Understand_How_to_Safe_Guard_the_Well-Being_of_Children_and_Young_People.

Understand how to safe guard the well-being of children and young people. Task 1 An outline of current legislation. Guidelines, policies and procedures within own UK home nation affecting the safeguarding of children & young people. The children's act 1989 introduced many changed to legislation in England & Wales on the welfare of children. Its main aims were: Achieve a balance between protecting children & the rights of parents to challenge state intervention. Encourage partnership between statutory authorities & parents Restructure the framework of the courts, in particular with regard to family proceedings Redefine the concept of parental responsibility Every child matters guidelines (children act 2004) main points: There should be a much closer working relationship between agencies such as health professionals, schools & welfare services There should be a central database containing records of all children & whether they are known to different services There should be an independent children's commissioner for England to protect children & young peoples rights There should be a children's & families board, chaired by a senior government minister Ofsted will set a framework which will monitor children's services The Children Act 2004 required that these recommendations became a legal requirement. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) (UNCRC), the UNCRC is an international human rights treaty which sets out the rights of all children to be treated equally. Under the treaty there is a list of rights to which every child under the age of 18 should be entitled. These include the full range of human rights- civil, cultural, economic, social & political- through articles such as: The right to services such as education & health care The right to grow up in an environment of happiness, love & understanding The right to develop their personalities, abilities & talents to their own potential the right to special protection measures & assistance The UK signed this act in 1991, this means that the UK are required to implement legislation to support each of the 54 articles. The common assessment framework or CAF is a way of finding out about children's additional needs & hoe to meet them. It identifies needs at an early age & looks at the best way to implement support for them. It is used when a practitioner feels that a child will not make progress toward the 5 outcomes of Every Child Matters without intervention. An explanation of child protection within the wider concept of safeguarding children & young people. Child protection is more often known as safeguarding, this term describes the broader range of ways that professionals & adults working with children need to act when managing child protection issues. They are designed to prevent risk of harm rather than reacting to it. The term child protection is more often used for policies & procedures that need to be followed in the event of suspected harm or abuse. An analysis of how national & local guidelines, policies & procedures for safeguarding affect day to day work with children & young people. Day to day work may involve: child protection risk assessment childcare practice ensuring the voice of the child is heard supporting children & young people & others who may be expressing concerns There are local & national guidelines for safeguarding when working with children on a day to day basis. The issues which can arise may vary, but it is important to always be alert to any safeguarding concerns & ensure that you act appropriately & within the appropriate guidelines. Childcare practice This term applies to everyone who works in schools, nurseries & other early years settings, childminders & children's homes. All professionals working with children will need to be fully trained & CRB(criminal records bureau) checked. You must demonstrate the correct safeguarding procedures & follow the policy of the organisation when working with children & young people, & in reporting any concerns. Child protection This is the responsibility of all who work with children & there will be a school policy for reporting & recording suspected abuse. As well as observing policies & ensuring that children are secure when on site, child protection records will need to be kept of what pupils have said, as well as notes, dates & times of any meetings that have taken place between the school & other agencies. If a pupil reports anything which is a cause for concern, the school needs to make sure that it is followed up. For child protection purposes, parents must be notified if any photographs of children are to be taken which are likely to be used or seen outside the school environment. Risk assessment These must be done prior to any activities where children or young people are doing an activity which has the potential to cause harm. An example would be: a school trip, but may also be used in day to day practice where equipment or areas carry potential risk. Each school will will have a procedure foe risk assessment that it will need to carry out annually on the school grounds & buildings. Ensuring the voice of the child is heard In cases of child protection, all agencies will need to ensure that the voice of the child is considered. Advocacy services e.g. the national youth advocacy service, should be provided in order to support the child or young person during a time which will be difficult & often traumatic for them. Supporting children & young people & others who may be expressing concerns. The first response when considering child protection & safeguarding issues should be to always listen carefully to what the child says. Reassure the child & clarify what has happened, & explain what action will be taken, it is important not to press for any further information or to tell them that what they will say will remain confidential. This is important, as the child may need to talk to other adults about what has happened. LSCB(local safeguarding children board) This body will have been set up by the local authority to ensure the safeguarding & welfare of children. If a school has concerns about a child, the local authority will also act alongside to follow guidelines & ensure that all agencies work together. An explanation of when & why inquiries & serious case reviews are required & how the sharing of findings informs practice. According to the LSCB regulations 2006, serious case reviews(SCRs) will be required in situations where a child has died due to known or suspected abuse or neglect. In some situations, reviews may also be carried out where a child has been seriously harmed or has suffered life threatening injuries. The purpose of an SCR is for agencies to discuss the case together & to determine the lessons which are to be learned about the way in which professionals have worked & can work together in the future. A report will then be written which will be made public so that recommendations are known. The DCSF publication 'working together to safeguard children 2010' sets out the processes which should be followed when undertaking SCRs. An explanation of how the processes used by own work setting or service comply with legislation that covers data protection, information handling & sharing. The way in which schools handle information is covered by the Data Protection Act 1998, information which is gathered by the school in the context of safeguarding & child protection may only be used for that purpose. If any individuals or their parents(more likely in a primary school setting), wish to know the information which is held about them, they have a right to access it. They are also entitled to see their own educational record. There are only a few main exceptions to this: Unstructured personal information, or information which is held manually & not in school records. Copies of examination scripts or marks prior to their release. Information which may cause serious harm or risk of abuse to the health of the pupil or another individual. Information given to a court or in adoption or parental order records. All staff have to read & sign the Data Protection Act policy & agree to abide by it. A copy is in the staff Induction file they are given when joining the service. All information of this kind is kept in a secure, locked location due to its confidential nature. Only persons needing access to this information are allowed to see it, it should then only be used or discussed by authorised personnel. In my setting the SENCO is responsible for the collection & safe storage of this information, in some schools it is the headteachers responsibility. Task2 An explanation of the importance of safeguarding children & young people. All adults & people who work with children have a responsibility to safeguard children & young people from harm. We have a duty to ensure that children & young people are protected while they are in our care & that where we have other concerns outside school, these are investigated fully. School policies & procedures need to be such that parents & governors are aware of them & that staff are fully trained with regard to safeguarding. Schools will need to consider & include in their policies: Children's physical safety & security on the premises & on off-site visits. Children's safety when in the home environment E-safety & security when using the internet Staff awareness & training Monitoring & record keeping Partnership & involvement with other agencies It is also important that schools develop children's awareness of acceptable & unacceptable behaviour. This encompasses both in school & off site, & when using the internet. Children who are known to be on the 'at risk' register, or those who have been identified as being at greater risk, should be supported by the school & by outside agencies where appropriate. An explanation of the importance of a child or young person-centred approach All agencies will need to consider the ways in which their approach is child centred, for example, involving the child in meetings & asking for their opinion when discussing matters relating to them as much as possible. An explanation of what is meant by partnership working in the context of safeguarding. As there are a number of different agencies which may be involved when working in the context of safeguarding, it is important that they communicate & work in partnership to ensure the safety & protection of children. Each area of expertise may need to have an input in any one case & each should be considered when discussing issues around safeguarding. A working party or 'team around the child' meeting may be called involving a number of agencies in order to discuss how to move forward in the best interests of the child. A description of the roles & responsibilities of the different organisations that may be involved when a child or young person has been abused or harmed. Different organisations involved in safeguarding are: Social services- they will be concerned with the immediate care of the child & in ensuring that they are safe from harm. They will work in partnership with parents & other agencies in order to do this. In extreme circumstances, schools may need to contact social services directly where there are serious concerns about a parent or carer. Social services may then take the child into care. The NSPCC- The NSPCC is a charity which works to protect children from harm. However, it is the only charity which has a statutory power to take action where there are cases of child abuse. The NSPCC as a charity also provides services to support families & children through its helplines & draws attention & public awareness to the safety & protection of children. Health visitors & Gps. Health professionals may be involved in order to examine children to determine whether any injuries which may have been sustained are accidental. They will also always be alert during the course of their practice to any injuries which they may suspect are signs of child abuse & inform other agencies as appropriate. The police & probation service. The police work closely with other agencies in order to ensure that children are free from harm. All police forces have a Child Abuse Investigation Unit(CAIU), these units have been set up to gather information & to determine whether the police should begin a criminal investigation or take other immediate action. The psychology service. This service may be called in to carry out an assessment of a child in cases of harm or abuse. They will make recommendations & suggest a course of action appropriate to the child's needs. Task3 An explanation of why it is important to ensure children & young people are protected from harm within the work setting. As adults in positions of responsibility we should all be aware of the importance of protecting children & young people from harm. While children are in school, we are acting 'in loco parentis', this means that we take over responsibility from their parents while they are in our care. This can be seen within all contexts, from health & safety issues to those around safeguarding, internet safety & safety on school trips. An explanation of policies & procedures that are in place to protect children & young people & adults who work with them. Policies & procedures for safe working include: Working in an open & transparent way Listening to children & young people Duty of care Whistle-blowing Power & positions of trust Propriety & behaviour Physical contact Intimate personal care Off-site visits Photography & video Sharing concerns & reporting/recording incidents The H&S at work Act, states that it is everyone in school's responsibility to ensure that safety is maintained & in particular that vulnerable groups such as children are safeguarded. Standards for safety are also set by the government dept in each country responsible for education & are monitored by the body responsible for school inspections, in England it is OFSTED & HMIE(Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education) in Scotland. The school's safeguarding policy will have guidelines about how staff should work with children in a way that protects both yourself & the children. All staff need to be aware of this so that they can work safely & protect themselves against incidents of alleged abuse or inappropriate working practices. Ensuring safe working Working in an open way Physical contact Duty of care Propriety & behaviour Sharing concerns & recording & reporting Physical contact When working with young children it is correct to have concerns about any physical contact, however in certain situations it is appropriate to put an arm around a child for example if they are distressed or have hurt themselves. Young children may hug an adult affectionately , you should act in a sensible way and never initiate this kind of contact, & always ensure you do not have physical contact with a child if there is nobody else around. In some situations contact cannot be helped, for example if you are working with a child with SEN & you need to attend to their personal care. Always ensure you follow school policy at all times when you are doing this. Sharing concerns/recording & reporting If you have any concerns about a safeguarding issue because of something a child has said or through your own observations, you must always share the concerns & ensure that you recorded exactly what was said or happened. This is to protect yourself if later on the child says that they have told you or that you knew previously. You must inform managers if you have any concerns about other members of staff due to poor practise. Propriety & behaviour In your capacity as a professional working in school, you must make sure that you act in a professional manner at all times. When working with children, we are required to behave appropriately & make sure that children also understand what is expected of them. We as adults are role models & required to set an example through our own behaviour & interactions with others. Duty of care Adults in school have a duty of care towards children & should always act in a way that ensures their safety. We must always be aware that we are in a position of trust & always listen to children & reassure them about issues which concern them. Working in an open way Your working practice should be such that you always work in an open way. This includes: ensuring that you are not left alone with pupils if at all possible. Try to keep doors open & ensure that there are people around. Being clear about why you are acting in a particular way. Keeping other staff informed about any concerns. An evaluation of ways in which concerns about poor practise can be reported whilst ensuring that whistle-blowers & those whose practise or behaviour is being questioned are protected. Staff in school should all be aware of the way in which suspected poor practise, concerns or any illegality can be reported. It is important that those who are concerned about issues around safeguarding should be able to report them. This should be done confidentially & with no concerns for any repercussions toward the individual who reported the incident or those whose practise is being questioned, the process is known as whistle-blowing. All members of staff should feel that they are able to raise concerns without any fear of discrimination or victimisation as a result. An explanation of how practitioners can take steps to protect themselves within their everyday practise in the work setting & in off site visits. Working in an open & transparent way listening to children & young people duty of care whistle- blowing power & positions of trust propriety & behaviour physical contact intimate personal care off-site visits photography & video sharing concerns & reporting/recording incidents Task 4 A description of the possible signs, symptoms, indicators & behaviours that may cause concern in the context of safeguarding. Physical abuse: Bruising, cuts, burns & other injuries. Fear of physical contact, reluctance to get changed for PE, wanting to stay covered up even in hot weather & aggression. Emotional abuse: Withdrawn, shows regression, clingy towards adults & low self esteem. Children may be more anxious about new situations & may show extremes of behaviour or appear distracted or unable to concentrate. Sexual abuse: Sexual behaviour which is in appropriate to the child’s age,genital irritation, clinginess or changes in behaviour, regression & lack of trust in adults. Neglect: Being dirty, tired, hungry, seeking attention & generally failing to thrive. NB: It is important to note that a bruise or cut or even a change in behaviour does not necessarily point to the above, as children will have accidents & changes at home or even school can affect a child’s behaviour. A description of the actions to take if a child or young person alleges harm or abuse in line with policies or procedures of own setting. If a child says something that concerns you or alleges abuse you must make it clear that you may have to tell others & can not keep it a secret. You should record all that the child has said, the time & date etc. and who was involved, you must then seek the SENCO, or headteacher (depending on the school) & pass on the information immediately. You should keep a note of exactly what happened, when, exactly how you reported it & whom you told. An explanation of the rights that children, young people & their carers have in situations where harm or abuse is suspected or alleged. In situations where harm or abuse is suspected or alleged it is important to remember that all individuals need to be treated with respect & have their own rights. In any case of harm or abuse to children all parties will have a right to be investigated through the correct channels & the outcome documented accordingly. They also have a right to confidentiality & those involved in any investigation should be reminded of this. Task 5 An explanation of different types of bullying & the potential effects on children & young people. Types of bullying: Physical – pushing, kicking,pinching, other forms of violence or threats Verbal - name calling, insults, sarcasm, spreading rumours, persistent teasing. Emotional - excluding, tormenting, ridiculing, humiliating. Cyber bullying - the use of ICT, mobile phones & the internet to deliberately upset someone. Specific bullying – this can relate to all of the above, may also be homophobic, gender based,racist,relating to SEN or disabilities. Bullying can affect children in many ways, if it is physical the child may get hurt & need medical attention. Emotional bullying can cause extreme emotional distress. In any incidents of bullying or concerns you may have always use the schools procedure to report what you have seen/ happened straight away. An outline of the policies & procedures that should be followed in response to concerns or evidence of bullying & explain the reasons why they are in place. Head teachers are obliged to draw up procedures to prevent bullying in schools under the school standards & framework act 1998. All staff. Parents & pupils need to be aware of the procedures that should be followed & the consequences of bullying. You should always follow the schools anti- bullying policy. You may have to deal with a single incident on your own, you must also ensure that you are not acting alone in dealing with any ongoing situation & have discussed your actions with a member of the schools senior management team. It is likely that you will have to follow a series of steps: deal immediately with any incidents of bullying record or report to the head teacher or a member of the school senior management team according to school policy inform the class teacher if bullying persists parents will be informed measures will be introduced following discussion with all concerned An explanation of how to support a child or young person and/or their family when bullying is suspected or alleged. In each schools policy there will be guidelines on how to support a child or young person & their family when bullying is suspected, & also what is available through the local authority. You will be working as part of a team & each case will be different, however step by step procedures will be the same. You must work with your school & follow school procedures to manage the situation & reassure the child & their parents. There are also a large number of websites & organisations available to support both the child & their family in coping with the distress which is caused by bullying. Websites include: www.abs-kids.co.uk www.kidscape.org.uk www.stoptextbully.com Task 6 An explanation of how to support children & young peoples self confidence & self esteem. In a safeguarding context, children need to be confident enough to be able to tell others if they unhappy about something which is happening to them. This may be bullying or forced to do something that they do not agree with. A child that does not feel valued may not think that anyone will listen to them & may be reluctant to talk about something which is worrying them. The way in which we treat children has a direct effect on this, so it is important that we: encourage & praise them allow them to feel independent value each child as an individual celebrate differences & similarities You can help by talking about something that you are not so good at , e.g. every time I try and grow a plant it dies, and finish off with - but I'm very good at baking cakes and they taste yummy! Resilience is something that needs to be built up in layers. Some children may have a better disposition/character that may make them gain resilience a little easier, for those that don't have such an 'easy' nature, they may need a little more help to gain skills to help them build up their resilience. It is important that children develop a positive image of their own. A positive image means that they are self confident; they know their own limits and trust their own abilities. People who have a positive image enjoy their lives and can handle themselves in tough situations. So, it is the same situation for children; in order to build self-confidence, parents & schools need to show confidence in their children. This feeling is not congenital. It’s created in the child's environment. Verbal and non verbal cues are important to impart a message of confidence. Confidence from adults gives the child the ability to handle new challenges and activities. (How to Build Children's Confidence Edited by Raymondcc, MA, Dave Crosby, Charles Carter and 11 others) An analysis of the importance of supporting resilience in children & young people. Children who are going through a difficult period or who are lacking in confidence or self esteem may need your support in order to help them remain resilient in dealing with this. You will need to be sensitive when managing their emotions & helping them to remain confident in difficult situations. You should always be approachable & facilitate opportunities for pupils to discuss any issues as they arise. Always encourage then & give reassurance as they learn to manage their emotions. Resilient children will be less likely to cry at small injuries or small mistakes and find it easier to carry on and achieve more. They will find it easier to cope with problems which is a very important life skill. This will make them overall happier and more fulfilled, and less likely to develop emotional problems such as depression or anxiety. (http://www.silkysteps.com) An explanation of why it is important to work with the child or young person to ensure they have strategies to protect themselves & make decisions about safety. All children have a right to be safe & feel protected. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was signed by the UK in 1990, sets out the rights of all children to be treated equally & fairly. These rights include the rights to: grow up in an atmosphere of happiness, love & understanding. Be as healthy as possible grow & develop to the beat of their ability live in a safe environment Laws protecting Children's Rights There are many international human rights treaties and domestic laws which protect children’s rights. International human rights treaties are agreements between different governments around the world. In an international human rights treaty, each government agrees to make sure that people have the rights in the treaty. Domestic laws are laws decided by the UK Government and Parliament. The Human Rights Act 1998 makes the rights in the European Convention on Human Rights part of domestic law. The Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against children. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child protects the rights of all children. The European Convention on Human Rights protects the rights of all people, including children and young people. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities protects the rights of all disabled people, including children and young people. The UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women protects the rights of women and girls.(http://www.crae.org.uk) Children & young people may also need your support in devising strategies to protect themselves, & to maintain their own safety. Children will need to learn not to put themselves in a position of risk. An explanation of ways of empowering children & young people to make positive & informed choices that support their well being & safety. You should always encourage children to be aware of health & safety issues in schools. You can also help to support their development by empowering them to have a positive self image. Children need to be given every opportunity to develop their independence & learn about their likes & dislikes. They need to be made aware that they have the right to be safe & also what to do if they do not. If pupils confide in you & tell you something has happened to them they may need time or additional help to use the right language or even draw what has happened. The curriculum should include giving pupils information about organisations that exist to protect them, such as: www.childline.org.uk/Rights www.familyforeverychild.org/ www.nspcc.org.uk/.. www.charitycommission.gov.uk/ www.kidscape.org.uk Task7 An explanation of the risks & possible consequences for children & young people of being online & of using a mobile phone. As adults working with children we need to be aware of the increasing risks to children from being online & from the use of mobile phones. E-safety means that schools are requires to have policies & guidelines for staff, parents & children. Children & parents may be required to sign an internet safety agreement, this is to show that they have discussed internet safety & agree with the schools policy for safe internet use. Children also need to be safe on the internet at home & this will generally be discussed in schools ICT lessons. Children and young people are open to many risks while being online or using their mobile phones, they may be lured into giving personal information; name, age, address and telephone numbers which could be used for identity theft or fraud. Cyber bullying; this may include sending unpleasant texts, emails or instant messaging. A child or young person may find cruel messages or pictures about themselves and having their user name stolen to spread lies or rumours about someone else. Techniques used by a cyber bully involves setting up websites to target certain individuals and inviting others to post hate comments about that person. A child or young person may unknowingly download viruses and malware; a programme that can attach itself to another programme, if this is opened through a spam email it can then damage or create files and generate unwanted behaviour to your computer. Young people also use mobile phones to send images of themselves to their friends or publish them on the internet, once that image has been published then the sender has lost the power as to what happens to it, it may then be used in contexts other than what it was originally intended for. Even more seriously they may be groomed by individuals or paedophile rings that use the internet and mobile technology to identify and target potential victims. Sexual predators may use fake information to get close to children or young people i.e. a false name, age and information. Dr Tanya Byron outlined in her 2008 report ‘Safer children in a digital world’ that everyone had a role to play in empowering children and young people to stay safe while enjoying new technologies, just as it is everyone’s responsibility to keep children safe in a non digital world. A description of ways of reducing risk to children & young people from: social networking internet use buying online using a mobile phone social networking. • Talk to the children/young people about predators about never talking to strangers, meeting them etc. • Use control systems that are built into the computer. • Restrict access to social networking sites. Most social networking sites have age limits so make sure they adhere to this. As children become older help them to find sites that are well-monitored and are especially for children. • Monitor which social network sites that they visit and the content of the conversations that are taking place. • Take an interest on what your child is doing on the social networking website. Internet use. • Use filters to ensure content is age appropriate. Use browsers that are specially designed for child/young person’s e.g. Surf safely, Yahoo’s (web guide for kids). • Talk to children about not trusting others, not to meet people in person, do not give out personal information (names, numbers, address, e-mail, photos or school information), log out if uncomfortable about anything. • Encourage the children/young people to be aware of the risks of the internet. • Encourage children to talk to you about things that might be happening on-line and guide them in the right direction. This will help them to recognise the dangers that could develop. • Place the computer in a main room where you can supervise the use and support them whilst they are using the computer on-line. Buying online. • There is a risk of others hacking into your computer to get your identity this can be minimised by a firewall. A firewall can help by preventing hackers or malicious software from gaining access to your information • There is a risk to young persons of fraud (your card details being used by an unauthorised users) whilst buying online. This can be prevented by using a secure payment system (Pay Pal). Using a mobile phone. • There is a risk to their health by means of cancer/tumour, they can reduce the risk by using land line phones, hands free, loud speakers or blue tooth. If the phone is held a few inches away from the ear or less time made on phone calls perhaps use text messages instead of ringing a friend, this can make a difference. • A risk of them being attacked if they have expensive phones. Buy a cheap pay as you go phone for them to use at school or clubs this will minimise the risk and still allow the child/young person to have access to a phone.