Safeguarding Children / Child Protection Awareness Training

1. Safeguarding Children / Child ProtectionAwareness Training Elaine Ryan Freelance Training & Learning/Development Consultant September 2010

2. Learning Objectives Have a greater understanding of Child Abuse, Child Protection and Safeguarding Children To have a clear understanding of what action to take if you are concerned about a child’s welfare

3. The National Agenda

4. Child Protection is part of Safeguarding and promoting welfare.

5. Is a pro-active measure to ensure all systems and policies in your establishment minimise risk of harm to all children Child Protection What is the difference between Safeguarding and Is a re-active response to an individual child who may be suffering significant harm .. is the activity that is undertaken to protect

6. Safeguarding Children Does it concern you? Safeguarding Children is EVERYBODY’s business All those who come into contact with children and families in their everyday work, including people who do not have specific role in relation to child protection, have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children www.doh.gov.uk/safeguardingchildren/index.htm

7. What is Safeguarding? The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully Working together to Safeguard Children (2006)

8. “Safeguarding” • All agencies working with children, young people and their families take all reasonable measures to ensure that the risks of harm to children’s welfare are minimised • Where there are concerns about children and young people’s welfare, all agencies take all appropriate actions to address those concerns working to agreed local policies and procedures. Dfes 2004

9. Setting the context

10. New Legislation & Guidance Lauren Wright Victoria Climbie Baby Peter Holly Wells & Jessica Chapman Education Act 2002 Victoria Climbie Inquiry Lord Laming 2003 Bichard Report 2004 The Protection of Children in England: A progress Report Lord Laming 2009 Safeguarding Children & Safeguarding Children in Education 2007 Every Child Matters: Change for Children 2004 The Protection of Children in England: action plan The Governments response to Lord Laming Safer Recruitment and Selection Guidance

11. Lauren Wright

12. Lauren’s inquiry found ..the school did not have structures in place to support child protection…. NO……. CHILD PROTECTION POLICY NAMED TEACHER/PERSON NAMED GOVERNOR CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES TRAINING FOR STAFF

13. All children have a fundamental right to be protected from harm and abuse.

14. Background • Victoria Climbie` died in February 2000 aged 8 years • Her primary carer and partner (Kouao and Manning) were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2001 • Lord Laming – Inquiry April 2001 • Report published 28 January 2003 • The report made108 Recommendations

15. Summary of findings Victoria was known to: Three housing departments Four social services departments Two GP’s Two hospitals NSPCC run family centre Two police child protection teams

16. Summary findings contd., Victoria had contact with a child minder and with faith based organisations The extent of failure to protect Victoria was lamentable – there were failures at every level and in every organisation

17. Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman

18. Who was protected first? RSPCA Formed in 1824 Children’s charter And NSPCC 1889

19. Children’s Charter 1889 • Enabled the state to intervene, for the first time, in relations between parents and children. Police could arrest anyone found ill-treating a child, and enter a home if a child was thought to be in danger. • The NSPCC was also formed the same year

20. Key Legislation

21. Children Act 1989 • The welfare of the child is paramount • Established parental responsibility • Courts should only make orders in the interest of the child • Children and parents should be kept informed about what happens to them and involved in decisions made about them

22. Children Act 1989 • Sec 17 – Child in need (CIN) to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need and provide appropriate services • Sec 47 – duty to investigate, to make child protection enquires if they have reasonable cause to suspect a child in their area is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm

23. Children Act 2004 • Sec 10 – duty on Local Authorities and relevant partners to co-operate in order to improve the well-being of children in their area • Sec 11 - general duty of care on services to safeguard and promote the welfare of children • Sec 12 – creation of a database to facilitate a new identification, referral and tracking system • Sec 13 – Local Safeguarding Children Boards

24. Every Child Matters 5 Outcomes: • Be healthy • Stay safe • Enjoy and achieve • Make a positive contribution • Achieve economic well-being Success depends on working together

25. Significant harm Threshold for Significant Harm There is no absolute criteria on which to rely Significant harm can be caused by one traumatic event or a compilation of events that interrupt, change or damage the child’s physical or psychological development. Source: Diocese of Chichester

26. Working together to Safeguard Children Defines four broad categories for abuse • Neglect • Physical Abuse • Sexual Abuse • Emotional Abuse

27. Definitions : Neglect The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in 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, shelter and clothing, or neglect and/or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

28. Indicators and Recognition of Neglect Neglect is not always easy to recognise, but the following may be cause for concern: Failure by parents or carer to meet basic and essential needs Failure to grow within normal expected pattern of development Failure to thrive Child left with adults who are intoxicated or violent Child abandoned or left alone for excessive periods

29. Definitions: Physical Abuse May involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning or suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child, including by fabricating the symptoms of, or deliberately causing, ill health to a child.

30. Recognition/indicators of physical abuse The following are often regarded as indicators for concern: An explanation which is not consistent with an injury Several different explanations provided for an injury Unexplained delay in seeking treatment The carer or parent uninterested or undisturbed by an accident or injury The family’s use of different doctors and A&E departments

31. Definitions: Sexual Abuse Forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not they are aware of what is happening. May involve physical contact, penetrative (e.g. rape,buggery or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts. They may include involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

32. Indicators & recognition of abuse – Sexual abuse Some behavioural indicators associated with sexual abuse are: Inappropriate sexualised conduct Sexually explicit behaviour Unusual avoidance of touch Frequent complaints of unexplained abdominal pains Pain or itching of the genital area Bedwetting Physical symptoms such as injuries to the genital or anal area, bruising to the buttocks, abdomen and thighs and STD

33. Definition: Emotional Abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent effects on a child’s emotional development and may involve: Conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate,or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person. Imposing developmentally inappropriate expectations Causing children to feel frightened or in danger -e.g. witnessing domestic violence. Exploitation or corruption of children.

34. Indicators & recognition of Emotional abuse Developmental delay Abnormal attachment between child and parent or carer Aggressive behaviour towards others Frozen watchfulness, particularly in pre-school children Neurotic behaviour Self mutilation

35. Listening to children • 2/8/92 a girl spoke to the local Police Officer in Cromwell Street about the Quest/Chest family • 8/8/92 the West children were removed • In interview referred to a family joke that Heather was under the patio • 12 murder victims were found

36. CONFIDENTIALITY • You will need to break confidentiality if, at any time, the health or safety of the person seeking help or any other person is at risk

37. Silencing Factors • Fear you may be wrong • Doubts about the child’s truthfulness • Anger and distress • Child’s attempt to bind you to secrecy • Uncertainty of procedures and consequences • Unresolved feelings • Not wanting to interfere in family life

38. Communicating concerns • The worker must: • Not collude • Not minimise or discount • Not indicate their own views but maintain a professional focus • Be supportive and respectful • Feel grounded in their own authority

39. If you are concerned • Try to sort out in your mind why you are worried – based on: • What you have seen • What you have heard from others • What has been said to you directly Try to be clear about why you are worried but do not be afraid to listen to your instinct

40. When to take action? • Is it a suspicion or an allegation • What evidence do I have • Is it causing significant harm • It is persistent or severe • Is it harmful to health or development • What is the context and/or history • What should I do next

41. Dealing with disclosure • Listen carefully to what the child has to say: • Clarify the concern • Offer reassurance about how s/he will be kept safe • Explain what action will be taken • Stay calm • Believe what you are told • Explain that you can not keep secrets

42. What happen when you make a referral?

43. The Assessment Framework

44. The process for safeguarding children When there is a likelihood of continuing significant harm Recognition and referral Initial assessment Strategy discussion S47 enquiries / core assessment Children protection conference Child protection plan Review

45. Contd., When there is no continuing significant harm but a need to consider if other services are required Recognition and Referral Initial assessment Child in Need (CiN) services provided with agreement of family Or No specific services are required The assessment that the child is, or is not at risk of continuing significant harm may be made at any stage of the process

46. Three possible outcomes

47. THE END SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AWARENESS TRAINING ELAINE RYAN INDEPENDENT TRAINING CONSULTANT October 2009