Child Protection Awareness

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Child Protection Awareness

• Maria Anastasi
• Deputy Head of Service
• Safeguarding and Quality Assurance
• London Borough of Enfield

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• Aims
• To increase awareness regarding responsibilities
  in relation to child protection and safeguarding
• To raise the level of understanding of different
  types of abuse and the impact on children
• To improve confidence in relation to practice and
  the correct child protection procedures to follow

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• LEGAL CONTEXT
• INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
• NATIONAL CONTEXT
• LOCAL CONTEXT

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• INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
• Children have the right to be protected from all
  forms of abuse. They must be safe from harm. They
  must be given proper care by those looking after
  them
• 
  Article 19
• United Nations Convention
• On the Rights of the Child 1991

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• Children have the right not to be punished
  cruelly or in a way that would belittle them
• Article 37
• United Nations Convention
• On the Rights of the Child 1991

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• NATIONAL CONTEXT
• CHILDREN ACT 1989
• The legal duty to protect children is set out
  in the Children Act. Under the Act, local
  authorities have a statutory duty to carry out
  enquiries where there is a reasonable cause to
  suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely
  to suffer significant harm.

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• EDUCATION ACT 2002
• The Act lays out the responsibilities of local
  authorities and the governing bodies and staff of
  further education colleges and maintained schools
  to safeguard and promote the welfare of
  children who are pupils at their school.

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Child Protection enquiries(s47)

• Local authorities have the statutory duty to make
  enquiries when they have reasonable cause to
  suspect that a child who lives or is found in
  their area is suffering or likely to suffer
  significant harm
• (section 47 of Children Act 1989)

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• Section 175 Duty of local authorities,
  governing bodies and proprietors for safeguarding
  and promoting the welfare of children as part of
  fulfilling their common law duty of care towards
  the children for whom their organisation is
  responsible.
• Section 157 same as above but relates to
  safeguarding pupils in independent schools.

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• WORKING TOGETHER TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN (2006)
• This is a government guidance on inter-agency
  working. It is a guide to all agencies to work
  individually and together to promote childrens
  welfare and protect them from abuse and neglect

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• LOCAL CONTEXT

LONDON CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES (2007) A
joint initiative by the London Directors of
Childrens Services, Metropolitan Police, Chairs
of London LSCBs, London NHS, London Councils and
London Probation.
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• The Child Protection Threshold
• A child protection investigation will be carried
• out where the Authority has reasonable
• cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or
• is likely to suffer significant harm.

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• RECOGNISING SIGNS OF ABUSE
• It can often be difficult to recognise abuse.
  However, it is important to know what could
  indicate that abuse is taking or has taken place
  and to be alert to the need to consult further

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• Someone can abuse a child by actively inflicting
  harm or by failing to act to prevent harm.
• Abuse can take place within a family, in an
  institution or community setting, by telephone or
  on the internet

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• Categories of Abuse
• Physical
• Emotional
• Sexual
• Neglect

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• 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.

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• Physical abuse Signs and Symptoms
• Bruising in and around the mouth, back, buttock,
  or rectal area
• Finger mark bruising or grasp marks
• bites
• Burn and scald marks, small round marks which
  could be caused by a cigarette
• Fractures to arms, legs or ribs of a small child
• Large number of scars or bruises of different
  sizes or ages
• Scars or bruises of different sizes or ages
• Bizarre or impossible explanation of injury
• Numerous injuries in various stages of healing

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• Puncture marks, swollen areas, missing hair
• Habitual lateness or absence (being kept away
  from school for wound to heal)
• Parent explanation inadequate or conflicting
• Inappropriate treatment for injuries
• Child withdrawn, shy passive, compliant, nervous
  or aggressive, disruptive, destructive

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• EMOTIONAL ABUSE
• The persistent emotional ill-treatment of a
  child such as to cause severe and persistent
  adverse effects on the childs emotional
  development.
• Some level of emotional abuse is involved in
  all types of maltreatment of a child, though it
  may occur alone.

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• Emotional Signs and Symptoms
• Excessively clingy or attention seeking behaviour
• Very low self-esteem or excessive self-criticism
• Excessively withdrawn behaviour or fearfulness
• Lack of appropriate boundaries with strangers
• Too eager to please
• Eating disorders

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• 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
  include physical contact, including penetrative
  or non-penetrative acts. They may include
  non-contact activities.

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• Sexual Signs and Symptoms
• Disclosure
• Genital soreness, painful when sitting walking
• Sexually transmitted diseases Infections
• Sexualised behaviour/play/language
• Repeated sleep disturbances through nightmares
  and/or bed wetting
• Self-harming
• Substance misuse
• Eating disorders obsessive behaviours
• Pregnancy
• Tendency towards re-victimisation
• Stress during abuse and after disclosure

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• NEGLECT
• The persistent failure to meet a childs basic
  physical and/or psychological needs, likely to
  result in the serious impairment of the childs
  health and development.
• Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a
  result of maternal substance abuse.
• Could involve a parent/carer failing to provide
  adequate food, shelter, clothing failing to
  protect a child from danger or harm or failing to
  access appropriate medical care or treatment.
• It may also include neglect of, or
  unresponsiveness to, a childs basic emotional
  needs.

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• Neglect Signs and Symptoms
• Inadequate supervision
• Lack of stimulation, social contact or education
• Inadequate nutrition leading to ill-health
• Constant hunger, stealing food
• Inappropriate clothing for conditions
• Failure to seek or follow medical advice
• Exposure to poisonous substances, drugs

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• Specific types of violence towards children
• Honour Based Violence forced marriage honour
  killing(300 cases annually in the UK)
• Child Trafficking child prostitution, domestic
  servitude
• Spirit Possession cuts across religions
• Female Genital Mutilation- 4 types
• Breast Ironing

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• WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE WORRIED
• Listen to the child and/or closely observe
  presentation and behaviour
• Let them know that you take what they are saying
  seriously
• Do not attempt to question or interview them
• Do not promise to keep what they tell you secret.
• Inform your designated child protection officer
• Make a written record of the incident or events
• Seek advice before discussing concerns with
  parent/s

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• It is the responsibility of the local authority
  and the Police Child Abuse Investigation team to
  investigate allegations of abuse
• It is the responsibility of the designated child
  protection officer to make a referral to these
  agencies, but if this does not happen, or s/he is
  absent, you must report your concerns directly.
• Local authorities employ Child Protection
  Advisers who can be contacted for advice, during
  office hours.

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• In the event that a child protection
  investigation is pursued, you should
• Work closely with all professionals involved
• Attend meetings you may be invited to, and
  provide a report about your involvement and
  knowledge of the child

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• Safe Practice
• Consider
• One to one situations
• Physical contact/restraint
• Social contact/position of trust
• Behaviour management
• Intimate care/first aid
• Photography/videos
• Internet/mobile phone use
• Anything that may be misunderstood

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Staff should not

• Hold pupil around the neck, collar, or in anyway
  that might restricts pupil breathing
• Slap, punch or kick pupil
• Twist or force limbs against a joint
• Trip a pupil
• Hold or pull a pupil by the hair or ear
• Hold a pupil face down on the ground
• Avoid touching or holding in a way that might be
  considered indecent.

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Staff should not

• Engage in inappropriate discussion of sexual
  nature
• Share inappropriate electronic images
• Encourage pupils to have inappropriate
  relationship

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• ALLEGATIONS AGAINST STAFF OR VOLUNTEERS
• Professionals who work or come into contact with
• children and young people need to be aware that
• allegations of abuse may be made against them.
• If any allegations are made against a member of
  staff
• or volunteer, this needs to be brought to the
  attention of
• the Head.

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• The Head should
• Ensure the child is safe and away from the
  alleged abuser
• Make a referral to the Childrens Service where
  the child lives, who will need to liaise with the
  Childrens Service where the alleged abuse took
  place.
• Should consider for member of staff to be
  suspended pending an investigation
• Consider if the person has access to other
  children ie other schools and his own

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Flowchart of the investigation process

• ALLEGATION BY A CHILD/PARENT
• HEAD TEACHER INFORMED
• EDUCATION COUNSELLOR/CHAIR OF GOVERNORS INFORMED
• REFERRAL TO CHILDRENS SERVICE
• STRATEGY MEETING
• (chaired by a Child Protection Adviser)
• (within 3 working days)

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The strategy meeting will

• Decide if it is a single or joint investigation
• Consider need for a medical for the child
• Consider suspension of member of staff pending
  the investigation
• Who needs to interview child and member of staff

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• Possible outcomes
• Possible criminal proceedings
• Training issues identified
• Verbal or written warning
• No action (if allegation is not substantiated)

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• Contacts
• London Borough of Enfield 020 8379 2850
• London Borough of Haringey 020 8489 1192