We all know that children pass through different stages of development as they grow, and that their awareness and curiosity about things increases till the maturity age. This unfortunately does not stop them from being abuse by those who they love and may come in contact with.
Children through no fault of their own could be exposed to significant risk of harm indirect and directly by parents and other significant adults in their lives.
Direct: through physical, emotional, sexual and neglect; however this could be attributed to parent’s substance misuse, alcohol abuse, and Domestic Violence and Mental Health issues. Lots of times children are exposed to poor parenting as a result of the above which inevitably exposes them to significant risk of harm.
What do I do if I suspect that a child I am working with is being abuse?
It is important to note that all those who come into contact with children and families in their every day work, including practitioners who do not have specific role in relation to safeguarding children, have a duty of care to safe guard and promote the welfare and well-being of children.
However, you are likely to be involved in three main ways:
1) Concerns about a child you come into contact with:
You may have concerns regarding a child you work with and refer those concerns to children’s Social Services in your Local Authority or the police. School staff should be aware of the Local procedures to be followed for reporting concerns about children. This will normally be done by the School’s designated child protection officer (senior member of staff, head teacher or deputy head). However, the most effective way is to contact Initial Intake and Assessment Team in your Local Authority or the police. However, you may get involve in the following ways.
2) Approached by Social Care
You may also be contacted by children’s Social Services and asked to provide information about a child and family or to be involved in an assessment. This may happen regardless of who made the referral to Social Services.
3) Provision of help or specific support
You may be asked to provide specific help and support to the family known to Social Services as part of an agreed child in need or child protection Plan and contribute to the reviewing of the child’s progress.
At this stage decision is made that emergency action may be necessary to safe guard the child:
Immediate strategy discussion between Local Authority Children’s Social Services, police and other agencies as deemed appropriate will take place to gather futher informaion, share roles and decide next action.
Local Authority Children Social Services seeks legal advise
Parent advice to seek for legal advice and outcome recorded. At this stage two decisions could be reached. 1) No emergency action taken. The child becomes a child in need. Plan agreed with family and other professionals involved ensuring the child’s future safety and welfare and record decisions. 2) Appropriate emergency action taken, Strategy discussion and S47 inquiries initiated.
This could lead to the concerns about harm being substantiated in the child protection Conference where a decision is reached regarding the child being in continuing risk of harm or likely to suffer significant risk of harm (if this is the case the child becomes subject of child protection plan). However, if deemed not the case and a child is in need, then child will be made subject to child in need plan.
However, after discussion with your manager and if it was deemed that there were no longer concerns, no further child protection action will be taken, although may need to act to ensure services and appropriate support are provided.
N/B feedback will be given to the referrer regarding the Local Authority’s next course of action. If the feedback is no further action of the Local Authority’s Social Services involvement at this stage, please note that other actions may be necessary e.g. onward referral to ensure that the child’s need is appropriately met and part of this could be your ongoing support.
For further information, please refer to HM Government website (What to do if you are worried a child is being abused: Every Child Matters: Change for children).
