West Sussex Childrens Services

1
West Sussex Childrens Services

• Debbie Bath, Assistant County Child Protection
  Adviser
• Cathy Caine, Assistant Group Manager (Child
  Disability)

2
Disabled Children

• Child Protection
• Looked After Children
• Placement issues

3
Statutory Framework

• Children Act 1989
• duty to investigate
• Children Act 2004
• duty to cooperate
• 5 outcomes

4
Reasons for admission to LAC

• Child suffering significant harm
• S.31 Care Order
• Parenting difficulties
• S.20 Accommodation
• School behaviour issues
• Not accommodated

5
Background

• People Like Us 1997
• Safeguards for Vulnerable Children 2004
• Safeguards for children living away from home
  2004
• NSPCC National Report 2003 It shouldnt happen
  to disabled children
• failure to apply CP standards to disabled
  children
• need to revise CP procedures for disabled
  children
• collation of local data

6
ACPC event Protecting Disabled Children 2005

• Research Pam Cooke 1999
• 2 of disabled children in need are on CPR
  compared with 8 of all other children
• 54 of disabled children placed on CPR following
  CP intervention
• 84 non disabled children placed on CPR following
  CP intervention
• NSPCC 2004
• disabled children are three times more likely to
  be abused than non disabled children

7
West Sussex severely disabled children

• Total numbers 1400
• No receiving CDT services 425
• No on CPR (June 05) 1
• No subject to CP investigation 4-6
• April to June 2005

8
Disabled children and young people, and those
with complex health needs published by DFES and
DH 2004 says comprehensive safeguarding
protocols are needed
9
Disabled children - models

• Social model of disability
• DH A Jigsaw of Services 2000
• Dependency - stress model of abuse
• Paul Brookes 1994
• Kennedy and Wonnacott comment 2005

10
Key issues

• Offenders think it is safer to abuse disabled
  child
• May be less aware of appropriate boundaries
• May be disbelieved or confused in their account
• Less able to disclose due to
• Fewer social contacts
• Isolation
• impairment

11
Key issues continued

• Lack of assertiveness, vocabulary and skill to
  complain effectively
• Lack of choice and control over many parts of
  their lives
• Behaviour management by
• Medication
• Physical control

12
And finally

• Listen to children, observe what their behaviour
  is telling you
• Train all staff to be able to respond to signs
  and symptoms of neglect and abuse
• Consult with disabled children and their
  advocates about how to safeguard them