Safeguarding Lead Training
Lisa Matthew
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
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About Safety Net
Safety Net’s vision is to create communities across
Brighton, Hove and Sussex that work together to keep
children safe. We aim to ensure all children and young
people are aware that they have the right to feel and
be safe, and that they can get help when they need it.
Our Mission: To work with communities to improve the
safety and well-being of children, young people and
families, at home, school and in their neighbourhoods.
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
Learning Aims
Morning session
•
Skills and knowledge to identify and respond to concerns
about abuse and neglect
•
The legal context and inter-agency framework
•
Gain confidence in handling concerns
•
Promote a proactive approach to safeguarding
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Learning Aims
Afternoon session
• The role and responsibilities of the Safeguarding Lead
• Related policies and procedures
• Creating a safeguarding culture
• Making referral decisions and what happens after a referral
• Key issues around record keeping, sharing information and
confidentiality
• Safeguarding action plan for your role and organisation
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Safeguarding Children
Safeguarding children is:
“ the action we take to promote the welfare of children and
protect them from harm – this is everyone’s responsibility.
Everyone who comes into contact with children and families
has a role to play”
Working Together to Safeguard Children DfE 2015
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Child Protection
The government defines child protection as;
‘a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. This refers to
the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who
are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm’
Working Together to Safeguard Children DfE 2015
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Effective Safeguarding
Should be underpinned by two key principles:
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility; for services to be
effective each professional and organisation should play their
full part.
A child-centred approach; for services to be effective they
should be based on a clear understanding of the needs and
views of children.
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A Safer Environment
Discuss - How are you creating a safe environment as an
organisation?
Safe = Physically and Emotionally
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Legislation
Children Act 1989 Currently provides the legislative
framework for child protection in England. Key principles
established by the act include: the paramount nature of the
child's welfare
Children Act 2004 after Victoria Climbié inquiry.
Section 11 places a statutory duty on key people and
bodies to make arrangements to safeguard and promote
the welfare of children
Partnership working
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Legislation
• LSCBs co-ordinate, and ensure the effectiveness of,
work to protect and promote the welfare of children.
• Each local board includes: local authorities, health
bodies, the police and others, including the voluntary and
independent sectors.
• The LSCBs are responsible for local child protection
policy, procedure and guidance
Safety Net director is rep for Voluntary sector
www.brightonandhovelscb.org.uk
www.westsussexscb.org.uk
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Our role
We are not investigative agencies and should not attempt to
investigate concerns arising about children in our
organisations
We have a legal duty to assist social services by referring
concerns and providing information for child protection
enquiries
Duty to promote and safeguard the welfare of children and to
protect them from actual or likely harm
Children's act 2004 – Section 11
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Education Staff
Schools must provide a safe environment and take action to
identify and protect any children or young who are at risk of
significant harm.
There is a Duty to promote and safeguard the welfare of
children and to protect them from actual or likely harm
All staff need to read Part One of updated guidance
Keeping Children Safe in Education Sept 2016
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The Legal Framework
• England has one of the most regulated child protection
systems in the world, yet child deaths from abuse remain
fairly constant at 50-100 annually
• Changes to legislation often result from child deaths, such
as those of Victoria Climbie and Peter Connelly, neither of
whom attended school
• Lauren Wright whose death led to changes to the
Education Act 2002 did attend school – but no staff had
received child protection training and there was no
designated child protection officer
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Climbie’ Inquiry Report
(2003)
• Victoria was known to three housing departments, four
social services departments, two GPs, 2 hospitals, an
NSPCC run family centre and 2 police child protection
teams.
• Victoria had contact with a child-minder and faith based
organisations
• ‘The extent of the failure to protect Victoria was
lamentable’
• There were failures at every level and in every
organisation
CM 5730 (2003) The Victoria Climbie Inquiry. Report of an Inquiry by Lord
Laming. The Stationery Office, London
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Serious Case Reviews
•
Take a few minutes to read the press article of the serious
case review you’ve been given.
•
Discuss the main points in pairs then in small groups.
•
Pick out 5 key learning messages to feed back to the
main group, such as ‘voice of the child not heard’
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Categories of abuse
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•
•
•
Physical Abuse
Emotional abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect
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Signs and indicators
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•
•
•
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significant changes in children's behaviour;
deterioration in children’s general well-being;
unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse or neglect;
children’s comments which give cause for concern;
any reasons to suspect neglect or abuse outside the setting, for
example in the child’s home; and/or
• inappropriate behaviour displayed by other members of staff, or any
other person working with the children.
Eg; inappropriate sexual comments; excessive one-to-one attention
beyond the requirements of their usual role and responsibilities; or
inappropriate sharing of images.
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Recognising Abuse
Physical
Explanations inconsistent with injury, unexplained delay in seeking
treatment, parent/carers uninterested in accident or injury, repeated
presentation of minor injuries.
Bruises (NAI sites), finger marks, burns, cuts, bite marks, acting out
with adults or other children, aggressive, withdrawn, agitated,
flinching or other reactions, fabricated or induced illness
Neglect
Evidence of neglect is built up over a period of time.
Pallid appearance, weight loss, frequent skin diseases e.g. scabies,
constantly late, lack of dental hygiene constantly hungry and/or tired,
smelly, lack of boundaries, very needy, lack of parental involvement,
shabby or inappropriate appearance, left with different/inappropriate
people.
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Recognising Abuse
Sexual
There may be no physical signs, indications are likely to be
emotional/behavioural. Signs may include: explicit sexualised
behaviour, play, knowledge or language inappropriate to the child’s
age; self-harming, eating disorders, not wanting to get undressed,
unusual wetting or soiling, bruising, acting out.
Emotional
Usually based on observations over time; includes; abnormal
attachment between child and parent/carer, failure to thrive, frozen
watchfulness slow self esteem, tearful, overreactions, self-harming,
difficulty relating, anxious, acting out, withdrawn or verbally abusive,
speech impediments or delay
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FGM
Female Genital Mutilation also known as female
circumcision, cutting or sunna.
Duty to pass any information on in relation to
under 18years.
A crime has taken place so Police need to be
involved
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuseand-neglect/female-genital-mutilation-fgm/
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
FGM continued
• UK communities that are most at risk of FGM
include Kenyan, Somali, Sudanese, Sierra
Leonean, Egyptian, Nigerian and Eritrean.
• Non-African communities that practise FGM
include Yemeni, Afghani, Kurdish, Indonesian
and Pakistani.
http://www.brightonandhovelscb.org.uk/fgmresource-pack/
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
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Child Sexual Exploitation
• Can affect young men and young women
Some children are particularly vulnerable. These include
children and young people who:
• have a history of running away or of going missing from home
• those with special needs
• those in and leaving residential and foster care
• migrant children
• unaccompanied asylum seeking children
• children who have disengaged from education
• and children who are abusing drugs and alcohol
• those involved in gangs
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
CSE
• “Sexual exploitation can take many forms from the
seemingly ‘consensual’ relationship where sex is
exchanged for attention / affection, accommodation or
gifts, to serious organised crime and child trafficking.
• What marks out exploitation is an imbalance of power
within the relationship. The perpetrator always holds
some kind of power over the victim, increasing the
dependence of the victim as the exploitative relationship
develops.”
•
Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation 2009
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
Possible signs of
Sexual Exploitation
• Going missing for periods of time or regularly returning
home late
• Frequently staying out late or overnight with no explanation.
• Going places that you know they can not afford.
• Skipping school or being disruptive in class / Getting into
trouble with the police.
• Suddenly acquiring expensive gifts such as mobile phones,
jewellery – even drugs – and not being able to explain how
they came by them.
• Having mood swings and changes in temperament
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
Child Sexual Exploitation
Spuds WiSE Words (the telephone number has changed
since the film was made - 07841 067418/ 07557855731 or
01273 320511) www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KVDT99fOtA
Me, Jenny and Kate
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3xD58e6wA4
LSCB webpage with resource pack
• http://www.brightonandhovelscb.org.uk/national-cseawareness-day-multi-agency-cse-resource-pack/
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
The Prevent Duty
• From 1 July 2015 all providers are subject to a duty
under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security
Act 2015, to have “due regard to the need to prevent
people from being drawn into terrorism”.
• This duty is known as the Prevent duty
http://www.brightonandhovelscb.org.uk/workingtogether-to-prevent-extremism-and-terrorism/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protec
ting-children-from-radicalisation-the-prevent-duty
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
Who might abuse children?
The majority of children are abused by someone they know
• A family member
• A family friend or neighbour
• A trusted adult, such as school staff, sports’ coaches, child
minders
20% of sexual abuse is committed by strangers
The majority of child sex offenders are male, but women can be
involved. Many offenders are educated, articulate and seemingly
well intentioned.
Children can also be abused by;
• Other children
• Institutions or organisations
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How can we recognise if a
child is in an abusive or
unsafe situation?
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•
•
•
•
•
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All abuse affects children’s self-worth/esteem and
anxiety levels.
Unexplained changes in behaviour
Unusual responses/fears to parents/ carers/ other adults
What they say
The child is in pain or discomfort
Concern about how they play and interact, what they
draw/write
Self-harm or risky behaviour
Deterioration in child’s general wellbeing
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Risk Factors: What makes
groups of children more
vulnerable to abuse?
Individual Child
• The child has a disability or special educational needs
• Looked after Children
• Age (particularly children under 1)
Family Functioning
• Domestic violence
• Parents with a learning difficulty
• Parents with mental ill health
• Substance misuse
• Previous abuse in the family
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Safer Recruitment
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
Code of behaviour / conduct
Why is it important to have a code of
behaviour/conduct policy?
What elements should be included?
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Barriers to responding
What might be some of the issues that prevent
staff highlighting a safeguarding concern?
How can a policy and clear procedures support
staff to take action?
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
If you see or hear something
that concerns you – The 5 R’s
• RECOGNISE – Be aware and don’t ignore it
• RESPOND - Act quickly if you are worried about a child’s
safety
• REPORT - Speak to your child protection officer as soon as
you can
• RECORD – Make a note of what was said, what you saw,
•
complete a welfare concern form
REFER – Pass on concerns to relevant agencies
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What if a child or adult
makes a disclosure?
DO
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•
•
•
•
Take it seriously
Listen and reassure
Report your concerns
Monitor and Record
Communicate & seek support
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What if a child or adult
makes a disclosure?
DON’T:
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Promise not to tell anyone
Ask leading questions
Express doubt or disbelief
Interrogate the child
Assume someone else will deal with it
Panic!
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The Role of the
Safeguarding Lead
• To ensure all concerns are acted on, and referred to
MASH or Early Help as necessary with records being held
securely
• To ensure that all staff and volunteers are aware of what
they should do and who they should talk to if they have a
concern
• Policies and Procedures are up to date and accessible
• To ensure staff and volunteers can access appropriate
emotional or professional support
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Creating a Safeguarding
Culture
•
•
•
•
•
Staff are respectful to all employees as well as children
Staff are open about discussing good and poor practice
Blame only occurs in extreme circumstances
Leaders model appropriate behaviours
Staff are knowledgeable about the vulnerability of children
whom they look after.
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
Creating a Safeguarding
Culture
• Children are listened to
• Staff are empowered to challenge poor practice
• Parents are encouraged to be involved and are
welcomed into the setting
• Whistle blowing procedures are in place and staff know
how to use them
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
If you have a concern…
Talk through your concerns
with another professional or
you
local
Social
Services team
think
these
steps
would result in a
delay Discuss
or put the
with parents
child at risk,
call
(if appropriate)
children’s social
services
immediately.
If you still have concerns call
as a referral and follow up in
writing
If at any time you
think these steps
would result in a
delay or put the
child at risk, call
Children’s Social
Care immediately
If a child is in immediate
danger call 999
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Recording and Confidentiality
Should cover
•
•
•
•
How information should be recorded and by whom
Timescales for passing things on
Where information should be stored confidentially
That information can be shared if someone is worried
about a child’s safety
• But not everyone needs to know when a concern is raised
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Information Sharing
Where a child is considered to be ‘in need’ consent is required from the
family for an assessment to be undertaken.
Where a child is considered to be suffering or likely to suffer
‘significant harm’ consent is not required, although wherever possible,
unless this would pose a further risk to the child, parents should be
informed.
The requirements of safeguarding override the constraints of consent
and confidentiality
Any Information shared should be appropriate, relevant, accurate and
only shared with necessary people
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The referral process
Child case is referred to Children’s Social Care - Feedback to referrer
social worker and manager decide on course of action within 1 working day
Assessment required under Section 17 or Section 47 of Children Act
CHILD IN NEED (S17)
significant harm or concerns
about child’s immediate safety (S47)
NFA / onward referral / early help hub
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The Children Act 1989:
Defining Terms
Section 17 - Children in Need
Unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of
health or development or… health or development is likely to
be significantly impaired without the provision of services by
the local authority … or s/he is disabled
Section 47 - Children in Need of Protection
where there is reasonable cause to suspect a child is
suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
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The concept of Significant Harm is
the method by which compulsory
intervention is measured in Child
Protection work.
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Interagency co-operation
to protect children
It is the responsibility of Children’s Social Care and the Police
to investigate and establish the facts, and level of risk. If
there is sufficient cause for concern, a Child Protection
Conference will be called to agree what protective action may
be necessary.
Parents, other professionals, the investigators and
sometimes the child are invited to contribute to the decisionmaking
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Child Protection Plans
If it is decided that the child is considered to be
suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm, a
child protection plan will be drawn up, outlining how
agencies will work together with the family to
safeguard and promote the child’s welfare.
When a child is the subject of a child protection plan
he or she will be seen regularly and the situation
kept under review
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Useful numbers:
Brighton and Hove
Front Door for Families
If you are concerned about a child being at risk, or your referral
requires a timely response, phone 01273 290400 for
guidance before you complete the online form.
Emergency Duty Service on 01273 335905
If you need to speak to someone urgently outside of office
hours (9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4.30pm
on Fridays)
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/children-andeducation/child-protection
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
Useful numbers:
West and East Sussex
West Sussex concerns should be directed to the MASH,
West Sussex County Council: [email protected]
or 01403 229900, or 033 022 26664 out of hours.
East Sussex: Contact the Single Point of Advice (SPOA) team:
[email protected] or 01323 464222
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
Allegations
Do you have a procedure for dealing with allegations
against staff and volunteers?
What is the role of the Local Authority Designated
Officer?
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Allegations against a
member of staff
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
• Supports settings when an allegation is made and
• provides advice and guidance
• Works with the Police, Social Care Teams, regulatory
bodies such as Ofsted
• Ensures a consistent, fair and thorough process for both
child and adult.
• LADO for Brighton & Hove Darrel Clews 01273 295643
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
Definition of Supervision
“Supervision is a process in which one worker is
given responsibility to work with another worker in
order to achieve certain professional, personal and
organisational objectives. These objectives include
competent, accountable practice, continuing
professional development and personal
support.”
(M Harries, 1987)
We run a Supervising to Safeguard course
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Whistleblowing
When does it apply? - when you reasonably believe you have
information which tends to show malpractice such as;
•
•
•
•
•
Breach of legal obligation
Criminal offence
Breach of health and safety
Environmental damage
Miscarriage of justice
Do you have a whistleblowing policy?
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After today
Look at your policy statement and procedures
•Do they reflect current legislation?
•Do they inform and support staff
•Are they appropriate for parents and partners?
•How will you ensure they remain effective?
•What support is needed in which areas?
We run a Safeguarding Policy workshop
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To sum up
• Listen to what children are telling you by their words and their
actions and put children’s needs first
• Be willing to consider the unthinkable
• Trust your instincts
• Don’t be afraid to seek guidance and clarification
• Know who your safe networks are
• Don’t fear the system and procedures
• If in doubt check it out!
Safeguarding is Everyone’s Responsibility
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