Level 1: Safeguarding Training
Children’s Safeguarding Every person working for Provide (including temporary staff, volunteers, students and subcontracted staff) have a responsibility to identify the symptoms and triggers of abuse and neglect, to share that information, and work together to provide children with the support they need. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as: Protecting children from maltreatment; Preventing impairment of children’s health or development; Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes. (SET Procedure 2018; Working Together 2018)
We all have responsibility and must remain vigilant to identify emerging problems and potential unmet needs for individual children and families. We should be alert to the potential need for early help for a child who: Is disabled and has specific additional needs; Has special educational needs;
Is a young carer; Is showing signs of engaging in anti-social or criminal behaviour; Is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child such as substance misuse, adult mental health problems or domestic violence and abuse; Is showing early signs of abuse or neglect.
Definitions Child Abuse and Neglect Physical Abuse May involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning and suffocating. It may also be caused when a parent fabricates the symptoms or deliberately induced illness in a child.
Emotional Abuse May involve conveying a child is worthless, unloved, and inadequate. Limitation of exploration, learning and social interaction; experiencing domestic abuse; and bullying (including online).
Sexual Abuse This 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. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (e.g. rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing, watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate way and sexually exploiting them.
Neglect The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and / or psychological needs, and is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may also occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance misuse, domestic abuse, maternal mental ill health or learning difficulties, or a cluster of such issues.
Looked after Child (LAC) A child who is being looked after by the Local Authority is known as a child in care. They might be living:
With foster carers; At home with their parents under the supervision of social services; In a residential children’s home;
Other residential settings e.g. schools or secure units.
They might have been placed in care voluntarily by parents struggling to cope, or Children’s Services may have intervened because a child was at significant risk of harm (NSPCC 2015).
Child Exploitation Exploitation of children aged under 18 years involves exploitive situations (can be boys or girls), contexts and relationships where a young person or a third person(s) receive something (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, gifts, cigarettes, affection or money) as a result of them performing and / or others performing on them, sexual activities, Forced labour or domestic servitude Remember victims may be trafficked locally, nationally and internationally (Jago and Pearce 2008). Especially Vulnerable Groups:
Looked after child; Children leaving care; Children missing from school, home or care; Children with learning difficulties.
Remember victims may be trafficked locally, nationally and internationally (Jago and Pearce 2008).
The potential indicators of risk of being sexually exploited/are being sexually exploited (SET 2018):
Missing from home or care;
Physical injuries;
Drug or alcohol misuse;
Involvement in offending;
Repeat sexually-transmitted infections, pregnancy and terminations;
Absent from school;
Change in physical appearance;
Evidence of sexual harassment, bullying and / or vulnerability through the internet and / or social networking sites;
Estranged from their family;
Receipt of gifts from unknown sources;
Recruiting others into exploitative situations;
Poor mental health;
Self-harm;
Thoughts of or attempts at suicide.
Online Safety (Information and Communication Technology) Although communication via internet has many positive outcomes, it poses a huge amount of risk of abuse to children. Children are at risk of physical, sexual and emotional abuse; radicalisation; and bullying via mobile telephones or online (internet) with verbal and visual messages.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) The collective term used for procedures which include the partial or total removal of the external female genital organs for cultural or other non- therapeutic reasons. The Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 made this practice illegal in this country. The FGM Act 2003 makes it illegal for girls to be taken abroad for this procedure. Staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and protecting vulnerable adults or victims of HBA, FGM, forced marriage and domestic abuse (HM Government 2009). Forced marriage and FGM are all forms of domestic abuse / child abuse depending on the age of the victim. Staff should always seek advice when dealing with abuse that involves HBA, FGM or forced marriage. This must not delay any necessary immediate action to protect a victim.
Honour Based Abuse (HBA) HBA, which includes FGM and forced marriage, is a complex issue which is deeply embedded in the culture of some families and communities. This form of violence refers to specific types of abuse based on control of social, sexual and lifestyle choices. The concept of honour being closely linked to control of females (mainly) or male. The victim may be an adult or a child. All staff should be aware of cultural issues when HBA is disclosed or identified - it is important that client’s safety is considered at all time.
One Chance Rule You have one chance to act now based on any information disclosed about Honour Based Abuse and FGM or you may be too late to prevent this. There is a legal duty for all professionals to report all under 18s where there is a case or risk of FGM to the police.
Prevent One of the four strands of a cross government counter terrorism strategy called CONTEST. The CONTEST strategy focuses on:
Far right extremists;
Al-Qa’ida or other influenced groups;
Environmental extremists;
Animal rights extremists.
PREVENT Strategy aims to stop people from becoming terrorists (being radicalised) or supporting terrorism. Staff may meet and treat people who are vulnerable to radicalisation. People with mental health or learning difficulties may be more easily drawn into terrorism. Should any member of staff have a concern relating to an individual’s behaviour which indicates that they may be being drawn into terrorist related activity, they must take appropriate action. Staff can seek advice through the safeguarding team / their line manager / social service / Police (Call: 101).
Adult Safeguarding Adult safeguarding is to prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults with care and support needs. The statutory framework introduced under the Care Act 2014 applies to any person aged 18 or above who:
Has needs for care and support (regardless of the level of need and whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs);
Is experiencing, or is at risk of abuse or neglect, and as a result of those needs, is unable to protect themselves against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
(SET Safeguarding Adult Guidance 2015; Care Act 2014)
Physical Abuse Assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, restraint, and inappropriate physical sanctions.
Domestic Abuse Psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse; so-called “honour� based violence and forced marriage.
Sexual Abuse Rape, sexual assault, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, sexual act to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting.
Psychological Abuse Emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyber-bullying, isolation, unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks.
Financial or Material Abuse Theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, and the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits.
Modern Slavery and Trafficking Encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour including sex workers, domestic servitude, organ harvesting, child soldiers and forced marriage.
Discriminatory Abuse Harassment, slurs or similar treatment because of race, gender and gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
Organisational Abuse Neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting, such as a Hospital or Care Home, or care provided in somebodies own home.
Neglect Acts of omission, ignoring medical, emotional or physical needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or education services, withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.
Self Neglect Where someone has capacity but is refusing care and this is having a detrimental effect on their health or environment. This includes hoarding.
Key Contacts Provide Safeguarding Team 03003032642 provide.safeguarding@nhs.net
For further advice or to make a referral consider contacting: For Children: Effective Support 0345 603 7627 For urgent referrals or advice essexeffectivesupport@essex.gcsx.gov.uk
For Adults: Social Care Direct 0845 603 7630 socialcaredirect@essex.gcsx.gov.uk SETSAF1 referral form is available on Essex Safeguarding Adults Board website and in System one communications and letters.
Police: 101 or 999 in emergency
Suspected Sexual Abuse: Sexual Abuse Referral Centre (SARC) 01277 240620 Children contact Police and social care. Adults can self refer.
If you need this leaflet in braille, audio, large print or another language, please contact our Customer Service Team on: 0300 303 9951 / 0300 303 9952 or by email at: provide.customerservices@nhs.net Provide Corporate Offices 900 The Crescent Colchester Business Park Colchester Essex CO4 9YQ
T: 0300 303 9999 E: provide.enquiries@nhs.net www.provide.org.uk
PDL-2642-1833-02