index was so low that it was off the bottom of the scale of medical charts. She had 60 injuries having been beaten and over-fed to make her sick if she was found with food.
Daniel died on 3rd March 2012 in Coventry at 4 years of age. His mother and her partner are both serving a life sentence with a minimum of 30 years each. He weighed only 1st 9lb when he died. He had been force-fed salt, beaten, locked in a room
and had his head submerged in the bath over his life. He was witnessed at pre-school gorging on cakes that were brought in by other children.
Daniel Pelka -2012
Ben Butler was sentenced to life imprisonment
after he beat his 6-year old daughter Ellie to death only 11 months after she had been returned to his care by the family Court. Ellie had been removed after Mr. Butler was found guilty of assaulting her as a baby. In a high profile campaign, he had this conviction overturned. The local authority refused to place Ellie back with Mr. Butler and she was placed with her maternal grand-parents. However, a Judge in the family Court decided against professionals in the case and placed Ellie back with her parents. Ellie’s mother was also sentenced to 42 months for child cruelty and assisting Mr. Butler in trying to cover up Ellie’s death.
Ellie Butler– 2013
It is important to remember why we safeguard. What follows are reminders of what can go wrong if we don’t safeguard correctly.
Ask the group if they recognise any of the names on the slide. How many remember the name Maria Colwell?
Emphasise to the delegates that child abuse has always been around. Its only in the last 30+yrs that we have started to be more aware of it and legislation has appeared to make agencies accountable by placing responsibilities on them to safeguard children.
Maria Colwell 1975
Maria was born on 26 March When she was few months old her father Raymond Colwell died and as a result Maria and her siblings were all placed in foster care. At three months old she was placed with her aunt and uncle, Doris and Bob Cooper. There she was said to be very happy and well looked after. Her situation changed drastically when on 22 October 1971 she returned to live with her biological mother Pauline Kepple and her partner William Kepple. William Kepple had children of his own with Pauline, and the couple favoured those children over Maria without compunction; for example, Kepple bought his biological children ice cream and required Maria to watch as they ate it, having refused to buy any for her. Many neighbours and teachers communicated concerns to various agencies. Nevertheless, even though she appeared "almost a walking skeleton", Maria was allowed to remain with the Kepples and her half-siblings.
On the night of 6 January 1973, Kepple arrived home at 11.30pm to find Maria still awake and watching television. Her mother, fearing her drunk and violent husband, had kept Maria up. Maria refused to acknowledge him upon his return home and he responded violently. He physically assaulted her, leaving her with severe injuries both internal and external; then he went to bed. The following morning he wheeled Maria in a pram to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton with severe internal injuries including brain damage; she died shortly after arrival. Maria had an empty stomach when she died. Both her eyes were blackened and she had a fractured rib.
Daniel Pelka – 2012
The murder of Daniel Pełka occurred on 3 March 2012 in Coventry, England. Daniel, 4, died of a head injury. His mother, Magdalena Łuczak (27), and her partner, Mariusz Krężołek (33), were found guilty of the murder on 31 July On 2 August 2013, both Łuczak and Krężołek were jailed for life with a minimum sentence of 30 years each. Daniel Pelka's biological parents, Łuczak and Eryk Pelka, separated in Poland, and his mother moved to Coventry in the United Kingdom with her new boyfriend in 2006, when she was pregnant. Daniel was born there.
Łuczak and Krężołek starved the child, beat him, locked him in a room, force-fed him salt, and put his head underwater in the bath. He weighed only one stone nine pounds (10.4 kg) when he died.
Victoria Climie 2000
On 24 February 2000, Victoria Climbié was taken semi-conscious and suffering from hypothermia, multiple organ failure and malnutrition, to the local Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. After they left, the mini cab driver was horrified at Climbié's condition and took her straight to the accident-and-emergency department at North Middlesex Hospital; she was then transferred to the intensive-care unit at St Mary's Hospital. The ambulance crew who drove her to St Mary's described how although Kouao had kept saying, "my baby, my baby", her concern seemed "not quite enough", and that Manning seemed "almost as if he was not there". Climbié died the following day at 3:15 pm local time. The pathologist who examined her body noted 128 separate injuries and scars on her body, and described it as the worst case of child abuse she had ever seen; Climbié had been burnt with cigarettes, tied up for periods of longer than 24 hours, and hit with bike chains, hammers and wires. During her life in Britain, Climbié was known to four local authorities (four social services departments and three housing departments), two child protection police teams, two hospitals, an NSPCC centre, and a few local churches.
Baby P – Peter Connolly
Peter Connelly was a 17-month-old English boy who died in London after suffering more than fifty injuries over an eight-month period, during which he was repeatedly seen by the London Borough of Haringey Children's services and National Health Service (NHS) health professionals.
Peter Connelly was born to Tracey Connelly on 1 March In November, Connelly's new boyfriend, Steven Barker, moved in with her. In December, a general practitioner physician noticed bruises on Peter's face and chest. His mother was arrested and Peter was put into the care of a family friend, but returned home to his mother's care in January Over the next few months, Peter was admitted to hospital on two occasions suffering from injuries including bruising, scratches and swelling on the side of the head. Connelly was arrested again in May 2007.
In June 2007, a social worker observed marks on Peter and informed the police. A medical examination concluded that the bruising was due to abuse. On 4 June, the baby was placed with a friend for safeguarding. Over a month later, on 25 July, Haringey Council's Children & Young People's Service obtained legal advice which indicated that the "threshold for initiating Care Proceedings...was not met".
On 1 August 2007, Peter was seen at St. Ann's Hospital in North London by locum paediatrician Dr. Sabah Al-Zayyat. Serious injuries, including a broken back and broken ribs, very likely went undetected, as the autopsy report believed these to have pre-dated Al-Zayyat's examination. A day later, Connelly was informed that she would not be prosecuted.
The next day, an ambulance was called and Peter was found in his cot, blue and clad only in a nappy. After attempts at resuscitation, he was taken to North Middlesex Hospital with his mother but was pronounced dead at 12:20 pm. A post-mortem revealed he had swallowed a tooth after being punched. Other injuries included a broken back, broken ribs, mutilated fingertips and missing fingernails.   
Kyra Ishak
The tragedy that befell Khyra Ishaq is hard to take. The seven-year-old starved to death as bowls of fresh fruit, tins of sweets and shelves of groceries filled the kitchen of her family home. A lock had been fitted high up on the kitchen doors to keep Khyra and the four other children in the house away from the food. If the children were caught taking any of the food they were made to stand outside in the cold, and were beaten or forced to overeat until they vomited.
At the time of her death, in May 2008, Khyra weighed 16.8kg (2st 9lb). She had lost about 40% of her body fat, and her body mass index was so low it was off the bottom of the scale of medical charts. Two other children at the house in Handsworth, Birmingham, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were also found in a serious state of malnutrition and at risk of dying. Only her mother, Angela Gordon, and Gordon's partner, Junaid Abuhamza, know why Khyra and the other children were not fed, but there were many warning signs that something was seriously amiss in the months beforehand. Khyra had been withdrawn from school by Gordon, who was said to be educating the child at home. Her emaciated body had 60 injuries, the outcome of a sadistic regime which included punishment beatings, cold baths and being forced to overeat until she was sick. A neighbour believed Khyra scavenged stale bread she left out for the birds.
Ellie Butler – 2015
A man with a history of violence has been sentenced to life in prison after he beat his six-year-old daughter to death 11 months after she was returned to his custody by the family court.
Ben Butler was found guilty at the Old Bailey of a “brutal assault” on his daughter Ellie in October 2013 while minding her at home in south London.
Mr Justice Wilkie said he had “wickedly” involved Ellie’s younger sibling in the “fiction” of his innocence, allowing the other child to “discover” the body lying on the floor two hours after she had been murdered.
Wilkie said the “bad-tempered assault” was borne from Butler’s “evil temper” and his utter disregard for his children and the child’s mother Jennie Gray, who he also enlisted in his “cynical cover-up”.
Speaking after the trial, the child’s grandfather, Neal Gray, who brought up Ellie, said he wanted a full inquiry into what went wrong and why family court judge Mrs Justice Hogg reunited Butler with his daughter less than a year before she died.
He said that Ellie was “terrified” of Butler and did not want to live with him, yet she was not allowed to give evidence to Hogg. Gray said that he had warned Hogg she and court lawyers would have “blood on your hands” if they reunited his granddaughter with Butler. “My words have come true,” during the trial.
Jennie Gray was sentenced to 42 months in jail for child cruelty and for her part in the cover-up, while Butler was also handed a five-year sentence for child cruelty over a series of untreated injuries in the weeks and months before her death.
Butler told jurors he had found Ellie unconscious in her bedroom at about 12.45pm on 28 October 2013, but that he had gone into shock and needed to lie on the floor to recover. He summoned Gray, his partner, home from work and she agreed not to phone 999 because, they claimed, they feared they would be blamed because of his 2009 conviction, later overturned, for assaulting Ellie as a seven-week-old.
Over a 10-week trial, jurors heard how the couple’s “toxic and dysfunctional” relationship had descended into extreme verbal, and probably physical, abuse before culminating in the brutal murder of the six-year-old girl.
Her parents then staged an elaborate cover-up, putting potentially contaminated clothes in the wash and dumping Gray’s torn-up diary, which exposed the “toxic” atmosphere in the house and their abusive relationship. Butler took the dog for a walk, trying to appear normal and smiling at neighbours, while Gray texted her employers to say she was too ill to work.
Ben Butler had been found guilty of Ellie’s grievous bodily harm – a conviction later quashed – before she was found dead
In a unanimous decision, the jurors sided with the prosecution, who said Butler “consistently teetered on the edge of a violent loss of temper” and had killed Ellie in a fit of rage when minding her alone at home.
Butler had been jailed for 19 months in 2009 for assaulting Ellie, but the conviction was overturned in 2010 following a judge’s assessment of new scientific research on shaken baby syndrome.
In a reverse of past tragedies, such as the death of Baby P, the local authority, the London borough of Sutton, fought all the way to the high court to stop Ellie being returned to Butler and Gray despite his quashed conviction.
But Ellie was ultimately returned following a ruling in November 2012, when Mrs Justice Hogg declared Butler “exonerated” and said it was “a joy” to see such a “happy ending”. She retired six days before the murder trial began, seven months earlier than expected, and has not contributed to the serious case review that followed Ellie’s death.
Butler’s efforts to regain custody of Ellie had included a press campaign by the former PR manager Max Clifford and was successful in spite of warnings from the child’s grandfather and the local council.
Neal Gray, 70, and his wife, Linda, who had cared for Ellie since she was 10 weeks old, spent all of their £70,000 savings fighting Butler in the courts.
The serious case review < into Ellie’s death, commissioned by the local safeguarding children board, found that “despite a significant range of concerns and worrying incidents”, Hogg’s ruling, “combined with the parents’ refusal of any voluntary engagement with support services, meant no intervention that might have made a difference was possible”.
It said Hogg “went much further” than the court of appeal, which had quashed Butler’s conviction for assaulting his daughter at seven weeks old and ruled that her injuries were “purely accidental”.
“Ben Butler’s exoneration and the judge’s statement about him being a victim of a miscarriage of justice had the effect of handing all the power to the parents,” the review said. School, medical and social workers were “effectively prevented” from having a role in Ellie’s welfare.
Butler was also sentenced on Tuesday to five years for child cruelty in relation to a series of untreated injuries Ellie sustained in the weeks before her death, including a broken shoulder.
Social workers failed to respond to six phone calls from Ellie’s grandparents expressing concern about her safety and welfare after she was returned to her parents, Neal Gray said.
During Services For Children’s (S4C) assessment of Ellie after the 2012 ruling it was made clear to the social workers by both Ellie and her grandparents that the girl did not want to return to her parents.
Those close to Butler knew his character, but a high court judge called it a ‘happy end’ when she put his daughter in his care
“When they came round she used to hide under the table or behind the curtains,” Neal Gray said. “She started bed-wetting, which she had never done before, and told us she was having nightmares that they would come and take her away from us and back to her parents while she was sleeping.”
When Ellie asked her grandparents if she could speak to the judge, the independent social workers said this was not necessary.

5. Key messages
Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children is Everyone’s responsibility.
Child Abuse happens in your area - Notice things.
If you have a concern about a child share the concern. Discuss with your line manager, share your concerns with other professionals and/or children services, don’t put it off and don’t be put off.
Follow the referral process to Children services and continue to be vigilant even when children services have become involved.
These key messages are to ensure that our training gives out consistent messages.
As professionals we need to consider what it is the children are living with on a daily basis, this will help focus on the children in addition to the needs of parents/carers.
After this training they will be more alert to signs and symptoms of abuse and will come across it either in their professional life or at home.
The NSPCC’s latest (2011) campaign states that 1 child a week dies form abuse or neglect by the hands of their parents in the UK. The sad thing is we probably know who is next….
As professionals there may have been experiences they can now reflect on where they felt they could have handled a situation differently or should have done something afterwards. However, they will, as professionals, continue to come across safeguarding matters what is important is that they take away their learning from today and use it to inform their practice resulting in better outcomes for children.
Use the Written Confirmation Following a Child Protection Referral form to record the information you need to give to Children Services when you telephone them. This form covers all the information you are required to give by Section 3.1 of the WSCB Interagency Child Protection Procedures (The Blue Book). This process is audited by WSCB.

6. Legislation and Guidance
The Children Act 1989
Test your knowledge on the Legislation we follow…
Click to start the Quiz
Try to match the legislation on the right with the description
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
Human Rights Act 1998
The Children Act 2004
Working Together to Safeguard Children : A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children 2015

7. Legislation and Guidance
The Children Act 1989
This guidance aims to help professionals understand what they need to do, and what they can expect of one another, to safeguard children. It focuses on core legal requirements, making it clear what individuals and organisations should do to keep children safe
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
Human Rights Act 1998
The Children Act 2004
Working Together to Safeguard Children : A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children 2015
Next

8. Legislation and Guidance
The Children Act 1989
Moral principles that set out certain standards of human behaviour, and are regularly protected as legal rights in national and international law. They are universal (applicable everywhere) and egalitarian (the same for everyone).
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
Human Rights Act 1998
The Children Act 2004
Working Together to Safeguard Children : A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children 2015
Next

9. Legislation and Guidance
The Children Act 1989
An International human rights treaty that grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a comprehensive set of rights. A legally binding international agreement setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
Human Rights Act 1998
The Children Act 2004
Working Together to Safeguard Children : A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children 2015
Next

10. Legislation and Guidance
The Children Act 1989
Allocates duties to local authorities, courts, parents and other agencies in the UK to ensure children are safeguarded and their welfare promoted. It centres on the idea that children are best cared for within their own families; however, it also makes provisions for instances when parents and families do not co-operate with statutory bodies.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
Human Rights Act 1998
The Children Act 2004
Working Together to Safeguard Children : A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children 2015
Next

11. Legislation and Guidance
Its primary purpose was to give boundaries and help for local authorities and/or other entities to better regulate official intervention in the interests of children. This Act’s ultimate purpose is to make the UK better and safer for children of all ages. The idea behind the Act is to promote co-ordination between multiple official entities to improve the overall well-being of children.
The Children Act 1989
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
Human Rights Act 1998
The Children Act 2004
Working Together to Safeguard Children : A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children 2015
Move on

12. A Child-Centred and Co-Ordinated Approach to Safeguarding
Effective safeguarding arrangements in every local area should be underpinned by two key principles:
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part; and
A child-centred approach: for services to be effective they should be based on a clear understanding of the needs and views of children.
Working Together to Safeguard Children , Dept for Education 2015
This approach to practice ensure that the childs’ needs are enshrined throughout assessment and outcomes. Every assessment should focus on the best and most appropriate outcome for the child.
WT15 was released at the end of March The guidance has been updated and a handful of changes have been made to bring it in line with other legislation i.e. keeping children safe in education. Its update now includes the new duties to assess young carers and parent carers as introduced in the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Care Act 2014.
It made explicit the requirements and expectations for continued assessment, planning, support and review for children who return home where this is both planned and unplanned.

13. Disabled Children Concerns Vulnerabilities
A lack of awareness of risk
Indicators of abuse being mistakenly attributed to a child’s impairment
A lack of effective communication with disabled children and their families
Dependency on a number of carers for personal assistance
Impaired capacity to resist/avoid abuse
Impaired ability to communicate and/or an inability to understand what is happening or to seek help.
Children with disabilities are 3.4 times more likely to be abused than non-disabled children;
They are more likely to be subjected to multiple forms of abuse;
They are more likely to endure more episodes of abuse.
Disabled
Children
Disabled children are especially vulnerable and
require a number of concerns to be taken into consideration
Referrals in Warwickshire – total number of referrals received March March 2015 was Of this 255 were for children with disabilities.

14. Should I be concerned? Think through the following scenarios and
consider whether you would be concerned
and why.
How concerned should you be exercise. Tick box sheet.
Point out need to read box when deciding. If disagreements about level of concern discuss why.
4 groups – go through.
What does this activity show us? - Feedback as a whole group. The next slide emphasises some of their points.

15. Should I be concerned? Submit Next
There are reasons to be concerned. A 2 month old has little ability to move enough to bump into things. The shaping of the bruises would suggest someone gripping the child with force. You have made initial enquiries with a parent and he explanation offered does not add up.
You meet Phil, who has a 2 month old child.
You notice bruising in the shape of several
small round marks on the child’s arms. Phil
tells you that the child keeps bumping into
things.
Are you concerned?
Record your thoughts below
How concerned should you be exercise. Tick box sheet.
Point out need to read box when deciding. If disagreements about level of concern discuss why.
4 groups – go through.
What does this activity show us? - Feedback as a whole group. The next slide emphasises some of their points.
Submit
Next

16. Should I be concerned? Submit Next
Sophie is 15 and at school. She is overheard
talking to friends about her new older
boyfriend. She tells that that he has bought
her a new phone and is taking her to a party
in a neighbouring city when her parents think
she is at a friend’s home locally.
Are you concerned?
Record your thoughts below
There are indeed concerns that she appears to be being groomed by an older male. The presence of alcohol and the location of the ‘party’ is equally concerning as is the dishonesty about her whereabouts. Child sexual exploitation is a growing problem. We will explore some of the signs that this is taking place later on.
How concerned should you be exercise. Tick box sheet.
Point out need to read box when deciding. If disagreements about level of concern discuss why.
4 groups – go through.
What does this activity show us? - Feedback as a whole group. The next slide emphasises some of their points.
Submit
Next

17. Should I be concerned? Submit Next
A mother leaves her 9 year old in charge of
his 5 year old brother whilst she goes to work
for 2 hours in the office down the road. She
orders a take-away to be delivered for tea
and leaves them her mobile number.
Are you concerned?
Record your thoughts below
Neglect can take many forms and may include a scenario such as this as part of a bigger picture. Legally, there is the need to provide appropriate supervision to a child. Although able to be interpreted, at 9 this is likely to be inappropriate..
How concerned should you be exercise. Tick box sheet.
Point out need to read box when deciding. If disagreements about level of concern discuss why.
4 groups – go through.
What does this activity show us? - Feedback as a whole group. The next slide emphasises some of their points.
Submit
Next

18. Should I be concerned? Submit Finish
Peter is 12 years old and has learning difficulties. His parent’s nickname him ‘thicko’ and tell him that he is never going to amount to anything in his life. He is refused any affection as he is told he is not good enough. His sister is nicknamed ‘brains’ and is regularly rewarded when she achieves anything.
Are you concerned?
Record your thoughts below
Consider the impact that this can have on Peter. A regular reinforcement of a negative message from his parents, and the unequal treatment with his sister is concerning. The lack of affection can impact on his development. His learning difficulties can make him vulnerable to abuse.
How concerned should you be exercise. Tick box sheet.
Point out need to read box when deciding. If disagreements about level of concern discuss why.
4 groups – go through.
What does this activity show us? - Feedback as a whole group. The next slide emphasises some of their points.
Submit
Finish

19. Assessment and working together
Remember…
Information may be sparse
There is the need for interpretation
There is the potential for conflict
Definitions of harm can be problematic-socially constructed
Different organisations have “Thresholds” – when should professionals intervene?
We are always working with Difference and Diversity
What does this activity show us?
It mimics the process of undertaking a risk assessment and the challenges we face when working with multi agencies. How can we overcome these challenges? What will help us improve our working together?
Discussion points: Smacking – discussion on how our own personal experiences may impact on out understanding of harm and determining thresholds.

20. What is Child Abuse? How many categories of abuse are there?
Definition:
A form of maltreatment of a child. 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 others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.
Working Together, 2015
What is Child Abuse?
How many categories of abuse are there?
What are they, can you name them?

21. Physical Abuse
Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child.
Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child.
Read out the definitions of abuse to the delegates
Fabrication of signs and symptoms: for example,
Fabrication of past medical history.
Falsification of hospital charts, records, letters, documents and specimens of bodily fluids.
Induction of illness by a variety of means.
Whilst the definition is valid and good there are some things which the definition misses out: slapping, biting, kicking, punching spitting etc. For those with less experience if you are only looking out for what we are told to through policies, guidance's and procedures we can often miss

22. Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening.
The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (e.g. rape or oral sex) or non- penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may include non-contact activities such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

23. Sexual Abuse - online
Access to internet for children has significantly
grown – it is important children are aware how to
keep themselves safe online.
Internet and social media are a key risk indicator in child sexual exploitation
Inappropriate content, including pornography
Children and young people may see illegal or unsuitable content online, such as:
pornography
child abuse images
dangerous advice encouraging eating disorders, self-harm or suicide
excessive violence or race hate materials.
Some websites show illegal content. Others that are legal might have unregulated advice or are meant for adults only.
Children may come across this content by mistake, or they may look for it because they're curious. Promises of special offers or prizes can also draw young people in.
2012 – 70,000 indecent images of children reported to CEOP
Ignoring age restrictions
Some websites and games use age restrictions and checks to make sure that children don't see unsuitable content.
Children must be at least 13 to register on most social networking websites. But there's not a lot standing in the way of children joining at a younger age.
Age limits are there to keep children safe so do not feel pressurised into letting younger children join these websites.
Friending or communicating with people they don't know
Children and young people may chat or become 'friends' with people on social networks or online games, even if they don't know them or have never met them in person. Perpetrators will often try to befriend children through their friends. Gaming sites or online gaming has been identified as posing significant risks as perpetrators will befriend children through these sites offering them help to progress through games and building the relationship with the young person before they move on to abuse and exploitation.
Grooming and sexual abuse
Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse or exploitation, and often happens online. Internet and social media provide a platform to enable perpetrators to develop false identities for the purpose of grooming and exploiting children.
In the last 12 months every case which has been assessed by the multi-agency sexual exploitation (MASE) meeting has featured an element of technology.

24. Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development.
It may involve conveying to the children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as over protection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction.
It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying) causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children.
Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to
cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development.
It may involve conveying to the children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as over protection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction.
It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying) causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children.
Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

25. Neglect
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, which is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy, as a result of maternal substance abuse for example.
Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
Provide adequate food and clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment)
Protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
Ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or
Ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to a child’s basic emotional
needs.

26. An essential question to consider is: What is the child’s lived
experience?
Flag up that this question can help us focus on what is actually going-on for a child/young person.
Accuracy of assessments and best practice tells us that we must review the child's lived experience, what are they living through day-to-day?
Where possible share examples of own practice where you have worked with a family and felt an uncomfortable emotion – fear, anger, sadness. Express that as a professionals we may feel this way, now imagine how the child feels, emphasising that this is their lived experience. The routine they follow on a daily basis, the abuse they are exposed to is the ‘norm’ in their environment.
If you feel this way or if Dad makes you feel like this, how does that make the child feel?

27. Signs and Symptoms
Spend a moment to think about the signs and symptoms you may observe in a child who is subject to a form of abuse. Consider examples from each of the four categories : Physical, Sexual, Emotional and Neglect
Activity – split the group into four groups. Each group given flip chart paper with one category of abuse on. Ask each group to note down any signs or symptoms for each of the categories.
Emotional
Physical
Sexual
Neglect
Give each group 2 mins and then ask them to switch the sheets. Repeat this until each group has entered information for each category.
Feedback – as individual groups or as one large group. What did they find difficult? As feedback is given click the slides to reinforce the learning.

28. Signs and Symptoms Physical signs Burns or scalds
Bruising on face, upper arms, shoulders
consistent with gripping
Bite marks
Bruising on trunk
Swelling and lack of
normal use of limbs
Any serious injury with
no explanation or inconsistent
accounts
Fractures, especially spinal
Physical symptoms of physical abuse
Untreated injuries
Finger tip bruising/finger marks
Physical signs

29. Unnaturally compliant to
Signs and Symptoms
Refusal to discuss injuries/
fearful of medical help
Unnaturally compliant to
Parents/carers
Withdrawal from
physical contact
Unusually fearful with adults
Aggression towards others
Fearful, anxious, bed-wetting
Behavioural changes
Any behaviour you would not expect
to see in a child of their age or
development
Wearing cover up clothing
Physical symptoms

30. Signs and Symptoms Sexual signs Sexually provocative
Behaviour/promiscuity
Sexual knowledge
inappropriate for age
Hinting at sexual activity
or secrets that they can’t tell
Sexualised behaviour
in young children
Changes in usual presentation
Personality
School performance
Concentration
Socially withdrawn
Acting out, aggression
Behavioural changes in sexual abuse
Substance misuse
Self harm
Self image issues
Loss of trust in adults
Overly compliant
excessively eager to please
Sexual signs
Running away

31. Signs and Symptoms Sexual symptoms Substance misuse
funded without explanation
Unexplained money
or gifts
Bouts of going missing
but still well presented
Changes in peer
group
Regular association with
unknown males
UK wide travel with
‘new friends’
Sexual exploitation suggestors
Peer group at risk or suspected
of being exploited
Emotionally distant
Rejection of parental support
Sexual symptoms

32. Signs and Symptoms Emotional Fear of parents being contacted
Fear of new situations
Inappropriate or unexplained
emotional response to painful
situations
Self harm and self image issues
Neurotic behaviour
(hair pulling, thumb sucking, rocking)
Running away
Emotional abuse Indicators
Extremes of passive or
aggressive behaviour
Substance misuse
Cold, distant
or hostile
Emotional
Presenting as family scapegoat
Owning this label

33. Signs and Symptoms Neglect signs Poor growth pattern
Poor state of clothing
Inappropriate sizes
Emaciation, pot belly
short stature
Poor personal hygiene
Poor skin and hair tone
Limited use of professional
Supports, ie doctors, education etc
Physical symptoms of neglect
Un-explained failure
to thrive
Untreated medical problems
Neglect signs

34. Signs and Symptoms Neglect symptoms Frequent lateness or absence
from school
Constantly tired
Arrive early/leave late
From school – home avoidance
Constantly hungry
Destructive tendencies
Low self esteem
Behavioural changes in neglect
Socially isolated
Running away
Neurotic behaviour
Neglect symptoms
Compulsive stealing/scavenging

35. “the action of making new or secret information known”
What is a disclosure?
“the action of making new or secret information known”
Disclosure

36. How to respond to Disclosure
Do’s and Don'ts
Do’s
Take the child’s statements seriously
Listen
Record/make notes
Tell the child it is not their fault
Discuss with your manager/senior as soon as possible
Tell the child what you are
going to do
Take care of yourself and
work out how you are feeling

37. How to respond to Disclosure
Do’s and Don'ts
Don'ts
Discuss with parents where the allegation relates
to them if of a physical or sexual abuse nature.
Rush off to find someone
else to listen
Make assumptions about how the
child feels about their experiences
Promise to keep things secret
Press for answers a child is unwilling to give
Ask leading questions or
investigate yourself
Make judgements of any kind about
the abuser especially if a parent
Lie to the child or say everything
will be fine now they have told

38. Allegations Against Staff
If an allegation is made against a member of staff, the member of staff receiving the allegation should immediately inform the manager/head of service.
If the allegation concerns the manager or head of service then, depending on the organisation, it should go up another management level.
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) must be informed within one working day of all allegations received.
As per Working Together If there is not another management level to go up, then a referral direct to the LADO should be made.
Celia East is the current LADO in Warwickshire.

39. MASH
The MASH is a ‘function’ delivered by a multi-agency group of professionals who work together as a single team.
The purpose of the MASH is to build a holistic picture from information known to agencies to inform better decision making, identify and manage risk and make decisions on appropriate responses to risk.
(Source – Multi-agency workshop: John Coleman (2016) ,Service Manager – MASH)
Staff In the MASH:
MASH Service Manager
Social Care Staff
Police Staff – Harm Assessment Unit
CAF Officers
Youth Justice Service
Health Rep
Education Rep
Probation –NPS & CRC
Fire & Rescue
Trading Standards
There are no fax facilities in the MASH.
Professionals can discuss the concern they have about a child and get advice from a Social Worker. Maybe your unsure whether to make a referral or what to do. Maybe unsure about thresholds
This service replaces the old, no names approach. From 3rd May professionals have to give and we will asked for to name the child.
Professionals can call the MASH on and select the Consultation Option. Your call will be answered by a Social Worker.
The MASH will record the concerns and advice given. But the MASH will not share this with the family. It is the professionals responsibility to discuss any concern they have with the family.
Members of the public who have a concern, want support or advice can call the MASH on
All new referrals (those with no Social Worker) must go through the MASH.
There is restricted access to the MASH building. The location of the MASH not published. However, if a member of the public is upset or can not easily communicate with the MASH, the Children’s Teams will have a Duty Social Worker who will help navigate members of the public through the MASH.

40. Making the referral – The MARF
Include details of the child and family members (if known) – Name / DOB / Address / Ethnicity / Disability etc
Include details of other children you may have cause for concern about that are part of the same family
Your name / Organisation / Job title / contact details and relationship to the child.
Reason for your concern
Clarity regarding whether you have spoken to the child/children about your concern
Details of father / mother / siblings / family members / significant adults.
Details of any agencies / professionals currently involved with any of the family.
Whether the young person and their parents or carers are aware of your referral and what you have told them.
From 3rd May 2016, there is new referral form called the Multi Agency Referral Form – MARF. This replaces the current WSCB referral form.
The form is downloadable from the MASH or WSCB website. Professionals complete the form, which is an intelligent form - it gives prompts, reminders and menus. Upon completion this to the MASH:
You will receive a receipt/ confirming you have submitted a referral. All referrals must be followed up by a MARF, as written confirmation.
For immediate concerns regarding a child, call the MASH on This should then be followed up in a written referral.
Do not delay. Never do nothing.
Seek support from within your own agency and/or the MASH.
Share your concerns with those with parental responsibility and inform them you are making a referral to the MASH. You do not need the parents’ consent.

41. The MASH Process Initial Screening Sifting of referrals.
Check to be completed against Social Care Database.
Police to sift Domestic Abuse referrals and check their own system.
What threshold and response do the concerns indicate require?
Triage
Level three or four concerns. Medium or High DA incidents.
Gather information from agencies within and outside the MASH.
Decision made based on intelligence gathered as to level of risk, what threshold and response do the concerns and intelligence indicate is required?
MASH Meetings
Level four, Child Protection, Adult Safeguarding or High Risk Domestic Abuse.
Will be clear what legal basis meeting being held.
Will act as a High Level Strategy Discussion.
Referrer and others can be present via video/audio conference facilities.
Establish a “Management of risk plan”

42. Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
Remember that adults can be vulnerable too. We should ask ourselves certain question
With everyone that we work with.
Does this person have capacity to make their own decisions? Anyone can assess capacity.
Is this person vulnerable for any reason?
Does anything this person is telling me lead me to think that they are being victimised?
What is this adults ‘lived experience’?
We can contact Safeguarding adult teams and make a referral for an assessment. They can
Offer support to those who may be vulnerable or at risk from exploitation.
If in doubt, phone and have the conversation.
Safeguarding adults has a lot of crossover with safeguarding children, it is a matter of being
vigilant to make sure that everyone is safe.

43. Sharing of Information
There is nothing in: or
to prevent: Justifiable & lawful exchange of information for the safeguarding & protection of children or the detection or prevention of serious crime.
Data Protection Act 1998
Human Rights Act 1998
Over the past 40 years, enquiries into the deaths of children have consistently highlighted that if professionals had communicated with each other more effectively the child may not have died
In none of them is a professional criticised for sharing too much information
Public Interest in the safeguarding of a vulnerable child OUTWEIGHS public & professional duty of confidentiality

44. Seven for Information Sharing
Golden Rules
Seven for
Information Sharing
Remember! The Data Protection Act is not a barrier to sharing information in child protection cases
Be Open and Honest
Seek advice when in doubt – line managers or Information Security Manager
Share with consent where appropriate and where possible respect the wishes of those who do not consent to share confidential information
Consider safety and well-being (forced marriage, own safety)
Keep data sharing necessary, proportionate, relevant, accurate, timely and secure
Keep a record – shared or not!
Talk through – refer to hand book
If information is not shared practitioners must record why they have chosen not to share that information
Professional judgement – exercise this, discuss with manager, discuss with children's services, if not happy then ask to speak to team leader etc. If still concerned then approach under the guise of escalation process.
Record Keeping
Refer to own agencies record keeping,
Refer to principles of good record keeping in handbook – who, date, time, signature, what action followed, specific details of contact.
Hand out NSPCC guidance for documentation

45. Congratulations on completing
Press Escape
to exit