Safeguarding Children

Marie-Noelle Orzel

Director of Nursing & Patient Care

Executive Lead for Children

A Child is……

“a person under the age of eighteen”

(Children Act 1989)

Child protection in England• In 2006 there were 26,400 children on the ‘old’ child protection register* (The CP Register was withdrawn on 1st April 2008, children now have ‘child protection plans’).

•In Devon in 2007 – 330 children subject to a child protection plan

• Each week 3 children die following abuse and neglect**

• Homicide rates for under 1 year are 5 times greater than the average**

• 80% of child homicides are carried out by a parent and 10% by a stranger**

* Devon LSCB ** NSPCC

What has this to do with me?

• Protecting children is everyone’s responsibility

• Section 11, 2004 Children Act states:

“organisations (including all NHS Trusts) need to make arrangements for ensuring that their functions, and services provided on their behalf, are discharged with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children”

RD&E Named Safeguarding Children Professionals

 

MARIA PATTERSONMATERNITY

DR RICHARD TOMLINSON

HONEYLANDS

 

CLAIRE MITCHELLCHILD HEALTH

DOCTOR NURSE MIDWIFE

Advice to RD&E staff on Action to safeguard a child:

• Share

your suspicions with your line manager or the Trust named child protection professionals or out of hours the duty consultant paediatrician

• Refer

to Children and Young People Services (social services) so that the child is protected and the family receive the help and support they need to look after their child. Follow up in writing within 48 hours.

• Record

your findings and actions taken. Where appropriate draw a diagram of any injury. Don’t forget time, date and signature.

What you can expect

• A response within 1-3 days• Many referrals do not meet the threshold for intervention• CYPS and police will hold a strategy discussion to

discuss way forward• If significant harm is suspected then they will conduct a

section 47 investigation.• Child protection conference within 15 days• The child may not require a child protection plan• Removal of the child from the family is rare, usually the

last resort and often placed with an extended family member, often temporary.

Local Safeguarding Children Board

• Section 13, Children Act 2004 requires:

Each children’s services authority to establish an LSCB which is the key statutory mechanism for agreeing how the relevant organisations in each local area will co-operate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in that locality and for ensuring the effectiveness of what they do.

Role of LSCB

This involves:• Developing & agreeing inter-agency Policies

& procedures,• Ensuring safe recruitment processes • Monitoring & evaluating effectiveness of

inter-agency work, • Planning & commissioning of services

undertaking SCRs.

Local Safeguarding Children BoardThese functions & duties will be managed by sub-groups as below

Executive Group

Policy & Service Development Group

Health Services Safeguarding Group

Safeguarding in Education Services Group Domestic Violence Abuse Group

Child Death Review Group Communication & Communities Group

Learning & Workforce Development Group Serious Case Review Group

Quality Assurance & Complaints Group

Serious Case Reviews (SCRs)

• Undertaken by LSCBs when children have died or suffered serious harm and child abuse is known or suspected to be the cause

• More rigorous standards now applied to: - Individual Management Reports (IMR)

from involved agencies- Overview report compiled on behalf of

LSCB

RD&E Representation on LSCB

• Representation on Devon LSCB:Director of Nursing & Patient Care & Nurse Consultant Safeguarding (Deputy: Named Doctor Safeguarding)

• Representation on LSCB Health Sub-group:Divisional Manager C&WH & Named Doctor Safeguarding (Deputy: Nurse Consultant)

Baby P – Main Themes• Poor Communication

- lack of information to paediatrician

- delay in developmental assessment

• Poor Record Keeping - inconsistent & poor

• Lack of Inter-agency challenge• Poor assessment

- medical- multi-agency- lack of involvement of father figure

Record Keeping

“ There was a consistent failure by doctors and nurses …. To record information comprehensively, to record and share concerns, and to record and complete the actions that the concerns prompted. Worst of all nobody noticed when things were not being done.”

Lord LamingReport of the Victoria Climbie

Inquiry

Protecting children is everybody’s business

Your information however small may be the key.

Report it - Don’t expect someone else to!!!