Child Protection and safeguarding PDF

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Unit 8 – Child Protection and safeguarding. 1.1- Analyse legal requirements and guidance relating to the safeguarding of children. All organisations that work with or come into contact with children should have safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that every child, regardless of their age, gender, religion or ethnicity, can be protected from abuse and harm. All settings working with children and young people should establish and maintain a safe environment and deal with circumstances where there are welfare concerns. Through their protection policies and procedures for safeguarding children and young people. Working together to Safeguarding Children 2015. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the purpose of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015: - Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part in it. - Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care. - Taking actions to enable all children to have the best outcomes. 1.2. Evaluate the impact of legal requirements and guidance on own role. The united Nations convention on the Right of the Child. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is a legallybinding international agreement setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities. Under the terms of the convection, governments are required to meet children’s basic needs and help them reach their full potential. Central to this is the acknowledgment that every child has basic fundamental rights. These include the following:- Life, Survival and development. - And education that enables children to fulfil their potential. - Protection from violence, abuse or neglect. - Express their opinions and be listened to.

Duty of CareDuty of Care includes the following concepts:- To give choice. - To keep individuals free from harm. - To keep individuals safe. Duty of care is a key concept in working with other human beings. It is a legal term for safeguarding self and others. Children and young people are often vulnerable as they are yet to develop the physical and cognitive capacity to fully care for themselves; they need care and protection from the adults around them. Safe recruitmentHaving a thorough Safer Recruitment procedure is crucial in Early Years settings, this is due to safeguarding children’s welfare. The procedure identifies people who might pose a safeguarding or welfare threat. As part of settings safer recruitment procedure all new employees should be given a full induction process outing child protection responsibilities and procedures that are to being followed if they have any concerns over a child’s safety or welfare. Early Years Foundation StageThe Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. All schools and Ofsted registered early years providers must follow the EYFS, including childminders, preschools, nurseries and school reception classes. EYFS guidelines tell us that yoru child should have a ‘key worker’ at nursery, pre-school or reception class, who is responsible for putting together information on how your child is developing. You can ask to see this information at any time, share you own impressions and build on what your child is learning at home as well.

Confidentiality On InformationThe Data Protection Act is a piece of legislation that is designed to prevent confidentiality and personal information from being passed on without a person’s consent. Under the Act, organisations that collect and store information must register with the Data Protection Commission. Confidentiality is important about trust and respect. Parents will often give you confidential information on the basis that it will be helpful to you when you work with their children they do so trusting that this information that is given to you will not be passed on to others. It is a good to see all information given to you by parents and carers as being confidential, including contact details, medical information, and all other records of the child. This type of information should be accessed only by those people who work closely with the child and only if it is the child’s interest. SafeguardingSafeguarding is a term which is bigger 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: 

Preventing impairment of children’s health and development.

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Protecting children from maltreatment.

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Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

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Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.

A practitioner must be designated to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children in every setting. Promoting the welfare of childrenWhen working together to meet the needs of family members and improve family functioning, all practitioners) have a responsibility to make a referral to the local authority when they have concerns about a child’s welfare (and in particular when they suspect that a child is, or may be at risk, of suffering harm). A referral and any following action to safeguard and promote a child’s welfare should be undertaken in accordance with the local safeguarding children

policies and procedures. These procedures should be consistent with the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006). Protection of self and others – Settings should have a policy and procedures for whistle blowing. The whistle blowing Policy is put into place to provide protection against the work place against victimisation or any form of punishment (physical or verbal) when concerns are real. If you have any concerns that is occurring in your work place setting you should report it to your manager/supervisor. All information given should stay confidential. The whistle blower is a person that discloses wrongdoing that threatens others, others than a complaint about their treatment. 2.2- Maintain accurate records relating to children’s overall welfare. Daily Logs. Keeping a record of children’s behaviour throughout each day, their activities while in your care, and parents feedback can be very useful to you in many ways. Also you should always not anything unusual when a child is picked up or dropped off to you. Keep notes about each child’s behaviour every day. If you notice any changes I their behaviour, and then discuss it with parents. If a child has a consistent behaviour change e sure that you are keeping a track of it an recording discussions you are having with the child’s parent. Incident Records. When writing incident report for an accident or an unusual incident, be sure you include very detailed information, such as dates, times, who witnessed the event, and exactly what happened during the period. 2.3- Explain why it is important to ensure children are protected from harm within the work settingIt is very important for any child in your care to be looked after in a secure, friendly manner, all children should be protected against harm weather it is accidental or whether they are at risk from others. Parents need to trust the people that are looking after their children. We have policies and procedures to follow to. There are 3 main policies regarding this and they are - Child Protection (Keeping children safe from others or parents/carers). - Risk Assessments (To minimise any risk).

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Health and Safety (Washing their hands after toileting and before snack). All staff working with children are DBS checked, first aid trained etc. children do not have the knowledge to know how to protect themselves so we have a duty to help them achieved this. It is important to safeguard children and young people because they are more likely to suffer abuse or neglect, in the hands of individuals that are meant to care for them as children are very vulnerable. 3.1- Explain the different types of abuseDomestic AbuseDomestic Abuse is any type of controlling, bullying, threatening or violent behavior between people in a relationship. It’s often difficult to tell if domestic abuse is happening, because it usually takes place in the family home and abusers can act very differently when other people are around them. Children who witness domestic abuse may: - Display anti-social behavior. - Suffer from depression or anxiety. - Not do as well in school – due to difficult situation at home family. Bullying & Cyber BullyingBullying is behaviour that hurts someone else such as name calling, hitting, pushing, spreading rumours etc. Bullying can happen anywhere e.g. at school, at home, or even online. It can hurt a child both physically and emotionally. Bullying that happens online, using social networks, games and mobile phones, often is called cyber bullying. Cyberbullying can happen at any time or anywhere - a child can be bullied when they are alone in their bedroom – so it can feel like there’s no escape. Physical Abuse – Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, burning or otherwise causing physical harm to a child or failing to protect a child from that harm. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer makes the symptoms of, or deliberately encourages illness in a child.

Emotional Abuse -

Emotional abuse is the emotional abuse of a child such as to cause serve adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It could also include rejecting or ignoring a child completely, using destroying language or behaviour towards them, threating or bullying them and encouraging them to develop behaviours that are self-destructive Sexual Abuse – Sexual abuse involves someone forcing a chid to take part in a sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening to them. The activity may involve physical contact. Sexual abuse may also include non-contact activities, such as watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behaviour in an unappropriated way. Neglect – Neglect can be a difficult form of abuse to recognise. The following changes in behavior in a child or young person may indicate neglect and these include complaining of being tired all the time, not requesting medical assistance and/or failing to attend appointments, having few friends and mentioning being left alone or unsupervised.

3.2- Explain the indicators of types of abuse. Domestic AbuseBullyingVerbal abuse, Non-verbal abuse, manipulating someone, spreading rumours, physical assaults. CyberbullyingCreating or sharing embarrassing pictures on social media, abusive text messages, self-harm, fake accounts, name calling. Physical Abuse– Bruises, blisters, burns, cuts, scratches, broken bones, head or brain injury. Emotional Abuse – Threatening, shouting, calling names, hurting the person’s feelings, swearing. Sexual AbuseTouching, feeing, sexual activity. Withdrawn. Neglect – Dirty, smelling, sleeping difficulties, aggressive behaviour, hungry, unwashed.

3.3- Explain the importance of observing and reflecting on changes in children’s behaviour. Observation is the key to understanding young children as learners and a vital tool in finding out more about them as individuals. It is an essential part of the assessment and planning cycle and a firm basis for reflection. In any high-quality setting, observation is recognized as a fundamental and important aspect of the practitioner's role and, as such, is given high priority in terms of training and everyday practice. Observation is about watching children's actions, expressions, gestures and behaviors, and listening to their talk and interactions. Sometimes it is about joining in with their play or conversations and sometimes about asking and responding to questions. Always, it requires a sensitive and respectful approach to children's play and an attitude of openness to the individual's learning schedule. There are many good reasons why adults observe children in their care and the reason may influence the nature of the observation in terms of who is observed/observing, where the observation takes place and at what time of the day or session. It is the responsibility of all practitioners to note important information about all the children's learning as it is presented. Children have different relationships with different adults and, through observation, each adult will bring an individual perspective to the assessment process for a particular child. 3.4- Explain own settings’ procedure for passing on concerns about the practice of others that may impact on the welfare of children. Child Protection – In my setting, we have policies and procedures for safeguarding, which say that employees, students and volunteers should be thoroughly checked for suitability, eligibility and DBS checked before they are allowed to begin working with us. Child Protection is also part of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Risk Assessments – Risk Assessments are also an important part of safeguarding children. In my setting, before we are able to allow the children into nursery, we must ensure that all rooms, garden, toilets, parents entrance have been risk assessed to ensure that there are healthy and safe for children to play in.

Supporting children and young people and others who may be expressing concerns- If a child, parents, or other practitioner was to express a concerns in my setting, I would first show them that I was taking them seriously, tell them that I am there to listen to anything they have to say, and have understanding. If it was about a child that had a concern, I would tell them I will help them as best as I can, but should never make any promises to them about keeping it to myself. I would also make sure not to jump to conclusions, or ask questions, and would seek advice and support from my manger. 3.5- Explain how abuse can take place by a range of people who have contact with children. Abuse can take place by a range of people who have contact with children including a parent, siblings, extended family members such as grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins. Online where social networking enables contact with people that children wouldn’t otherwise know/strangers. Anyone who has contact with a child has a potential opportunity to abuse. For children to become confident, self-aware ad independent in work a setting does to inform a child that they have the right to say no, to take themselves out of a situation, speak freely to adults that can help them and know that they will be listened to and believed is of top importance. 3.6- Explain why it is important to work with children to ensure they have strategies to protect themselves. All children and young people need strategies to make certain that they can protect themselves and make appropriate decisions about safety. Although it is important that children and young people learn to protect themselves taking their own risks are equally important as long as significant harm will not take place. Children in particular need to learn about strangers as some people are not always going to be kind to them but also the significant message must be that not everyone they come into contact with is going to be someone that will present any harm. Children need to learn how to protect themselves, but at the same time you need to take their own risks if there is no chance of significant harm. Children need the knowledge and know how to help protect and safeguard themselves. They needs to know about strangers ad how some are not nice people out in the world. Explain to them not to talk to strangers when they are left alone with them.

Children and young people need to have good self-esteem and confidence and a good self-image (so it is important to promote this from a young age) so they know they are important, should be respected by all and know that there are trusted adults there to help them and keep them safe. Some strategies that will enable children to protect themselves are: Adults to reinforce about dangers that are posed by some adults which helps to minimize risk. 4.1- Describe how to respond to concerns from colleagues, parents and/or careers that child has been abused or harmed. Children rarely tell if they are being abused. If a child tells something which suggests they have been abused or may be at risk of abuse this should never be ignored. If a child or a young person gives you information that suggests that he or she is being abused or makes you worried about the child you should: Remain calm, no matter how difficult it is to listen to the child. Listen to the child and take them seriously. Reassure them they were right to tell. Keep any questions to a minimum, for clarification purposes, and never interrupt. Tell the child what you are going to do next and tell them that you are going to have to speak to someone who can help. As soon as is practical write down everything that the child has told you using the child’s exact words if possible. Make a note of the date, time, place and people who were present and sign the notes you have made recording the date and time they were written.

4.2- Explain why it is important to believe a child and avoid judgments. It can be very hard for children and young people to reveal abuse. Often they fear there may be consequences. Some delay telling someone about abuse for a long time, while others never tell anyone, even if they want to. Children value being believed and, as the adult they have chosen to tell, it's vital that you act on what you've been told.

When a child is talking to you let the child speak freely and say whatever they want. Never stop a child who is freely recalling significant events, but don’t push the child to tell you more than they wish. Child need to know that they will be listening to and their concerns will be taken seriously, so it is a good idea to display information about helplines and peer support schemes. Evidence of the signs and symptoms of abuse do not necessarily mean that a child has been abused but such evidence can help responsible adults to recognize that something is wrong. The possibility of abuse should be investigated if a child shows a number of these symptoms or any of them to a marked degree. 4.3- Describe the role and responsibilities of the organizations that may be involved when a child has been abused or harmed. The Local Authority. The local authority has a legal duty to:  

follow up any complaint or concern about child abuse and get involved with a family where child abuse is suspected.

In severe cases, the child will be removed from the family. In some cases, the local authority has a legal duty to continue to support a young person until they are 21 or even older if the child was removed from the family because of abuse. Each local authority has a specialized department that deals with child protection issues. This could be called, for example, the child protection team, the children’s social work team or the safeguarding children’s team. In some areas, independent organizations carry out child protection duties on behalf of the local authority. Your local authority’s website will give you the details of who to contact about child abuse.

The Police.

Most examples of child abuse amount to criminal offences, for example, neglect of a child under 16, assault or rape. The abuser could be reported to the police and prosecuted. The police have a legal duty to:   

follow up any complaint or concern expressed about child abuse report their concerns to the local authority in serious cases, take a child away for 72 hours to keep the child safe. This is called police protection.

Local Safeguarding Children Boards. Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) are panels ma...