SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN
FOUNDATION
Workforce, Planning & Development,
Manchester City Council
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A Multi Agency approach to
safeguarding children
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AIM of the session
• To increase your confidence in your role
in safeguarding children
• To utilise & build networks of support
around Child Protection procedures.
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Learning outcomes:by the end of the session you should be able to :• Describe the role of the Safeguarding Children Board.
• Be aware of Every Child Matters and the Change for Children
Programme and recognise the national framework in relation to
safeguarding children.
• Identify personal and organisational good practice to safeguard the
welfare of children.
• Give examples of early signs of possible problems and child abuse
• Identify the course of action you would take when you have concerns or
a child discloses abuse to you and identify the appropriate contacts, in
compliance with The Manchester College Safeguarding Children
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Procedures.
Ground Rules
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Confidentiality
Right to Speak
Fire Evacuation
Avoid Assumptions
Keeping to time
Anything Else?
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Child Protection Definition
Child protection is a part of safeguarding
and promoting welfare.
This refers to the activity that is
undertaken to protect specific children
who are suffering, or are at risk of
suffering, significant harm.
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Safeguarding Definition
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is
defined for the purpose of this guidance as:
• Protecting children from maltreatment.
• Preventing the impairment of children’s health or
development.
• Ensuring that children are growing up in
circumstances consistent with the provision of safe
and effective care.
And undertaking that role so as to enable those children
to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood
successfully.
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Safeguarding Children
Foundation
• The SCF course sets a standard for all
those who work with Children , young
people and their families,
• It introduces a variety of topics including
Domestic abuse, children's disabilities.
• Working systems like ER&RW and
identifies your roles in safeguarding
children.
• It is an emotional subject that demands
respect.
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Safeguarding Legislation
The Children Act 1989
The Education Act 2002
The Adoption Act 2002
Every Child Matters 2003
The Sexual Offences Act 2003
The Children Act 2004
Every Child Matters 2006
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006.
The LSCB regulations 2006
Public law Outline April 2008
Review of recommendations March 2009.
Children Act 2008
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Working Together To Safeguard
Children
•This document sets out how agencies and professionals
should work together to safeguard promote the welfare of
children.
•It provides a national framework within which agencies
and professionals at local level should draw up and agree
upon their own more detailed ways of working together.
•It is addressed to those who work in Health, Police,
Children's Services, Probation incl, Youth Offending
service, and others whose work brings them into contact
with children and families, including Adult mental health
and the Community, Voluntary and Faith and the PVI
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sector).
Children’s Trust Arrangements (CTA
Children’s Trust Arrangements (CTA) Overview
Children’s Trust Arrangement’s have been introduced
nationally as a result of the Children Act 2004. The Act makes
it clear that organisations cannot continue to work separately
in delivering services to children. Instead they must work
together to ensure that all children are:
• Staying Safe;
• Enjoying and Achieving;
• Healthy;
• Contributing Positively; and
• Achieving Economic Well Being.
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Victoria Climbie
• 8 years old
• Came from the Ivory Coast
• Abused by her aunt and her partner who were convicted in
January 2001
• After her death 128 separate injuries were found on her body
• Evidence that there were 12 missed opportunities that might
have saved her life
• Offered a place in school which was not taken up
• Discharged from hospital on two occasions
This led to a complex statutory inquiry into
the lessons to be drawn and the defects in our
existing system to be highlighted – the Lord Laming Inquiry
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SENIOR
HOUSE
OFFICER
SERGEANT
SERGEANT
PC
WARD
SISTER
A&E SENIOR
HOUSE
OFFICER
PAEDIATRIC
REGISTRAR
SERGEANT
SERGEANT
PC
A&E
NURSE
CONSULTANT
PAEDIATRICIAN
BRENT POLICE
DET
INSPECTOR
HOSPITAL1
TAXI
DRIVER
AMBULANCE
NURSE 4
ENFIELD
HOSPITAL
SOCIAL
WORKER
NURSE 3
IMMIGRATION
CHURCH 1
HARINGEY
POLICE
NURSE 2
BRENT SSD
NURSE 1
CHURCH 2
EALING
HOMELESS
FAMILIES
DISTANT
RELATIVE
ENFIELD SSD
FRENCH
TEACHER
SOCIAL
WORKER
HARINGEY
SSD
ACTON
SSD
VICTORIA
GP 1
CHILD
MINDER
PRACTICE
NURSE
FRIEND
NURSE 3
NURSE 4
NURSE 2
HARINGEY
SOCIAL
SERVICES
NURSE 1
SENIOR HOUSE
OFFICER
NURSE 5
HOSPITAL 2
FRENCH
SPEAKING
NURSE
PAEDIATRIC
REGISTRAR
NSPCC
COMMUNITY
HEALTH
VISITOR
REGISTRAR 3
DERMATOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY
TEAM
MANAGER
SENIOR
PRACTITIONER
SOCIAL
WORKER 1
EALING
SOCIAL
SERVICES
SOCIAL
WORKER 2
SOCIAL
WORKER 3
SOCIAL
WORKER 4
POLICE
REGISTRAR 2
A&E CASUALTY
OFFICER
SENIOR
NURSE
LIAISON
HEALTH
VISITOR
SOCIAL
WORKER
GP 2
PRACTICE
NURSE
CONSULTANT
PAEDIATRICIAN
REGISTRAR 1
GP 3
CONSULTANT
PAEDIATRICIAN
NURSE 6
MANAGEMENT
SOCIAL
WORKER 6
SOCIAL
WORKER 5
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Key Issues Identified By The Inquiry







A large number of agencies involved failed to
protect Victoria
There was a lack of sharing information
between agencies
There was a failure to investigate
The child’s views were not obtained
Schools failed to notify the EWO when a
placement at school was not taken up
Need for wide access to child
Protection training
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Peter Connelly
Only after Peter was found dead in his blood-spattered cot, his emaciated
body covered with 50 separate injuries, did the full horror of the family's life
begin to emerge. The Joint Area Review revealed:
•A failure to identify children at risk of immediate harm and to act on
evidence.
•Agencies working in isolation from each other.
•Poor gathering, recording and sharing of information.
•Inconsistent quality of frontline practice and insufficient evidence of
supervision.
•Insufficient oversight of the assistant director of children's services by the
director of children's services and chief executive.
•Incomplete reporting of the management audit report by senior officials to
elected members.
•Insufficient challenge by the local safeguarding children board to its
members and also to frontline staff.
•An over-dependence on performance data, which was not always
accurate.
•Poor child protection plans.
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Communitycare.co.uk 11-08-09
Key Issues Identified By The Inquiry
• Peter and his three sisters were sharing the fourbedroom house with their mother, her boyfriend
Barker, his paedophile brother Owen and his four
children, plus Owen's 15-year-old girlfriend.
• Three of the children - Peter and two of his siblings were on Haringey's Child Protection Register
because of fears they were being neglected by their
mother.
• Social workers, health visitors and doctors saw the
family 60 times before 17-month-old Peter died from
his horrific injuries, which included a snapped spine
and eight broken ribs.
• The Labour-run council has dismissed five
employees including the family's social worker Maria
Ward and the former head of children's services,
Sharon Shoesmith.
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Every Child Matters
Change For Children
•As a result of the Lord Laming Inquiry, Every Child
Matters, the Children Act and the ‘Change for
Children’ programme emerged and all have at their
heart a set of 5 outcomes for children.
•These 5 outcomes have been drawn from what
children and young people themselves have said
they want for their future
•They are for all children and young people
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Safeguarding Children
• In your groups discuss how your
workplace contributes to the delivery of
the Five Outcomes for children.
• Designate one person to present to the
rest of the group your findings.
• Emphasise the positive work you, your
team or service does in this regard.
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Be Healthy
•Physically healthy
•Mentally and emotionally healthy
•Sexually healthy
•Healthy lifestyles
•Choose not to take illegal drugs
•Parents, carers and families promote
healthy choices
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Stay Safe
•Safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence
and sexual exploitation
•Safe from accidental injury and death
•Safe from bullying and discrimination
•Safe from crime and anti-social behaviour in
and out of school
•Have security, stability and are cared for
•Parents, carers and families provide safe
homes and stability
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Enjoy And Achieve
• Ready for school
• Attend and enjoy school
• Achieve stretching national education
standards at primary school
• Achieve personal and social development
and enjoy recreation
• Achieve stretching national education
standards at secondary school
• Parents, carers and families support learning
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Make A Positive Contribution
• Engage in decision-making and support the
community and environment
• Engage in law-abiding and positive behaviour in and
out of school
• Develop positive relationships and choose not to
bully and discriminate
• Develop self-confidence and successfully deal with
significant life changes and challenges
• Develop enterprising behaviour
• Parents, carers, and families promote
• positive behaviour
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Achieve Economic Well Being
• Engage in further education, employment
or training on leaving school
• Ready for employment
• Live in decent homes and sustainable
communities
• Access to transport and material goods
• Live in household free from low income
• Parents, carers and families are supported
to be economically active
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How Will The 5 Outcomes Affect
You?
• The way you will be inspected will change.
• You will be required to show how you deliver
experiences that promote the 5 outcomes
• You will be expected to provide evidence to
support this.
• This will change the way you plan and deliver your
services to children and young people
• Visit www.everychildmatters.gov.uk for further
info.
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Safeguarding Children Research
• 11 million children in England. Of these….
• 200,000 children live in households where there is a known high
risk of domestic abuse and violence.
• 235,000 are ‘children in need’ and in need of support from a
local authority.
• 60,000 are looked after by a local authority.
• 37,000 are the subject of a care order.
• 29,000 are the subject of a child protection plan.
• 1,300 are privately fostered (PN).
• Children and young people with special needs and learning
difficulties are particularly vulnerable (why?)
“The protection of children in England a progress report”.
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Disabled Children / Young People
• Not offered the same safeguarding as non disabled
children
• Often treated as different, are less likely to receive
sex education or health information.
• Can be more isolated, physically and socially, from
services
• More likely to spend time away from home in
residential care/short breaks therefore more
vulnerable to potential abusers.
• Heightened inequality of power
• Limited opportunities to communicate
• May rely on others for personal care
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Safeguarding Research
• 1 in 10 women experience domestic abuse each year
• 90% of domestic violence incidents occur in the same or next
room
• 1 in 3 Safeguarding cases shows a history of domestic violence
against the women
• Girls were more likely to be on the register than boys especially
in the older age group (why?)
• Child abuse is reported by people who care – education
professionals, health professionals, voluntary workers, friends,
family and neighbours
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Manchester’s Domestic Abuse Strategy
Definition of Domestic Abuse
Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or
abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or
emotional) between adults who are or have been,
intimate partners or family members, regardless of
gender or sexuality.
This definition includes:
• Violence between adult siblings.
• Where the perpetrator assaults their parent /carer
• Forced marriage
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Significant Harm
• The Children’s Act 1989 uses the
concept of significant harm to justify the
compulsory intervention in family life in
the best interest of the children.
• The Local Authority is under a duty to
make enquiries where it has reasonable
cause to suspect a child is suffering or
is likely to suffer significant harm.
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Significant Harm
•
•
•
•
There is no absolute criteria for identifying
significant harm, it is necessary to
consider :The nature of the harm
The impact on the child’s Health &
Development
The child’s development within the context
of their family and wider environment
Any special needs, medical condition,
communication impairment or disability
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Significant Harm Three Domains
1. The capacity of the parents to
adequately meet the needs of the child
2. The wider environmental context
(where they live)
3. The Childs reactions, their
perceptions, wishes & feelings
according to the child’s age and legal
understanding. (Disability)
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Myths
• It is important to challenge powerful and false myths around
child abuse. Whether individually or collectively held they
contribute to public and professional perceptions about who
abuses and why.
• Myths held can influence how we respond as individuals or
as a professional group to abuse.
• Myths need to be challenged and understood so they do not
influence our objectivity and open mindedness.
• Do not make assumptions based on family environments
• Safeguarding applies to all communities
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Myths
• It is important to challenge powerful and false myths around child
abuse. Whether individually or collectively held they contribute to
public and professional perceptions about who abuses and why.
• Myths on abuse can influence how we respond as individuals or
as a professional group.
• Myths need to be challenged and understood so they do not
influence our objectivity and open mindedness.
• Do not make assumptions based on family environments.
• Safeguarding applies to all communities
• Cohesiveness and compassion are no safeguard against abuse.
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Some Myths Surrounding Child Abuse
• Children are usually abused by strangers……………………
Answer:- Most are abused by adults they know
• Women do not sexually abuse children…………………………
Answer:- In 5 to 10 % of cases the abuse is by a woman
• Disabled children are less likely to become victims…..
Answer:- They are more venerable so are more likely to be abused.
• Children say they have been abused to get attention….
Answer:- They rarely lie about abuse, and their fear is that they won’t be
believed.
• Abusers come from deprived backgrounds…….
Answer:-They come from a wide range of social and intellectual
backgrounds and may be well liked and respected
• Children are always safe in groups……..
Answer:- Not always true: young children have been sexually assaulted in
nursery school whilst other adults and children were present
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Group Exercises
Physical Abuse
• On a skin map, enter the
common sites for
accidental injury
• On the same skin map,
enter sites for nonaccidental injury and
identify types of injuries
Sexual Abuse
• Identify the physical and
behavioural signs of
sexual abuse
• Who might be the victims
of sexual abuse?
• Who might be the
perpetrator?
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Group Exercises
Emotional Abuse
Identify who might be
emotionally abusing a child
Identify what the abuser may be
doing
Identify what an emotionally
abused child might look and
behave like
Neglect
What constitutes
neglect?
Identify the physical
and behavioural
signs and
symptoms of
neglect
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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.
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Sexual Abuse
• Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or
young person to take part in sexual activities,
including prostitution, whether or not the child is
aware of what is happening.
• The activities may involve physical contact, including
penetrative (e.g. rape, buggery or oral sex) or nonpenetrative acts.
• They may include non-contact activities, such as
involving children in looking at, or in the production
of, sexual online images, watching sexual activities,
or encouraging children to behave in sexually
inappropriate ways.
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Emotional Abuse
• Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional mal-treatment 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 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 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, 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.
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Neglect
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and or
psychological needs, likely to result in the impairment of the child health or
development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal
substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or
carer failing to:
•
Provide adequate food, shelter and 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 care-givers)
Ensure access to the appropriate medical care or treatment.
•
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional
needs.
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Roles in Safeguarding Children
Local Safeguarding Children Board
• The LSCB is made up of senior staff from key agencies that
work with children and young people.
• The LSCB meet on a monthly basis and its role is to promote
the safeguarding of children and ensure that agencies meet
their responsibilities when it comes to safeguarding children.
• They are also responsible for many of the procedures we all
work towards e.g. Child Protection Procedures, Forced
Marriages Protocol.
• The LSCB is independently chaired by Ian Rush
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Roles in Safeguarding Children
Children’s Services
• Has the lead responsibility in managing
individual cases of child abuse but relies
on the assistance and co-operation of
professionals in other agencies.
• This is a new unified children’s service that
brings together all services working with
children and families.
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Roles in Safeguarding Children
Police
The police have a duty to determine
whether a criminal offence has been
committed, identify the person or
persons responsible and secure the
best possible evidence to inform the
decision to initiate criminal proceedings
or not.
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Roles in Safeguarding Children
Health
Make referrals and assessments.
They contribute to child protection
case conferences. They are often
involved in planning the follow up
work and provide on-going support.
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Roles in Safeguarding Children
Probation
• Probation may be able to identify potential
cases and bring in other agencies when
needed.
• They also contribute to case conferences
and care plans.
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Roles in Safeguarding Children
Education
Has a very important role in
safeguarding children/young people
at the recognition and referral stage
They are also involved in case
conferences and care plans
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Roles in Safeguarding Children
Your Agency
Voluntary, independent and Private Sector
providers – front line workers with children,
young people and families have a very important
role in safeguarding children at the recognition
and referral stage.
Also involved in targeted support packages.
Childminders within Local Authority’s are
predominantly their own employers.
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Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
•
The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a key part of delivering frontline
services that are integrated and focused around the needs of children and
young people.
•
The CAF is a standardised approach to conducting an assessment of a
child's additional needs and deciding how those needs should be met.
•
•
It can be used by practitioners across children's services in England.
•
The CAF will promote more effective, earlier identification of additional needs,
particularly in universal services.
•
It is intended to provide a simple process for a holistic assessment of a child's
needs and strengths, taking account of the role of parents, carers and
environmental factors on their development.
•
Practitioners will then be better placed to agree, with the child and family, about
what support is appropriate.
•
The CAF will also help to improve integrated working by promoting coordinated service provision.
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What to do if you are concerned that a young
person is being abused. Flowchart for tutors &
support staff
1. Tutor/member of support staff has concerns about young person’s welfare
2. Tutor/support staff informs Designated Person (DP) on the same day and
provides confidential notes of observation or disclosure ASAP
3a. DP has significant
concerns and refers to
children’s services
3b.DP needs more
information, advice or the
cooperation of the young
person. DP investigates
4a. DP now has
significant concerns
5a. DP ensures that relevant staff are
kept informed following referral. DP
ensures ongoing support is provided as
needed. DP ensures the appropriate
records are kept.
3c. DP has no
significant concerns.
4b. DP now has no
significant concerns
5b. DP takes no further child
protection action. However, DP may
refer to student support groups for
support for the young person.
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Section 4
Identifying Abuse
4.1
“Disclosure” can happen in many ways
•
•
•
•
The young person speaks directly
Other students report concerns
Staff observe signs or changes in behaviour
Staff overhear students talk about their peers
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Reporting abuse to a DP
4.2
• If a member of staff knows or suspects abuse is
occurring/has occurred, refer to a DP, normally the
same day
• If it’s an emergency DP should be contacted
immediately
• Initially, referral can be made in writing or verbally
for speed
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Investigating the Abuse
4.3
• Designated Person might investigate further
• If the disclosure was initially to a youth worker or
tutor the DP must decide who follows it up.
• In serious cases, further investigation, including
interviewing the young person in more detail, is
carried out by Children's Services
(not by college staff or DPs)
• If a young person refuses to acknowledge that
abuse has occurred, what are the options ?
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Meeting the young person
4.4
•
The discussion is calm and sensitive and the young
person is made to feel they are being listened to and
taken seriously
•
The young person is encouraged to describe events in
their own words
•
The young person is told that we cannot give promises
of confidentiality
•
The young person is told about what happens next and
where they can get support in the meantime
•
A record of the meeting is made asap so it can be
trusted to be accurate.
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Reporting abuse to a DP
4.5
Record as soon as possible:
•
The time and date of the meeting or of the allegation or observations made
•
Their own name and the names of any others present
•
The name of the complainant and, where different, the name of the young person
who has reportedly been abused
•
A description of the abuse
•
The time/s, date/s and place/s where the disclosed abuse happened
•
A description of any injuries or other form of harm observed (with a diagram
where this clarifies any physical injuries)
•
The record must be as factual as possible, avoiding opinions and inferences and
recording the young person’s words verbatim where possible.
The standard record form should be used
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Ongoing support for the young
person/s:
4.8
• The DP will liaise with college staff to ensure
that the young person receives any support
needed, both immediately and ongoing.
• Feedback will be given to relevant tutors or
support staff on a ‘need to know’ basis so
they can support the young person but
without breaching confidences
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Where another student is the alleged
abuser
4.9
•
Where another student is the alleged
abuser, the Student Disciplinary Procedures
should be invoked.
•
Support may also be required for either or
both parties.
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Confidentiality and Record
Keeping Section 5
•
5.1 Under the 1998 Data Protection Act (DPA)
sensitive personal data must be kept
confidential.
•
5.2 Where possible, the young person should be
encouraged to disclose issues voluntarily. But,
promises that others won’t be involved should
not be given or may have to be breached.
•
5.3 Only those people who genuinely ‘need to
know’ about the abuse are informed.
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5.4 Certain agencies, and family members in particular, can believe that
they are entitled to have information about a young person. Even for
students under 16 this is not automatic.
5.5 Written information should be kept in a secure place where they
cannot be read by anyone unauthorised to do so.
5.6 Be aware that students are entitled to have copies of any information
that is kept about them. Where such records include sensitive
information about other people, this should be deleted to protect the
confidentiality of others.
5.7 A ‘flag’ will be registered on the college I.S. system to identify any
student who is being supported within the Child Protection Procedures.
5.8 The final reports of each case will be sent by a DP to the senior DP
to be stored in an identified, secure location
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Section 6
Safeguarding young people on campuses shared
with adult learners and visitors
• There are adults in the college who may be in a position to develop
informal relationships with young learners. Staff should be aware of the
potential for ‘grooming’ of young people by adults.
• The College’s campus, centre and duty managers, together with
support staff, help to safeguard students who might be vulnerable to
inappropriate approaches outside of the classroom.
• Students are equipped by the college to identify and deal with potential
and actual dangers themselves (e.g. via tutorials)
• Ex-offenders may disclose offences or be revealed through third
parties (e.g. via probation or other social services). Most pose no risk
to other students or staff and the majority are not known to the college.
However, where enrolling a known ex-offender poses a real risk to
others, a risk-assessment must be carried out with that person.
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Section 7
Relationships between staff and students
Staff are expected to make a clear distinction between what is
professional and what is personal in their relationships with students.
• The college encourages staff/student relationships to be friendly and
supportive, but this must be a professional relationship rather than
becoming a student’s personal friend.
• Behaviour by staff that puts students at risk or is in serious breach of the
boundaries separating professional from personal relationships could lead
to disciplinary action under the staff disciplinary procedures.
• Staff should take care to avoid presenting themselves as a ‘friend’ on
social networking sites such as Facebook. It is not advisable to give
students home phone numbers, or mobile numbers which cannot be
switched off out of college hours, or home email addresses.
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When professionals get it wrong there is
always some-one else to take the pain”
‘In over 60 years of child deaths what have we
learned?’
1945 Dennis O’Neill, 1973 Graham Bagnall, 1974 Maria Colwell, David
Naseby, Max Piazzani, 1975 Stephen Meurs,
Lisa Godfrey, Richard Clark, 1976 Neil Howlett, 1977 Wayne Brewer,
1978 Karen Spencer, Stephen Menheniott, Malcolm Page, Simon
Peacock, 1979 Darryn Clarke, Lester Chapman,1980 Paul Brown,
Carly Taylor, Darren Cooper, Claire Haddon, 1981 Maria Mehmedagi,
Emma Hughes, Christopher Pinder, Daniel Frankland, 1982 Richard
Fraser, Lucy Gates, Jason Caeser, Gerard Fenlon, 1984 Shiley
Woodcock, 1985 Jasmine Beckford, Reuben Carthy, Heidi Koseda,
1986Charlene Salt, 1987 Kimberly Carlile, Tyra Henry, Doreen Mason,
1988 Gavin Mabey, 1989 Liam Johnson, Stephanie Fox, Doreen Aston,
1992 Leanne White, 1994 Rikki Neave, 2000 Lauren Wright, 2001
Caleb Ness, Chelsea Brown, 2002 Ainlee Labonte, 2003 Victoria
Climbie’
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Any Questions ?
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