Child Protection and the Protection
of Vulnerable Adults (adapted from
NSPCC training resources and from
Bruce Marshall, Safeguarding
trainer)
What you will learn
 The essentials in safeguarding and child protection
 To distinguish between the terms safeguarding and child
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protection
To identify and describe the categories of abuse and
neglect and some indicators of them
To describe your responsibility as a teacher in relation to
safeguarding and child protection
To outline the role of other professionals in the process
The importance of recording appropriate concerns and
managing disclosure and confidentiality
To become more aware of protecting children in a digital
age
Quiz
 In pairs – discuss and fill in the “Child Protection and
Safeguarding Awareness” quiz
 In the same pairs, discuss and fill in the “Judgements
on Behaviour” quiz
Outline of today’s session
 Every Child Matters
 Child Protection and Safeguarding
 Types of harm and abuse
 Disclosure, sharing, recording and referrals
 Responsibilities
 On-line safety
Be
Healthy
Achieve
Economic
Wellbeing
Stay Safe
Every Learner
(Child)
Matters 2004
Make a
Positive
Contribution
Enjoy and
Achieve
In groups
Define Child Protection
Define Safeguarding
Child Protection
Part of safeguarding and promoting welfare
Activity undertaken to protect specific children
suffering, or at risk of suffering, significant harm
Local Authorities have a legal duty (Children
Act 1989) to investigate
We have a responsibility to work in partnership
to safeguard and protect children and
vulnerable adults.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is a relatively new term which is broader
than ‘child protection’ as it also includes prevention
Safeguarding children and young people covers:
 protecting them from maltreatment
 preventing impairment of health or development
 ensuring they are safe and cared for
in school or FE college (or other setting)
 enabling them to have best life chances and enter
adulthood successfully
In your group
 Discuss and record on a flip chart,
three policies, procedures or
practices that your organisation has in
place to help ensure the safeguarding
of your learners
Safeguarding – Our Responsibilities
 We all share a responsibility to:
Provide a safe environment for learning
Identify those suffering or likely to suffer significant
harm and take appropriate action
Prevent unsuitable people from working with young
people and vulnerable adults (vetting and barring)
Safeguarding – Our Responsibilities cont.
Promote safe practice and challenge poor or unsafe
practice
Identify grounds for concern and take appropriate
action
Contribute to effective partnership working with
those involved in providing services to young people
and vulnerable adults
Develop appropriate skills
Abuse Categories
 In your group, think of the 4 categories of abuse and
give 2 -3 examples of the type of abuse that could
happen under each category
Physical Abuse
 Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing,
poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating
or causing physical harm to a child or vulnerable adult
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(Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010)
Physical Abuse
 What might lead to concern about deliberate injury?:
 Where on the body is the injury? What sort of injury is
it? What does the injury look like?
 What does the child and/or the parent say about the
injury?
 How often is there an injury?
 Behaviour of the child/parent – does the child behave
like a child with an accidental injury? (What is that
like?)
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 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.
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(Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010)
Emotional Abuse
 Emotional abuse is difficult to:
◦ Define, identify and/or recognise, prove (if in doubt …)
 Key features:
◦ chronic and cumulative
◦ long-term impact
◦ all abuse and neglect have emotional effects
◦ children can be harmed by witnessing abuse
 Examples of abusive behaviour felt by children
◦ ignored
◦ put down/belittled
◦ shouted at
◦ terrorised
◦ told they are useless, stupid, wicked, unlovable, clumsy,
unattractive, weak, thick
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 (for example, rape or oral sex)
or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing
and touching outside of clothing. They may also include noncontact 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.
 (Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010)
Sexual abuse
 Usually planned and systematic
 Can involve:
◦ grooming the child
◦ grooming the child’s environment
◦ relatives
◦ family friends
◦ neighbours
◦ babysitters
◦ people working with the child in school, faith settings,
clubs or activities.
Slide 18
Neglect
 A lack of parental care
 Poverty, lack of information and lack of service provision
can contribute
 More children registered to category of neglect than any
other category
 Can include parents or carers failing to:
◦ provide adequate food, clothing and shelter
◦ protect a child from physical and emotional harm or
danger
◦ ensure adequate supervision or stimulation
◦ ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment
 (Working Together to Safeguard Children March 2010)
Safeguarding – understanding the role
of others & sharing information
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Social, Family and Community Support
Housing, social care and children’s services
Child and Adult Mental Health Services
Police and justice system
 Probation, Youth Offending Team
 Primary Care Trusts and National Health Services
 General Practitioners
 Hospitals including Accident and Emergency
 Schools – leaders, teachers and support staff
 Connexions Personal Advisers
 Progression information
Case study
 In your group discuss the case study and write down
your strategies to deal with the situation
Allegations against staff
 Listen
 Explain that you will not be able to maintain strict
confidentiality and why
 Record
 Refer (preferably with the student)
 Maintain strict confidentiality except to report
 Protect yourself
 Don’t put yourself at risk
 Follow your organisation’s procedures
Disclosure
 What, Who, When and Where?
 Managing Disclosure
 Listen
 Assess whether at risk of harm
 Don’t be judgemental
 Don’t interview or prompt
 Don’t promise confidentiality, advise that you will
inform and consult
 Reassure
 Keep accurate notes
Making a decision to refer
A Concern
Record and
Share
Risk of Significant
Harm
Involves
allegation of abuse
Safeguarding
Officer to Refer
Not a risk of
significant harm
Consult and
monitor
Note:You should refer directly if you think you are being blocked by
other staff
Anonymous
Provides voice
amplification
Always on
On-line
World
Active not
passive
Addictive
Global
Away from
Supervision
Test
 For each of the statements that appear on the next
slide,
 Give yourself 10 points (and no more than 10) for any
statement that applies to you
 Keep a running total (mental arithmetic – no need to
write down your score)
 Remember your total score
 Time allowed – 45 Seconds
10 Points for each statement
that applies to you
 Frequently use a mobile
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phone
Receive email on handheld
device
Member of social networking
site (e.g. Facebook, Hi 5)
Own and use a Wii or games
console (your own)
Watched a video on YouTube
Uploaded a video to YouTube
Appeared in a YouTube video
Played a game on the internet
Have your own Blog
 Played a networked game
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on the internet with people
in another country
Uploaded photos to the
internet
Use Skype to talk to
contacts abroad
Frequently shop online
Have your own personal
web site
Use a laptop with a wireless
internet connection
Use twitter
Own an i-pad
What’s your score?
 Up to 40 – Digital immigrant with a lot to learn
 50-90 – Speaking digital but with an accent
 100-130- Almost fluent in digital
 140-160- Probably a digital native
 When used in school sixth form:
 Average student score – 120
 Average teacher score - 50
Quiz about the online world
 Individually answer the questions on the quiz
Internet and mobile safety
 Note:
◦ We have a duty of care to avoid causing harm
◦ 33% of children have received sexual or nasty comments
on-line
◦ 7% of parents believe their kids have received such
communications
 Main fears reported by children
◦ Peers (cyber-bullying) and security
◦ Knowing how to manage safety
◦ Plagiarism and identity theft
◦ Understanding privacy settings
On-line protection
 Digital divide or generational divide?
 Technology not the issue – behaviour is
 Not e-crime but abuse
◦ Old problem, new environment
 Cyber-bullying is bullying
 Education and training is a key part of solution
◦ Understanding the differences between face to face
communication and on-line communication
◦ Understanding and managing risk.
What have you learnt today?
 Write on your whiteboard 4 main points of what you
have learnt today
 Homework - find out about your organisation’s
Safeguarding policies
Key Messages
 Child Protection – all young people under 18 (and
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vulnerable adults)
Risk and responsibility
Manage disclosure
Confidentiality
Referral
Child Protection Team
Protect yourself and maintain professional
boundaries
If in doubt … Pick up the ‘phone