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WORKING TOGETHER TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN

A guide to inter-agency working to safeguardand promote the welfare of children

Department for Children, Schools and Familieshttp://www.workingtogetheronline.co.uk/resources.html

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Working Together to Safeguard Children

Sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in accordance with the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004

Also informed by Lord Laming’s report, The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report, in March 2009

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The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report

58 recommendations relating to: Leadership and accountability, support for

children, inter-agency working, children’s workforce, improvement and challenge, organisation and finance and the legal framework.

Twenty-three of these recommendations have been addressed by this revised guidance.

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Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children

Responsibility of the local authority, working in partnership but health professionals and organisations have a key role to play:

Aim to ensure appropriate and timely interventionsSafeguarding and promoting their welfare forms an

integral part of their careThose health professionals in contact with children

have safeguarding responsibilitiesAll health professionals should be able to recognise

risk factors and contribute to the safeguarding process

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Local Safeguarding Children’s Board

The LSCB is the key statutory mechanism for agreeing how the organisations in each local area will co-operate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and for ensuring the effectiveness of what they do:

aim to identify and prevent maltreatment, or impairment of health or development, and to ensure that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with safe and effective care

they lead and co-ordinate proactive work that aims to target particular groups

they lead and co-ordinate arrangements for responsive work to protect children who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.

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All health professionals who work with children, young people and families:

Understand risk factors and recognise children and young people in need of support and/or safeguarding;

Recognise the needs of parents who may need extra help in bringing up their children, and know where to refer for help and use the CAF to access support as appropriate for them;

Recognise the risks of abuse or neglect to an unborn child;

Communicate effectively with children and young people and stay focused on the child’s safety and welfare;

Liaise closely with other agencies, including other health professionals, and share information as appropriate;

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Assess the needs of children and the capacity of parents/carers to meet their children’s needs, including the needs of children who display sexually harmful behaviours;

Plan and respond to the needs of children and their families, particularly those who are vulnerable;

Contribute to child protection conferences, family group conferences and strategy discussions;

Contribute to planning and commissioning support for children who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm, for example, children living in households with domestic violence or parental substance misuse;

Help ensure that children who have been abused or neglected and parents under stress have access to services to support them;

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Be alert to the strong links between adult domestic violence and substance misuse and child abuse and recognise when a child is in need of help, services or at potential risk of suffering significant harm;

Where appropriate, play an active part, through the child protection plan, in keeping the child safe;

As part of generally safeguarding children and young people, provide on going promotional and preventative support, through proactive work with children, families and expectant parents;

Contribute to child death and Serious Case Reviews and implementation of the lessons learned (see Chapters 7 and 8).

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MYTHS & FACTS:

MYTH: Children are usually abused by strangers

FACT:  Most children are abused by someone they know and trust

MYTH: Women do not sexually abuse children

FACT: Although the majority of sexual abusers are male, in approximately 5 – 10% of cases, the sexual abuser is female

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MYTHS & FACTS

MYTH: It doesn’t happen here – this is usually relating to a neighbourhood, class, ethnic group or community.

FACT: Abuse happens anywhere, in all classes, ethnic groups, cultures, etc.

MYTH: Some practices are more acceptable in some cultures.

FACT: Child abuse is unacceptable in any culture.

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MYTHS & FACTS

MYTH: Children are prone to lie, and they will often lie about the abuse.

FACT: Children very rarely lie about abuse and often their greatest fear is that they won’t be believed. 

MYTH: When Children’s Services/Social Care get a referral about an abused child, he or she is usually taken into care.

FACT: Most children remain at home with their parents, with support from professionals. In most cases the best place for a child to grow up is with his or her parents

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MYTHS & FACTS:

MYTH: People who harm children come from deprived backgrounds, are of below average intelligence or are “recognisable as dangerous” in some way.

FACT: People who harm children come from all walks of life, social class and intellectual backgrounds, and may be liked and respected members of the community.

MYTH: Disabled children are less likely to be abused.

FACT: Research shows that disabled children are more likely to be abused.

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References:

Appleton ,J. & Clemerson-Trew, J. (2008) Safeguarding children: a public health imperative. In Cowley, S. (Ed.) Community Public Health in Policy and Practice (2nd Edition). London: Bailliere Tindall.

Barker, J & Hodes, D. (2004) The Child in Mind: A child protection handbook (Revised Edition). Abingdon: Routledge.

  Brandon, M., Belderson, P., Warren, C., Howe, D., Gardner, R., Dodsworth, J. & Black, J. (2008) Analysing child

deaths and serious injury through abuse and neglect: what can we learn? (A biennial analysis of serious case reviews 2003-2005). Nottingham: Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Corby, B. (2000) Child Abuse: Towards a knowledge base. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Department for Education and Skills (2003) Every Child Matters. London: DfES.  Department of Health (1999) The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families.

London: HMSO.

Department of Health (1999) Working together to Safeguard Children. London: HMSO.  Department of Health (2000) Domestic Violence: A Resource Manual for Health Care professionals. London:

DH Publications (20024).

Department of Health (2003) Checklist of practice recommendations from the Victoria Climbié Inquiry. London: DoH.

Department of Health (2004) The Chief Nursing Officer’s review of the nursing, midwifery and health visiting contribution to vulnerable children and young people. London: DH Publications.

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References:

Department for Education and Skills, DoH, Home Office (2003) Keeping Children Safe. The Government’s response to the Victoria Climbié Inquiry Report and Joint Chief Inspectors’ Report Safeguarding Children. Cm 5861. London: The Stationery Office.

  H. M. Government (2006) Working Together to Safeguard Children. (A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard

and promote the welfare of children). London: The Stationery Office.  H. M. Government (2006) What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused – Summary. London: DfES.  H. M. Government (2009) The protection of children in England : action plan. The Government’s response to Lord

Laming. London: DfCSF.  Hall, D. (2003) ‘Child protection – lessons from Victoria Climbié’, BMJ, 326: 293-294.  Home Office (2007) Bichard Inquiry Recommendations (4th Progress Report). London: HM Government.  Howe, D. (2005) Child Abuse and Neglect. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.  Laming, The Lord (2009) The Protection of Children in England: A progress Report. London: The Stationery Office.  NICE (2009) When to suspect child maltreatment, NICE Quick Reference Guide (89).London: NICE.   O’Hagan, K. (2006) Identifying Emotional and Psychological Abuse. Maidenhead: Open University Press.  Johnson, C. F. (2004) ‘Child Sexual Abuse’, The Lancet, 364: July 31: 462-470.  Powell, C. (2007) Safeguarding Children and Young People: A guide for Nurses and Midwives. Maidenhead: Open

University Press.

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References:

Rhodes, H. (2007) How to help families in trouble: a short guide. London: Family and Parenting Institute.   Rose, W. & Barnes, J. (2008) Improving safeguarding practice (Study of serious case reviews 2001-2003).

Nottingham: Department for Children, Schools and Families.   The Victoria Climbié Inquiry (2003) Report of an inquiry by Lord Laming presented to Parliament by the

Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for the Home Department by Command of Her Majesty.

  United Nations (2009) Promotion and Protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and

cultural rights, including the right to development, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Human Rights Council, UN.

  Wilson, K. & James, A. (2007) The Child Protection Handbook (3rd Edition). London: Balliere Tindall.   World Health Organisation (2003) Guidelines for medico-legal care for victims of sexual violence. Geneva:

World Health Organisation.   World Health Organisation (2005) The solid facts on unintentional injuries and violence in the WHO

European Region. Fact sheet Euro/11/05. 12th September 2005.   World Health Organisation (2006) Preventing Child Maltreatment. Geneva: World Health Organisation.

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References:

RELEVANT LEGISLATION   The Children Act 1989   The Children Act 2004   European Convention of Human Rights (1950) (The Human Rights Act 1998) Article 3 non-one is subjected to

inhumane or degrading treatment; and Article 8 the right to respect or a private and family life.   The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 United Nations Convention for the rights of the Child (1989) {Ratified by the UK government in 1991} In

particular Article 19 – the right to be protected from harm.

USEFUL WEB SITES www.nspcc.org.uk www.worriedneed2talk.org.uk supporting the booklet Worried? Need to talk? (NSPCC 2004) help and advice for

young people on whom they can contact if they or friends need help in respect of abuse, bullying, racism, family relationships, being in care, drugs and alcohol.

www.homeoffice.gov.uk www.acpc.norfolk.gov.uk Norfolk Child protection processes and documentation. www.suffolkscb.org Suffolk Safeguarding Children Board - child protection processes and documentation website

(ACPC). www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/20040031.htm The Children Act 2004. www.unicef.org/crc/ Convention on the Rights of the Child. www.jrf.org.uk Joseph Rowntree Foundation. www.crae.org.uk Children’s Rights Alliance. www.11million.org.uk Site of the Children’s Commissioner. For internet safety information or to report on line abuse visit – www.thinkuknow.co.uk and www.ceop.gov.uk