1. Introduction to Safeguarding and Child Protection
Helen Elliott and Barry Rawlings

2. Welcome ! Introduction Housekeeping Learning Contract
Looking after ourselves
Welcome and thank you for taking time out to come to this event. We are really pleased to be here and look forward to an intereting and interactive day.
We are going to introduce ourselves , and then cover some housekeeping before we start with an exercise where we will be asking you to introduce yourselves.
Introduce ourselves and say we have been working for over 25 years in criminal justice and social care
Domestics, fire, phones, tolielts. Luch, layout of room
Aims of day,in course flyer,
Learning contract in handouts
Handouts and we also have lots of other resources and information that we will display on table if anyone wants to look
Ambitious agenda but want to be interactive
We will try our best to finish by 4pm
Finally, important to ackowledge that this is a difficult area and some of you may be affected by some of the material tofday so it is really important that we look after ourselves and please feel free to take time out if anything affects you or you feel uncomfortable

3. Aims of the session
To provide an overview of the legal and policy framework of safeguarding and child protection
To consider roles and responsibilities of staff and volunteers in safeguarding
To raise awareness of types of abuse, signs and symptoms
To provide information about what to do if you have concerns

4. Introductory Exercise Safeguarding Quiz

5. The National Picture Tragedy of child deaths Laming Enquiry
Failures at every level and in every organisation
Problems in sharing information
Soham/Safer Recruitment
We all have a part to play - Safeguarding children is everybody’s responsibility
SOOLA
Lord Laming was charged with the responsibility of investigating what happened
What lessons to we need to learn from this enquiry?
There were failures at every level
Victoria was known to church organisations, hospitals, social services and the police
She was not at school – no one followed up why?
We are monitoring children every day in school/have day to day dealings with children in our care
Schools are best placed to notice if a child stops attending
If Victoria had been at school, someone would have noticed
Governing bodies have a legal responsibility
Your primary responsibility is to safeguard children’s welfare, before you start to teach
Safeguarding: a huge umbrella, CP policy, anti bullying, anti racism, restraint – anything that will safeguard a child’s welfare
Lord Laming identified problems with information sharing – some organisations felt they could not share information
It doesn’t matter if we are at work or at home
As adults, safeguarding children is everybody’s responsibility

6. What Do We Mean By Safeguarding?
Duty to protect children from impairment
Duty to prevent impairment
Promoting wellbeing
By Working Together
HELEN
3 Ps: PROTECT PREVENT PROMOTE
Protect children from harm
Preventtion responsibilities – where children’s welfare needs to e safeguarded, eg educational visits policy
Promote: Having healthy schools, talking to children about healthy lifestyles, citizenship education
Safeguarding is everybody’s business!

7. Legislation, Guidance, Procedure
Children Act Education Act Children Act 2004

8. UN Convention of the Rights of the Child
42 Articles which state that all rights guaranteed by it must be available to all children without discrimination.
Article 19 “Children have the right to be protected from all forms of violence. They must be kept safe from harm. They must be given proper care by those looking after them.”
Article 34 “Children have a right to protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.”
Article 37 “Children have the right not to be punished cruelly or in a way that would belittle them.”

9. Safeguarding Children In Diverse Communities: Working Together 2010
Awareness of impact of racism.
Awareness of cultural misunderstanding or misinterpretation.
Consider how religious beliefs and cultural traditions influence values, attitudes and behaviour, and the way in which family and community life is structured and organized.
Cultural and religious factors should not be regarded as acceptable explanations for abuse or neglect and are not acceptable grounds for inaction if a child is at risk
Guard against myths and stereotypes.
Fear of being accused of racism should not stop safeguarding a child.

10. Child Protection
The process of protecting individual children identified as either suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm as a result of abuse or neglect

11. Prevention and Early Intervention (Common Assessment Framework :CAF )
For children where there are concerns about welfare but NOT at risk of significant harm
Practitioners from any agency can carry out a CAF
Common forms and shared language to assess children when parents consent

12. Stages of intervention- the CAF in context
SPECIALIST ASSESSMENTS & STATUTORY INTERVENTION
(children in care), Children with Child Protection Plans, Young offenders, Special Educational Needs (SEN), complex health & disability
CAF, with Lead Professional
Several agencies involved
CAF
e.g. Schools and health visiting, Children’s Centres, youth work

13. The Children Act 1989
The legal duty to protect children is governed by this act which introduced:
The welfare of the child as paramount
Wishes and feelings of child must be ascertained
Working in partnership with families
Parental responsibility is always retained by parents.
Duty to provide services to families with ‘children in need’.
L.A. promote the upbringing of children by families

14. Child in Need (Children Act 1989 s17)
Unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have opportunity of achieving a reasonable standard of health or development without provision of services
Health or development likely to be significantly impaired or further impaired without provision of such services
Disabled

15. Significant Harm
Concept of significant harm justifies compulsory intervention in family life (S47 Children Act)
Duty to make enquiries where reasonable cause to suspect child suffering from significant harm

16. Definition of Significant Harm ( Children Act 1989)
Ill–treatment (including sexual abuse and physical abuse)
Impairment of health(physical or mental) or development compared to a similar child
Now includes impairment as a result of witnessing ill-treatment of another person(domestic violence) Adoption & Children Act 2002

17. Threshold for Significant Harm
There is no absolute criteria but London Procedures give guidance
“Significant harm can be caused by one traumatic event or a compilation of events that interrupt, change or damage the child’s physical or psychological development.”
It is necessary to consider
The severity of ill treatment,
the degree and extent of physical harm,
the duration and frequency of abuse and neglect,
the extent of pre-meditation
the degree of threat and coercion, sadism and bizarre or unusual elements in child sexual abuse.

18. To understand significant harm…
…. It is necessary to consider:
The nature of harm, in terms of maltreatment or failure to provide adequate care
The impact on the child’s health or development
The child’s development within the context of their family and wider environment
Any special needs, such as medical condition, impairment or disability that may affect the child’s development and care in the family
The capacity of parents to meet the child’s needs
The wider and environmental family context

19. Categories Of Abuse Physical Abuse Sexual Abuse Neglect
Emotional Abuse
HELEN
Physical: bruising, change in behaviour, burns
Emotional: through witnessing DV/poor attachment/ change in behaviour, tearful, withdrawn
Sexual abuse: very little gets reported
Children find it very difficult to disclose/threats issued, web of secrecy
Neglect: Pattern and history

20. Exercise: Recognising Abuse
ASK what are the signs and symptoms

21. Physical Abuse Includes Shaking Hitting Burning/scalding
Female Genital Mutilation
Fabricated and Induced illness
Drowning
Suffocating
Possible signs
Bruises (soft tissue areas )
Grasp marks
Bites
Burns/scalds
Fractures
Large number of differering aged marks
Failure to seek medical help/opposite

23. Sexual Abuse
Includes
Forcing/enticing child to take part in sexual activity
Contact,penetrative/non penetrative
Non contact eg watching sexual activity/pornography
Encouraging inappropriate sexual behaviour
Possible signs
Pregnancy where father’s identity concealed
Genital bruising
STDs/ UTIs
Inappropriate sexualised behaviour
Child hinting of secrets
Deliberate self-harm /anorexia other disturbance

24. Neglect Includes Failure to meet physical needs
Failure to meet psychological needs
Failure to provide food, shelter, clothing
Failure to protect from harm
Failure to seek medical care
Possible signs
Malnutrition
Dirty/cold environment
Leaving young child unattended
Failure to protect from physical danger
Lack of supervision
Lack of stimulation, social contact, education

25. Emotional Abuse Includes Overly critical parenting
Causing child to feel unloved, worthless
Inappropriate expectations
Causing children to feel frightened
Witnessing domestic violence or other forms of abuse
Possible signs
Very low self esteem
High level of anxiety
Overly compliant/eager to please
Fearfulness/appearing withdrawn
Behavioural issues
Self harm

26. What is your role? Recognising indicators of abuse
Recording and acting on concerns, referring to designated colleague or Manager
Ensuring all communication with parents is managed professionally and sensitively
If in doubt use consultation line
Making detailed accurate referral reports
Providing information as needed to Children’s Social Care
Supporting child and family , being sensitive to stress a referral can bring
Maintain confidentiality of written records
SOOLA

27. What to do if you have concerns
Follow procedures
Talk to your manager or designated person
Listen to the child but don’t ask leading questions
Record full information, who, what, when
Refer any concerns to Police or Children’s services via named staff

28. Managing a Disclosure
Listen carefully, do not interrupt the child or ask any questions
Reassure the child that they have done the right thing by telling someone
Do not promise confidentiality
Record the conversation ASAP include date time, persons present and sign it

29. Safer Working Practice
Importance of safer recruitment
Induction and training
Clear expectations re code of conduct
Awareness of role and maintaining professional boundaries
Minimising risk of allegations
Clear systems to report concerns by children, staff or parents
Open and transparent culture

30. Dealing with allegations against staff or volunteers
All allegations must be reported immediately to your designated person/manager who will refer to the Local Authority Designated Officer for threshold discussion
No automatic assumption of guilt but all cases must be properly investigated

31. Exercise : Safeguarding Scenarios

32. Making a referral This is what I am worried about
This is what I have seen and/or heard: when, who from and where
This is what I have done
What more do I need to do?
If parents/carers/child are aware of this referral?
Confirm name of person and next steps
Who should I speak to if I am not happy with the outcome 56 32

33. You can expect children’s services to..
discuss your concerns with you
decide what action is needed
agree with you what the child and parents are told, by whom and when
If there are concerns about a child’s safety:
check whether the child has a child protection plan
consult with other agencies
take action to ensure the child is safe
involve the police if a crime may have been committed
tell you if they are taking no further action and why
acknowledge your written referral within one working day of receipt

34. What happens next? When there is a likelihood of s47 enquiries core
continuing significant harm
s47 enquiries core
assessment
recognition and referral
child protection conference
initial assessment
child protection plan
strategy discussion
review

35. What parents worry about ?
Sexual activity
Drugs
Gangs
Extremism
Discrimination
Dilution of culture and religion

36. Key Themes in perception of abuse
Honour
Respect
Cultural clashes in values
Faith
   Mistrust of agencies 36

37. Working in Partnership
Safeguarding agencies need to gain an understanding of how abuse, in any family, is understood in regard to Faith and culture. It has implications for likelihood of harm, risk analysis, input into what would be an effective protection plan
Faiths/cultural groups- singularly and inter faith need to grapple with arguments used to minimise, deny or justify abuse on the grounds of Faith.

38. Sources of Advice
Barnet Children’s Service Advice and Consultation Line
Local Contact details see handout
CommUNITY Barnet
Muslim Youth Helpline
NSPCC

39. Questions ?