1. Safeguarding and Child Protection Basic awareness - Level 1 Aims of this training session
To provide a basic understanding of what constitutes child abuse.
To develop an understanding of the signs and symptoms of child abuse
To ensure you are clear about what action to take if you are worried about a child
To inform you of your responsibilities when working alongside children / young people
This powerpoint is intended to be used to train staff in schools and colleges at level 1 – basic awareness.
The training must be delivered by the designated safeguarding lead as they have the additional training in place to enable them to expand on the information on the slides and answer questions, which may arise.
It is intended that the session will take 2 hours.
There are some group activities which require flipchart paper and pens.
Please make all staff aware that some of the content may upset them and if staff need to take 5 minutes out that is perfectly acceptable.
Most child abuse takes place within families. The signs are not obvious. They are often hidden. The fact that schools are particularly well placed to notice highlights the need for staff to be well informed and clear about what signs to look for and how to act.

2. What do you think? Safeguarding? Child protection?
Start session by asking staff to think about the two key words on the slide.
Do they understand the meanings of each one and are they clear about the difference between the two? (Quite often these terms are used inter-changeably and incorrectly)
After a couple of minutes , ask for a show of hands as to who felt 100% confident they knew the meanings and the differences.
Explain the differences by looking at the next couple of slides.

3. Where does child protection sit?
378,000
Early help record and plan
Child Protection
43,100
It is useful to think of a continuum or scale when understanding the difference between safeguarding and child protection.
Start by asking staff to think of a child who sits at the left hand end of the scale ie a child who is growing up in a healthy environment at home, supported by a supportive family network, reaching academic milestones, has attended appointments for health / dentist etc. This child accesses universal services, no additional support is required to keep this child safe.
Now think of a child at the complete opposite end to this ie a child who is growing up in a seriously abusive environment, not supported at home, not reaching milestones etc. This child needs significant additional support and protection to keep them safe.
Safeguarding is what we do for all children , no matter where on the continuum they sit. Child protection is the support and protection put in place for the children at risk of significant harm.
Figures on the slide are national figures. Ask staff if they can estimate how many children are currently at the far end of the scale ie are subject to a child protection plan in Swindon? As of October 2014 there were approximately 240 children subject to a child protection plan.
If low level concerns are raised about a child, the family can be supported to complete an early help record and plan (previously known as the Common assessment framework) . This identifies what the concerns are and looks at identifying support to address these concerns. A lead professional oversees the EHRP and meets with family and professionals involved to monitor the support and impact of this in keeping the child / children safe.
SAFEGUARDING
Approx 12 million children currently living in UK

4. Working Together 2013 – definition of safeguarding
The action we take to:-
protect children from maltreatment;
prevent impairment of children’s health or development;
ensure that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care;
enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Nationally agreed definition , in Working Together 2013

5. Key documents for school safeguarding
Working Together 2013
Keeping children safe in education – April 2014
Two key documents which staff need to be aware of are:-
Working together 2013 – this is a national document which lays down the safeguarding requirements of all those working with children and young people.
Keeping Children safe In Education 2014 – this is published by the Department for education and is specific to education.

6. What is ‘child abuse’?
When a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm, as a result of someone inflicting harm or failing to act to prevent harm
May happen in the child’s family, or in a community or institutional setting
A ‘child’ is anyone under the age of 18.
Key messages:
This is the legal definition of child abuse. The term ‘significant harm’ is an important one and is explained further in the next slide.
Child abuse can be caused by acts or by neglect (failure to act).
Task 1: Please allow 10 minutes for the task: five minutes discussion and five minutes feedback.
What is child abuse?
In pairs or small groups, participants should make a list of things they think constitute child abuse.
Trainer’s note:
The next section of the training looks in detail at what is meant by ‘child abuse’, and at signs and symptoms of the various categories of abuse.

7. ‘Significant harm’ means:
Ill treatment or impairment of health or development
‘Development’ can be physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural
‘Health’ can be physical or mental
‘Ill treatment’ includes sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect
Significant harm can be a single traumatic event, or a series of events over a period of time.
Key messages:
‘Significant harm’ is a key concept to distinguish harm which is serious enough to warrant child protection intervention from other lesser kinds of harm.
In considering whether a child has suffered, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm, we need to consider:
family context
the child’s development within the context of their family and wider social and cultural environment
any special needs, such as medication condition, communication difficulty or disability that may affect the child’s development and care within the family
the nature of harm, in terms of ill-treatment or failure to provide adequate care
the impact on the child’s health and development, and the adequacy of parental care
the child’s reactions, and his or her perceptions, viewed in the context of their age and understanding.

8. Which factors are most likely to increase the risk of abuse?
Give staff a copy of the slide, as a paper copy
Ask them to work in pairs or small groups and identify which factors they think are most likely to increase the risk to a child of being abused.
Factors which are less likely / don’t increase the risk –
history of abuse of parent / carer.
parents don’t go to church
single parent
mother is out of work
Father is mixed race
Mother and father are not married
Toxic trio …..which significantly increase the risk if all three present
Substance misuse
Poor mental health of parent / carer
Domestic abuse

9. Categories of Child Abuse
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect
Explain that in the next session we are going to work in four groups.
Each group will be given a category to discuss
On large sheets of flipchart record the signs and symptoms you may recognise if a child is subject to the category of abuse you have been allocated.
5-10 minutes to brainstorm, then will go through each category

10. Physical Abuse
This can include hurting children in many different ways
Non accidental marks tend to have a distinct shape or edge to them
May be in places which are hard
to see eg burns behind ear
Not all marks on children mean
they are being abused
Having given groups time to brainstorm refer to the definitions from Working Together 2013
Collect examples on flip chart paper – share and discuss
Highlight importance of recording of marks (no photos)
Use of body map to describe where on body , how big
Not all marks on a child mean that they are being abused

11. Common Sites For Accidental Injury
FOREHEAD
NOSE
BONY SPINE
CHIN
FOREARM
ELBOWS
HIP
Use this diagram to demonstrate some of the common sites for accidental injury.
Not all bruising or marking is cause for concern.
However when explanations do not correlate or the bruising is in an unusual place, this should be recorded and discussed with the designated safeguarding lead.
KNEES
SHINS

12. Common sites for non-accidental physical injury
CHEEK/SIDE OF FACE - bruising, finger marks
EYES - bruising, (particularly both eyes)
MOUTH - torn frenulum
SHOULDERS - bruising, grasp marks
GENITALS - bruising
BACK }
BUTTOCKS }
THIGHS }
Linear bruising. Outline of belt/buckles. Scalds/burns
CHEST - bruising, grasp marks
UPPER & INNER ARM - bruising, grasp marks
NECK -bruising, grasp marks
EARS - Pinch or slap marks, bruising
KNEES - grasp marks
SKULL - fracture or bleeding under skull (from shaking)
Use this diagram to illustrate some of the areas that are suggestive of physical abuse.
Reinforce the need to share any concerns with the Designated Senior Person.
Does the explanation for injury / mark add up?
Does parents explanation confirm child’s explanation?
Parents will go to extra-ordinary lengths to cover up – disguised compliance
Explanations may seem plausible at the time. – Importance of chronologies
Reinforce to staff the importance of reporting a concern, even if unsure. The DCPC may have a number of previous concerns, which the member of staff is not aware of and their information may be a crucial piece of the jigsaw.

13. Emotional abuse (1) Emotional abuse is difficult to: define
identify/recognise
prove
Very often this will go hand in hand with one or more of the other categories.

14. Emotional abuse (2) Key features: chronic and cumulative
long-term impact
all abuse and neglect have emotional effects
children can be harmed by witnessing abuse
Domestic abuse is a form of emotional abuse.
A child does not need to be physically hurt to be at risk
Hearing and or witnessing domestic abuse has huge negative impact on a child’s well-being

15. Parenting behaviour included in emotional abuse
Child is:
ignored
put down/belittled
shouted at
terrorised
told they are useless, stupid, wicked, unlovable, clumsy, unattractive, weak

16. Cyberbullying
The rapid development of, and widespread access to, technology has provided a new medium for ‘virtual’ bullying, which can occur in or outside school.
Range of media
Can happen at all times of day
Can reach a larger audience
Working Together 2013 – definitions of four categories
Emotional abuse category now includes reference to cyber-bullying
May want to spend a couple of minutes asking for staff to discuss this

17. Sexual abuse (1) relatives family friends neighbours babysitters
Often perpetrated by people who are known and trusted by the child:
relatives
family friends
neighbours
babysitters
people working with the child in school, faith settings, clubs or activities.
A few years ago many schools did lots of work around ‘Stranger Danger’.
Now really important to highlight that children are at much greater risk of being abused by someone they know and trust

18. Sexual abuse (2) Usually planned and systematic
Can involve grooming the child
Can involve grooming the child’s environment
‘Special relationships’ (Birmingham Little Stars SCR)
Grooming involves the perpetrator identifying a child / children who are ‘vulnerable’
These children tend to have low self worth and are looking for some positive attention
Children can be be-friended by a perpetrator at clubs/ groups/ school/ church.
It may take years for the perpetrator to establish a trusting relationship with the child and those around him/her before any physical contact takes place.
Perpetrators of sexual abuse can be male and female – remember Vanessa George (Little Ted’s Nursery in Plymouth)
Staff should be vigilant for colleagues who appear to have special relationships with a particular child/children. This should be reported straight away to the Head teacher.

19. Abusers who groom are often:
in a position of trust, leadership
good at their job
able to win respect, affection, or fear from colleagues
charismatic
articulate
domineering, bullies
caring
dutiful, over-helpful
manipulative
distorted in their thinking.
Key messages:
Abusers take time and trouble to groom not only their victim, but often the family and friends of their victim. They also groom school (and other agencies’) staff to gain trust and respect
These positive relationships with adults surrounding the ‘chosen’ child make it very difficult for the victim to disclose abuse for fear they will not be believed
The key word here is ‘manipulative’

20. Child Sexual Exploitation?
Young people receive something (eg food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, gifts, money) as a result of engaging in sexual activities. It can take many forms ranging from the seemingly ‘consensual’ relationship, to serious organised crime by gangs and groups. What marks out exploitation is an imbalance of power in the relationship.
CSE has an increasing profile nationally and here in swindon. May be aware of cases in the news eg Rochdale, Oxford, Rotherham
Important to recognise that CSE can take many forms, not purely gang related.

21. Involves varying degrees of coercion, intimidation or enticement
Includes
unwanted pressure from peers to have sex
Sexual bullying
Cyberbullying
grooming
Important to note that some young people who are being sexually exploited do not exhibit any external signs of this abuse

22. Vulnerability Factors
Domestic Violence
Drug and Alcohol misuse
Homelessness
Isolation
Difficult family relationships
‘Risky’ behaviours
Inappropriate sexual behaviour for age
Poor School attendance
Lack of peer support
Lack of boundaries set at home
Criminal activity
History of mental health issues – self harm
Missing episodes
Risky behaviours is discussed in Rochdale SCR – it suggests that prevalence of DV, alcohol and drug use within the adult communities has desensitised young people to risks generally
These factors will increase the risk but important to also be aware that not just children deemed as ‘vulnerable’ who are at risk from CSE.

23. Neglect Neglect is about the absence of caring parenting
Often made worse by poverty, lack of knowledge or non-availability of services
Can be deliberate and systematic
Good enough parenting
Neglect remains the largest category of reason for referral and for entering care.
Neglect is about the absent of caring parenting
Often made worse by poverty, lack of knowledge or non-availability of services
Can be deliberate and systematic – parents may knowingly deprive their children of the things the y need
Good enough parenting – everyone person here today will have their own benchmark and standards about what a good parent is/does? Very difficult to rely solely on this as can differ hugely.
If time ask staff to close eyes , ask them to raise their hand once you reach the age at reach at which they would leave a child on their own at home for half an hour. Start at 5 and count to 18.
This should demonstrate that averyone’s views differ even in this small group.

24. The neglect framework
The Neglect Framework provides a series of questions around five key areas.
1. Persistence & Change
2. Child Developmental Areas
3. Impact of neglect on the child and their lived experience
4. Causal Factors
5. Acts of Omission or Commission
Following a local case review here in Swindon, it was identified that there was a lack of a framework for professionals to use to identify neglect. Subsequently a neglect framework was launched in It can be found on the Swindon LSCB website.

25. An example of one of the five areas, which looks at child development.

26. Scenario
Whilst the children are changing for PE you notice that Mary has a number of small, spherical marks to the top of her leg. They appear to be swollen and red. You ask the teaching assistant to take the rest of the class to the hall, whilst you ask Mary about the marks. She becomes very tearful and tries to hide the marks.
Now going to consider what action you would take.
This scenario has happened in our school today, what do you do?
What should you do??

27. Do’s and Don’ts
It is acceptable to ask questions to clarify context. However staff should take care not to ask leading questions.
Ask the child’s permission to observe the marks and ensure another member of staff is present if a child is showing you marks on their body.
Never take photographs of marks on children. A body map should be completed , indicating size, shape and whereabouts on the body they are.

28. Your responsibility Keep an open mind
Distinguish between fact and opinion
Record clearly, remembering to include time, date, your name and role.
Share information with your designated safeguarding lead as soon as possible
Most importantly:-
Two key actions
Record and
Report
Not down to individual staff to investigate
It may be that once the DSL or deputy has been alerted more information is necessary but must seek advice from DSL first.

29. What if I’m not sure?
Your responsibility is to act if you have any concerns about a child or young person, by passing the concern on.
It is not your responsibility to decide whether or not abuse has taken place and/or the identity of the abuser.
Trainer's note
Child abuse is frequently unrecognised and is under-reported.
Be aware that your initial reaction on suspecting abuse, may be a wish to deny the problem and reluctance to get involved.
If you suspect a child is at risk, ask yourself:
Why am I worried?
What are the implications of doing nothing or deferring action?
What should I do right now?

30. Making a referral to children’s social care
Telephone referral to Family Contact Point
Follow up with written referral (using RF1 form)
Each referral is looked at by a manager in FCP within 24 hours and then signposted appropriately.
Feedback within 48 hours
At this point refer staff to section in your child protection policy which outlines the process to follow if you are making a referral.
‘Keeping children safe in education’ flags that anyone can make a referral so it is important that all staff understand the process.
Referral to children’s social care
a telephone referral is made in the first instance to Family Contact Point on
Emergency duty service
This must be followed up within 24 hours with a written referral , using form RF1.
The RF1 form must be signed and dated by the referrer.
If a child discloses physical or sexual abuse, where the alleged abuser is either a family member or someone resident within the household, the school must consult the Duty Social Worker before informing parent/s.
No referral to children’s social care
Actions will be agreed to monitor the child and support the child / family where needed.
An Early Help Record and Plan (EHRP) should also be considered at this stage.
Children’s social care consideration
Children’s social care decides within 1 working day what action will be taken, including if an assessment is needed and feedback to the referrer. This decision will be made using the Swindon LSCB threshold document.
Assessment
Children’s social care completes the assessment within 45 working days of the referral; it could be a section 17 or section 47 assessment. All schools and colleges should allow local authorities access to facilitate arrangements.
No Assessment
If the information supplied in the referral does not meet the threshold, an EHRP should be started and/or onward referral to other specialist or universal services; children’s social care will feedback to the referrer.
If the child’s situation does not appear to be improving the referrer should press for re-consideration.
Consideration
The DSL will consider the information, in the context of any other concerns / disclosures, and decide on next steps. Where possible this should be done in consultation with others in the safeguarding team.
Parents / carers should be involved at this stage, unless to do so may place the child at increased risk of significant harm, in which case advice should be sought from Family Contact Point.
   

31. Scenario B
You have concerns about a colleague at your school. You have noticed on several occasions that that they seem to be favouring one child over and above the others. Yesterday afternoon you overheard the member of staff asking the child if they would like a lift home after football……..
Similar exercise
Clarify that similar actions:-
Record
Report but difference is here staff need to report straight to the Head.

32. Safer working practice for adults working with children
Code of conduct for all adults working with children
All staff read and sign to say they have read and accept the terms laid down in this document
Used in early stages when allegation made against staff

33. As this could be a potential allegation , you have reported your concerns to the Head. Their response is worrying as they respond by laughing and saying that this member of staff is married and wouldn’t put their job on the line. You are still concerned……what should you do?

34. A culture of child protection
South west child protection procedures
Swindon LSCB
Local case review of a neglect case – July 2013
North East Somerset – middle school
Plymouth - Little ted’s nursery
Birmingham – Little Stars
A recent serious case review – Little Stars nursery in Birmingham – perpetrator reported to police that prior to working at the nursery he had worked in a school for a short period. He quickly realised that safeguarding was a key priority for the staff and school and he knew that he wouldn’t ‘get away with’ abusing children . On arriving at the nursery, procedures were much more lax and it was evident that he might get away with it in this setting.
The importance of giving a clear message at every opportunity about the value of safeguarding is crucial, right from point of advertising a post, website etc

35. Key Messages For Staff The importance of:-
The designated safeguarding lead
Being up to date with the school’s CP Policy and related policies (eg positive handling)
Recording concerns clearly and accurately
The school’s code of conduct
The role of the designated safeguarding lead – importance of sharing information/concerns with this person
CP Policy and related policies – allocate time for staff to read and update on a regular basis
The importance of recording – share handouts of concern notification form. For individual members of staff the main part they will be involved with is the noting of concern and sharing of this with the DSL. However it is important that the DSL keeps the member of staff updated with information about actions and outcomes where the member of staff may not have been directly involved. The DSL needs to highlight all the ways in which members of staff can keep up to date eg school safeguarding noticeboard, SWCPP website
It is important to ensure all staff are aware of the chronology sheets too as they may need to update parts of these.

36. Advice and Support Sarah Turner, Schools’ Safeguarding Adviser
Telephone –
E mail –

37. Safeguarding and Child Protection Aims of this training session
To provide a basic understanding of what constitutes child abuse.
To develop an understanding of the signs and symptoms of child abuse
To ensure you are clear about what action to take if you are worried about a child
To inform you of your responsibilities when working alongside children / young people
Re-visit aims – are you clear about these?