Why is Safeguarding Children Important?

This session will cover the training required for safeguarding children level 1.

As approaches to training in the area of safeguarding children are usually tailored to each working environment, dependent on which area or group within the NHS that you work in, there may be elements of your training that aren't covered in this session or others covered here that are not applicable to you.

In such cases, where you are unsure of whether something applies to your role or workplace, then you must refer to local policy or procedures.

Even thinking about the abuse of children is distressing, so it is important to know what to do if you are concerned that a child or young person might be or has been abused. It is important to seek help and support if you are worried about a child or upset and distressed by any of this content.

This session explains what safeguarding children and young people involves.

You will learn about the types of child maltreatment and how you might be able to recognise abuse in a child or young person. It also looks at what you should do if you are concerned that a child is being abused or neglected. It explains the steps that you need to take in order to protect children from further harm.

It is important to note that the term 'children' means children and young people from birth to their 18th birthday.

The session does not contain any photos or illustrations of injuries. If the session is very upsetting for you (possibly because of experiences in your own or others' lives), you should seek advice from your manager or Shared Services.

Why is 'safeguarding children' important to you, even if you do not work with children?

The importance of protecting children from harm is universally recognised and underpins government policy in the area of child abuse even though specific policy changes over time.

The Law and Guidance that Informs Safeguarding in the UK

The law and guidance that informs safeguarding in the UK.

The law in the UK has been developed to ensure that the rights of children are a priority and that children's voices are heard. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC 1989) identifies that children have the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated whether physically or mentally.

The UNCRC encourages all international governments to ensure that children are cared for with dignity and respect, are protected from violence, abuse and neglect by anyone who comes into contact with them.

Other key elements include:

The right to survival
The right to develop to the fullest potential
The right to participate fully in family, cultural and social life
The right to health and healthcare
The right to protection from all forms of violence

Other key UK law that informs the support and expectations provided to children (under the age of 18) include:

All health organisations have a duty in law to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, and this means that all staff have an important role to play. This includes being able to recognise signs of possible child abuse and neglect.

Unfortunately, many children in the UK do not grow up in satisfactory conditions. Some children and their families need extra help from government agencies or voluntary sector organisations to allow them to reach their full potential. A smaller but crucially important number of children are being abused. Recent high-profile cases have highlighted just how cruelly some children can be treated by adults.

In order to carry out their duty to safeguarding children, all staff working in a healthcare setting need to be able to understand and recognise signs of abuse in children.

Who can help with safeguarding concerns?

All organisations have a dedicated safeguarding lead whose role is to support staff (amongst other things) in acting in the best interests of the child/young person. They should be contacted if a staff member is unsure of what action to take as failing to act can be detrimental to the welfare and safety of the child. Also, it is important to share whatever information is available to enable a fuller picture of the circumstances for the child/young person. Nobody has the full jigsaw in front of them but by putting pieces of information together it makes much more sense and protects children from harm.

The XL Teams Safeguarding Lead is: Angela Khaliq (Head of Workforce)

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding means protecting children from abuse and maltreatment; preventing harm to children's health or development; ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care.

Situations that can be considered as abuse, maltreatment, or harm can include, but are not limited to:

The exploitation of children and young people including trafficking of a person, the use of children and young people to traffic drugs*
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse including sexual exploitation, gang sexual violence
Domestic abuse and violence
Psychological harm, bullying, degrading treatment, belittling, threatening behaviours and manipulation
Neglectful behaviour, or acts of omission including: restricting or stopping/blocking access to food and water, shelter, a safe environment, medical care, education, care that enables the child or young person to develop to their potential
Grooming which includes abusive and sexual conduct over the Internet
Cyber abuse
Indoctrination of a child or young person into an ideology or mindset where they believe that the only way to have their voice heard is to commit crime, abuse others, become racist or xenophobic, hate others, and inflict phycological or physical harm to others

*What is child exploitation/trafficking?

Exploitation/trafficking is where children and young people are tricked, forced, or persuaded to leave their homes; they are then moved or transported elsewhere, and then exploited, forced to work, or sold on to other crime networks. Children are trafficked for:

Sexual exploitation
Benefit fraud
Forced marriage
Domestic slavery like cleaning, cooking and childcare
Forced labour in factories or agriculture
Committing crimes, like begging, theft, working on cannabis farms or moving drugs

Trafficked children experience many types of abuse and neglect.

Traffickers use physical, sexual, and emotional abuse as a form of control. Children and young people are also likely to be physically and emotionally neglected and maybe sexually exploited. Traffickers often groom children, families, and communities to gain their trust. They may also threaten families with violence or threats.

Traffickers often promise children and families that they'll have a better future elsewhere. Trafficking is also an economic crime. Traffickers may ask families for money for providing documents or transport for their child/young person and then the traffickers will make a profit from the money a child "earns" through exploitation, forced labour, or crime. They'll often be told this money is to pay off a debt they or their family "owe" to the traffickers.

Traffickers may work alone or in small groups. Recruiting a small number of children, often from areas they know and live in. They may be medium-sized groups who recruit, move and exploit children and young people on a small scale or be large criminal networks that operate internationally with high-level corruption, money laundering and large numbers of victims.

When a child goes missing or runs away, their cry for help should be heard. A child goes missing or runs away from home or care every 5 minutes in the UK. Too often these children and young people become invisible, and struggle completely alone. When they are identified, too many are sent home, without anyone truly listening or understanding their cry for help. All children and young people who go missing or run away need urgent help without delay so the dangers in their life can be tackled. We want to reach out to more children and young people and help get to the heart of the problem.

The following factors may increase the likelihood of abuse from within the home, by extended family members, peers, or adults. The risks increase children's vulnerability to being drawn into criminal exploitation, gangs, or serious youth violence.

Stress

Possibly caused by financial problems or difficulties in the parents' relationships. This can reduce some adults' ability to control aggressive feelings towards their children or to care for their children properly.

Social disadvantage

For example, living on a low income in inadequate housing or being discriminated against because of ethnicity, religion, disability or sexual orientation. All of these factors could affect the parents' ability to care for their children properly.

Mental illness, substance abuse and domestic abuse

In these circumstances, parents can often struggle to take care of their own needs and may find it particularly difficult to meet their children's needs.

Intellectual/physical disability of the child

Children with a disability are at increased risk of further developmental delay, neglect and, maltreatment.

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