Lecture 8 Risk and vulnerability Flashcards
What are the six overarching principles of vulnerability?
Overarching Principles
- Recognising and responding to vulnerability requires partners to work together effectively 2. The concept of vulnerability encompasses the person and their circumstances
- Responding to vulnerability includes empowering people to seek their own support networks
- Prioritising prevention reduces harm and demand
- To be better at recognising and responding to vulnerability requires a change in culture within, and across service providers
- Staff and partners must understand and recognise vulnerability, tailoring our combined service to protect the most vulnerable in society
What is the definition of vulnerable?
“A person is vulnerable if, as a result of their situation or circumstances, they are unable to take care of or protect themselves or others from harm or exploitation.”
What does the Care Act 2014 do?
The Care Act 2014 S42 now identifies ‘an adult at risk.’ – An adult at risk of abuse or neglect is defined as someone who has needs for care and support, who is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect
What are extrinsic factors?
Extrinsic is defined as “not part of the essential nature of someone or something; coming or operating from outside,” In this section we will look at the factors that, when combined with personal vulnerability, can lead to harm or a risk of harm, the relationship between the factors (e.g. situational) and the personal characteristics and vulnerabilities that may lead to harm/risk of harm to an individual and the Police’s role in managing the factors (e.g. environment) to reduce risk.
What is the Cycle of Abuse?
In terms of Policing when we refer to the Cycle of Abuse there could be a number of ways in which this could be interpreted.
This could refer to young people who are subject to Adverse childhood experiences or ACES, this will be covered in separate sessions, however at this stage I will say that they are subjected to some form of abuse. Unfortunately, this may make them more susceptible to other forms of abuse which in turn makes them increasingly vulnerable. On so the cycle goes on.
As they move through life the cycle continues with them becoming possible victims of domestic abuse, financial abuse, domestic servitude, prostitution, criminal and sexual exploitation. Some of them will go on to have children and we see that they are also quite often very easily caught up in this cycle from pre-birth.
There could be separate cycles for people who become victims and those who become perpetrators of these crimes. For example, a young man who along with a number of other factors, sees regular domestic violence within his household. He may grow up feeling that this is a perfectly normal and acceptable way for his male role model to behave. He could then go on to emulate this behaviour. Many young 4 males have very poor positive male role models, some none at all!
What is the definition of Trauma?
“… an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individuals functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual wellbeing.”
What is Type 1 Trauma?
Refers to single-incident traumas which are unexpected and come out of the blue.
They can be referred to as big T trauma, shock or acute trauma. This type of trauma often leads to no long-term psychological difficulties but in around 25 to 30 per cent of cases persists to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (NICE, 2005).
Type 1 Examples of type 1 trauma might include: • Severe illness or injury • Violent assault • Sexual assault • Traumatic loss • Mugging or robbery • Being a victim of or witness to violence • Witnessing a terrorist attack • Witnessing a natural disaster • Road accident • Military combat incident • Hospitalisation • Psychiatric hospitalisation • Childbirth • Medical trauma • Post suicide attempt trauma • Life threatening illness or diagnosis
Refers to either one single event - such as a car accident, a single occurrence of sexual assault, a terrorist incident or a physical assault.
This type of trauma often leads to no long-term psychological difficulties but in around 25 to 30 per cent of cases persists to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (NICE, 2005).
What is Type 2 Trauma?
Type 2 Complex Trauma
Complex trauma describes trauma which may have been experienced as part of childhood or early stages of development. A condition related to type 2 trauma is Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Type 2 Trauma
Examples of type 2 trauma include:
• Sibling abuse
• Childhood emotional abuse
• Domestic violence
• Emotional neglect and attachment trauma
• Abandonment
• Verbal abuse
• Coercion
• Domestic physical abuse
• Long term misdiagnosis of a health problem
• Bullying at home at school or in a work setting
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Physical neglect
• Overly strict upbringing sometimes religious
• Historical, Collective or Intergenerational Trauma
This trauma is characterized by psychological or emotional difficulties which can affect different communities, cultural groups and generations. Adaptive coping 2 patterns can be passed intergenerationally.
Examples might include: • Racism • Slavery • Forcible removal from a family or community • Genocide • War
What is Type 2 Repetitive Trauma?
Type 2 Repetitive Trauma
Repetitive trauma refers to trauma which has been repeated over a period of time and is often part of an interpersonal relationship where someone might feel trapped emotionally or physically. They may also feel as if they have been coerced or powerless to prevent the trauma.
What is Vicarious or Secondary Trauma?
This type of trauma can occur when someone speaks to someone who has experienced a trauma or witnessed a trauma first hand.
The person listening can experience secondary trauma and experience symptoms experienced by the person explaining the trauma.
What are little ‘t’ trauma?
Little “t” trauma is less prominent and discussed less often. Little “t” traumas are experiences which are part of the everyday and are an expected part of life. They may however be very traumatic. Examples might include: • Loss of a loved one • Moving to a new house • Losing a job
What are ACES?
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)
Adverse Childhood Experiences are events which happen in childhood which are traumatic.
Studies and research spanning over twenty years have shown that the more of these ACEs a child endures, the greater the risk of having physical and mental health problems later in life.
Society also pays a high price with an increase in crime, homelessness, drug and alcohol addictions etc.
A child’s brain develops according to the environment they exist in. For some children, that environment is steeped in danger. When this is the case, the brain becomes hyper-sensitive to the threat of danger and responds through the freeze, fight or flight response.
This can lead to behaviour patterns forming which can present as the child being defiant, disruptive, ill-mannered, uncontrollable, and often violent. This is usually the point where the Police become involved. What is actually happening is the child is in emotional crisis and is fighting to stay alive - in any way they can.
- Neglect
- Abuse
- Household Dysfunction
What is the Vulnerability Assessment Framework?
P- Pre-encounter factors that shapes operational response and management of a suspected person with mental health needs
A- Appearance of a person
B- Behaviour of a person
C- Communications, what are they saying, how is it said, does this give cause for concern
D- Danger to self, person or public
E- Environment, nature of situation and source of information available within it.
What are the three key factors should be considered in a missing person investigation?
- protecting those at risk of harm
- minimising distress and ensuring high quality of service to the families and carers of missing persons
- prosecuting those who perpetrate harm or pose a risk of harm when this is appropriate and supported by evidence.
What is the definition of missing?
Anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established will be considered as missing until located, and their well-being or otherwise confirmed.
Talk through The Risk Assessment Table for missing people?
No apparent risk (absent)- There is no apparent risk of harm to either the subject or the public.
Actions to locate the subject and/or gather further information should be agreed with the informant and a latest review time set to reassess the risk.
Low risk- The risk of harm to the subject or the public is assessed as possible but minimal.
Proportionate enquiries should be carried out to ensure that the individual has not come to harm.
Medium risk- The risk of harm to the subject or the public is assessed as likely but not serious.
This category requires an active and measured response by the police and other agencies in order to trace the missing person and support the person reporting.
High Risk- The risk of serious harm to the subject or the public is assessed as very likely.
This category almost always requires the immediate deployment of police resources – action may be delayed in exceptional circumstances, such as searching water or forested areas during hours of darkness. A member of the senior management team must be involved in the examination of initial lines of enquiry and approval of appropriate staffing levels. Such cases should lead to the appointment of an investigating officer (IO) and possibly an SIO, and a police search adviser (PolSA).
There should be a press/media strategy and/or close contact with outside agencies. Family support should be put in place where appropriate. The MPB should be notified of the case without undue delay. Children’s services must also be notified immediately if the person is under 18.
Risk of serious harm has been defined as (Home Office 2002 and OASys 2006)?
‘A risk which is life threatening and/or traumatic, and from which recovery, whether physical or psychological, can be expected to be difficult or impossible.’
What are the minimum actions for a missing person?
Minimum actions will be undertaken in all missing persons cases. Further activities should be identified and actioned as necessary in some cases, based upon the circumstances and assessed risk.
The minimum actions to be undertaken in all cases are:
• create a record on the force command and control system, and/or the force missing person reporting system (see The police role and responsibilities and Positive action)
• complete a risk assessment and use this to inform what actions will be taken and when (if risk levels change the response should be reviewed)
• create and record a plan of immediate actions, which may include checking friends/relatives etc. It should be agreed and documented if these actions will be undertaken by police or the reporting person, depending on the circumstances of the incident
• set the latest time to review the risk assessment and activity, based on the circumstances of the report. The reasoning for this time frame should be clearly documented and the informant advised. The review may take place before the latest time if new information comes to light
• circulate the person as missing on PNC and check to determine if the person may be in custody
• if the missing person is aged under 18, local children’s services must be notified (immediately if deemed to be at high risk), see Local data sharing.
All reports of missing people will be subject to review, either because of the passage of time or because new information comes to light. When a review takes place, the risk assessment will need to be reconsidered and should inform whether new or different actions are required. For children and adults in care, information from multi-agency safeguarding partners should be sought in order to inform the risk assessment and on-going activity.
What is the definition of child sexual exploitation?
Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse.
It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity
– (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or
– (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator.
The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual.
Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.
How to deal with a child at risk of CSE?
- Engage with them on their own, away from peer, suspect or family influence
- Reassure, listen and try to build a rapport
- Record all disclosures and information provided to you accurately and in detail, do not challenge!
- Find a safe place for them & remove them from the situation – this may be their home address, but consider whether their family environment does actually offer them that safety
- Consider signposting to the support agencies, who may be better placed to engage with them
- Link in with Social Care Emergency Duty Team to obtain more detail regarding this child
- Consider Police Protection Order (S.46)
What is the definition of Child Criminal Exploitation?
Involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where a child receives ‘something’ (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money) as a result of them completing a criminal task on behalf of another individual or group of individuals.
What is the definition of Organised Crime Groups (OCG)?
‘Individuals, normally working with others, with the intent and capability to commit serious crime on a continuing basis, which includes elements of : planning/control/ coordination/structure/group decision making’
What is the definition of gang?
A Gang is a group of persons who go about or act together, especially for criminal or illegal purposes. They share a common identity, and many have common identifying signs and symbols such as clothing tattoos etc Gangs are also termed as street gangs.
What is Cuckooing?
Term used when gangs/OCG’s take control over a vulnerable adult address for criminal purposes, usually as a site to store / produce / sell drugs
