Title: Child protection training for schoolbased teaching and nonteaching staff and volunteers in Devon Ver
1Child protection training for school-based
teaching and non-teaching staff and volunteers in
Devon Version 2, last revised 2005)
- This training should be delivered by the trained
and designated person for child protection in the
school. - It is expected that this training will last
about three hours. It would take longer if a
case study and/or Q. and A. session are
incorporated. Exact timings and customising are
the responsibility of the person delivering
training to determine. - These training materials need to be carefully
considered before delivery to ensure familiarity
with them and the other resources referred to.
Potential issues and queries which are likely to
arise should also inform the planning of the
session. - This training pack provides additional notes
beneath each slide for those designated people
less accustomed to whole-school CP training.
These could be printed off as a Word document
and used as prompts by the trainer. - Queries about these materials/contents can be
made to Devon - LEAs Lead Officer for Child Protection.
- The presentation starts with the next slide.
-
2SAFEGUARDING CHILDRENS U P P O R T I N G S T A
F F
- Child Protection Training
- For Education Staff in Devon
-
3To provide an opportunity to explore values and
attitudes in relation to child abuse To provide
basic child protection information for education
staff To know what to do when you have concerns
about a child To consider safeguarding children
and safe working practices for adults in school
Aims
4(One way of accessing support for adults with
personal concerns)NSPCC National Helpline
number
5Education staffs crucial role in child
protection
- Through their day to day contact with pupils and
direct work with families, education staff have a
crucial role to play in noticing indicators of
possible abuse or neglect, and in referring
concerns to social services - Working Together to Safeguard Children.
6Lauren Wright was a little girl whose life might
have been saved if the systems designed to
protect her had been in place She died in
2000. She regularly attended the village primary
school, where her stepmother was employed. The
school had no designated child protection person
and no effective procedures in place. The staff
had not received training. (see handout)
7Education Act 2002(section 175)
- LEAs and Governors and FE... shall make
arrangements for ensuring that their functions
relating to the conduct of the school are
exercised with a view to safeguarding and
promoting the welfare of children who are pupils
at the school.
8What do you think?
9THE CHILDREN ACT 1989 Principles the welfare of
the child is paramount children are best kept
within birth families where possible working in
partnership with families childrens wishes and
feelings ascertained race, culture, religion and
language to be taken into account intrusion into
family life should be minimised
10The Children Act 1989 (cont.d)
- Children must be protected from serious harm.
The local authority has a duty to investigate any
report that a child is suffering, or likely to
suffer, significant harm. (section 47) - Services necessary to safeguard and promote the
welfare of children in need should be provided
(section 17)
11A Legal Definition of Child Abuse
- The Children Act 1989 does not use the term
child abuse. It uses the words significant
harm. The court can legally intervene in order
to protect a child only if the child is suffering
from or likely to suffer significant harm.
12Who abuses?
- Abuse can be inflicted or not prevented by a
person who looks after the child, a person known
to the child who is not the carer, someone who
works with the child, or more rarely someone not
known to the child. Abuse can also be committed
by another child. - In many cases children are subjected to a
combination of forms of abuse.
13Abusers Can Be
- Any age
- Male or female (including sexual abusers)
- From any social class
- Nice people
- Work in helping professions
- Related to the child or not
- Damaged individuals, but very convincing liars.
May appear to be pillars of the community
14Is Abuse a Significant Problem?
- At least 150,000 children annually suffer severe
physical punishment - Up to 100,000 each year have a potentially
harmful sexual experience - 350,000-400,000 children live in an atmosphere
low in warmth and high in criticism - 450,000 are bullied at school once a week
- (National Commission of Inquiry Into The
Prevention of Child Abuse, 1996)
15Child Maltreatment in the UK
- In any group of 50 children
- at least 7 are likely to go home to families
which they do not experience as loving or close - As many as 10 may be going home to care for
parents who are incapacitated by their own health
or social problems - 2 or 3 will be going home in fear of violent
outbursts from one or both parents - 2 or 3 will be returning to a life of regular
beating and denigration - These figures are not cumulative and some
children will be experiencing several or all of
these situations
16These factors can impact upon any carers
ability to safeguard children
- Social exclusion, lack of social support,
financial difficulties, harassment - Mental ill health,
- Drug and alcohol misuse
- Domestic violence
- Power/control issues
- Attachment difficulties
17What makes a child vulnerable?
- Disability
- Special Needs
- Difficult child
- Vulnerable child e.g. previous trauma or abuse
- Dependent child
- Lack of opportunities to develop resilience
18What makes a child more resilient?
- It seems likely that children will be more
resilient to adverse circumstances if they have - supportive relationships with at least one parent
- supportive relationships with siblings and
grandparents - a committed non-parental adult who takes a strong
interest in the young person and serves as an
ongoing mentor and role model - positive experience in school
- positive friendships
- a capacity to think ahead and plan their lives
19Physical 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 feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately
causes ill-health to a child whom they are
looking after (this is called fabricated or
induced illness.)
20For 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
21For example, this may include
- Extreme, inappropriate physical chastisement
- Deliberate, malicious injuries
- Restraining a child inappropriately
22Emotional Abuse
- Actual or likely adverse effect on the emotional
and behavioural development of a child under the
age of 18 years, caused by persistent or severe
emotional ill-treatment or rejection.
23For example, for a child this can mean
- Persistent ridicule, rejection, humiliation
- Living in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation
- Being allowed no contact with other children
- Inappropriate expectations being imposed
- Low warmth, high criticism
- Being bullied, scapegoated
24Neglect
- Children under the age of 18 years who have been
persistently or severely neglected or the failure
to protect a child from exposure to any kind of
danger. This would include exposing a child to
extreme temperatures or starvation or failure to
carry out important aspects of care resulting in
the significant impairment of the childs health
or development.
25For example, for a child this can mean
- Lack of adequate nourishment/shelter
- Not receiving medical attention when necessary
- Lack of interest in the welfare of the child
- Inappropriate clothing
- No boundaries or limits in terms of actions and
behaviour
26Sexual Abuse
- Sexual Abuse of children is the actual or likely
sexual exploitation of a child or adolescent
under 18 years of age by any person. This would
include any form of sexual activity to which the
child cannot give true consent either by law or
because of ignorance, dependence, developmental
immaturity, or fear.
27For example, for a child this may include
- Exposure to pornographic materials
- Being involved in the sexual activities of adults
- Being touched or talked to in sexually explicit
ways- directly or indirectly - Being spoken to about sex in ways which are
inappropriate for the child and which seek to
gratify the needs of others
28Sexual Offences Act 2003
- Young people under 18 years of age are included
in the safeguards. - It defines a new offence of meeting a child
following sexual grooming, on and off-line. - The abuse of a position of trust makes it a
criminal offence to have a sexual relationship
with any young person up to the age of 18 if you
are in a position of trust in relation to that
young person.
29Indicators of Possible Abuse
- Marks (bruises, injuries, cuts, burns
- Changed eating habits
- Fearful changed, unusual, difficult,
withdrawn,behaviour - Poor hygiene
- Inappropriate touching
- Developmental delay
- Self injury
- Relationship changes
- Tiredness
-
30Ways Children May Disclose Abuse
- Talk
- Play
- Drawings
- Writing
- Behaviour
31Helping a child who wants to communicate a concern
- DO
- Take the child seriously
- Take your time (if you havent time at that
moment, explain why and say when you will have
time asap) - Let him/her speak
- Reassure (that it is OK to tell you)
- Listen carefully
32- DO
- Ask open question (s)
- Clarify by open questions
- Say what you will do next, (ie.that you will
speak to the DP) - Record Verbatim and sign and date
- Provide factual information
- Consider medical attention
- Liaise with the Designated Person (who will refer
to SSD)
33Helping a child who wants to communicate a concern
- DONT
- Promise (to keep it a secret)
- Stop the child from speaking
- Ask leading questions
- Question unnecessarily
- Make assumptions
- Minimise (eg. that doesnt sound serious
34- Dont
- Try to deal with the matter on your own
- Delay (in passing on your concern
- Force to recall
- Ask to show injuries requiring removal
- of clothing
- End the conversation abruptly
- Criticise the alleged perpetrator
35Sharing a concern in school
- You must pass your concern to your Designated
Person as soon as possible. - If the DP not available, see his/her deputy DP
- Confidentiality? NO -you cannot keep such a
concern to yourself, but only discuss it with
appropriate others. - Record keeping of what was actually said is
essential - Next?
36Communication with parents
- There is a general requirement to seek parental
consent prior to making a referral. However, if
it is suspected that a child may suffer
significant harm and consent is withheld, it will
be legitimate to make a referral despite the lack
of parental consent. - There may be exceptional circumstances in which a
police and social care investigation may be
undermined if parental consent is sought, eg.
where evidence may be destroyed. - In such circumstances the DP should clarify with
the statutory agencies, how best, when and by
whom, the parents should be told about the
referral
37SAFEGUARDING
- Apart from child protection, what else does
safeguarding children mean for education staff? - Could you discuss with a colleague the various
ways that you safeguard children in the course of
your working day?
38Safeguarding means?
- 1. Arrangements in place to ensure that the
risks of harm to child/rens welfare are
minimised, and - 2. Arrangements to take all appropriate actions
to address concerns about the welfare of a
child/ren, working to agreed local policies and
procedures in full partnership with other local
agencies - Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of
children is much wider than simply protecting
children from abuse and neglect. It also
encompasses health, safety, bullying, medical
needs of children, first aid, school security,
substance misuse, physical restraint, safe
employment issues etc. and policies /arrangements
which must be in place.
39Safeguarding applies to all children
. child protection .
. assessment framework .
.
safeguarding
.
40Safe practices? Your views?
- What safeguarding risks do you/colleagues take?
- A 11 with a pupil?
- Socialising with pupils? Lifts? Gifts?
- A member of staff appearing to favour or pick
on a particular pupil? Touching? - Taking action about the behaviour of a colleague?
41Summary
- Staff have a duty to pass on child protection
concerns to the (named) senior designated person
in the school. - His/ her deputy(ies) is/are
- S/he will act in accordance with local child
protection procedures and the guidance What To
Do If Youre Worried A Child Is Being Abused,
and will provide further advice and support as
necessary. - Staff are best placed to protect children when
they understand the schools child protection
and other safeguarding policies.