MOD E TECH 26 Child protection/vulnerable adults/domestic violence Flashcards
Fact!
- 7% children experience serious physical abuse at the hands of their parents/carers
- 1% children experience sexual abuse by a parent
- 3% children experience sexual abuse by relative
- 6% children experience neglect
- 6% children experience frequent and severe emotional abuse
More facts
- Every week 2 children will die following cruelty.
- On average 80 child homicides every year.
- Every 10 days one child is killed at the hands of their parent. Average 35 per year.
- Babies under 1 yr are 4 times more likely to suffer a violent death than adults.
Every Child Matters 2004
- In response to the Victoria Climbie Inquiry by Lord Laming 2003
- “On 12 occasions, over 10 months, chances to save Victoria’s life were not taken. Social services, the Police and the NHS failed to do the basic things well to protect her.”
- This document aims to reduce the number of children who experience educational failure, engage in offending or anti-social behaviour, suffer from ill-health or become teenage parents.
Serious Case Reviews
•Serious Case Reviews shed light on whether lessons can be learned about the way local professionals and agencies work together in the light of a child death where abuse or neglect are suspected.
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•Serious Case Reviews are not inquiries into how a child dies or who is to blame. These are matters for coroners and for criminal courts.
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- Serious Case Reviews focus on improving practices that safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
- Establish whether there are lessons to be learnt from the case about the way in which local professionals and organisations work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children
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•Identify clearly what those lessons are, how they will be acted on and what is expected to change as a result; and
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•As a consequence, improve inter-agency working and better safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Focussing on optimal (best possible) outcomes
Being healthy
Staying safe
Enjoying and achieving
Making a positive contribution
Achieving economic well-being
What does all this mean to us?
A Duty to Protect…
All those who come into contact with children and families in their everyday work, including practitioners who do not have a specific role in relation to safeguarding children, have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.’
Domestic Violence / Abuse
Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.’
Can include any form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse between people in a close relationship.
Such as:
- physical assault
- sexual abuse
- rape
- threats & intimidation
Sexual Abuse
involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing.
‘…They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.’
Emotional Abuse
‘…is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person.
It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyberbullying) causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.’
Neglect
‘…is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and / or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse.
Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
- provide adequate food and clothing, shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment)
- protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
- ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers)
- ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
Previously referred to as Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy
Previously referred to as Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy
Is a condition whereby:
- Illness is fabricated or induced by parent/carer
- Child presented for medical care/assessment persistently
- Perpetrator denies aetiology
- Signs & symptoms cease when child separated from perpetrator
Effects of child abuse
These can be wide ranging & profound. May include:
- behavioural problems
- educational problems
- mental health problems
- relationship difficulties
- drug & alcohol problems
- suicide or other self harm
- in extreme cases death
Presentation
Abuse may present in a variety of ways:
- Worrying injuries
- Numerous attendances at hospitals
- Allegations made by another person
- Disclosure by a young person / carer
- Parent/carers capacity to care impaired
Listening for child protection
uIf a child discloses abuse, remember that this may be the beginning of a legal process, as well as of a process of recovery for the child. Legal action against a perpetrator can be seriously damaged by any suggestion that the child has been led in any way
uRather than directly questioning the child, just listen and be supportive
uNever stop a child who is freely recalling significant events, but don’t push the child to tell you more than he/she wishes
uWrite an account of the conversation immediately. Put the date and timings on it, and mention anyone else who was present. Then sign it, and hand your record in to your Line Manager, who should contact the Children’s Social Care District Office where appropriate
Can we break a patients confidentiality to safeguard a child
Common Law Duty of Confidence
Personal information about children & families held by professionals & agencies is subject to a legal duty of confidence and should not normally be disclosed without the consent of the subject. However, the law permits the disclosure of confidential information necessary to safeguard children. Disclosure must be justifiable in each case.
(Working together to safeguard children 1999)
What happens next?
- Ambulance crew will report using phone line
- Social care will investigate if appropriate
- Contact relevant agencies involved with child / family
- Medical procedures as required
- ? Case conference
- Identified as child / family in need
- Care package co-ordinated
- Rare to remove child from extended family
