Child Protection

1. Child Protection Awareness Raising 2008/2009 Jane Lake Senior Education Welfare Officer.

2. Looking after Yourself • The subject of this presentation may generate uncomfortable memories and feelings • Anything shared during this session will remain confidential

3. Aims and Objectives By the end of this course, you should be able to: • Recognise your role in safeguarding children from harm • Define the different categories of child abuse • Explain how you should respond to child welfare concerns

4. What is “Safeguarding and Promoting Welfare”? • Protecting children from maltreatment • Preventing 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 the optimum life chances such that they enter adulthood successfully

5. Child Protection Intimate Care Restraint Staff Conduct Anti Bullying Policies Curriculum Safeguarding Attendance Managing Allegations Against Staff Behaviour Management Safe Built Environment Whistle blowing Health and Safety Safe Recruitment and Selection

6. Senior Designated Person • Acts as a source of support, advice and expertise within the school • Liaises with other agencies about child protection concerns and referrals • Attends refresher training every two years • Ensures all staff have child protection training

7. What Is Abuse? “Child Abuse consists of anything which individuals, institutions or processes do, or fail to do, which directly or indirectly harms children or damages their prospects of safe and healthy development into adulthood.” (National commission of enquiry into the prevention of child abuse) • Neglect • Physical abuse • Sexual abuse • Emotional abuse

8. Vulnerable children are those who would benefit from extra helpfrom public agencies to optimise their life chances and for the risk of socialexclusion is to be averted. Children in need are as defined in part III of theChildren Act 1989 and are a subset of vulnerable children.Figure Source NSPCC December 2007

9. True or False?True or False? • Women do not sexually abuse children true / false • In some cultures child abuse is acceptable true / false • Disabled children are less likely to be abused true / false • Children will often say they have been abused when they haven’t true / false • Children are always safe when in groups true / false • Research shows that child abusers come from deprived backgrounds and have been true / false assessed to have below average intelligence

10. Domestic Violence Domestic Violence and abuse is the misuse of power and the exercise of control by one person over another within a close relationship. It may involve: • physical violence • emotional or psychological abuse • sexual violence and abuse • financial control • controlling where you go and who you meet.

11. Possible Signs and Symptoms of Domestic Violence Can include: • Physical injuries • Change in behaviour in school • Aggression/anger towards parent • Over protective of parent • Introversion, withdrawal, depression

12. Neglect Persistent failure to meet a child’s basic and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of a child’s health or development. This may involve: • a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing • failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger • failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment • unresponsiveness to a child’s basic emotional needs

13. Possible Signs and Symptoms of Neglect Can include: • Constant hunger • Poor personal hygiene • Poor state of clothing • Frequent lateness or non-attendance at school • Untreated injuries/medical problems

14. Physical Abuse • Hitting • Shaking • Throwing • Poisoning • Burning & scalding • Drowning • Suffocating • Fabricated & Induced Illness

15. Signs of Physical Abuse Common Sites for Accidental injury Forehead Crown Bony spinal protuberances Elbows Iliac crest Knees Shins Common Sites for Non-accidental injury Eyes Ears Cheeks Mouth Shoulder Chest Upper Arms Inner arms Stomach Genitals Front thighs Buttocks Back of thighs

16. Possible Signs and Symptoms of Physical Abuse Can include: • Unexplained injuries or burns, particularly if they are recurrent • Improbable excuses given to explain injuries • Refusal to discuss injuries • Untreated injuries • Fear of parents being contacted • Arms and legs kept covered – even in hot weather • Fear of medical help

17. Emotional Abuse Persistent emotional ill-treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on his/her emotional development. It may involve: • conveying to children they are worthless, unloved or inadequate • conveying to children that they are valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person • inappropriate expectations for their age or development • causing children to feel frightened or in danger • the exploitation or corruption of children

18. Possible Signs and Symptoms of Emotional Abuse Can include: • Over-reaction to mistakes • Sudden speech disorders • Neurotic behaviour e.g. rocking, hair-twisting, thumb sucking • Self mutilation • Extremes of passivity or aggression

19. Sexual Abuse Forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or NOT the child is aware of what is happening. Activities include:- • physical contact, including penetrative and non-penetrative acts • involving children looking at or in the production of pornographic material • watching sexual activities • encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways

20. Possible Signs and Symptoms of Sexual Abuse Can include: • Vivid details of sexual activity • Compulsive masturbation • Sexual drawings • Sexualised play with explicit acts • Soreness of genitalia or bottom

21. What are the reasons children do not report abuse? • ‘it was nobody else’s business’ • ‘didn’t think it was serious or wrong’ • ‘didn’t want parents to find out’ • ‘didn’t want friends to find out’ • ‘didn’t want the authorities to find out’ • ‘was frightened’ (24%) • ‘didn’t think I would be believed’ (13%) • ‘threats from abuser’ (7%) • ‘it was my fault’ National College for School Leadership

22. What to do if ?

23. DO Listen and accept Try not to interrupt Tell the child that they have done the right thing by telling you Inform the child of what you are going to do Make accurate notes using all the child’s words as soon as possible Inform the designated person for child protection DON’T Promise confidentiality Investigate Ask leading questions Ask the child to repeat the disclosure over and over Golden Rules

24. Keeping Yourself Safe Always keep a recording of any behaviour or incident that could compromise you as a worker ie; If the child makes any allegation against you or another member of staff Or you are touched you in a sexual manner or inappropriate place

25. Recording • Brief notes at the time, if possible • Write-up using child’s own words (keep original notes) • Record date, time and behaviour • Use Body Map to record injuries and write a description (do not photograph injuries) • Consult immediately with the designated person for child protection • Seek support for yourself

27. Why is education so important in this area? 55% access the internet everyday 47% for an hour or more 21% liked IM/Chat the most 15% used gaming sites 11% used Social Networking sites 33% had access in their bedrooms 25% have met someone offline 83% have taken a friend Sources CEOP Questionnaire Analysis 2007

28. Risks of using the internet Paedophiles use the internet to meet young people People lying to others online Bullying using the internet (Cyber bulling) Seeing inappropriate images and material Viruses and pop ups

30. Referral and Threshold consultation Service Do you have concerns about a child? Are you unsure whether to make a social care referral? Children and Young People’s Services provide a consultation service to all professionals to consider if the concerns they have about a child or young person meet the threshold for a referral to social care. The service will discuss the concerns you have without sharing identifying information about the child or young person, therefore consent to share information from the parents / carers is not required at this stage. If the concerns do not meet the threshold for a social care referral, the practitioner will provide advice and signposting. This is not a referral taking facility and actual referrals will still need to be directed to local assessment teams You can contact the service on: 01392 383054/384574 Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00 (Friday 4.00pm)

31. Barriers to diagnosis ‘The biggest barrier to diagnosis is the existence of emotional blocks in the minds of professionals. These can be so powerful that they prevent diagnosis even being considered in quite obvious cases’. All those working with children should be warned that their ‘overwhelming impulse on confronting their first case is to cover it up.’ British Medical Journal (1989)

32. However…….. “Don’t have nightmares” because, The overwhelming majority of children do come from very warm and caring homes.