Extended CP Course

1
C
An Introduction to Child Protection for
Schools Delivered on behalf of Bath and North
East Somerset Local Safeguarding Children Board
2
Aims Objectives
C

• At the end of this session participants will
• Be clear about key roles and responsibilities in
  and for schools
• Understand the safeguarding agenda for schools
  and where child protection fits into it
• Be aware of different types of abuse and possible
  signs and symptoms
• Be clear about what to do if they are concerned
  about a child
• Be clear about how to respond to a child who
  tells them about possible abuse

3
C
What has child abuse got to do with me?
4
Safeguarding in Education
C
ICT / E-safety
Safe Recruitment Selection
Child protection
Duty to Safeguard Promote Welfare
Whistle-blowing
SEN and CiC
Behaviour Management
Managing Allegations
Extended Services
School Security Physical Environment
PSHE Curriculum
Attendance admissions exclusions
Anti-Bullying
Staff Conduct (inc. volunteers)
5
Group Discussion / Exercise

• How do we decide what is normal / abusive?
• What are our thresholds and what shapes them?
• What is and is not negotiable and why?

6
Lauren Wright

• Died in 2000 age 6
• Lost four stone and weighed just over two stone
  at time of death
• Often appeared with bruises which were explained
  away
• Killed by step-mother who was a member of school
  staff
• DTCP had left and governor offered to take on
  this responsibility
• No referral made to Social Services

7

• lots of times she was covered with lots of
  small bruises and with major bruises about once a
  month. These included black eyes, bruising on her
  face and scratches on her back. (Laurens class
  teacher)
• her physical deterioration had been apparent
  for at least five months before she died. (Head
  teacher)

8
Victoria Climbié

• Died February 2000
• the food would be cold and given to her on a
  piece of plastic while she was tied up in the
  bath. She would eat it like a dog Except, of
  course, that s dog is not usually tied up in a
  plastic bag full of excrement. To say that Kouao
  and Manning treated Victoria like a dog would be
  wholly unfair she was treated far worse than a
  dog.
• Authorities had 12 separate opportunities to
  intervene

9
Barriers to taking appropriate action
10
C
Taking action
What if Im wrong
I could make things worse
Fear
Not my job
I dont know what to do
CHILD
Disbelief
What do I know about child abuse?
Protection of Child
11
Potential Pitfalls

• Losing sight of the child e.g. Unwillingness to
  challenge where we have concerns
• Mindsets e.g. It doesnt happen here
• Failure to share information
• Unclear about roles / responsibilities
• Failure to seek appropriate advice / support
• Failure to record
• Assumptions e.g. someone else will act, about the
  family, explanations etc
• Not acting promptly where we have concerns e.g.
  same day

12
Legislation, Roles Responsibilities
13
Main Legislation Guidance
C

• Working Together to Safeguard Children March 2010
• DfES Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment
  in Education (January 2007)
• Guidance for Safer Working Practices 2007
• BNES Safeguarding Children Procedures
• Schools CP Policy / Procedures
• www.swcpp.org.uk
• Framework for Schools Inspections

• Children Act 1989
• Education Act 2002
• Children Act 2004
• Bichard 2005
• ISA?

14
Legal Responsibilities under Section 175 (S157
Independent Schools)
C

• Safeguarding Promoting Welfare- covers more
  than the contribution made to child protection in
  relation to individual children e.g. bullying,
  medical needs, school security etc
• LAs, Governing Bodies and establishments must
  have in place relevant policies and procedures
• Must have DTCP for child protection (and back-up
  person recommended)
• DTCP to update their cp training every two years
• All staff to receive training every three years
  and on induction
• Safe recruitment procedures
• Not about increased individual liability.
  Legislation refers to making and having in place
  arrangements

15
DTCP Role and Responsibilities
C

• Responsible for maintaining child welfare and
  child protection records centrally, securely and,
  where appropriate (i.e. CP records),
  confidentially
• Responsible for sharing records appropriately
  when children leave or move schools
• Responsible for co-ordinating action in child
  protection situations e.g. monitoring and support
  plans in school, referring to other agencies,
  attending Child Protection Conferences and other
  meetings

• Ensures that a CP policy is in place and that
  staff are aware
• Reviews policy annually and ensures sign-off by
  Governing Body
• Attends refresher training every 2 yrs (inc.
  multi-agency training)
• Ensures all staff receive induction and an update
  every 3 yrs
• Offers support and advice to staff , day to day,
  who may have concerns about children in school.

16
Different Levels of need and 'Significant Harm'
17
Duty to Make Enquiries (s.47)
The Local Authority (Social Services) has a duty
to make enquiries wherever there is reasonable
cause to suspect that a child is suffering or is
likely to suffer significant harm.
18
Significant Harm (s.31(10))

• The threshold which justifies statutory
  intervention into family life
• Significance is measured against a childs health
  and development and what might reasonably be
  expected of a similar child
• Physical, social, intellectual, emotional and
  behavioural development
• Harm means ill-treatment or the impairment of
  health or development
• Physical and mental health

19
Common Assessment Framework

• CAF and Lead Professional

20
Information Sharing and Assessment
Benefits
Tools and processes
Cross Government Information Sharing Guidance
Earlier, holistic identification of needs
Common Assessment Framework
Earlier, more effective intervention
Lead Professional
Improved information sharing across agencies
Childrens Services Directory
Better service experience for children and
families
21
Cross Government Information Sharing Guidance
Aim Improve practice by giving practitioners
across children and young peoples services
clearer guidance on when and how they can share
information.
22
Childrens Services Directory

• Online searchable directory of all childrens
  services
• Contact details for local providers
• Eligibility criteria
• Geographical location
• Access procedures
• http//www.1bigdatabase.org.uk/

23
Common Assessment Framework

• Definition
• CAF is a tool to enable early and effective
  assessment of children and young people who need
  additional services or support from more than one
  agency

24
Common Assessment Framework

• It is a process for
• recognising the signs that a child may have unmet
  needs
• developing a child/young persons centred and
  holistic approach to assessment of needs
• recording information using the CAF form and,
  with consent, sharing information
• developing appropriate and timely support plans
• may lead to specialist assessment

25
CAF benefits

• Benefits
• Multi-agency working and child-centered services
• Shared language across agencies
• Earlier identification and earlier intervention
• Easier, less bureaucratic access to a range of
  services and less repetition for children and
  families
• Where more than one practitioner is involved, one
  will take the lead

26
Lead Professional

• Two main responsibilities
• act as an single point of contact for the child /
  young person and family
• coordinate support where more than one
  practitioner is involved to ensure that support
  is streamlined, effectively delivered and
  regularly reviewed

27
Who can be a Lead Professional?

• Many practitioners in the childrens workforce
  could take on the lead professional role
• We define the role by the functions and skills
  needed, rather than by particular professional or
  practitioner groupings
• As the needs of the child, young person or family
  change, so will the skills, knowledge and
  competence to carry out the role not only
  over time, but also as the complexity or
  intensity of their support needs change.

28
Categories, Signs and Symptoms of Abuse
29
Child Abuse?
C

• When a child is hurt or harmed by another person
  in a way that causes significant harm to that
  child and which may have an effect upon the
  childs health, development or well-being, via
  acts of omission or commission.

30
Arousal Relaxation CycleFahlberg 1994
NEED
TRUST SECURITY ATTACHMENT
QUIESENCE
DISPLEASURE
SATISFY NEED
31
Child Abuse Children with more Complex Needs
32
Discussion

• Are the rules different insofar as safeguarding
• Children with disabilities and complex needs are
• concerned?
• What are the issues for
• the young people themselves
• parents
• professionals

33
1 Disabled children are in most senses just
like other children they have the same basic
needs and general principles of good practice in
child protection work apply equally to all
children. 2 Disabled children have the same
right to protection as all children.
34
Myths, Stereotypes Barriers

• Not vulnerable wouldnt be targeted
• Not as harmful as abuse to non-disabled children
• Impossible to prevent
• More likely to make false allegations
• If abuse has occurred, best to leave well alone
  once child is safe
• Parents and carers are saints/reluctance to
  challenge carers

35

• Society still seems to be in denial about the
  fact that
• disabled children are more likely to be abused
  than non-disabled
• children. This may be because generally speaking
• less attention is paid to their human rights and
  to providing
• advocacy services for them. They are still
  commonly seen in
• terms of their impairment and the characteristics
  that make
• each child unique age, gender, ethnicity,
  religion and culture
• are subsumed in the one label. This has to
  change so that
• the systems set up to safeguard all children
  cover disabled
• children on equal terms.
• Source Stuart and Baines (2004) p 2122

36
.child abuse and neglect are inextricably
interwoven with disability. The literature is
replete with evidence that children who are
abused or neglected are at greater risk of
becoming emotionally disturbed, language
impaired, mentally retarded (sic) and/or
physically disabled, while children with
disabilities may be at greater risk of abuse and
neglect. Cohen and Warren 1990 p254
37
Increased Vulnerability?

• Neglect 3.8 times more likely
• Sexual Abuse 3.1 times more likely
• Physical Abuse 3.8. times as likely
• Emotional Abuse 3.9 times as likely
• Source Sullivan Knutson, 1997

38
Group Discussion What factors do you think
may increase and / or perpetuate vulnerability?
39
Increased Vulnerability

• Individual characteristics
• Assumed that disability protects
• Medical models, labels etc - disempower
• Segregation isolation
• Lack of training and resources
• Communication issues

• Intimate personal care / variety of carers
• Reluctance to complain
• Primary focus upon needs of parents
• Imbalance regarding need and risk issues
• Professional beliefs, feelings

40
Private Fostering

• Arrangement made privately without the
  involvement of the local authority
• Applies to children under 16 years or 18 if
  disabled where they have been cared for by
  someone other than a parent of close relative for
  28 days or more

41
Physical Abuse
C

• Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking,
  throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding,
  drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing
  physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also
  be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the
  symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in
  a child.

42
For Accidental Injuries
For Non-Accidental Injuries
Eyes
Forehead
Ears
Crown
Cheeks
Mouth
Body spinal protuberances
Neck
Shoulder
Chest
Elbow
Upper Arms
Liana crest (hip)
Inner Arms
Stomach
Genitals
Knees
Front Thighs
Buttocks
Shins
Back Thighs
43
Physical Abuse
C

• Not all bruising or marks are causes for concern
• No failsafe checklist exists
• No need to investigate / diagnose
• What and where e.g. linear, outline, several /
  recurrent, parallel, soft tissue
• Are explanations consistent e.g. child, parent?
• Patterns? Circumstances? Life events / changes /
  behaviour?
• Act promptly same day discussion with DTCP
• No photos! Clear records!

44
Emotional Abuse
C

• The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child
  such as to cause severe and persistent adverse
  effects on a childs emotional development.
• It may involve conveying to a child that they are
  worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only
  insofar as they meet the needs of another person.
  
• It may include not giving a child opportunities
  to express their views, deliberately silencing
  them or making fun of what they say or how they
  communicate.
• It may feature age or developmentally
  inappropriate expectations being imposed on
  children. These may include interactions that are
  beyond the childs developmental capability, as
  well as overprotection and limitation of
  exploration and learning, or preventing the child
  participating in normal social interaction.

45
C

• It may involve seeing or hearing the
  ill-treatment of another.
• It may involve serious bullying (including
  cyberbullying).
• causing children frequently to feel frightened or
  in danger.
• the exploitation of corruption of children
• Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all
  the types of maltreatment of a child thought it
  may occur alone.

46
Group Discussion

• What are some of the potential problems
• associated with identifying emotional abuse?
• What might you observe in a child who was being
  emotionally abused?

47
For example, for a child this can mean
C

• Persistent ridicule,rejection, humiliation
• Living in atmosphere of fear and intimidation
• Being allowed no contact with other children
• Inappropriate expectations being imposed
• Low warmth, high criticism
• Being bullied, scapegoated

48
Neglect
C

• Is the persistent failure to meet a childs
  basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely
  to result in the serious impairment of the
  childs health or development.
• Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of
  maternal substance abuse.
• Once a child is born, neglect may involve a
  parent or carer failing to provide adequate food
  and clothing, shelter including exclusion from a
  home or abandonment.

49
C

• Failure to
• Protect a child from physical and emotional harm
  or danger
• Ensure adequate supervision (including the use of
  inadequate care-givers) or
• Ensure access to appropriate medical care or
  treatment
• It may also include neglect of, or
  unresponsiveness to, a childs basic emotional
  needs.

50
For example, for a child this can mean
C

• Lack of adequate nourishment/shelter
• Not receiving medical attention when necessary
• Lack of interest in the welfare of the child
• Inappropriate clothing
• No boundaries, limits in terms of actions and
  behaviour
• Childs needs not recognised / prioritised by
  parents

51
Sexual Abuse
C

• Sexual Abuse involves forcing or enticing a child
  or young person to take part in sexual
  activities, not necessarily involving a high
  level of violence, whether or not the child is
  aware of what is happening
• The activities may involve physical contact,
  including assault by penetration (for example
  rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as
  masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching
  outside of clothing

52
C

• They may also include non-contact activities such
  as
• Involving children in looking at, or in the
  production of, sexual images, watching sexual
  activities, encouraging children to behave in
  sexually inappropriate ways or
• Grooming a child for abuse (including via the
  internet)
• Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult
  males. Women can also commit acts of sexual
  abuse, as can other children

53
C

• Not necessarily about touch / penetrative acts
  e.g. access to inappropriate materials, language,
  what children see
• Barriers to disclosure i.e. grooming
• May be physical, emotional, social / behavioural
  signs although may be subtle and attributable,
  potentially, to a range of things

54
Talking Listening to Children
55
Disability Disclosure Issues

• The usual barriers apply in respect of children
• recognising and/or telling us that they are being
• abused. In addition, workers should
• Modify communication patterns to suit individual
  needs
• Use simple sentences verbs. No clauses, linked
  sentences, multiple questions
• Provide clear feedback / summaries /
  clarification at various points / as required
• Be prepared to start again if a conversation
  becomes difficult for the young person.

56
Talking and Listening to Children
C

• Do
• Keep an open mind
• Reassure the child that they are right to tell
• Listen carefully
• Work at the childs pace
• Ask only open questions if you must ask them,
  clarify the facts, dont interrogate
• Explain what you need to do next
• Record accurately and quickly using childs words
• Pass on to DTCP same day

• Dont
• Make false promises about confidentiality
• Interrupt
• Interrogate / investigate
• Assume e.g. this child tells lies
• Make suggestions about what is being said
• Speculate or accuse anyone
• Show anger, shock etc
• Tell the child to go and speak to someone else
• Forget to record accurately and/or pass on to
  DTCP

57
Recordings need to
C

• Be written as soon as possible ( certainly
  within 24 hrs)
• Be written in ink, signed and dated
• Differentiate clearly between fact, opinion (if
  one is offered) interpretation
• Use the childs language wherever possible (if
  you use quotation marks be very clear precise!)
• Be given to the appropriate person (DTCP) as a
  matter of urgency

58
C
Safer Schools Safer Staff
59
Making Professional Judgements
There may well be occasions and circumstances in
which staff have to make decisions or take
action, in the best interests of a child, where
little or no guidance currently exists. Under
these circumstances, staff will be required to
exercise their own professional judgement.
60
Statistics

• An estimated 3,000 allegations of abuse made
  against staff in maintained schools each year
  66 physical abuse, 15 sexual abuse, 15
  inappropriate behaviour.
• On average, 1 in 8 schools will deal with an
  allegation of abuse each year
• In 2005 2,416 people were reported to DfES to
  consider including them on List 99 or the PoCA
  List and 525 people were added to one or other of
  the lists.

61
When might you be vulnerable why?
C

• Alone with a child
• Administering first aid
• Restraining a child
• When a child seeks affection
• Providing intimate personal care
• Social networking sites

• Lack of training or support
• When you are unclear about guidance and/ or
  procedures
• When you fail to report or seek advice / poor
  lines of communication
• When you fail to record
• Ethos and culture

62
Guidance on Safe Working Practice
C

• Introduction
• Status of document
• Duty of care
• Exercising professional judgement
• Power and Positions of Trust
• Confidentiality
• Propriety and Behaviour
• Dress, Appearance and Social Contact
• Gifts
• Physical contact
• Discipline and punishment
• Physical Intervention
• Sexual contact with yp
• One to one situations
• Infatuations and crushes

• Pupils in distress
• First aid and intimate care
• Children with special needs
• Overnight supervision and examinations
• PE and other activities requiring physical
  contact (see BALPE)
• Showers and changing
• Out of school trips and clubs
• Curriculum
• Photography, video and creative arts
• Internet use
• Whistle-blowing
• Self-reporting
• Reporting and recording incidents
• Staff and pupil welfare

63
Allegations Management process

• New guidance was introduced in 2006 following the
  Inquiry undertaken by Sir Michael Bichard into
  the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman by
  Ian Huntley in Soham in 2002.
• The guidance is designed to
• make it harder for unsuitable people to have
  access to children through their employment or
  volunteering activities
• deal efficiently and effectively with any
  allegations made against those people employed or
  working with children and young people via the
  allegations management process

64
Allegations Management process
C

• Definition of an allegation
• For the purpose of this process an allegation is
  where an adult working with or on behalf of
  children has
• Behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have
  harmed a child, or
• Possibly committed a criminal offence against or
  related to a child, or
• Behaved towards a child or children in a way that
  indicates unsuitability to work with children.

65
Allegations Management process
C

• Where staff become concerned about the behaviour
  of an adult/colleague that may meet any of the
  above criteria particularly where there are
  concerns about behaviour that may indicate
  unsuitability then they should discuss these with
  the Designated person for Child protection.
• The Designated person for Child Protection will
  then need to consider whether discussion with/
  referral to the Local Authority Designated
  Officer (LADO) who has overall responsibility for
  allegations management within the LA area is
  appropriate.
• The Designate person should record any concern
  raised and decision made to refer/discuss with
  the LADO or not.
• If concerns held are about the Designated person
  then they should refer discuss these with the
  HT/Chair of Governors.

66
Allegations Management process
C
NFA/Record decision

• Concern arises

Consult with LADO Record decision
Discuss with Designated person
NFA/strategy discussion/internal investigation
67
What Next?
C

• Am I clear enough about my role in school and
  that of other key people?
• Am I clear about the relevant policies and
  procedures in school?
• Am I clear about what I should do if I am
  concerned about a childs welfare?
• Am I clear about the appropriate sources of
  advice and support available to me?
• Is there anything I need to speak to the DTCP
  about?