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Identify policies and procedures relating to safeguarding of children
Essay child protection policy
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Josh Wells Unit 3
1.1: Explain what is meant by “safeguarding children”
Safeguarding children is protecting them from physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. For an example physical abuse would could be hitting a child and emotional abuse could be calling a child names. It is everyone’s responsibility in the setting to make sure that children are kept safe at all times. This is to ensure that children grow up in a safe environment. Practitioners also have a duty of care to make sure that children are kept safe at all times “When those relationships provide safe, stable, and nurturing environments, children are more likely to thrive physically and emotionally.” (Wood, 2015)
1.2: Explain how safeguarding supports children’s safety and
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individual needs. It is everyone’s responsibility in the setting to make sure that children are kept safe at all times.
The information sharing government policy March 2015 states that “if a practitioner has concerns about a child’s welfare, or believes they are at risk of harm, they should share the information with the local authority children’s social care, NCPCC and/or the police, in line with local procedures” This is important because if a child’s safety is being compromised appropriate action can be taken straight away for an example, if a child is being physically abused a social worker will have to investigate and follow a process if it if found that the abuse is survive the child will be removed from the home. If the child is being abused it can be sorted out. It is important that all staff in an early years setting are aware of the safeguarding procedures so apocopate action can be taken and the incident can be dealt with in the best way that has the best outcome for the …show more content…
child. 2.3 Identify policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding. In the early foundation stage there will be a safeguarding lead for an example, at my placement the safeguarding lead is the head teacher. It is important that if early years practitioners see something that they are not happy with. They should report it to the safeguarding lead. The information sharing document provides settings with information about providing safeguarding services. 3.2: Describe indicators of abuse Some signs of abuse can be that a child does not speak until they are older without having a medical reason this is because the child’s parents may have not have interacted with their child before. Another sign that a child is being abused is that the child is underweight this is because it is a sign that the child is being neglected as if the child is underweight it is likely that they are not being fed. Another sign to look out for is that if a child is fighting with other children this is also a sign of abuse this is because the child will think that it is acceptable as it is what they see at home. https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/signs-symptoms-effects/ Some examples of physical abuse include hitting, biting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, drowning and suffocating.
Some signs that children are being physically abuse in kiddie children not joking in physical activities where they may have to wear shorts such as PE because they do not wan their bruises and scares to be seen. Children are also likely to be uncomfortable around adults. Children who are being physically abused are also likely to plant and feel relaxed and to be bullying other children to be being bullied their self’s.
Some examples of sexual abuse include rape, forced anal and oral, forced touching or masturbation. Sexual abuse is when a child is forced or encouraged to take part in physical and sexual contact. Some signs of sexual abuse are a child knowing sexual vocabulary that is inappropriate for their age. Another sign that a child is being sexually abused is that they will act sexually inappropriately for their age and they will encourage other children to do the
same. Some examples of neglect are lack of food, shelter, and the child’s emotional needs are not met. When a child is neglected they are normally ignored and their requirements are not met if a child is being neglected they are likely to be consistently Hungary and asking for food. There chills is also likely to be unhygienic and normally seen in dirty clothes. The child is also likely to appear unhappy and withdrawn and will tend not to get involved in the setting. Some examples of emotional abuse are feeling worthless, undervalued and sometimes children who are emotionally abused have also witnessed domestic violence. When children are emotionally abused they are given impossible standards to meet. Children who are also emotionally abused tend to take a long time to learn how to walk and talk, find it hard to make friends. Children who have experienced emotional abuse tend to find it difficult to play using their imaginations, have low self-esteem and get distracted very easily. Domestic abuse can be in any form such as physical, emotional, sexual or verbal. 2.1/2.2: Discuss how legislation informs safeguarding polices and procedures in early year’s settings Every early year’s setting will have a safeguarding policy that links to the government documents. 3.7: Explain the boundaries of confidentiality in relation to reporting and record keeping It is important to follow the settings safeguarding policy. If any information has been recorded on paper of online it is also important to give the information to the safeguarding lead so they have as much information as possible. It is also important to make the child aware that you are going to have to tell someone else about what they have told you. 3.3/3.4: Describe the actions to take, the lines of reporting and the practitioners responsibilities when harm or abuse is suspected or disclosed It is important to follow the settings reporting procedure, this could be to either make a note of concern on paper, or on a settings online system, or then pass the information on to the safeguarding lead. It is a legal requirement that if it is suspected that a child is being abused or if it is found out that a child is being abused that it is reported to the safeguarding officer and the setting manger this is so the incident can be dealt with properly the safeguarding officer can take the correct procedure such as asking social serves to have a visit in the child’s home. If I child says that they are being abused it is the practitioners responsibility to make sure that they don’t act shocked this is because the child will feel more comfortable talking to the adult. It’s also important that the practitioner doesn’t put words into the child’s mouth for an example asking if the child’s has being kicked it is likely that the child is likely to say they have even if it hasn’t happened it is important to ask open questions so that you get A true picture of what has happened. The government policy what to do if a child is being abused 2015 states that “Even if your primary responsibility does not relate to children, many professionals will have the opportunity to observe and identify behaviour which could indicate a child is being abused or neglected.” It his important if a child is being neglected it is your responsibility to make sure that appropriate action is being taken even if the practitioner is not responsible for that particular child’s care. It’s important that the safeguarding lead is aware of the situation as they can take the appropriate action such as if it is suspected that there is something not right happening at the the safe guarding officer cam work with other professionals such as social services who can arrange home visits to investigate if the suspicions or allegations are true. Social services can also work with the family to resolve the issue of take appropriate action if the child is being avoided and is at a serious risk social services will take the child out of their parents care if they think it is the best option for the child. It is also important that the safeguarding lead ,Ames a record of what was said this is because sometimes information that is given can sometimes be remembered incorrectly for an example, a practitioner may have forgotten some information or not remember the information correctly. To avoid this from happening the 3.1: Describe the actions to take, the lines of reporting and the practitioners responsibilities when harm is suspected or disclosed It is everyone’s responsibility in the setting to report something they see that they aren’t happy with this could be parents, students, parents, or a caretaker. If a practitioner is told by someone in the setting that they have concerns it is important that they pass the information onto the safeguarding lead so they are aware. It is the early years practitioners responsibility to make sure that the children in the care are protected from harm, abuse and neglect the practitioner can ensure that this happened by reading the settings protection policy this ensures that practitioners maintain a safe environment for the children. It’s also important to be aware of the polices in the setting when they is a concern. If a practitioner has a concern about a child it is important that there keep a record of the information and storming the information appropriately to ensure the child’s confidentiality the concerns also need to be reported to the safeguarding officer and the settings manger so that they are aware of the child’s situation. It is the practitioner responsibility to read the codes of practise that are about safeguarding and the duty of care of children. The practitioner also needs to know who to report concerns to for an example this could be the settings manger or the setting could have a safeguarding lead the practitioner will be told all of this information when they first start at a setting. The practitioner also needs to be able to identify concerns that could lead to the child’s safety being at risk. For an example, child abuse some common signs of child abuse that practitioners should look out for are children being uncomfortable around adults and being bullied or bullying other children. It is also important that the early years practitioner where a child may have had accidental injures and where non-accidental injures could occur. Accidental injures are likely to occur on the child’s hands, elbow, feet and legs. Non-accidental injuries are likely to occur on the child’s near, cheeks, ears, head, stomach and thighs. 3.6: Discuss the responsibilities of the early years practitioner in relation to whistle blowing If something has been reported and a practitioner feels that it isn’t being dealt with properly it is their reasonability to alert the local authority. For an example, at my placement this is Derbyshire county council. A practitioner may need to contact the local authorities as they may think that a member of staff is trying to cover something up or because they have been told something by a child or seen something that they are unhappy with and they feel like it isn’t being dealt with properly. 3.5: Discuss the rights of a children and parents/carers in situations where harm of abuse is suspected or disclosed If it is suspected that a parent has abused their child physically or sexually the parent does not have any rights this is because… When the early years practitioner has been told something concerning by a child it is important to only ask open ended questions. When the child cannot just answer yes or no this is important because if the child is asked questions like “was you hit” the child may answer yes even though this wasn’t the case. It is also important that no promises are made to the child and that you are going to have to tell someone about what they have said. Reference list Wood, R (2015) The importance of safe, stable and nurturing environments for young children available at. http://www.theolympian.com/living/health-fitness/article26120254.html Accessed on 17/05/18 2
Wilson, K. and Adrian J. L. (2007) The Child Protection Handbook: The Practitioner's Guide to Safeguarding Children. Edinburgh: Bailliere Tindall
As a Child Protective worker, my responsibilities are to assess safety (immediate), risk (future harm), abuse and maltreatment, and make a determination as to whether a child is safe or at risk of future harm and assess the need for services. The child welfare worker assigned to investigate the case failed to ensure the above. Works Cited Downs-Whitelaw, S., Moore, E., & McFadden, E. J. (2009). The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.
The legislation regarding safeguarding and chid protection ensures that all the children are safe, secure and protected from any kind of potential harm which may affect their health or development.
Children’s Social Care work with parents and other agencies to assess the stages of child protection procedures, record information and make decisions on taking further action. The police work closely with this agency to act on decisions made such as removing a child or the person responsible for the abuse while gathering evidence and carrying out investigations regarding the matter. Health professionals have a duty to report suspected non-accidental injuries to Children’s Social Care and examine children to give evidence of abuse. The Children Act 2004 requires every local area to have a Local Safeguarding Children Board to oversee the work of agencies involved in child protection, place policies and procedures for people who work with children and conduct serious case reviews when children die as a result of abuse. The NSPCC is the only charitable organisation that has the statutory power to take action when children are at risk of abuse. They provide services to support families and children and two helplines for children in danger and adults who are concerned for a child’s safety. They also raise awareness of abuse, share their expertise with other professionals and work to influence the law and social policy protect children more efficiently. There are also acts in place to protect children such as the Children Act 1989, the United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child 1989, the Education Act 2002 and the Children Act 2004. Legal framework from such acts are provided for Every Child Matters which requires early years practitioners to demonstrate that they provide activities that help children protect themselves. This may be through books and group talks known as “Stranger
The main points of the children’s act 1989 are parental responsibility and the welfare of the child. Children are best cared for within their own families. The act states that the mental and physical wellbeing of the child is important. Professionals and parents/carers must work together to ensure the safety of the child. Local authorities have a duty to look into situations where they suspect a child or young person to be suffering from significant harm. Duties get allocated to local authorities, and other agencies to ensure that all children are safeguarded. The children’s act 2004 reinforces that all organisations that work with children and young people must help to safeguard
Finding a definition of child physical abuse is controversial, but the signs of a child being abused is straightforward if you know how to read them. For example, Hitting, punching, kicking them, or using objects to injure to abuse them. All those examples are seen in the case of 8- year- old, Gabriel Fernandez after he was brutally abused for eight months.
Both national and local guidelines, policies and procedures for safeguarding affect day-to-day work with children and young people in many ways. They uphold a standard of what is expected and how best to protect children and young people under the age of 18 years. Safeguarding is more than protecting children and young people from direct abuse or neglect. The wider responsibility is that the welfare of the child as a whole is protected.
According to the Munro report (2011) that state, a one size fits all is not the right way for child protection agencies to operate. This report also suggested that the inspection for the safeguarding services should be un-announced to help provide agencies with an exact update on the nature of the child’s needs. These recommendations suggested by Munro sets out a wide range of measures to safeguard and promote the physical, emotional, social and behavioural development of the children.
ii. A clear framework for local safeguarding boards for monitoring local services effectiveness. iii. Guidance aims to help professionals understand what they need to do and what they can expect of one another in order to safeguard/keep children
Child protection is very important because the impact of child maltreatment can have profound effects on mental and physical life that can last throughout a lifetime (Ferguson, 2011). Concern about child protection has grown in recent years, which has required professionals to form a range of services to collaborate together (Payne, 2000). The second part of this essay will examine the advances that have been made in interagency working, paying attention to legislation and policies that have been developed in order to cope with these safeguarding issues. However, it will be argued that these policies are inadequate to effectively address interagency working difficulties. The reasons for interagency failure Despite the advances that have been made in recent years to promote better interagency working, the child protection system is still under enormous pressure.
As a society it is our duty to protect others from harm, especially children and young people, and as aduls who work with children we need to be doubly aware of this responsibility. No-one, whether child, young person or adult deserves to suffer from abuse; whether physical, sexual or emotional; or be subject to neglect. If we safeguard our children and young people they are more likely to grow into confident members of society. As practitioners we have a duty to ensure that the children and young people who are in our care are protected, and that as practitioners we recognise the signs and symptoms of harm and abuse. “School policies and procedures need to be such that parents and governors are aware of them and that staff are fully trained with regard to safeguarding.” School policies will need to cover:
Safeguarding is a term which is broader than ‘child protection’ and relates to the action taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Safeguarding is defined in Working together to safeguard children 2013 as:
Sexual abuse includes any sexual act in which one person has not agreed to it. A woman can be sexually abused by means of, but not limited to force, coercion, blackmail, threat, or embarrassment. Sexual abuse may occur when a woman is forced to perform, watch, or in any other way engage in sexual acts. This includes but is not limited to vaginal, anal and oral sex, fondling, touching, disrespect of privacy, such as showering, being forced to watch pornography or view pornographic pictures, being forced into sexual poses, or being verbally abused in a sexual manner (Morris and Biehl 36, Haley 14).
If the local authority establishes that the child is a child in need or at risk of harm, it has a duty under section 47 of the Children Act (1989) to make a care plan or child protection plan to provide support which involves adequate supervision and checks to ensure that the child is no longer at risk. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) promotes empowerment for children as they can exercise their right to express their views and be heard and their best interest would be at the centre of the intervention and social workers need to ensure that decisions made are not affected by the influence from family or professionals they work with (Lee & Hudson,
The physical abuse of children covers a wide range of actions from what some might term ‘justifiable chastisement’ such as slapping or spanning to the sort of actions which most would agree constitute deliberate, sadistic cruelty against children.