Safeguarding Children: A
Shared Responsibility
Housekeeping
Introductions
To raise awareness of how to keep children safe and
what to do if concerns arise.
• Identify the major signs and symptoms of child abuse
• Describe what to do if there are concerns regarding the
safety and welfare of a child
• Recognise the role of the Local Safeguarding
Children Board (LSCB)
• Reflect on local and national findings from
Serious Case Reviews
Guidelines for Safe Learning
• Confidentiality
• Listen/One speaker at a time
• Respect
• No such thing as a silly question
• Responsible for your own learning
• Okay to get things wrong
• Emotive Subject
• Time/Mobiles
Acronyms
LSCB
DBS/CRB/ISA
SCR
MASH
CIR
MACSE
CIP
MAPPA
MARAC
RCA
MERIT
CDOP
FII
FGM
LADO
MARF
CSE
MFH/C
STI
SUDC
SUDI
Section 13 of the Children Act 2004 requires each local authority to
establish a Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) for their area
and specifies the organisations and individuals (other than the local
authority) that should be represented on LSCBs.
Statutory objectives and functions of LSCBs
Section 14 of the Children Act 2004 sets out the objectives of LSCBs,
which are: (a) to coordinate what is done by each person or body
represented on the Board for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting
the welfare of children in the area; and(b)to ensure the effectiveness of
what is done by each such person or body for those purposes.
1(a) Developing policies and procedures for safeguarding and
promoting the welfare of children in the area of the authority,
including policies and procedures in relation to:
(i)
the action to be taken where there are concerns about a child's
safety or welfare, including thresholds for intervention;
(ii) training of persons who work with children or in services affecting
the safety and welfare of children;
(iii) recruitment and supervision of persons who work with children;
(iv) investigation of allegations concerning persons who work with
children;
(v) safety and welfare of children who are privately fostered;
(vi) cooperation with neighbouring children's services authorities and
their Board partners;
(b) communicating to persons and bodies in the area of the authority the
need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, raising their
awareness of how this can best be done and encouraging them to do so;
(c) monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of what is done by the
authority and their Board partners individually and collectively to safeguard
and promote the welfare of children and advising them on ways to
improve;
(d) participating in the planning of services for children in the area of
the authority; and
(e) undertaking reviews of serious cases and advising the authority and
their Board partners on lessons to be learned.
(WTSC 2013 Ch 3)
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Allegations made against
professionals.
The LADO role is based within the Safeguarding Children Unit.
• Management and oversight of individual cases.
• Provide advice and guidance to employers and voluntary organisations,
liaising with the police and other agencies and monitoring the progress of
cases to ensure that they are dealt with as quickly as possible, consistent
with a thorough and fair process;
•Any allegation should be reported immediately to a senior manager within
the organisation. The LADO should also be informed within one working
day of all allegations that come to an employer's attention or that are made
directly to the police.
(WTSC 2013 Ch 2)
A Professionals Meeting may be arranged if it is considered that a
child/children are at risk of significant harm.
All organisations providing services for children, parents or families, or
work with children, should have in place
Priorities in strategic
policy documents &
commissioning strategies
Safeguarding policies
including CP policy &
complaints procedure
In line with LSCB
Senior board level/management
commitment to safeguarding
Clear lines of accountability
For safeguarding
arrangements
Safeguarding & Promoting
Children’s Welfare
Effective recruitment,
selection and contractual
procedures inc safeguarding
checks
Procedures for dealing
With allegations against
staff/volunteers
Arrangements for staff/vol.
training, supervision,appraisal
and support
Whistle blowing procedures
and culture which
encourages sharing of concerns
Arrangements to work with
other organisations
Including info sharing
Culture of listening
to and consulting with
children
Understand how to work
together to address
online/new technology risks
Working Together to Safeguard
Children (2013) Ch2: Paragraph 4
(NSPCC Presentation)
21
Serious Case
Reviews that have
hit the headlines
Serious Case Review Process
Critical Incident Panel
• Referral
• Membership
Systems Methodology
• Case group/ Review Group
• Conversations
• Key Practice Episodes
• Final Report with Findings
Systems
Brief Synopsis of the Case: Child W
• Child W’s mother, WM, moved to St Helens in April
2011 whilst on a Probation Drug Rehabilitation
Order which she completed in January 2012. WM
had one child, Child WS, who was six years old at
the time of the move. The family were not known
to St Helens CSC until a referral in May 2012. An
initial assessment recommended that Early
Intervention Services work with the family. Shortly
after this it became known that WM was pregnant
with Child W.
• Child W was born in November 2012 with complex
medical needs.
• Services remained in contact with the family and
Brief Synopsis continued…
• CSC increased their contact and monitoring
throughout April and May 2013. They became
aware of WM’s new partner who had a criminal
history and connections to drugs and gangs.
• In June 2013, without the knowledge of other
agencies, WM’s new partner was bailed to WM’s
home address. On 14th June CSC informed WM
that the children and her new partner should not be
at the same address.
• On 15th June Child W was taken from his home
address by emergency ambulance and was
FINDING 1
Aspects of procedure and practice in
relation to police and court bail do
not address potential risk to children.
• Meeting with CPS
• Consideration given to questions asked
regarding whether vulnerable people
are present at bail address
• Arrange contact with CJB
FINDING 2
Aspects of Assessment and
thresholds for intervention cause
confusion and may have unintended
consequences
• New thresholds document (Continuum
of Need)
• Single agency assessment
• Multi agency launch of new documents
with training
FINDING 3
• Family Action Meetings were
insufficiently focused on risk
management. The purpose and
authority of FAM meetings is unclear to
some professionals.
• Review of Think Family Procedures,
particularly Think Family Meetings
• (lack of challenge)
FINDING 4
• Parental use of Cannabis (and to a
lesser extent alcohol) is not given
sufficient weighting as a negative factor.
• Raise awareness via media and publicity
campaign
• Training programme regarding
Compromised Care
• Access to online training re substance
misuse
• Review screening and assessment tools
• QA training regarding messages
Categories of Abuse
•Physical
•Emotional
•Neglect
•Sexual
Activity - flipchart
Physical Abuse
•May involve: Hitting, Shaking, Throwing,
Poisoning, Burning or Scalding, Drowning,
Suffocating or otherwise causing physical
harm to a child
•Physical harm can also be caused when a
parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or
deliberately induces illness in a child.
COMMON SITES FOR ACCIDENTAL INJURY
NOSE
FOREHEAD
CHIN
ELBOWS
FOREARM
SPINE
HIPS
KNEES
SHINS
COMMON SITES FOR NON-ACCIDENTAL INJURY
EYES: Bruising black
(particularly both eyes).
CHEEK/SIDE OF
FACE: Bruising, finger
marks.
SKULL: Fracture, bruising or
bleeding under skull (from
shaking).
EARS: Pinch or slap marks,
bruising.
NECK: Bruising, grasp
marks.
CHEST:
Bruising, grasp
marks.
MOUTH: Torn
frenulum.
UPPER AND INNER
ARMS: Bruising,
grasp marks.
SHOULDERS:
Bruising, grasp
marks.
KNEES: Grasp
marks.
GENITALS: Bruising.
BACK, BUTTOCKS AND THIGHS: Linear
bruising outline of belt/buckles/scalds/burns.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child
such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on that
child’s emotional development.
It may involve conveying to a child 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 a child’s
developmental capability, as well as overprotection 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 abuse is involved in all types
of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Neglect
The persistent failure to meet the child’s basic physical and/or
psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the
child’s health and development. Neglect can also occur during
pregnancy as a result of maternal substance misuse. Once a child is
born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
• provide adequate food, shelter or clothing including exclusion from
home or abandonment);
• protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
• ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caregivers); or
• ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment
It may include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to a child’s basic
emotional needs
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 include physical contact, including
penetration (e.g. rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as
masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing.
They may also 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
The nationally agreed definition of Child Sexual Exploitation which will be
utilised across Merseyside will be:
•Sexual exploitation of children and young people under 18 involves
exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where young people (or a
third person or persons) receive ‘something’ (e.g. food, accommodation,
drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money) as a result of them
performing, and/or another or others performing on them, sexual activities.
•Child sexual exploitation can occur through the use of technology without
the child’s immediate recognition; for example being persuaded to post
sexual images on the Internet/mobile phones without immediate payment
or gain.
•Violence, coercion and intimidation are common, involvement in
exploitative relationships being characterised in the main by the child or
young person’s limited availability of choice resulting from their social /
economic and / or emotional vulnerability.
•A common feature of CSE is that the child or young person does not
recognise the coercive nature of the relationship and does not see
themselves as a victim of exploitation.
CSE Protocol/ Referral Forms Rochdale and Rotherham Cases
Catch 22
CSE Worker
Domestic Violence
‘Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening
behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been
intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.
This can encompass, but is not limited to, the following types of abuse:
psychological
sexual
physical
financial
emotional
‘Controlling behaviour is: a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or
dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and
capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence,
resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.
‘Coercive behaviour is: an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and
intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.”
This definition, which is not a legal definition, includes so called ‘honour’ based violence,
female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, and is clear that victims are not
confined to one gender or ethnic group.
Operation Encompass
MARAC/MERIT
Neglect/Chronic Neglect
Compromised Care includes Learning
Disabilities and Offending Behaviour
Domestic Abuse
Toxic Trio
Substance Misuse
Mental Health Issues
Barriers to Disclosure/Disclosure Exercise
The 5 ‘Rs’: When a child tells you they have
been abused
1. Receive
2. Reassure
3. Respond
4. Record
5. Report
Undertaking/Contributing to assessments
Pre CAF
CAF
Single Assessments (Child and Family Assessment)
Signs of Safety
Graded Care Profile
Continuum of Need
In St Helens, the Continuum of Need has been developed to assist
professionals involved with children identify the levels of vulnerability of
children and their families.
All agencies and organisations in St Helens operate within the
Continuum's thresholds for delivery of services.
The Continuum identifies 4 levels:
•Level 1 Children with no additional needs
•Level 2 Children with additional needs showing early signs of
vulnerability
•Level 3 Children in need who require statutory or specialist
services
•Level 4 Children who are suffering or likely to suffer significant
harm
Voice of the child – children have said that they need:
Vigilance: to have adults notice when things are troubling them
Understanding and action: to understand what is happening; to be heard
and understood; and to have that understanding acted upon
Stability: to be able to develop an on-going stable relationship of trust with
those helping them
Respect: to be treated with the expectation that they are competent rather
than not
Information and engagement: to be informed about and involved in
procedures, decisions, concerns and plans
Explanation: to be informed about the outcome of assessments and
decisions and reasons when their views have not met a positive response
Support: to be provided with support in their own right as well as a member
of their own family
Advocacy: to be provided to assist them in putting forward their views
Case Study
Simon is 10 years old. He appears much smaller than his peers. His
clothing is often older and tattier than other children. He often gets
teased because he smells funny and his teacher tells you that Simon
has been seen taking food from other pupils’ lunchboxes. His
attendance is poor and when he does attend he regularly comes into
school with headlice, parents have been spoken to regarding this but
they are disinterested. On a few occasions mum has arrived at school
under the influence of alcohol. The school have been informed by police
that there has been a second incident of domestic violence at the home
last night; Simon was present and witnessed mum being held up against
the wall by her boyfriend. A neighbour had reported hearing Simon
crying and shouting ‘stop it!’
Concerns?
What should happen to safeguard Simon? Signs of Safety?
What services are available locally?
If you would like the presentation please contact:
sarahherron@sthelens.gov.uk