Designated Senior Persons Training

1. Designated Senior Persons Training June Williams Sherran Finney

2. Ground Rules • Confidentiality • Time Out • Questions & contributions welcome • Mobiles on silent please • Handouts

3. Aims • To provide an awareness of safeguarding children and young people in education settings • To raise an awareness of the signs and indicators of abuse, how to respond and how to refer appropriately both within school and to other agencies

4. Consider the following: • What do you think Child Abuse is? • Who does it happen to? • Whose responsibility is it to protect children from abuse? • Why do you need this training? • What can you do?

5. Background • Serious Case Reviews and Inquiries • High profile cases • Recommendations • Updated and new legislation • Has it made a difference?

6. Lauren Wright 1994 - 2000 • ‘’often she was covered with lots of small bruises and with major bruises about once a month. These included black eyes, bruising on her face and scratches across her back” • Class teacher

7. Victoria Climbie1991 - 2000 • “the food would be cold and would be given to her on a piece of plastic while she was tied up in the bath. She would eat it like a dog, pushing her face to the plate…” • Neil Garnham, QC to the Victoria Climbie Inquiry

8. Peter Connolly ‘Baby P’ 2006 – 2007 • On 1st August 2007, Peter attended at the child development centre. The doctor found him to be unwell and miserable and advised Peter’s mother to take him to her GP or to hospital if he did not get better • It is now known that, at that stage, Peter was suffering from a fractured spine. • Peter died on the 3rd August 2007 aged 17 months. He had a fractured spine, numerous cuts and bruises and eight broken ribs.

9. What went wrong? • Lauren, Victoria and Peter were abused and killed by people they knew; in Lauren’s case by her step-mother; Victoria by her great-aunt and her boyfriend; Peter by his mother, her boyfriend and another man who lived with them. • All these children came to the notice of a number of agencies including school, early years, housing, health services, police and social care in the months leading up to their deaths. • All were let down by the agencies which should have protected them. • All their deaths led to major changes in legislation, policy and practice across all agencies.

10. Local Serious Case Review January 2010 • Although no death of a child occurred similar issues highlighted • Number of agencies involved with the family • Staff not trained to deal with complexity of situation and mistakes made • Assault was preventable • Co-ordination of services inadequate • Lines of accountability insufficiently robust • Focus of intervention not on children

11. What has changed • Maria Colwell 25th March 1965 – 6/7th January 1973 • Died at the hands of her step father • Number of agencies involved • Referrals made by neighbours and other agencies • Information not passed on to workers • Let down by agencies which should have protected her • Led to major changes in legislation and procedures

12. North Somerset Serious Case Review 2011 • Class teacher committed and was charged with 36 sexual offences • Police uncovered 30,500 indecent photographs and 720 indecent movies • The youngest victim was aged 6

13. North Somerset Serious Case Review 2011 • "The failure of school managers to take action in response to the concerns raised was compounded by the failure of anyone in the school to recognise that the teacher's behaviour might have constituted grooming for sexual abuse. • "This raises questions about the impact of the safeguarding training that staff in the school had received." • Tony Oliver of the North Somerset Safeguarding Children Board said there were "significant failures" • He said the review report showed that the culture of safeguarding children at the school needed to be "much stronger"

14. Framework of legislation and guidance UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 Ratified by UK in 1991 Education Act 2002 Children Act 1989 Children Act 2004 What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (2006) Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006 & 2010) Sexual Offences Act 2003 Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures Local authority & school child protection policies Education and Inspections Act 2006 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education

15. Section 175 Education Act 2002 • Everyone in the education service shares an objective to help keep children and young people safe by contributing to • Providing a safe environment for children and young people to learn in education settings • Identifying children and young people who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm and take appropriate action with the aim of making sure they are kept safe both at home and at school

16. ECM Five Outcomes • Stay Safe • Healthy • Enjoy and Achieve • Economic Wellbeing • Positive Contribution

17. Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) • The LSCB is the key statutory mechanism for agreeing how the relevant organisations in each local area will co-operate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and for ensuring the effectiveness of what they do. • Membership of the LSCB is made up of senior managers from different services and agencies in a local area, including the independent and voluntary sector. • The Doncaster SCB has a number of sub-groups including Serious Case Reviews, a Young People’s Group and an Education Sub group. • The Doncaster SCB website is • www.doncastersafeguardingchildren.co.uk

18. Ofsted & Safeguarding • Ofsted defines safeguarding as follows: • ‘safeguarding children in educational settings includes the focus on protecting children from harm by adults but goes beyond it to cover other functions such as: • Promoting good attendance at school • Ensuring positive and safe behaviour and eliminating bullying and other forms of harassment • Providing support for children with emotional and social difficulties • Minimising exclusions from school • Improving security on school sites • Health and safety for in-school and out-of-school • activities’

19. Child Protection Staff Conduct Anti Bullying Policies Children Missing Education Curriculum Safeguarding Managing Allegations Against Staff Behaviour Management Whistleblowing Health and Safety Building Design Safe Recruitment and Selection

20. Definition of Abuse • Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. • Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. • They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.

21. Categories of Abuse • Physical Abuse • Emotional Abuse • Neglect • Sexual Abuse • As defined by ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013)’

22. 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

23. 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 also involve 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 emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

24. Neglect • Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s 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, clothing and shelter • Protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger • Ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers) • Ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment • It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs

25. 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 or non-penetrative 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, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet).

26. Discuss, in groups, the signs you might encounter which could indicate possible abuse. (Child Protection procedures apply to children and young people below the age of 18 years so remember to consider all ages of children in your discussion.)

27. Indicators of Abuse • Some indicators are highly suggestive of abuse, others less so. No list of indicators can be complete, and it is important in every case to consider the child’s experience of living in his/her family and the other things that are happening in his/her life. • If a child has suffered one kind of abuse, the likelihood of suffering another kind is increased. • The information contained on the following slides about the indicators/impact of abuse is taken from Chapter 1(1.3) of the South Yorkshire and Doncaster SCB Child Protection Procedures

28. Accidental • Occurs from everyday play activities and accidents • Patterns do not differ between boys and girls • Increase in number with age and mobility • Most common on bony prominences and at the front of the body, including the forehead

29. Common Sites For Accidental Injury FOREHEAD NOSE CHIN BONY SPINE FOREARM ELBOWS HIP KNEES SHINS

30. Non-accidental or Unexplained Injuries • No gender difference • On average more numerous and significantly bigger than in accidental • Multiple bruises in clusters • May carry the impression of the implement used • Fatal non accidental head injury and fractures can occur without bruising (shaken baby)

31. Common sites for unexplained injury SKULL - fracture or bleeding under skull (from shaking EYES - bruising, black (particularly both eyes) EARS - Pinch or slap marks, bruising CHEEK/SIDE OF FACE - bruising, finger marks NECK -bruising, grasp marks MOUTH - torn frenulum UPPER & INNER ARM - bruising, grasp marks SHOULDERS - bruising, grasp marks CHEST - bruising, grasp marks BACK } BUTTOCKS } THIGHS } Linear bruising. Outline of belt/buckles. Scalds/burns GENITALS - bruising KNEES - grasp marks

32. Physical Abuse • Withdraw from physical contact or close relationships with adults and children; be apprehensive when other children cry; • Be frightened of going home; show reluctance for parent/carer to be contacted or appear to be frightened by a particular person (parent/carer or other) • Being aggressive to others – children and adults; be reluctant to undress for PE or swimming; refuse to discuss or give improbable causes about injuries • Parent/Carer may make repeated presentation of minor injuries or illnesses, often to the GP or A & E, which may represent a ‘cry for help’ and which, if ignored, may lead to more serious injury. • Minor injuries in babies may be an indication that more serious injuries, like fractures, have already been sustained

33. Emotional Abuse • Domestic Violence, adult mental health problems and parental substance misuse • Sudden speech disorders, over-reaction to mistakes, fear of new situations, inappropriate responses to stressful situations • Self harm, low self esteem, extremes of passivity or aggression, attention seeking behaviour; Scapegoating of one child • Not allowing the child to receive gifts, play with toys, go on outings, when other family members are • Indifference to the child’s needs; hostility towards the child; ridicule, sarcasm, deliberate frightening of a child • Cruelty, like being locked up in cold, dark surroundings • Signs of Neglect

34. Possible signs of Neglect • Poor personal hygiene/Poor state of clothing • Constant tiredness, untreated medical problems • Poor physical condition/Emaciation/Failure to Thrive, without an organic reason • Frequent lateness or non-attendance at school or nursery/poor intellectual development/underachieving • Repeated or frequent accidents due to low levels of, or inadequate, supervision • Inadequate or inappropriate diet/Poor skin and hair condition, slow to heal sores etc. • Signs of emotional abuse, low self esteem, attention seeking behaviour, no social relationships, isolation

35. Possible signs of Sexual Abuse • Bruising around the knees, thighs, bottom, genitalia and upper arms (often symmetrical, suggesting grip marks) • Mouth injuries; burns/bite marks; Injuries, infections, bleeding, abnormal discharge in the genital or anal area • Pregnancy – particularly when concealed; Soiling and Wetting • Sexualised drawings, play or language; low self-esteem, suicidal gestures, self harm, running away, eating disorders, sleep disturbance • Promiscuity, confusion as to the abuse • Signs of ‘grooming’ • Withdrawn and depressed

36. Internet and mobile phones The risks to children and young people include: • increased exposure to sexually inappropriate content • access to sites which may promote harmful behaviours, such as promoting anorexia, demonstrating how to make weapons and explosives or explaining how to take one’s own life • being coerced, tricked or forced into sexual conversations, or sexual acts which are filmed and uploaded onto websites • meeting people who present a risk • cyber-bullying and harassment • inappropriate photographs taken on mobile phones and distributed freely

37. Talking to children

38. Group Exercise • What stops children from telling us about their abuse? • Can you think of factors which may increase a child’s vulnerability • What stops us from taking action? • Professionally • Personally

39. Factors that stop children reporting abuse and accessing help • May not be listened to or believed • Embarrassment & shame; lack of vocabulary, understanding or language • Fear of consequences; over reaction; lack of control; not knowing what will happen next • Protecting the abuser or siblings; not knowing who to tell • Understanding or recognising abuse – thinking “it’s normal” • Fear of being taken into care or getting the abuser or themselves into ‘trouble’

40. Factors which may increase a child’s vulnerability • Disability and special educational needs • Looked after children/being in care • Parents who misuse drugs or alcohol • Domestic Violence • Parental mental illness • Extreme religious or cultural practices • Chaotic, unsettled or transient lifestyles • Lack of parental control

41. Why don’t we act? • We don’t know who to tell • We are afraid of repercussions • We have a lack of trust in agencies • “It’s not my job!” • It happened to me and I’m ok • I can’t believe this – they are a really nice family, the child must be making it up or attention seeking • It’s my friend or work colleague – I don’t want to believe it!

42. Dealing with disclosure and talking to children • Experience and consultation with children shows that they will talk about their concerns and problems to people they feel they can trust and feel comfortable with. • It is good professional practice to ask a child why they are upset or how an injury was caused and to respond to a child who wants to talk to you. • It is important to remember that it is not the role of professionals, other than the enquiring or investigating Social Worker or Police Officer, to conduct the child protection investigation or enquiry.

43. Golden Rules DO DON’T Ask leading questions Use your own words to describe events Investigate Promise confidentiality • Listen carefully • Make accurate notes using the child’s words • Inform the designated person for child protection • Tell the child that they have done the right thing by telling you

44. Referral Process • The Designated Senior Person (DSP) for Child Protection in school should be consulted in the first instance if there are any concerns raised about a child’s welfare. • The DSP will make enquiries, seek advice and, where necessary, make a referral to Social Care. • Part of the Designated Person’s role is to talk to parent/carers about the concerns raised. Research shows that being open with parent/carers from the beginning results in better protection for the child. • All reasonable efforts should be made to inform parents/carers beforehand, however, an inability to inform them should not prevent referrals being made

45. When NOT to talk to parents • There are cases where it will not be appropriate to discuss concerns with parents/carers before referral so in these situations the timing of contact with parents/carers will be agreed with Social Care and/or the Police once the referral has been made • Some examples of when it would not be appropriate to inform the family are: • Where discussion would put the child at further risk of harm • Where there is evidence that involving the family would impede the investigation • Where sexual or physical abuse is suspected • Where to contact the family would place you or your staff at risk • As stated in previous slide, talking to parents would usually be done by the Head or DSP

46. The Referral Process • Refer – by telephone to Children’s Multi Agency Referral and Assessment Service (CMARAS) on 01302 737777 • Record – all referrals must be followed up in writing within 48 hours (use CAF Form in Doncaster) • Retain – keep the original copy of the referral form in school – securely and separate from any academic records • Remember – your record may be needed in any subsequent investigation, child protection conference or any Court action by Police or Social Care. • Chapter 3 of the Doncaster SCB procedures contains information on the Continuum of Need, Referral and Assessment Pathways

47. Case Study – Shannon, 6 years • You are a secretary at the primary school Shannon attends. Shannon has been sick in school today and you have been asked to contact her parents and to ask them to come and take her home. You get no reply at home so you contact father on his mobile number – he seems very angry at being phoned at work and says he will send his wife to collect Shannon. He said he will deal with Shannon later for “making a fuss over nothing, again” You feel concerned at his reaction. • What do you think you should do?

48. Case Study – Craig, 16 years • You are a Youth Worker and Craig attends the senior session at your youth centre. When he attended tonight he told you that he nearly didn’t come as he had been feeling unwell all day, he has a headache, is feeling sick and he also shows you a red mark on his cheek. When you talk to him further he tells you that he and his dad had a really bad argument this morning and that his dad hit him and he then fell against a cupboard. • Craig says that he thinks he pushed his dad too far, that he can handle himself and doesn’t want to take it any further. • What do you think you should do?

49. Case Study – Carl, 10 years • You are the Headteacher at the primary school Carl attends. You have been having problems with Carl’s behaviour for some time but today he has had a nasty fight with another boy in school. You are considering excluding him for the fight and when you tell him you will be contacting his mum he becomes very upset, crying and asking you not to exclude him. He keeps repeating “I don’t want to go home, please don’t make me go home” When you ask him why he doesn’t want to go home he says “something happens but I can’t tell you what it is” • What will you do next?

50. Case Study – Khyra, aged 7 • Khyra’s mother informs school that she now intends to home educate her daughter and will remove her from school immediately. She does not give a reason for this decision. • There have been no attendance or bullying issues raised, nor any other school issues involving Khyra. She has always seemed to be happy in school and has many friends. • School staff are, in fact, quite concerned about the care of Khyra and her siblings and have made previous referrals to Social Care, this is now compounded by the fact that mum wants to keep her at home. • In an attempt to talk mum out of her decision, the class teacher and Deputy Head make a home visit but fail to gain access to the home. • The EWO then makes a home visit but mum will not let her into the house or see Khyra. • A further referral is then made to Social Care due to the concerns for Khyra’s welfare. • What are your concerns at this stage? • What should happen next?