Child Protection TrainingModule 1

BASIC AWARENESS

WELCOME

KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL DAY!

Ground Rules• Active listening without interruption• Challenge the view – not the person• Avoid acronyms• Take responsibility for your own learning• Confidentiality – what’s shared in the room stays in the room• Take care of yourself•

AIMS AND OBJECTIVESIncreased understanding of:

Kent Safeguarding Children Board (KSCB) Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) Early Help and Referral The 4 primary types of abuse The importance of the 4 Rs:

• RECOGNISE the signs, symptoms and indicators of abuse and neglect• RESPOND effectively when children want to tell. The voice of the child is

paramount• RECORD child protection concerns• REFER to the appropriate person

The importance of sharing information and collaborating with other agencies to safeguard the welfare of children.

ICEBREAKER

• What does the term ‘safeguarding children’ mean to you?

In groups please draw your answer!

LOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN’S BOARDS (LSCBS)

• The Children Act 2004 required each local authority to establish a Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB)

• • Statutory responsibility to each locality to have this

mechanism in place

• LSCBs are the key system in every local authority for organisations to agree about how they will cooperate with one another to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

KSCB STRUCTURE

SERIOUS CASE REVIEWS (SCRs)

Regulation 5 of the Local Safeguarding Children Boards Regulations 2006 requires Safeguarding Boards to undertake reviews of serious cases. The Regulation defines a serious case as one where;

1. Abuse or neglect of a child is known/suspected

2. A child has died

3. A child has been seriously harmed and there is cause for concern as to the way in which the authority, their Board partners or other relevant persons have worked together to safeguard the child.

SERIOUS CASE REVIEWS (SCR)

• An SCR involves multi-agency partners reviewing cases that meet specific criteria

• Includes detailed chronologies and reports from every agency that had been involved with the child/family

• The purpose of an SCR is not to apportion blame, but to identify learning from the situation and to bring about changes to prevent a repeat occurrence.

SERIOUS CASE REVIEWS (SCRs)

National Cases

Victoria Climbie - 2000

Baby Peter - 2007

Hamzah Khan - 2009

Daniel Pelka - 2012

Riley Turner - 2013

Kent Cases

Abigail 2008

Brooke 2009

Daniel 2010

Ashley 2011

Amy 2012

THE 4 R’s1. Recognise … the signs of abuse

2. Respond …to these

3. Record …details

4. Refer …appropriately

THE LAW & GUIDANCE

The Children Act -1989 & 2004

Section 1 Welfare of the child is paramount

Section 11 Anyone who has contact with children must know how to recognise and refer concerns about children

Section 17 Services to support children in need – with parental consent (CAF)

Section 47 Duty to investigate “significant harm” (child protection)

(Working Together 2010 & 2013)

Working Together 2010 & 2013

DEFINITIONS

A child is deemed to be in need if:

• They are unlikely to achieve or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health and development without the provision for them of services by a Local Authority.

• Their health or development is likely to be significantly impaired or further impaired without the provision of services.

• They are significantly and permanently disabled.

Child in NeedSection 17: Children Act 1989

Child ProtectionSection 47 – Children Act 1989

CP procedures instigated:

• Where a Local Authority has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm, they have a duty to investigate.

• There is a duty of ‘any person’ to co-operate.

FROM EARLY HELP TO REFERRAL

Health

Education

CHILDSafeguarding

And promotingwelfare

Chi

ld’s

Dev

elop

men

tal N

eeds Parenting C

apacity

Family & Environmental Factors

Social Presentation

Emotional & Behavioural

Development

Identity

Family & SocialRelationships

Self-care Skills

Basic Care

Ensuring Safety

Emotional Warmth

Stimulation

Guidance & Boundaries

Stability

Wid

er Fa

mily

Fam

ily

Histo

ry &

Functio

nin

g

Inco

me

Em

plo

yment

Housin

g

Com

munity

Reso

urce

s

EXERCISE 1

Are you concerned?

Recognise how your personal feelings and values may affect how you view child abuse

Rate your concerns: 1(low) - 6 (high)

1. A father spanks his daughter over his knee for a minor misdemeanour

2. A 13 year old girl has an 18 year boyfriend

3. A mother encourages her daughter to act as a model for friends to photograph

4. A 14 year old is told she is stupid and has let the family down

5. Parents who regularly have violent arguments in the family home

RECOGNISING ABUSE - REACTIONS

• Denial - recognition might be difficult

• Guilt - we all make mistakes sometimes

• Fear - we don’t know what to do

• Anger - that people can do such things to children

• Pain - at the recognition of abuse in our own lives

• Jealousy - If we have to let another professional take over

WHO ABUSES CHILDREN?• Anyone - abusers come from all walks of life

• Male and female

• All backgrounds/ethnicities

• Often someone the child knows well – e.g. Parent, carer, step-parent or family friend

• People who are in contact with children

• Children

• Strangers – although usually an abuser is not a stranger

WHAT ARE THE FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES OF ABUSE?

• Physical

•Emotional

•Sexual

•Neglect

EXERCISE 2:What would you see?What would you hear?

Physical Emotional

Sexual Neglect

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ABUSE Working Together 2010

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.

Emotional Abuse

… is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on their emotional development. It may:

• make them feel they are worthless, unloved, inadequate or involve the exploitation or corruption of children

• include not allowing them to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say/ how they communicate.

• mean that age/developmentally inappropriate expectations are being imposed on them or that they see/ hear the ill-treatment of another.

• involve serious bullying, (including cyber bullying), causing them to feel frightened or in danger, or.

Sexual Abuse

… involves 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.

• These activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetrative (e.g. rape, buggery or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts, such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing.

• They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at/in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet).

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. It may:

• occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse

• involve a parent or carer failing to:

– provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home/abandonment)

– protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger– ensure adequate supervision (including using inadequate care-

givers)– ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment– respond to a child’s basic emotional needs.

EXERCISE 3:

Abuse?1. A father spanks his daughter over his knee for a minor

misdemeanour

2. A 13 year old girl has an 18 year boyfriend

3. A mother encourages her daughter to act as a model for friends to photograph

4. A 14 year old is told she is stupid and has let the family down

5. Parents who regularly have violent arguments in the family home

THE JIGSAW ...

You have a piece of the jigsaw – You can:

Throw it away

Keep itGive it to a colleague to

use

... or find out where it fits by working with partners

EXERCISE 4

Which piece of the jigsaw are you likely to have?

• What might you see in your role? • What indicators would cause concerns?

CLOTHING SIBLINGS BRUISES / INJURIES

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

SOILING / WETTING

AVOIDANCE OF

MEDICALS

SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR

EATING PATTERNS

DISCLOSURE ATTITUDE TO GAMES

/ PE

CHANGES IN BEHAVIOUR

GETTING TO AND FROM SETTING

UNUSUAL PICTURES /

STORIES

ATTITUDE TO OTHER

CHILDREN

ATTENDANCE

ATTITUDE TO

ADULTS

INFORMATION SHARING

• is everyone’s responsibility and key to safeguarding – even when Social Care are the lead agency

• Key learning points from all SCRs from all over the country has shown that lack of information sharing is a regular contributory factor

• Justify• Authorisation• Proportionate• Auditable• Necessary

JAPAN

DATA PROTECTIONThe Data Protection Act 1998 is not a barrier to sharing information if:• those likely to be affected give their consent; OR

• the public interest in safeguarding the child’s welfare overrides the need to keep information confidential; OR

• disclosure is required under a court order or legal obligation

Remember …

• Refusal to consent does not mean you cannot share information

• Professional judgement and advice is needed to consider the consequences of sharing/not sharing

• Sharing information in good faith in order to safeguard a child or children will usually be in the public interest.

RECORDING/STORING INFORMATION

Accurate recording and storing of information is essential. Your information should be:

• clearly and legibly documented

• dated and signed

• supported by a chronology of events (if appropriate)

• related to a Body Map (where appropriate)

• stored securely

• regularly updated

DEALING WITH DISCLOSURES

• Listen but clarify if necessary

• Stay calm and reassure

• Make accurate notes using their words

• Inform your safeguarding lead – who should then consult CSS

• Confirm that you may need to share what you have been told

• Seek support for yourself

• Ask leading questions

• Use your own words to describe events

• Ask ‘why?’

• Investigate

• Judge or comment on what has been said

• Promise confidentiality

DO DON’T

PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

• Contact the Safeguarding Lead or Designated Officer within your own organisation/team

• Children’s Social Services - contact the Central Referral Unit (CRU) during normal working hours to request a consultation with a qualified social worker 03000 41 41 41 (“I need a consultation with a social worker regarding a child protection matter”)

• Request a reference number and a copy of the consultation and store this securely

Next Steps….• Talk to someone

– Your line manager, Designated Officer or Safeguarding lead and /or advice from Social Care Services

• Think about

- Urgency, gravity, risk, consent, appropriateness• Follow up …

– Formal referral - referral form or telephone referral followed up in writing

•Be persistent– Make sure you know that your concerns were acted on

- what was the outcome?

Referral Form can be found www.KSCB.org.uk

WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW?

Will you RECOGNISE a child protection concern?

Do you know how to RESPOND if you are concerned about a child’s welfare?

Are you clear about the need to RECORD your concerns about child protection issues?

… and are you clear about how to REFER a child about whom you have a child protection concern?

REMEMBER ….•All children have the right to a happy healthy childhood

•The welfare of the child, their interests and safety, is paramount - particularly where there is conflict.

•Child abuse is an emotive subject and we may all need some help or debriefing after an incident or if this training has raised issues for you

•It is important you understand your agency’s safeguarding procedures, and know what to do are concerned about a child

•Anyone who has a concern about a child has the responsibility to progress/refer that concern

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN: KSCB Recommendations & Good Practice

Basic Awareness Training

• All staff and volunteers should have appropriate training to enable them to carry out their child protection responsibilities effectively.

• Must be updated every 3 years

Designated Officer Training

• All services should have a senior member of the leadership team designated to take responsibility for child protection.

• Have appropriate training updated every 2 years

www.kscb.org.uk

Other Useful Websites:

• Safe Network: www.safenetwork.org.uk

• NSPCC: www.nspcc.org.uk

• Childline: www.childline.org.uk

• Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) www.ceop.police.uk

ANY QUESTIONS?