CYP 3.3: Understanding how to safeguard the well-being of children and young people
Children & Young People's Workforce L3
This unit focuses on the types of abuse in the wider context such as forced marriages, honour killing and genital mutilation. There are legislations, national policies government initiatives and local guidelines to safeguard children and adults from abuse and promote their welfare.
Legislations
| Legislations and Guidelines | Policy / Procedure |
|---|---|
|
Children Act 2004 Ensure duty of safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. |
Photography:
Parents not allowed to take pictures of their child or other children in the childcare setting. Phones: Staff are not allowed to carry their mobile phones on them while on duty; must leave it their locker /bag. Nappy changing: Two people must be present during nappy changing and leave the door open. Collecting children from nursery. |
| Childcare Act 2006 Local authority duty to improving Every Child Matters outcomes for children in any form of child care setting. |
Nurseries and care centres must be registered Ofsted inspection must be carries out regularly |
| Children Act 1989 Emphasis on the importance of putting children first – well-being and safety. Provides support for children and their families, fostering, child minding and day care. |
CRB checks must be carried out on staff. Premises must be safe and appropriate. Carry out daily risk assessments: windows locked, doors locked. Carers/teachers must plan activities to help children learn and play. |
| United Nation Conventions of the rights of children 1989 Children have a right to be protected from harm and abuse and the right to express views and be listened to. Protects children and young people with disabilities too. |
Allow children to express themselves Provide love and care Give children choices Treat children fairly |
| Early Years Foundation Stage - EYFS Focuses on providing a safe environment for children and protecting them from harm and abuse. Focuses on a safe environment for children to learning and develop. |
Safeguarding policy
Key person must be assigned to each child Staff and child ratio must be implemented Staff must have CRB checks staff and child ratio should be right |
| Every Child Matter - ECM Protect children and young people from harm or abuse. Support children to ‘stay safe’ as well as supporting them to achieve the outcomes: Be healthy stay safe Enjoy and achieve Achieve economic well-being Make a positive contribution |
Making learners aware of internet grooming. Being safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation. Being safe from accidents , injury and illness. Being safe from crime and anti-social behaviour in and out of school. Having security, stability and being cared for. learners should have access to counsellors. Zero tolerance to bullying and harassment. Having a ‘personal safety awareness day’ eg substance abuse, alcohol, phone theft. |
| Working together to Safeguard Children (2006) Police , health services , social services educational establishment would all work together to safeguarding children and young people. |
Share information, liaise with other professionals and agencies. Work together in the interest and welfare of the child. |
Types of abuse within the wider context
| Type of abuse | Description | Reasons | Consequences of abuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forced marriages | Arranging marriage without consent of the girl or boy Dishonour family |
Religion Traditions Culture |
Self-harm Suicidal Depression Poor health |
| Genital mutilation | African tribes cut genitals of young girls reaching puberty | Culture ritual | Psychological suffering Physical suffering |
| Child Trafficking | Forced into prostitution Forced labour Slavery |
Economic deprivation Political uprising (child soldiers) Shortage of employment opportunities Low social status (girls) |
Illness Suicide Murder Psychological and physical pain Fear |
| Bullied into Gang crime | Stealing Gun crime / killing Drugs |
Peer pressure To fit in or be accepted by their peers. |
Stress Depression Living in fear Criminal record Prison |
Can you think of other forms of abuse in the wider context? |
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How safeguarding guidelines, policies and procedures affect day today work with children and young people
- Guidelines, policies and procedure are born from legislations and inform staff how to go through the process of protecting and preventing children from harm or abuse in the setting.
- Safeguarding policies and procedures encourage practitioners to be aware of safeguarding children and young people in the setting.
- Relevant training would be given to all staff within the childcare setting so that they can understand how to pick up and notice signs and symptoms of abuse and learn how to raise concern or take steps safeguard children and young people.
- Relevant training needs to be attended regularly to keep up to date with changes and new regulations.
- Practitioners would carry out daily risk assessment to protect and prevent children from harm or abuse.
- Without policies and procedures child carers would not be able to effectively practice well-being and safeguarding of children and young people.
- Nappy changing routine requires two adults to one child, but this is difficult to practice when there is staff shortage.
- Despite the legislations, guideline, policies and procedures which are put in place, the effectiveness of them is debateable because abuse still continues today.
Give examples of current abuse in National head lines
Reasons for enquiries and Serious Case Review
- When a child dies and there is suspected abuse, then a serious case review (SCR) is undertaken to investigate in detail what exactly happened and why.
- From the SCR, lessons are learnt and take actions are taken to prevent a repeated incident.
- The outcome of the SCR is used to inform professionals, organisations and local agencies so that they can use the information and knowledge to improve their services by working together to continue the safeguard and ensuring the welfare of the children and young people .
- To produce new legislations or amendments to older legislations.
Complying with legislations that cover data protection,
information handling and sharing.
- Data must be fairly and lawfully processed
- Data must be accurate, relevant and adequate
- Data must be processed for limited purposes
- Data must not be maintained longer than necessary
- Date must be secure
- Data must be processed in accordance with the data subject's rights
- Data must not be transferred to other countries without adequate protection
- Under the confidentiality policy , information about children must not be discussed with any other colleagues, friends and family or media.
- Disclosure policy – Any information disclosed by a child of alleged abuse is passed to the manager or safeguarding officer who will contact the social services and/or police.
- According to the Human Rights Act 1989 parent have the right to know if their child is being taken into protection. Parents are informed by reporting officer of the findings an the allegations made.
- A written referrals to children social services are made if the child seems to be in immediate harm or at risk from significant forms of abuse
- Information about children safeguarding issues must be stored in a locked file and accessible only authorised person i.e. child protection officer.
- Information about children protection must be kept confidential and gossiping between staff is not permitted.
- The sharing of information is on a need to know basis; only those people involved in the case and helping to resolve the matter will be given information about the case.
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