Level 2 single-agency safeguarding children training - PowerPoint Presentation

Level 2 single-agency safeguarding children training Duration: 3.5 – 4 hours

Housekeeping Time-keeping Break times Facilities Phones off Emergency procedures

Group Agreement Start on time and finish on time Value diversity and learn from our differences Give each other good attention Take care of ourselves and try hard not to make assumptions Take away the learning but leave the detail Be serious but also have some fun Remember confidentiality in the room with the exception of live safeguarding issues which we will support you in taking back to your agency.

Learning outcomes Be aware of different types of abuse Be able to identify signs & symptoms of abuse Understand your role & responsibilities when dealing with a disclosure of abuse Understand how to deal with a disclosure Be familiar with the process for dealing with allegations against staff Know the safeguarding arrangements at your workplace Understand principles of information sharing Understanding the framework for assessment Awareness of the escalation process

Safeguarding and child protection What is the difference between Safeguarding children and Child Protection?

Shared responsibility Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility Decisions about children are taken in the context of multiple agencies working together Local Authorities have a co-ordinating role to ensure all agencies work together

Activity – Attitudes and Perceptions Statement for discussion Agree Don’t know Disagree Child abuse is rare, it is just the press that blows it out of all proportion You should have proof of abuse before reporting it, as the child could be taken away from their parents. Smacking is abuse If a child tells you something in confidence you are morally obliged to keep that confidence Shouting is not child abuse You should avoid physical contact with children to avoid being accused of abuse Certain things are not abuse if they are part of somebody’s culture Children often lie about being abused

Normal child growth and development It is important to know the normal stages of child growth and development. These are developments in: height, weight, and other measurable areas physical skill and performance social and emotional development (identity, self-image, relationships, feelings) intellectual abilities (understanding, memory, concentration) c ommunication and speech Abnormal development can be an indicator of abuse, including neglect.

Definition of Abuse “A form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children .” Source: Working together to safeguard children 2015

What are the different forms of abuse? The four main categories are Physical abuse Emotional abuse Sexual abuse Neglect

Categories of abuse Physical Abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child . Emotional Abuse t he persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone . may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. Source: Working together to safeguard children 2015

Categories of abuse Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) i nvolves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities. may involve physical contact or non-contact activities, such as encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child. Neglect the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical, emotional and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Source: Working together to safeguard children 2015

Categories of abuse (continued) Child sexual exploitation (CSE) occurs where an individual or group coerces, manipulates or deceives a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity. does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology . Source: Child sexual exploitation - Definition and a guide for practitioners, local leaders and decision makers (DoE 2017) Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is child abuse and a form of violence against women and girls – it is illegal in the UK .* is a procedure where the female genital organs are injured or changed and for no medical reason .* It is mandatory for health and social care professionals and teachers in England to report ‘known’ cases of FGM in under 18s to the police . * Source: Extracted from Multi-agency statutory guidance on Female Genital Mutilation, April 2016

Activity - Signs, Symptoms and Impact In groups, spend a few minutes discussing one of the forms of abuse and think of its signs and symptoms, and its impact on a child/young person . Physical Emotional Child sexual abuse (includes exploitation and FGM ) Neglect

Why is a focus on neglect so important? Government statistics show neglect to be the largest category of child maltreatment. Neglect often differs in its presentation from other forms of abuse, though its outcomes can be equally serious. It is rarely a single critical event – but generally a chronic problem. A fuller picture of neglect is gained by a multi-agency approach.

Neglect: the most common form of abuse, and the most likely to be overlooked Seriousness of abuse incident neglect neglect neglect neglect neglect neglect sexual physical T ime t hreshold for safeguarding response

Issues that raise the risk of abuse Child factors Disabled children Children in care Home-tutored children Infants and babies under 5 Children who have been previously abused

Issues that raise the risk of abuse Home environment factors Poverty Poorly-maintained/unsafe/temporary home Chronic stress

Issues that raise the risk of abuse Domestic abuse Parental substance misuse Parental mental illness Parent/carer factors Domestic Abuse Parental Mental Illness Parental Substance Misuse Studies of Serious Case Reviews show that individually, parental substance misuse, domestic violence and parental mental illness may pose increased risks of harm to a child, but a combination of these factors significantly increases the risk of a child experiencing serious harm . ! ! ! !

Associated issues - Radicalisation Extremism Vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. Extremism also includes calls for death of members of the armed forces. Radicalisation Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies associated with terrorist groups. Source: Revised Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales , 2015

Associated issues - Online Safety There is a significant correlation between missing children/young people and online safety. Children/young people do not see the risks they are exposing themselves and others to when they use the internet. Parents struggle to find a common language to use to discuss this with their children. Safeguarding issues outside of settings may affect safeguarding judgements within settings.

Associated issues – Peer on peer abuse Remember that all the forms of abuse can be performed by children on other children.

Activity – how to respond to initial signs or symptoms Johnny turns up at school with a fresh bruise on his face. What do you do next? What else do you need to know?

Taking appropriate action T.E.D. T ell me… (e.g. what happened) E xplain to me… (e.g. what you mean) D escribe… (e.g. what went on)

Dealing with disclosure Remain calm Believe what you are hearing Be non-judgemental Allow the child to speak freely (do not conduct an interview) Deal with explicit language, do not avoid embarrassing subjects Use open-ended questions Make a record of the details as soon as possible

Managing Allegations Has the person harmed the child ? (this may be an adult or another child) Has a crime been committed ? If it’s a member of staff: Does this impact on their ability to work with children?

Dealing with an indirect discovery With the increasingly digital nature of children’s lives today, it may be that someone discovers a child has been or is being harmed rather than a child telling. What do you think the next steps should be if you are the first ‘discoverer’?

Dealing with concerns Know who to report your concerns to e.g. designated member of staff for child protection DO NOT investigate an allegation yourself – it may interfere with child protection and / or criminal investigations Communicate with the child in a way that is appropriate to their age, understanding & preference e.g. disabled children Record – your concerns / what the child said (use their words wherever possible / differentiate between fact and opinion Refer to the 7 Golden Rules to sharing information

The seven golden rules to information sharing The Data Protection Act 1998 and human rights law are not barriers to justified information sharing, Be open and honest Seek advice from other practitioners Share with informed consent where appropriate. You may still share information without consent if, in your judgement, there is good reason to do so Consider safety and well-being Necessary, proportionate, relevant, adequate, accurate, timely and secure: Keep a record of your decision and the reasons for it

Reporting concerns Wherever you work, you should know who in your setting is the person to whom you would report safeguarding and child protection concerns. This person: manages and oversees individual cases provides advice and guidance liaises with police and others about case progress m ust be notified of suspensions, resignations or sackings where the employee posed a risk of harm to children .

Reporting concerns (continued) In almost all circumstances this is the first person with whom you should discuss your concerns. However, it is important to remember that anyone can make a referral to social care, e.g. if the safeguarding lead is unavailable, or the incident takes place in an out-of-work context . The Multi-Agency Referral Unit ( MARU ) provides a multi-disciplinary response to concerns about the safety of a child. The Multi-Agency Advice Team ( MAAT ) is a multi-disciplinary team within the MARU/Integrated Hub . You may contact MARU for advice without making a referral . You must make a record of any communication with MARU. Ask for written acknowledgement of your contact.

Responding to Concerns: Inquiries and Referrals Cornwall referrals: 0300 1231 116 Email : MultiAgencyReferralUnit@cornwall.gcsx.gov.uk Website : http://www.safechildren-cios.co.uk In an emergency always dial 999 Isles of Scilly referrals: Children's Social Care - 01720 424354 NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: 0808 800 5000

Professional abuse allegations You should contact the LADO (aka designated officer) Call 01872 326536 A conversation takes place to clarify the information, and to see whether it meets the threshold for investigation. If it does, then the team emails a professional abuse allegation referral form to you. Complete the form and email it securely to MARU . The investigation begins after this referral is received, and involves DBS, Police and all other relevant agencies.

What happens next? The following slides cover what takes place when the signs of abuse are thought to need further investigation. Not all participants will be directly involved with this, but it is useful to be aware that this process will be undertaken.

Assessment Framework

Child’s developmental needs Parenting capacity Family & Environmental Factors

The Child’s Journey & the Threshold Matrix

The lived experience Always consider and understand the voice of the child and their lived experience. “…there is a need to move away from incident-based models of intervention to consider the ongoing lived experience of the child and parent, how resilience can be promoted, and what ongoing support and monitoring is required.” Source: Pathways to harm, pathways to protection: a triennial analysis of serious case reviews 2011 to 2014

The bigger picture Try not to worry too much about the assessment tools. They are useful but perhaps it is most useful to think about the child’s lived experience: Is this child suffering? If you remain worried, don’t let the tools and processes overly diminish your concerns Remember that MARU will be able to put the information from your enquiry or referral together with information from other agencies to create a fuller picture.

Escalation process If you feel that MARU have not taken your concerns seriously, please be aware that there is an escalation process: First try to resolve your differences with MARU through discussion with them. If this does not succeed within one working day, report your disagreement to your line manager who should take it up with their opposite number at MARU. You may wish to involve the safeguarding professional (if they are not already involved). Further stages are described in the Conflict Resolution Policy (Resolving Professional Differences ) , which is available on the “Policies, Procedures and Referrals” page Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Safeguarding Children Partnership website .

Your safeguarding policies and procedures, and statutory duties

Optional Activity – Questions and discussion If you have a safeguarding concern, who would you go to? If they are not available, what would you do? Where can you access your policies ? Do you have a policy regarding mobile phone use ? Do you have a policy regarding volunteers and visitors? When did you last read the policies? Who else has access to the policies ? What would you do if you were concerned about a colleague’s behaviour towards a child ? Is there an issue you do not feel is covered by a policy?

Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Procedures http://www.proceduresonline.com/swcpp/cornwall_scilly/index.html

Optional Activity – What is harm? Work in small groups and discuss each of the scenarios/statements. For each situation, decide whether the child has suffered harm and rate how significant you think this is on a scale of 1 – 5: 1-No harm at all 2-Slight harm 3-Moderate harm 4-Serious harm 5-Very severe harm

Optional activity – What is Harm? 1-No harm at all 2-Slight harm 3-Moderate harm 4-Serious harm 5-Very severe harm A 10 year old girl being left for long periods minding her 4 year old brother. A boy of 14 willingly having sex with his 16 year old cousin. The parents of a 5 year old blind child completely re-arranging the furniture in the home, making no effort to explain this to the child when they return from school . An 8 year old who is refused breakfast one morning before school until he has eaten the cold vegetable stew that he did not eat the previous evening. A 7 year old child with physical and learning disabilities whose parents arrange privately a placement in a respite care unit for three weeks while the rest of the family go away for a holiday at Disneyland. A girl of 7 photographed without any clothes on by her uncle who is a professional photographer. A girl of 15 being slapped across the face by her father, causing bruising, because she met a boy after school. A child of 4 having her teddy bear burned as a punishment

Optional Activity - You’re worried, they’re not? You’re concerned about Maisie, who is an 11 year old girl you are working with. She isn’t dressed properly for school; she is always hungry and school staff are regularly feeding her breakfast. Her personal hygiene is poor – she struggles socially due to the other pupils’ poor view of her. The Head has tried to speak to the family, but they won’t engage. You’ve put in a referral – it’s come back as Early Help, but you’ve been down this road already... What do you do?

Optional Activity – Information sharing What if it were your child? What would you want to happen? How would you like people to approach you? What would keep the best relationship with the referrer?

Optional - Serious Case Review The Sexual Abuse of Pupils in a First School (25 Jan 2012) Nigel Leat , Teacher Musician / Music Teacher 15-yrs working at the school Disclosure by a pupil (2010) Digital images of abuse Up to 20 victims of sexual abuse Pleaded guilty Indeterminate custodial sentence Recommendations