There are various organisations that may be involved if a child or young person has been abused or or harmed, these include Childrens Social Care which provides support for vulnerable children, these include Social Workers and Family Support Workers who usually work together, this is called multi-agency working. They are responsible for coordinating and implementing an inter-agency child protection plan to safeguard children.
Decisions will then be made regarding the action that should be taken to safeguard and protect the child or young person. They also deal with the courts if a child or young person is thought to be in immediate danger and they will also have arrangements in place so that they may be contacted directly by parents or family members who are seeking help, concerned friends and neighbours and by professionals and statutory and voluntary agencies. They are also a main point of contact for children where there are child protection concerns.
They are also responsible for coordinating the assessment of the child or young persona€TMs needs and the parenta€TMs capacity to keep the child safe and the wider family circumstances Health Services which include: The Health Visitor whose roles and responsibilities are to support the health of babies and children under the age of five and to support and guide their parents, they also provide developmental checks on under fives. They can be one of the first people to recognise children who are likely to be abused or neglected.
The health visitor also visits the children who are under 5 at home which also enables them to see any signs or symptoms that may suggest abuse or neglect of the child. General Practitioners (GPa€TMs) have a responsibility and a duty of care in the general health of all of their patients and they need to be able to recognise if a child is being abused or neglected and which procedures need to be followed if this is suspected. As the GP deals with multiple family members they can sometimes see any factors that might be contributing to abuse for example if one of the family members has a drink or drug problem.
If the GP suspects abuse or neglect they need take detailed notes from the childs explanation and also use a body chart which will help to clarify the areas of concern. They then need to refer a child or young person to the appropriate services. If the GP has concerns about the abuse allegations then they should also discuss their concerns with another colleague who may have more experience in child protection matters.
The G. P will arrange for any specialist assessments that they deem necessary e. g Psychologists All staff in the surgery including G. P’s, practice nurses, practice managers and receptionists must be given child protection training, and have it updated when necessary Psychologists provide support for children who have experienced abuse or harm, and help them in the form of counselling. Therapeutic programs are usually used such as play, music, art or drama to help the healing process. Psychologists also gather information, review that information and then make an evaluation based on all of the information. They do this so that they know why, how and when the child or young person became at risk or was abused or was harmed.
After these evaluations they then give psychological evaluations on everyone involved including both the child and parent or carers and then they recommend the steps that should taken that would help to create a safe environment for the child or young person. Education Services Schools have a responsibility for childrens education and welfare and it is the role of all the staff to create and maintain a safe learning environment. It is imperative that the school staff are able to identify any concerns they may have regarding buse or neglect and know how to correctly act upon this information and which other agencies need to be told. The school should also offer updates for child protection training to all of the staff and should also provide policies and procedures regarding child protection and safeguarding. The school nurses also play an important part in the safeguarding of children and young people as they have regular contact with them and can therefore see any changes in behaviour that might mean there is some abuse or problem with a particular child.
Legal Services can include Probation officers who supervise offenders in order to help support them not to re-offend and to protect others from harm. They supervise a large amount of offenders that have been identified as presenting a potential risk of harm to children and also to protect families of their own, who might be exposed to criminal or anti social behaviour, by monitoring the offender Police Officers whose main roles and responsibilities are to prevent crime and disorder and protect all individuals.
The Police also have powers that allow them to enter premises to ensure that children are immediately protected against significant harm. The Police gather evidence that is needed and work with other agencies in the case of criminal proceedings against suspected child abusers, and lead the criminal investigation. Voluntary Services include childrens charities for example the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) whose roles and responsibilities are to provide support for children and families in situations such as abuse and domestic violence, they also work with different organisations e. . police, social services, education services, family protection, and health services to ensure that everyone works together to give support and assistance to the individuals involved. They also provide information, help and support for children and their families, including preventative programmes and therapeutic assistance to help children that have been abused.
Question: Question 10 Answer: It is important to ensure that all children within the work setting are safe and protected from any harm as the parents and carers of children and young people trust you to look after them whilst they are in your care. They need to be confident that their children will be safe and that they will be in a healthy environment that has a positive atmosphere which will enable everybody to work together. All members of staff need to have a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. This makes sure that all staff are approved to work with or around children.
When children are very young they are very vulnerable and depend on their parents and other carers to protect them to fulfil their basic needs, such as love, nutrition, warmth and shelter, as children get older they become more independent and start to learn how to meet there own needs but still need some guidance, support and supervision, especially during puberty. As this is when the brain goes into a considerable reorganisation regarding the reasoning area of the brain (the frontal cortex) involving emotional and impulse control along with the area of the brain associated with reward and pleasure.
As these do not develop together adolescents are much less able to cope with rejection and social exclusion, as the reward and pleasure system develops much quicker than the impulse control and decision making function. This means that young people are not always aware of the danger and risk in some situations, and that they may not consider the potential outcome of their actions, which can contribute to increased risk taking behaviour.
At this stage in a young persons development it is extremely important for all the professionals that are working with the young person to understand their duty of care and the safeguarding principles. These include Recognising and meeting the physical, emotional and psychological needs of the child by understanding child development and observing the childrens behaviour and development and how they communicate with parents and carers.
Intervene and provide support in the event of an illness or injury by seeking the appropriate support, treatment or first aid that is necessary and reporting to the relevant authorities if necessary. To anticipate danger and manage risks by conducting risk assessments and discussing risks with the children and young people, We need to be alert to the potential of exploitation, abuse or neglect of children and young people and know how to recognise the signs and follow the child protection procedures.
We need to respect and value childrens and young peoples rights by ensuring that we treat all children equally and fairly and protect them from any discrimination. We need to provide guidance and supervision of play and activities so that we set appropriate boundaries and give clear expectations, we also need to be able to use strategies to manage behaviour, support creativity and exploration All staff should have the required qualifications and also know the procedures and policies that are in place to ensure that they understand what their job role involves and how to care for and protect the children.