he UK government has defined the term a€ safeguarding childrena€TM as: a€ The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully. a€TM (Wikipedia) All children should live free from abuse and neglect and to be, and to feel, safe.
Every aspect of a childa€TMs life should be a safe, nurturing environment, at home and at school. The school environment should be one that is inclusive, creative, respectful and safe in order for children to reach their full potential. Abuse, neglect or any safeguarding issues in a childa€TMs life could hinder all areas of a childa€ development, potentially impacting on their behaviour and social skills, therefore affecting their learning and maybe their ability to make friends, and consequently having a massive impact on their self-esteem.
Staff within a school should be very aware of any signs of abuse or neglect in order to identify and act upon any concerns about a child as early as possible, with the aim to keep children safe and reduce any impact these issues may be having on them. The experiences that children have will also impact upon their future achievements and how they cope with their own experiences and relationships in adulthood. Therefore the importance of safeguarding children and young people is vital to their current quality of life as well enabling children to have, a€ optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfullya€TM.
Question: Question 7 Answer: Question 7 Explain the importance of a child or young person-centred approach. Working Together to Safeguard Children Document (2015), states that, a€ Effective safeguarding systems are child centred and failings in safeguarding are too often the result of losing sight of the needs and views of the children within thema €TM. It also states that a€The principle of a childa€”centred approach is that if services are to be effective they should be based on a clear understanding of the needs and views of childrena€TM.
To achieve a child or young person-centred approach children should be listened to, be able to express their opinions, be involved in choices and to be respected. This approach will provide a foundation on which to build good relationships, remembering that confidence in children comes from good positive support from adults. The Equality Act 2010 states that, a€ No group of children must be treated any less favourably than others in being able to access effective services which meet their particular needsa€TM. In accordance with this Act all children should be listened to and have their needs understood.
This may involve the adults involved in their care adapting teaching styles, the learning environment and possibly even equipment which will enable all children to be involved in activities and to reach their full potential and raise their self-esteem. This must also be in accordance with understanding the collective needs of all children. Using a child centred approach and by meeting individual needs ensures that children and young TM people are understood and included therefore having a positive impact on the childa€TMs learning and their welfare.
Question: Question 8 Answer: Question 8 Explain what is meant by partnership working in the field of safeguarding. Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010) is a document that sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard children. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, organisations, schools, governments or combinations. (Wikipedia. ) I feel that in the context of safeguarding, this definition highlights the fact that we are all responsible for safeguarding children and to do this effectively we must work in partnership with each other.
Whether someone is professionally or personally involved with a child everyone should feel responsible to pass on any concerns they may have about this child. This information should be actioned appropriately by professionals who should have a clear and consistent understanding and approach in order to deal with the concern effectively. A teacher assistant is often in a good position to recognise a change in a childa€TMs behaviour, therefore it is important to work in partnership with immediate colleagues and with the safeguard lead by practising good communication and information sharing.
Following the correct procedure will enable any safeguard issues to be dealt with effectively. There may be a need to log any concerns to a€ build a picturea€TM over time which is more effectively achieved when working together with colleagues. There have all too often been cases that have had tragic outcomes due to failings in partnership working. For instance the Victoria Climbie case exposed failed opportunities where adults felt the child was a risk, but did not communicate their concerns effectively and some not at all.
The lack of communication and inconsistency in care led to delays and there was a fatal decision that allowed her to return to the people who abused her and who then went on to murder her. The Child Protection Act 2004 was implemented in the light of the Victoria Climbe case and highlights the importance of working in partnership to safeguard children, by specifically co-ordinating multiple official entities. Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (2000) provides a systematic way of analysing, understanding and recording what is happening to children within their families.
Some of the function of the framework is to; a€? a€ Facilitate communication between agencies and with children and families. a€TM a€? a€ Assist the process of referral from one agency to another and increase the likelihood of acceptance of the contents of previous assessments, thereby reducing unnecessary duplication of assessment and increasing confidence in inter-agency worka€TM. a€? a€ Increases the likelihood of parents and children experiencing consistency between professionals and themselves about what will be important for childrena€TMs wellbeing and healthy development. €TM
Whether the role of the adult in a childa €TMs life is a professional or personal one, it is vital that there is consistency, effective communication and care this enables adults to work in partnership together to ensure effective safeguarding, whilst continuing to share experiences in order to continually improve on practices. Question: Question 9 Answer: Question 9 Describe the roles and responsibilities of the different organisations that may be involved when a child or young person has been abused or harmed.
All adults working with children are responsible to safeguard children and to promote the welfare of children. School Adults working with children should be aware of any possible signs of abuse or neglect and they should have adequate training in order to deal with any disclosures of abuse efficiently. If a child makes a disclosure it may be the first time the child has spoken about the abuse, therefore it is vital that the initial reaction and conversation with the child builds their trust and confidence.
The role of that adult is to listen to the child and to reassure them that they have done the right thing, whilst not promising to keep any secrets. The adult is now responsible to record the conversation accurately, including date, time and diagrams if need be. The disclosure or concern is referred to a senior member of staff or safeguard lead who will decide if a referral needs to be made to the local authority childrena€TMs social care. The decision should be made immediately followed by an immediate referral and supported by a written referral within 48 hours.
Staff in schools, should never investigate any concerns of disclosures of child abuse, they must always act in accordance with the schools policy. Social Services/Local authority childrena€TMs social care The social worker and manager will acknowledge receipt of the referral and decides on the next course of action within one working day. An initial assessment is carried out by a specialist social worker who will decide what action to take. These actions could be either: a€?
Offering services: It may have been determined that the child is not initially at risk, however support is needed. a€? Urgent action: The social worker feels that the child is at risk of immediate harm. The social worker would apply for a court order for the child to be moved to a safe place. In extreme cases the social worker could involve the police who will take the child into police protection. a€? Holding a strategy discussion: The social worker feels that the child is at significant risk of harm.
A strategy discussion takes place with all the parties involved in the childa€TMs life. A specialist police officer must always attend a strategy discussion. After a child protection conference it will be decided if a protection plan is needed, if this is the case each child will be allocated their own key worker. Social worker/key worker When a child is subject to a Child Protection plan the social worker will regularly visit the child and their parent/carer, The social worker will working along-side other professionals to ensure the child is receiving appropriate care.
This may involve children who have remained in their family home or who have been placed in alternative care. Police The police have a responsibility to safeguard children from crime, although very often when a child is at risk the police will work along-side other organisations. For instance in cases of domestic violence, the child may not be at immediate risk, but is considered to be a welfare issue so the police will refer their concerns to social care.
The Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) operates within police forces in the UK. They are dedicated units who investigate offences against children and work a long side other professionals such as social workers. A specialist police officer MUST always be present during a strategy discussion where a social worker has determined that a child could be at risk of significant harm If a child is believed to be at risk of significant harm the police have the power to enter a property and to take a child into police protection.
The police will work in partnership with the local authority social services department who will decide what actions need to be taken to further protect the child NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) The NSPCC is a voluntary organisation and raise awareness of child protection issues. They provide many services including practical support by running local service centres across the county to support children and their families. The NSPCC also have an on-line and telephone counselling service called Childline.
Whilst they listen and support the child, they too, have a duty of care to pass on any information if they feel a child needs protecting. The NSPCC works through Local Safeguarding Childrena€TMs boards (LSCBs). Local safeguarding childrena€TMs boards (LSCBa€TMs) LSCBs are panels made up of various agencies. Their role is to set out policies and procedures for child protection in their allocated area. Any professional that has a concern that a child is being abused must pass these concerns on to the LSCB.
