Safeguarding Children Flashcards
What is Child Protection?
Activity undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are at risk of suffering significant harm
What measures are taken to minimise the risks of harm to children?
- protecting children from maltreatment
- preventing impairment of children’s health or development
- ensuring that children are growing up in a safe and caring environment
What are the 3 elements of child abuse? (definition)
- significant harm to child
- carer has some responsibility for that harm
- significant connection between carers responsibility for child and harm to child
What guidance do we refer to for safeguarding children?
- National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2014
- Children and Young Peoples Act 2014
- Getting It Right for Every Child
What are the four major themes of the Children & Young Peoples Act 2014?
- childrens rights
- getting it right for every child
- early learning and childcare
- ‘looked after’ children
What does the SHANARRI model stand for?
Best start in life when:
- Safe
- Health
- Achieving
- Nurtured
- Active
- Respected
- Responsible
- Included
What are the UN convention “rights of a child”?
- the right to respect
- the right to information about yourself
- the right to be protected from harm
- the right to have a say in your life
- the right to a good start in life
- the right to be and feel secure
What adult contributing factors can be considered a part of the aetiology of child abuse?
- drugs
- alcohol
- poverty/unemployment
- mental illness
- domestic violence
- previous trauma as a child
What child contributing factors can be considered a part of the aetiology of child abuse?
- crying
- soiling
- disability
- unwanted pregnancy
- product of forced sex
What are the big three concerns regarding parenting capacity and links to child abuse?
- domestic violence
- drug & alcohol misuse
- mental health problems
What are the different categories of child abuse?
- physical
- emotional
- neglect
- sexual
What are markers of general neglect to look out for?
Nutrition = failure to thrive/ short stature
Warmth, clothing, shelter = inappropriate clothing, cold injury, sunburn
Hygiene & healthcare = ingrained dirt, lice, dental caries
Stimulation and education = developmental delay
Affection = withdrawn or attention seeking behaviour
What can dental neglect cause?
- toothache
- disturbed sleep
- difficulty eating
- absence from school
- repeated antibiotics
- GA risk
- severe infection
What are indicators of dental neglect?
- Obvious dental disease
- Disease has an impact on the child
- Practical care has been offered yet the child has not returned for tx
What are the 3 stages of managing dental neglect?
- Preventive dental team management
- Preventive multi-agency management
- Child protection referral
What is involved in stage 1 of managing dental neglect?
Preventive Dental Team Management
- raise concerns with parents
- offer support
- set targets
- keep records
- monitor progress
What is involved in stage 2 of managing dental neglect?
Preventive Multi-Agency Management
- liase with other professionals to see if concerns are shared (health visitors, school nurse, GMP, social worker)
- A child may be the subject of a Common Assessment Framework at this level
- Check if the child is subject to a child protection plan
- Agree joint plan of action & review at agreed intervals
What should you do for children <5 who fail appointments and have failed to respond to a letter from the dental practise? (as per stage 2 of managing dental neglect)
Send a letter to the health visitor discussing concerns
What is involved in stage 3 of managing dental neglect?
Child Protection Referral
- refer to social services (via telephone followed up in writing)
What are reg flag types of potential non-accidental injuries?
- pinch marks on ears
- trauma to soft tissues of cheeks
- evident intra-oral injuries
- bruising on inner aspects of arms
What are some extra-oral oro-facial signs of physical abuse?
- bruising of face (pinch, slap, punch)
- bruising of ears
- abrasions & lacerations
- burns and bites
- neck marks (choke or cord marks)
- eye injuries
- evidence of hair pulling
- fractures to face
What are some intraoral oro-facial signs of physical abuse?
- bruises
- abrasions and lacerations
- burns
- tooth trauma
- frenal injuries
What may raise your concern/suspicion that child abuse is occuring?
- delay in seeking help
- vague story/lacking in detail/changes every telling
- account not compatible with injury
- parents mood abnormal/gives cause for concern
- childs appearance/interaction with parent is abnormal
- history of previous injury
- history of violence within the family
What is expected of the dental team in regards to safeguarding children?
- observe
- record
- communicate
- refer for assessment
Where can you go for help and advice if you suspect that there is a safeguarding issue regarding a child?
- experienced colleague
- named safeguarding nurse
- child protection adviser
- social work/social services
