CYP Safeguarding & Risk pt1 BB With Notes and Audio EW20

Counselling Children & Young People
Safeguarding and Risk Assessment

Learning Outcomes
To have:
An understanding of how to identify and respond appropriately to child

protection and safeguarding concerns
The ability to identify and assess potential risk, and how to act if a young
person is at risk
Care of yourselves
Content alert; we will be covering a topic which can be difficult for many,
discussions around abuse, self harm and suicidal ideation in young
people can be very emotive
Please look after yourselves and each other with care
Be mindful of your group confidentiality agreement
Take time out if you need to

Definitions:
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the
purposes of this guidance as: protecting children from maltreatment;
preventing impairment of children's health or development; ensuring
that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of
safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have
the best outcomes. Working Together 2018
What is child protection?
a duty to protect children from maltreatment
a duty to prevent impairment
Legal Context
Definition of abuse as “significant harm” (Children Act for England and
Wales 1989 section 47)
Further protections under the Children Acts (1989 and 2004)
Education Act (2002)
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
Protection of Freedoms Act (2012)
Statutory Guidance set out in Working Together (DfE 2015) or equivalent
guidance in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
True or False?
▪ There is no mandatory reporting law in England and Wales
▪ Mandatory Reporting increases reporting about abuse
▪ Opinion is equally divided on whether to adopt mandatory reporting in

the UK
Robson, M,. and Pattison, S (2018) p277

True or False?
“There is no mandatory reporting law in England and Wales”
▪ TRUE However, many agencies require obligatory reporting of abuse as part of the
counsellors contract of employment
▪ Mandatory Reporting increases reporting about abuse
▪ FALSE Research evidence suggests that mandatory reporting has led to underreporting
of abuse (Australia and USA) possibly arising from lack of confidence in accurately
identifying symptoms
▪ Opinion is equally divided on whether to adopt mandatory reporting in the uk
▪ FALSE Major consultation exercise in English Law indicated major opposition from most
professionals so it has not been adopted by the government (Independent Inquiry into
Child Sexual Abuse)
Robson, M,. and Pattison, S (2018) p277
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The ACE Study

Group Discussion
What is abuse?
What kind of people are abusers?
Where can it take place?

Defining Abuse
“A form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a
child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may
be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those
known to them or, more rarely, by others. Abuse can take place wholly
online, or technology may be used to facilitate offline abuse. Children
may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.
Working Together to Safeguard Children (updated July 2018)

Forms of Abuse
Physical o Female Genital Mutilation FGM
Emotional o Radicalisation and Extremism
Sexual o Forced Marriage/Honour Killings
Online o Child Trafficking & Modern Slavery
Neglect o County Lines
Domestic Violence & Abuse o Child Sexual Exploitation CSE
Fabricated/Induced Illness
Who is at Risk?
Victims of abuse can be male or female and cover a wide age range
Young people with disabilities are at greatest risk of abuse, risk factors
include greater communication barriers, misunderstanding signs of
abuse, lack of education on staying safe, increased isolation and
dependency, inadequate support (learning.nspcc.org.uk)
Young People who identify as LGBTQI may also be at greater risk of some
forms of abuse
Domestic Violence as a Risk Factor
• Significant overlap between domestic violence and child abuse (45-70%)
• Enquiries into child deaths show violence towards women may coincide with
greatest risk of children suffering significant harm or death
• Raised incidences of child sexual abuse in households where the woman is
subject to violence
• Coping with abuse may adversely affect a woman’s ability to meet her child’s
emotional needs putting children at risk of neglect
• Additional risks arise from addiction issues, chaotic lifestyles, homelessness and
mental health issues
• Reducingtherisk.org.uk
What is Physical abuse?
Abuse can be PHYSICAL EMOTIONAL and SEXUAL
Physical abuse may involve: hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or

scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a
child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates
the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.
FGM: since 2015 “regulated professionals in health and social care and
teachers in England and Wales have a duty to report ‘known’ cases of FGM
in under 18s which they identify in the course of their professional work to
the police.”
Where a case of FGM is suspected in under 18s, it must still be reported by

internal safeguarding procedures
What is Emotional abuse?
Emotional abuse - The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to
cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development.
It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate,
or valued only insofar as they meets the needs of another person.
It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately
silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate.
It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed

on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s
developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration
and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It
may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another.
What is Emotional abuse?
It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children
frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption
of children.
Some level of emotional abuse is involved in ALL types of maltreatment of a

child, though it may occur alone
Every area has information and guidance available via the Local
Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) eg see Devon
https://www.dcfp.org.uk/child-abuse/
What is Sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse may involve: forcing or enticing a child or young person to take
part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence,
whether or not the child is aware.
May involve physical contact (penetrative or non-penetrative)
May include non-contact activities eg watching sex or sexual images,

encouraging inappropriate sexual behaviour or grooming, including via
internet
Sexual abuse is by men, women and children (peer to peer)

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
This type of abuse occurs when a child or young person is induced,
manipulated or forced into a sexual act (penetrative sex, sexual touching,
masturbation or misuse of sexual images via the internet or mobile phone)
often in exchange for something (money, gifts, drugs or alcohol or
accomodation)
This can occur in what the victim perceives to be a consensual relationship,

or it can occur through force, threats or manipulation.
What is neglect?
Neglect can be Physical and Emotional
The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological
needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or
development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of
maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a
parent or carer failing to:
Failure to provide adequate food ,clothing and shelter (including
exclusion from home or abandonment)
Failure to protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
What is neglect?
Failure to ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate
care-givers)
Failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic

emotional needs.

Exercise in small Groups
Each group discusses one of the definitions of Physical, Sexual, Emotional
abuse and Neglect to consider what signs and symptoms might indicate
that abuse is taking place.
10 mins discussion plus feedback to the group

Importance of Self Care
Grounding exercise
In your small groups discuss your favourite way to look after yourself
References
Counselling MindEd (free online training material) (www.minded.org.uk);
Jenkins P (2018) Safeguarding Young people and Vulnerable Young Adults.
MindEd
For more information on FGM indentifying signs and reporting concerns

see
https://www.proceduresonline.com/swcpp/devon/p_fem_gen_mutil.ht
ml#reporting
References
BACP Core Competences for working with Young People pp26-36 (Child
Protection) and pp 81-85 (Risk
Assessment)https://www.bacp.co.uk/media/2335/bacp-competences-
map-for-working-with-young-people.pdf
Know the law on smacking https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-

pages/the-law-on-smacking-children/
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/upl
oads/attachment_data/file/419604/What_to_do_if_you_re_worried_a_c
hild_is_being_abused.pdf
References
Local Safeguarding Children Boards example from Devon https://www.dcfp.org.uk/child-
abuse/
NHS guide to Fabricated/Induced Illness https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fabricated-or-
induced-illness/symptoms/
Understanding and Responding to Children & Young People at Risk of Self Harm and
Suicide. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/U%20R%20CYP%20at%20risk%20of%20selfharm%20and%20s
uicide%202014%20v1%20electronic.pdf
Disability as risk factor of abuse https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-
protection/deaf-and-disabled-children/#heading-top
Robson, M.,and Pattison, S,. (2018) The Handbook of Counselling Children and Young
People 2nd edn. Sage
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Counselling Children & Young People

Safeguarding and Risk Assessment

An understanding of how to identify and respond appropriately to child

Please look after yourselves and each other with care

Be mindful of your group confidentiality agreement

Take time out if you need to

▪ Mandatory Reporting increases reporting about abuse

▪ Opinion is equally divided on whether to adopt mandatory reporting in

Robson, M,. and Pattison, S (2018) p277

The ACE Study

What kind of people are abusers?

Where can it take place?

Working Together to Safeguard Children (updated July 2018)

Domestic Violence & Abuse o Child Sexual Exploitation CSE

Physical abuse may involve: hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or

Where a case of FGM is suspected in under 18s, it must still be reported by

It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed

Some level of emotional abuse is involved in ALL types of maltreatment of a

Working Together to Safeguard Children (updated July 2018)

May involve physical contact (penetrative or non-penetrative)

May include non-contact activities eg watching sex or sexual images,

Sexual abuse is by men, women and children (peer to peer)

This can occur in what the victim perceives to be a consensual relationship,

Failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment

It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic

Working Together to Safeguard Children (updated July 2018)

10 mins discussion plus feedback to the group

For more information on FGM indentifying signs and reporting concerns

Know the law on smacking https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-

Acknowledgement for © IMC documents

CLA Licence Permission checked

 Checked (book/journal/website resource)

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