Child Protection & Safeguarding at Cann Bridge School

1. Child Protection & Safeguardingat Cann Bridge School

2. Programme • Child Protection Law • Categories & Indicators of Abuse • Child Protection Procedures & Referrals • Safe Practice • Key Contacts

3. Learning Objectives • Understand concepts of Safeguarding & Child Protection and how they relate to your job • Understand your responsibilities • Be able to recognise and respond to concerns appropriately • Know how to share information appropriately with other professionals and agencies

4. What is acceptable?

5. What is Safeguarding?What is Child protection?

7. CHILD PROTECTION LAW

8. The Children Act 1989 • Children Act 1989 comprises the child protection legislation including taking children into care • The welfare of the child is paramount • Children should usually be brought up in their own families • Introduces concept of Significant Harm and Children in Need • Permits reasonable physical chastisement

9. The Children Act 1989 • Section 17 – Children in Need the Local Authority has a duty to assist where children’s development would be impaired without input • Section 47 - Child Protection the Local Authority has a duty to investigate where a child is considered to be or is at risk of significant harm • Section 27 – Duty of Cooperation between agencies with regard to matters of CP

10. The County and governing body of maintained schools have a legal duty to make arrangements for ensuring that the functions conferred on them are exercised with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children Education Act 2002 (S175)

11. Children Act 2004 (S11) • Section 11 places a statutory duty on key people and bodies – including local authorities to make arrangements to ensure that in discharging their functions they have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

12. CATEGORIES OF ABUSE

13. Definitions of Abusefrom Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010) • Inflicting harm, or failing to act to prevent harm • Children may be abused: • in a family • in an institutional or community setting • by those known to the child • more rarely, by a stranger • Children may be abused • by an adult or adults • by another child

14. Categories of Abuse • Neglect • Physical abuse • Sexual Abuse • Emotional Abuse

15. Neglect 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, such as: • Substance misuse in pregnancy • Failing to provide adequate food/shelter/clothing/ protection from danger and abandonment • Failing to ensure adequate supervision • Failing to provide appropriate medical care • Failing to respond to child’s basic emotional needs

16. Possible indicators of Neglect Physical Indicators Behavioural Indicators

17. Shaking Throwing Poisoning Burning / scalding Drowning Hitting Suffocating Otherwise causing physical harm When a carer fabricates symptoms or deliberately induces illness in a child Physical Abuse

18. Non-accidental Injuries are suspected when: • Injuries to both sides of the body • Injuries to soft tissue • Injuries with particular patterns • An injury that doesn’t fit the explanation given • Delays in presentation • Untreated injuries • Bruising on pre mobile babies

19. Possible indicators of Physical Abuse

20. Sexual Abuse Forcing or enticing a child to take part in: • Sexual activities, including prostitution, whether the child is aware of what is happening or not • Physical contact including penetrative and non-penetrative acts • Non-contact activities including children looking at or being involved in the production of pornographic material, watching sexual activities, encouraged to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, and verbal sexual abuse

21. Possible indicators of Sexual Abuse

22. Emotional Abuse • Persistent emotional ill-treatment of a child causing severe and persistent adverse effects on child’s emotional development: • Conveying that children are worthless/unloved • Imposing age-inappropriate expectations on children • (e.g., caring for an alcohol-addicted parent) • Seeing/hearing the ill-treatment of another • (Domestic Violence) • Serious bullying • Exploiting & corrupting children

23. Possible indicators of Emotional Abuse

25. Specific types of violence towards children • Honour based violence • Forced marriage • Trafficking • Prostitution • Domestic servitude • Spirit possession • Female genital mutilation

26. It is important to note that the lists of signs and symptoms are possible indicators of abuse. Many of these signs could have other explanations. They do not necessarily indicate that a child has been abused. They may help you to recognise that something is wrong.

27. Other Factors that raise Concern • Parent (and or child) misusing alcohol or drugs • Domestic abuse within the household • Parents with learning difficulties and or mental health problems • Children with disabilities • Grooming & Sexual exploitation (including online) • Teenage pregnancy & parenthood • Child Trafficking • Highly mobile families & families without recourse to public funds • Bullying (including online) • Female Genital Mutilation • Self-harming behaviours

28. Domestic Abuse (incl. Violence) • Domestic abuse is any threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between adults who are or have been in a relationship, or between family members. • It can affect anybody, regardless of their gender or sexuality. • It can be psychological, physical, sexual or emotional. • Domestic abuse can include honour based violence, female genital mutilation, and forced marriage. (Home Office)

29. Facts about Domestic Violence • In up to 60% of DV households, the child(ren) are also being physically abused • Parents and professionals tend to minimise children’s awareness / impact of the DV • DV increases likelihood of other types of abuse (sexual, emotional, neglect) • Younger children suffer more significant effects of DV

30. Children with Disabilities • Children with disabilities are up to three timesmore likely to be abused. Factors include: • Have fewer outside contacts than other children • Receive intimate personal care, possibly from a number of carers, which may both increase the risk of exposure to abusive behaviour and make it more difficult to set and maintain physical boundaries • Have an impaired capacity to resist or avoid abuse • Have communication difficulties that may make it difficult to tell others what is happening • Be inhibited about complaining because of a fear of losing services • Be especially vulnerable to bullying and intimidation and/or • Be more vulnerable than other children to abuse by their peers.

31. CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES & REFERRALS

32. Response to Concerns Speak to Senior Designated Person (Michael Loveman) or Deputy DP, Jennie Ferret

33. It is your duty to… • Be familiar with the school’s Child Protection (CP) Policy • Know who your Designated CP Officer is • Understand the reporting structure for Safeguarding & CP concerns within your organisation • Be familiar with the PlymouthSafeguarding Children Board policies and procedures on the website: http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/localsafeguardingchildrenboard.htm

34. Recording • Record the facts of the case as soon as possible: • Your concern about the child • Details of what you observed / heard / saw, etc • Use the child’s words – do not interpret • Note discussions with parents / carers • Note context – what has been done previously & other professionals involved • Say how you interpret the facts and note any decisions, such as information sharing or making referrals • Use plain language and type up your recording

35. Information Sharing with Other Professionals: 7 Golden Rules • Data Protection Act is not a barrier for sharing info about CP • Be open & honest about how you plan to share info • Seek advice if in doubt about whether to share • Share with consent, where appropriate • Consider safety and well-being of those about whom you are sharing information • Ensure sharing of information is necessary, proportionate, relevant, accurate, timely & secure • Keep a record of information sharing & reasons

36. Evidence must be: • Sufficient – usually a pattern • Valid – within the definitions • Relevant – to the child • Demonstrable - Verifiable • Recorded – close to the event • Accurate – and unambiguous • Reliable – over time

37. Qualities we need... Emotional intelligence Reflective practice Analytical skills Empathy Well-being

38. Disclosures made by children

39. Some helpful responses if a child confides in you... • Remain calm • Take what the child says seriously • Listen carefully without interrupting or prompting • Reassure them that they are not to blame • Let them know what you are going to do to help • Make sure relevant emergency service is contacted if required • Report what you have been told to the Designated Child Protection Officer (or deputy) asap • Record what was said and who was present, using the child’s words

40. What to avoid if a child confides in you... • Do not allow your shock or disgust to show • Do not probe for more information than is given • Do not make assumptions • Do not criticise abuser • Do not make promises you cannot keep • Do not agree to keep information secret • Never delay emergency action to protect a child • Never express disbelief in what the child is saying • Do not try to investigate or question the child, except to clarify what you have heard – esp. in cases of suspected sexual abuse

41. SAFE PRACTICE

42. Safe Workforce Cycle

43. Safe practice – consider…. • Professional codes of conduct • Being alone with the child / young person • Physical contact / restraint • Social contact outside setting / appropriate boundaries • Gifts & favouritism • Behaviour management • Intimate care • Safe use of technology (Security / Internet / mobile phones / digital images of children, etc)