CYP 3.3: Understanding how to safeguard the well-being of children and young people
Children & Young People's Workforce L3
This unit is about protecting and preventing children from abuse. There are Laws that give the children the right to be safe from any form of harm or abuse. These Laws are also referred to as Legislations or Acts that have to be observed by parents, child minders, practitioners, teachers, other organisation working with children and the general public. /p>
- Protection refers to guarding children who have been abused.
- Prevention refers to stopping children from being abused.
There are Laws that give the children the right to be safe from any form of harm or abuse.
These Laws are also referred to as Legislations or Acts that have to be observed by parents, child minders,
practitioners, teachers, other organisation working with children and the general public.
The table below outlines the Legislations and policies that safeguard children.
Legislations
| Legislation | Aim | Give example of how the legislations are applied in your setting to safeguard children. |
|---|---|---|
| Children Act 1989 | Every setting must have safeguarding policy and procedures for staff to follow. Children's welfare is of the utmost importance Work in partnership with local and national agencies to promote the well-being of all children | ? |
| Children Act 2004 | Ensure that every setting including care, educational, NHS, social services and the police work together to safeguard and promote children's well-being. Reduce levels of educational failure, ill health, substance abuse, crime and anti-social behaviour. | ? |
| Childcare Act 2006 & Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006 | Ensure that local authorities, NHS and job centre work together to improve the outcomes of all children up to age 5. (promote welfare of children. Provide high quality education and care for all children from birth to age 5. |
? |
| Every Child Matters (ECM) | Ensure children and young people have the chance to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and experience economic well-being. | ? |
Forms of abuse
The table below shows the various forms of abuse and how to recognise them. The table also shows how abuse affects children in the short-term and long-term. The last column outlines the practical support that is available to victims of abuse.
| Type of abuse | Examples | Signs & Symptoms | Behaviour Displayed | Consequences / support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical | Punching slapping pushing kicking pinching. |
Burns Bite marks Bruises Fractures Unexplained weight loss. |
Withdrawn and quiet. Aggressive towards other children. Shows aggressive acts during role play scenes. |
Long term withdrawal Lack confidence Poor social life Counselling in person |
| Emotional | Ignoring Constantly criticising or belittling Blaming Threats of harm Yelling and swearing frequently Name calling Bullying |
Fear, depression or
loss of sleep. Low self-esteem Lack of confidence and anxiety Increased levels of confusion |
Attention seeking behaviour Seeking affection and being clingy. Difficulty in socialising with other children. Tell lies Sucks thumb, rocks to and fro and plays with own hair. Withdrawn behaviour |
Difficulty forming relationships with people. Lonely and isolated from the community. Join support groups |
| Neglect | Deprived of food and water |
Malnutrition Underweight Dirty clothing/bedding Lack of personal care Untreated medical problems |
Parents rarely present in dropping and collecting children from nursery. Older siblings caring for their younger siblings. Children mention they are unsupervised at home. |
Stunted physical development chronic Illnesses Learning delays Medical and special education support |
| Sexual | Touching or being intimate. | Bruises or scratches. Difficulty walking or sitting. Soreness around the genitals. Itching or pain in genital area. Discharge from genital area. Torn, stained or bloody underwear. |
Sucking thumb and rocking. Displaying sexual behaviour in their play. Expresses knowledge of adult sexual behaviour. |
Forming relationships with people Not able to trust anyone Counselling support |
| Bullying | Give an example of bullying |
Identify signs and symptoms of bullying |
How does bullying affect behaviour |
What are the consequences? |
Safeguarding Policies and Procedures in Child Care Settings
| Policy | Procedure | Examples of other policies inyour setting |
|---|---|---|
| Suspected or apparent abuse | Any mark or injury on the child�s body should be investigated. Ask the child or young person what has happened. With regards to babies and toddlers talk to the parents. If there is still concern, then pass information on to the manager and safe guarding officer. |
? |
| Disclosure policy |
Listen to the child carefully and do not ask questions. Reassure child that you believe what has been said. Tell child you will protect them. Tell child you will need to talk to other adults in order to help him or her. D not promise the child you will keep the information a secret. Reassure the child that he/she is not in trouble and that he and she has acted properly. Once the conversation has ended, make notes before talking to anyone else: Record date, time and the factual details of what the child has revealed. Ensure to sign the notes. |
? |
| Nappy changing |
Gloves and aprons must be worn Cover area with clean paper Soiled nappy must be placed in a sack and disposed in bin lined with plastic liner Never rinse or wash non-disposable nappies Two people must be present during nappy changing and door must be left open Dispose of gloves and apron and wash hands thoroughly |
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| Mobile Phones | Mobile phones should be switched off during working hours and left in lockers or hand bags. Office phone should be used to make work related phone calls | ? |
| Visitors | All visitors have to show some form of identification then must sign in at the front desk and wear a visitors badge at all times. On arrival, visitors will be informed on emergency procedures and will be given advanced warning if one is expected for the day of their visits. |
? |
Safeguarding children from internet abuse
| Digital abuse | Possible risk of abuse | Consequences | Ways of preventing digital abuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Chatline |
Grooming:
Paedophiles chat on line, make friends, build trust by lying and deceiving children and young people about their identity. Sharing inappropriate images of sexual nature between abusers On-line game abuse between other gamers Cyber bullying : Threaten, embarrass or tease. Talking to strangers and revealing personal information: mobile numbers and pictures of themselves. Making sexual comments. |
Grooming Kidnap Rape Murder Feel lonely Feel unhappy Feel frightened Feel unsafe Depression Low-self esteem Not attend school Suicidal |
Keep computer in a family room.
Report any suspected to police. Monitor games Schools supervise the use of computers and control access to websites. Have pass word access to computer usage. Use software to filter out inappropriate websites. Teach children and young people to keep personal information safe. |
| Mobiles | Inappropriate text messaging.
Sending inappropriate images. Taking indecent pictures. Bullying and teasing. |
Feel unhappy
Feel frightened Lose confidence Become withdrawn Not attend school Suicidal |
Explain to child not to give mobile phone number to strangers or people he/she does not fully trust. |
Agencies involved in safeguarding the welfare of children and young people
The safety and welfare of children depends on agencies which work together to provide an effective service.
The table below identifies some of the specific agencies and outlines their responsibility in preventing and protecting children and young people from all forms of abuse.
| Agency | Role |
|---|---|
| Child exploitation and Online Protection Centre CEOP |
To eradicate the sexual abuse of children. |
|
National Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children NSPCC |
Provides a Child Phone Line –advice Provide 24 hour online service Provide a help line for people who are worried about a child. Provides services to support families and children. Shares expertise with other professionals. |
| Disclosure and Barring Services Criminal check |
Helps organisations identify people who are unsuitable for certain types of work involving contact with children. Does criminal checks on individual who want to work with children. |
| Police | Work closely with children's social care to protect children from harm. Take immediate action if children are in immediate danger. Attend court to give evidence when a crime has been committed. |
| Social services | What is their role? |
| Kids safety | What is their role? |
Rights of children, young people and carers in cases
of suspected or alleged abuse:
- It is important to report any inappropriate behaviour regarding safeguarding.
- Children are the priority within the setting and it is the duty of every practitioner to protect and prevent children and young people from harm or abuse.
Reporting poor practice / protecting whistle blowers:
- If a member of staff witnesses a colleague displaying inappropriate behaviour, then he/she can approach the person direct to raise the issue.
- If a member of staff is positive that he/she has definitely witnessed an inappropriate behaviour that is against the laws, then he/she must report it to the safeguarding officer as soon as possible.
- Poor practice or unacceptable work manner may be reported to manager by a member of staff.
Issues with whistle blowing:
- Member of staff being reported is a good friend
- Member of staff being reported is a supervisor or a manager
- Fear of losing one's job for whistle blowing
- Fear of being unaccepted by other members of staff
REFERENCES
DFE (2014) Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
DFE (2014). Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage
DEF(2014). Early years (under 5s) foundation stage framework (EYFS)
DFE (2014) Keeping children safe in Out of hours provisions
DFE(2014) Early Years Outcomes
Parents - guide to EYFS (2014)
What to expect and when (2014)
The British Association for Early Childhood Education
(Supported by DFE)
Every Child Matters 2003)
Effective Pre-school and Primary Education 3-11 Project (2003-2008)
DFE (2008) Effective Pre-School and Primary Education 3-11 Project (EPPE 3-11)
Parliament (2003) Every Child Matters
Tassoni et al (2010) Level 3 Diploma Children and Young People's
Workforce (Early Learning and Childcare). Pearson: Harlow Essex
Caroline Meggit et al (2011) CACHE Level 3 Children and Young People's
Workforce Diploma: Early Learning and Child Care.
Hodder Education: London
www.gov.uk/government/
publications/
2010-to-2015-government-policy-childcare-and-early-education
www.education.gov.uk/publications
www.foundationyears.org.uk.
www.legislation.gov.uk/
www.4children.org.uk