Safeguarding Key Terms

Question 1

Suspicions of abuse

Answer 1

When you suspect an individual’s likely to be at risk of being harmed or abused, or when you suspect harm or abuse has occurred

Question 2

Disclosures

Answer 2

When an individual or another person tells you either directly or indirectly through their behaviour, that they have been or are being abused

Question 3

Lacking mental capacity

Answer 3

When individuals are unable to make their own decisions about their care + treatment.
This may be due to having a mental health condition or being unconscious due to a sudden illness or accident

Question 4

Looked-after children

Answer 4

Children who are looked after by or under the care of the local authority

Question 5

Safeguarding alert

Answer 5

Concern that a vulnerable adult may have been, is, or might be a victim of abuse

Question 6

Safeguarding

Answer 6

Protective measures to reduce the risks of danger, harm + abuse

Question 7

Personal development plan

Answer 7

A way of staff recording their oast achievements and future learning objectives

Question 8

Duty of care

Answer 8

The legal obligation professionals have to safeguard individuals who they care for and support from danger, harm + abuse

Question 9

Need to know basis

Answer 9

When information is given to people only if and when it is needed

Question 10

Continuing professional development

Answer 10

Opportunities for professionals to maintain + develop their knowledge and skills, not just through training but also through experience, self-study, and sharing best practice

Question 11

Physical abuse

Answer 11

• Form of abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning/scalding, drowning, suffocating, or, otherwise causing physical harm to a child.
• Physical harm may be caused when a parent/carer fabricates the symptoms of or, deliberately induces illness in a child
• Physical abuse of adults include: hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, restraint, or inappropriate physical sanctions

Question 12

Sexual abuse

Answer 12

• 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’s happening.
• Activities may involve physical contact, includ. assault by penetration (e.g. rape, or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts (e.g. masturbation, kissing, rubbing + touching outside of clothing)
• May also include non-contact activities (e.g. 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 prep for abuse, includ. via internet)
• Sexual activities of adults include: rape + sexual assault or sexual acts to which the adult hasn’t consented or was pressured into consenting

Question 13

Emotional abuse

Answer 13

• Persistent emotional maltreatment of a child (e.g. causing severe + persistent adverse effects on child’s emotional development.
• May involve conveying to a child that they’re worthless + unloved, inadequate, or valued only if they meet the needs of another person.
  May include not giving them opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them, or “making fun” of what they say/how they communicate
• Emotional/psychological abuse of adults include: threats of harm/abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, etc

Question 14

Neglect

Answer 14

• Persistent failure to meet a child’s basic needs is likely to result in the serious impairment of a child’s health/development.
• May involve a failure to provide adequate food, clothing + shelter (includ. exclusion from home/abandonment), protect a child from physical + emotional harm or danger, ensure adequate supervision (includ. the supervision of inadequate caregivers), or ensure access to appropriate medical care + treatment
• Neglect of adults include: ignoring medical/physical needs, failure to provide appropriate health, care + support, or educational services, withholding of necessities of life, e.g. medication, adequate nutrition + heating

Question 15

Financial abuse

Answer 15

• Form of abuse, includes theft, fraud, exploitation, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs/arrangements, (e.g. wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse/misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits

Question 16

Institutional abuse

Answer 16

• Form of abuse that can include ‘neglect + poor care practice within an institution/specific care setting, e.g. care home or hospital

Question 17

Bullying

Answer 17

• Repeated + intended behaviour to hurt someone, + often aimed at certain groups (e.g. race, sexual orientation, or gender)
• Can include: physical assault, teasing, name-calling, making threats + cyberbullying - bullying by phone or online

Question 18

Discrimination

Answer 18

• Treating an individual less favourably on, e.g. grounds of race, gender + gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, religion + other forms of harassment, slurs, or similar treatment

Question 19

Exploitation/mate crime

Answer 19

• Form of abuse that can occur ‘either opportunistically or premediated’, involves unfairly manipulating someone for profit or personal gain, often when the abuser pretends to be their friend