Protecting Children in Haringey

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Protecting Children in Haringey

• Haringey Post
• Climbié

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Child Protection Training For Trust Induction

• What is child abuse/neglect?
• What are my responsibilities?
• How would I recognise a child with child
  protection concerns?
• What should I do if I suspect child abuse?
• Where can I get further help and advice?

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What is Child Abuse?

• Child Abuse neglect is a generic term
  encompassing all ill treatment of children
  including serious physical sexual assaults as
  well as cases where the standard of care does not
  adequately support the childs health or
  development.
• Children may be abused or neglected through the
  infliction of harm or through the failure to
  prevent harm
• Abuse can occur in a family or an institutional
  or community setting. The abuser may or may not
  be known to the child.
• A child is anyone under 18 years old for the
  purposes of child protection we include the
  unborn child as well

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Four Categories of Child Abuse

• physical abuse e.g. hitting, shaking, poisoning,
  burning, suffocating, fabricated/induced illness
  etc
• sexual abuse e.g. forcing/enticing a child to
  take part in sexual activities (including non
  contact activities)
• neglect e.g. failure to provide adequate food,
  shelter, clothing, protection from harm, access
  to medical care etc
• emotional abuse e.g. conveying to children they
  are worthless, unloved or inadequate,
  exploiting/corrupting children, causing children
  to feel frightened or in danger eg witnessing
  domestic violence

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What is a Child in Need?

• A child who is unlikely to achieve or maintain,
  or to have the opportunity of achieving or
  maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or
  development without provision for him/her of
  services by the local authority OR his/her health
  or development is likely to be significantly
  impaired, or further impaired, without such
  provision OR he/she is disabled

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What are my responsibilities?

• Whatever your job in the Trust, or who your
  clients are, you have a responsibility for
  protecting children from harm and promoting their
  welfare.
•  
•       Whenever you have a concern about a
  childs safety (physical, emotional or sexual),
  except when immediate action is required, it is
  always best to discuss this with your line
  manager, a colleague and/or the Trust Child
  Protection Advice and Support Team before acting
  on your concerns.
•  
•       It should be normal practice that you
  discuss your concerns about a childs safety with
  their parents/carers, and that referrals to
  agencies such as children and families social
  services should be done in their knowledge. If
  you believe that a child is at risk of harm, you
  must make a referral to Social Services whether
  or not you have the parent/carers consent.

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How do I recognise possible signs of child
abuse/neglect?

• Signs of Physical Abuse and Neglect
• The signs symptoms and history below are not
  diagnostic of abuse. However, in certain
  situations, contexts and combinations they will
  raise suspicion of abuse.
• It is better to refer on suspicion. If you
  wait for proof, serious harm may occur
• Be suspicious if
• History changes
• Delay in seeking help
• History and Injury not compatible
• Suspicious pattern of injury
• Multiple injuries of different ages/sites
• Other concerns such as FTT / Signs of neglect

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Possible signs of child abuse History

• History inconsistent with injury presented
• Delay in seeking help
• Disclosure of abuse by child
• Exposure to family violence, pornography,
  alcohol or drug abuse
• Severe social stress
• Isolation and lack of support
• Parent/s abused as children
• Mental illness including postnatal depression
• Unrealistic expectations of child
• Inappropriate or inconsistent discipline,
  (includes physical punishment of babies)
• Terrorising, humiliating or oppressing
• Neglecting the child
• Promoting excessive dependency on the child
• Actively avoiding seeking care or shopping
  around for care

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Possible signs of child abuse Physical Signs

• Multiple injuries, especially of different ages
  bruises, welts cuts, abrasions
• Scalds and burns, especially in unusual
  distributions such as glove or sock patterns
• Pregnancy
• Genital injuries
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Unexplained failure to thrive
• Poor hygiene
• Dehydration or malnutrition
• Fractures, especially in infants or specific
  patterns
• Poisoning, especially if recurrent
• Apnoeic spells, especially if recurrent

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Possible signs of child abuse Behavioural
Developmental Signs

• Aggression
• Anxiety and Depression
• Obsessions
• Overly responsible behaviour
• Frozen watchfulness
• Sexualised behaviour
• Fear
• Sadness
• Defiance
• Self-mutilation
• Overall development delay motor, emotional,
  speech and language, social, cognitive, vision
  and hearing
• Suicidal thoughts/plans
• Withdrawal from family
• Substance abuse

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Key Contacts

• Karen Baggaley Designated Nurse Child
  protection
• Tel [phone]
• A2, St Anns Hospital, St Anns Road, N15 3TH
• Karen.baggaley_at_haringey.nhs.uk
• Monica King Named Nurse
• Mobile [phone]
• 1st Floor, 48 Station Road, London N22
• Tel [phone]. email teresa.murray_at_harin
  gey.nhs.uk
• Suzanne Dale Child Death Co-ordinator
• 1st Floor, 48 Station Road, London N22
• Tel [phone]. Email suzanne.dale_at_haringey.nh
  s.uk
• Dr David Elliman Designated Doctor and Consultant
  Paediatrician at GOSH
• Tel [phone] ext. 5137
• email elimD_at_gosh.nhs.uk

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http//www.haringey.nhs.uk/services/child_protecti
on/index.shtm
Child Protection Advice and Support Team
020 8489 3133 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm