Safeguarding Children
2015
Facilitated by
Carmen Slade
Safeguarding Consultant
Course Contents
• Key Findings from Serious Case
Review
• Record Keeping
• Child Sexual Exploitation
• Female Genital Mutilation
• Radicalisation
• Protecting Yourself
PC
Senior
House
Officer
Sergeant
A&E Senior
House Officer
Paediatric
Registrar
Sergeant
Nurse 1
Ward Sister
Brent Police
Consultant
Paediatrician
NSPCC
Haringey
housing
Hospital 1
Nurse 4
Friend
Distant Relative
Brent
Housing
VICTORIA
Psychology
Senior
use
Officer
Nurse 4
Nurse 2
Nurse 5
Dermatology
Consultant
Paediatrician
Consultant
Paediatrician
Practice
Nurse
Enfield Hospital
Social Worker
Senior
Nurse
GP 1
Community
Health Visitor
Nurse 6
Nurse 1
Detective
Inspector
Team
Manager
Brent
Social
Services
Enfield
Social
Services
Ambulance
Social
Worker 1
Immigration
Hospital 2
Registrar 3
Social
Worker
Senior
Practitioner
Nurse 3
Paediatric
Registrar
Sergeant
Haringey Police
Haringey
Social
Services
Taxi Driver
GP 2
French
speaking
nurse
PC
Nurse 2
Church 2
Child Minder
A&E
Nurse
Nurse 3
Ealing
Housing
Church 1
Sergeant
Social
Worker 6
Ealing
Social
Services
Social
Worker 2
Registrar 2
A&E Casualty
Officer
Registrar 1
Social
Worker 5
Social
Worker 4
Social
Worker 3
What does
Safeguarding in Schools
mean to you?
Neglect
Emotional Abuse
Bullying, including
Online and prejudice
based bullying
Child Sexual
Exploitation
Racist, disability
and homophobic
or transphobic
Gender based
violence
Violence against
girls
Domestic
Violence
Substance
Misuse
Forced
Marriage
Gang activity
and
Youth Violence
Sexual Abuse
Physical Abuse
Radicalisation
Poor Parenting
babies/younger
children
Fabricated or
induced illness
Female Genital
Mutilation
Teenage
relationship abuse
Impact of
Technology
on sexual
behaviour sexting
Children with Additional Needs
Factors can increase the risk of abuse due to:
• Increased stress on
parents
• Lack of support
available
• Issues related to the
impairment
• No. of carers involved
• Level of care needed
– intimate care
•
•
•
•
Behaviour issues
Personal safety skills
Communication
Vulnerable re. sex and
relationships
• Increased risk of bullying
• Signs & symptoms
unnoticed due to
impairment
Questionable Situations
4
Very Concerned
David has arrived at school with a black eye
Anthony is lethargic, appears withdrawn and tearful
3
Concerned
Nathan is caught stealing food from packed lunch boxes
Ian can’t do PE as he has a fractured arm
Ewan says the police came when his mum and dad were fighting
Lewis is loosing weight.
Mum says he is having tests at hospital
2
Uncomfortable
1
Not Concerned
Summary: Daniel Pelka
Recording difficulties:
•Basic info was not recorded
•Delays in receiving information
•Insufficient time to record
•Gaps in information
•Records not accessible
•No expectation to record, centile,
body map
•Inconsistency in recording
•Information was not in 1 place
•Lack of training
•Lack of clarity of role
•Language used ‘plausible’ ‘safe and
well’
•Ineffective Systems, not talking to
one another
•
•
•
•
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•
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•
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Paper v electronic systems
Transition ‘file was in a box’
Staff changes
Poor quality assessments
Lacking in detail
Failure to bring all information
together
Siblings, parent files not linked
Recurrent injuries not recorded
Actions not recorded
No recognition of the significance
of information held
No date stamped on records
when received
Poor supervision / Management
oversight
What are records?
Records are any documents generated, received and filed which include:
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Registers
Incident Slips
Photographs
Consent forms
Medication records
Correspondence
risk assessments
Memos
CAF
E-mails
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Texts
News clippings
Diaries
Calling cards
Child drawings
Agendas
Letters
Contact logs
Flyers
Reports
Minutes
Records are a valuable resource (current or historical) because of the information they
contain and information has most value when it is accurate, up to date and accessible
when it is needed.
Possible Signs of Sexual Abuse
•
Chronic throat infections and sexually transmitted
diseases
•
Eating disorders.
•
Self-harm, attempted suicide, frequently running
away
•
Unexplained pregnancy
•
Fear of undressing for sport or during hot weather
•
Phobias or panic attacks
If it’s not recorded there’s no evidence of what you’ve done!
Still Concerned?
In the unlikely situation you feel that the DP is not acting
appropriately with your concerns, you must do one of the
following:
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•
•
•
Speak with the Headteacher
Speak with the Chair of Governors
Make a referral to Social Care
Contact the Police
Questionable Situations
What are the four categories
of abuse?
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect
Physical abuse
Possible Signs of Physical
Abuse
• Unexplained injuries or burns, particularly if they are
recurrent
• Improbable excuses given to explain injuries
• Refusal to discuss injuries
• Untreated injuries
• Admission of punishment which appears excessive
• Fear of parents being contacted
Possible Signs of Physical
Abuse
• Bald patches
• Withdrawal from physical contact
• Arms and legs kept covered in hot weather
• Fear of returning home
• Self destructive tendencies
• Aggression towards others
• Running away
Emotional abuse
Possible Signs of Emotional Abuse
• Physical, mental and emotional development delay.
• Admission of punishment which appears excessive.
• Over-reaction to mistakes.
• Continual self disapproval
• Sudden speech disorders.
• Fear of new situations.
• Inappropriate emotional response.
Possible Signs of Emotional Abuse
•
Behaviour such as rocking, hair twisting, thumb
sucking.
•
Self-harm.
•
Fear of parents being contacted.
•
Extremes of passivity or aggression.
•
Drug/solvent abuse.
•
Running away.
•
Compulsive stealing, scavenging.
Sexual abuse
Possible Signs of Sexual Abuse
•
Sudden changes in behaviour or educational
performance
•
Displays of affection in a sexual way
•
Tendency to cling or need constant reassurance
•
Tendency to cry easily
•
Regression to younger behaviour, e.g. thumb
sucking, playing with discarded toys, “baby”
behaviour
•
Complaints of genital itching or pain
Possible Signs of Sexual
Abuse
• Distrust of a familiar adult, or anxiety about
being left with a relative, baby sitter, lodger
•
Unexplained gifts or money
•
Depression or withdrawal
•
Apparent secrecy
•
Wetting or soiling day or night - after being dry
for some time
•
Sleep disturbance or nightmares
Possible Signs of Sexual Abuse
• Chronic throat infections and sexually transmitted
diseases
• Eating disorders.
• Self-harm, attempted suicide, frequently running
away
• Unexplained pregnancy
• Fear of undressing for sport or during hot weather
• Phobias or panic attacks
Neglect
Possible Signs of Neglect
• Constant hunger
• Poor personal hygiene/’smelly’/dental decay
• Constant tiredness
• Poor state of clothing/inappropriate clothing
• Emaciation (abnormally thin)
• Frequent lateness to school
• Absence from school
• Untreated medical/speech/hearing problems
• Lack of appropriate boundaries
• Lack of supervision/safety
Possible Signs of Neglect
• Destructive tendencies
• Low self-esteem
• Neurotic behaviour
• No social relationships
• Running away
• Compulsive stealing or scavenging
Child Sexual Exploitation
Higher Risk of being
exploited if:
•
are homeless
•
have feelings of low selfesteem
•
have had a recent
bereavement or loss
•
are in care
•
are a young carer
Absences
from school
Unexplained
marks,
cigarette
burns
Dressing in
sexualised
way
Going missing / late home
Unexplained
Gifts/money
Signs Of
Exploitation
Sexting / sending
images
Over familiar
Sexualised
with strangers
behaviours
Disruptive
behaviour
Sexual
Transmitted
Infections
Changes in
mood
Female Genital
Mutilation
• Religion is NOT a basis for FGM
• Cultural identity – A tribal initiation into adulthood
• Gender Identity – Moving from girl to woman –
enhancing femininity
• Sexual control – believed to reduce the woman’s desire
for sex and therefore the possibility of sex outside
marriage
• Hygiene/cleanliness – unmutilated women are regarded
as unclean and not allowed to handle food or water
Who is at risk?
• 2 million girls around the world
every year are mutilated
• Mainly African and Middle
Eastern countries and
alarmingly now in the
immigrant population of
Europe, America and Australia
• It is estimated that as many as
20,000 girls are at risk of FGM
within the UK every year
• Any girl is at risk – usually
between 4-14
Communities at Risk:
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Djibouti
Somalia
Sierra Leone
Ethiopia
Sudan
Guinea
In Middle East – Egypt
How FGM is carried out?
• Varies from community to community but generally by an
elder woman in the community using non-sterile, blunt
instruments without anaesthetic
• UK girls are taken on “holiday” to become a woman, it is
seen as a celebration
• Communities in the UK are believed to have their own
practitioners here
• Some doctors will do this under anaesthetic
Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
The Law:
• Offence to commit FGM
• Offence to aid, abet,
counsel or procure a girl
to commit FGM
• Offence for someone in
the UK to aid, abet,
counsel or procure FGM
outside of UK that is
carried out by a person
who isn’t a UK national
or resident
• Any act done outside UK
by UK National or
resident
What Next?
• You should discuss any
concerns with the
Designated Person
• You must consider making
a referral to the Local
Authority Children’s Social
Care or police if urgent
• Multi agency pathway
currently being developed
in Newcastle
Radicalisation
May possess
Extremist related
literature
Rejection
from family or peers
Social Media
Extremist
Influences
Poverty
disadvantage
social exclusion
Low self esteem
Global or National
Trauma
An event or series
of traumatic
events
Criminality
Identify Confusion
Pressure from
Peers associated
With extremism
Recent Religious
Conversation
Community Tension
May have a new
group of friends
Questioning Faith
Victim of race or
religious hate
crime
Personal
Trauma
Family Conflict
over political views
Lifestyle choice
Religious views
Changes in behaviour
Appearance as a result
of new influences
Justifies extremist
actions
Guidance for Safe Working Practice
Safeguarding Staff
Rules for Teachers — 1915
1. You will not marry during the term of your contract.
2. You are not to keep company with men.
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM
unless at a school function.
4. You may not loiter downtown in any of the ice cream
stores.
5. You may not travel beyond the city limits unless you
have permission of the chairman of the chairman of the
school board.
6. You may not ride in carriages or automobiles with any
man except your father or brother.
7. You may not smoke cigarettes.
8. You may not dress in bright colours.
9. You may under no circumstances dye your hair.
10. You must wear at least 2 petticoats.
11. Your dresses may not be any shorter than 2 inches above
the ankles.
12. To keep the classroom neat and clean you must sweep the floor once a
day, scrub the floor with hot soapy water once a week, clean the blackboards
once a day and start the fire at 7 AM to have the school warm by 8 AM when
the scholars arrive.
(New Hampshire Historical Society)
Activity 1
Write a list of rules you currently
follow to protect yourself at work.
Dangers of social network
Recent incidents in
Schools
Male teacher supporting a group of
children and uses FACEBOOK as way to
communicate with them. When course
work is complete the following
conversation took place -------
Girl:
Thanks for all your support , you deserve
drink lol xxx
Teacher:
Defo , you do as well!! in town tomorrow
might bump into you (LOL) take care and
well done x
Staff talking about a Deputy
Teacher: can’t believe she has given me
year 5 !!!
Support worker: What a BITCH !!!!
Classroom assistant: since Head gone
power had gone to the head.
Teacher: clueless and power mad no
wonder her hubby left lol
Staff talking about a colleague
Staff talking about children
Female teacher on a Sunday posts on her
FACEBOOK:
Social Networking Safety
• Professional tone when on social networking
• Official channels when communicating with
students/families
• Terminology, no kisses, personal information
• Privacy Setting
• Accepting friends, firmly decline students,
present and past, inform parents of the correct
ways to discuss their child.
• No comments relating to work, students etc.
• Settings prohibit others from tagging you
• If new to profession – carry out an audit,
• Be aware, potential employers could view your
profile
• Password protect
• Pass on any concerns, whistle blow
Religious Education Teacher Encouraged
Students To "Sleep Around“
23rd January 2013
As an RE teacher it was her job to enlighten
pupils about Christian values and the beliefs
of other religions. Instead, Catherine
Reynolds encouraged her class to have lots
of sex and "sleep around" before marriage.
In expletive-ridden lessons, she told pupils
to "stop bloody talking", "sit on your a***’
and warned them: "If you don’t want to
learn RE, you can p*** off".
An investigation into her behaviour also
found she posted offensive comments on
her Facebook page. Following a parents
evening she wrote: "That was the most
f****** horrendous evening of my life",
and branded parents "retarded". Reynolds
made numerous references to "sex from a
personal perspective" and told one pupil
"not to get married because then you can’t
sleep around“ and that "you should have
sex all the time". In one lesson, she
recounted a visit to Amsterdam in which
she saw a sex show involving a horse and
a woman and revealed she had been for a
naked massage. She used inappropriate
language on a regular basis, the report
found, including a string of swear words
used to describe various people. One pupil
was apparently told to "F*** off".
Reynolds, who is married with a one-yearold daughter, told her class of taking a
morning-after pill and of having a
relationship with an older man. She also
showed pupils the tattoos on her lower
back and her thigh and played them
"inappropriate videos".
Support and Guidance
for School Staff
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Union Representation
Record Keeping
Pass it on
Whistle Blowing Policy
Always be aware of your actions
Do not put yourself in a vulnerable situation
If in doubt speak to a HR representative
Do not become the next headline!