Corporate Safeguarding Policy
Safeguarding People in Carmarthenshire | Updated November 2023
In this section
- Recognising and Responding to Concerns
- Dealing with a safeguarding concern
- Reporting a concern
- Monitoring and Review
- Appendix 1- Categories and Indicators of Abuse & Neglect
- Appendix 1 cont'd - Categories and indicators of abuse – Adults at Risk
- Appendix 2 - Carmarthenshire County Council Corporate Safeguarding Self Assessment Audit Tool
Appendix 1- Categories and Indicators of Abuse & Neglect
Categories and indicators of abuse and neglect- Children
Safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.
Section 197(1) of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 specifies the categories of abuse which are:
- Physical
- Sexual
- Psychological/Emotional
- Neglect
- Financial
Financial abuse has been added as new category for Children under the Social Services & Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.
Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect – (All Wales Child Protection Procedures 2008)
A child is abused or neglected when somebody inflicts harm or fails 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 a stranger. A child or young person up to the age of 18 years can suffer abuse or neglect and require protection via an inter-agency child protection plan.
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 caregiver fabricates or induces illness in a child whom they are looking after.
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment 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 in so far as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. It may involve causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, for example by witnessing domestic abuse within the home or being bullied, or, the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Neglect is 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. It may involve a parent or caregiver failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger, or the 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. In addition, neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance misuse.
Child Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a form of sexual abuse where children are sexually exploited for money, power or status. It can involve violent, humiliating and degrading sexual assaults. In some cases, young people are persuaded or forced into exchanging sexual activity for money, drugs, gifts, affection or status. Consent cannot be given, even where a child may believe they are voluntarily engaging in sexual activity with the person who is exploiting them. Child sexual exploitation doesn't always involve physical contact and can happen online. A significant number of children who are victims of sexual exploitation go missing from home, care and education at some point.
See also VAWDASV
Safeguarding children in education
All schools will have an identified a Designated Child Protection Teacher (DCPT) with responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. All schools will also have their own child protection policy. The policy will identify the key personnel. Any concerns around safeguarding should be reported to the DCPT or the deputy in their DCPO’s absence.
Staff should ensure they keep full and accurate records of their concerns, including details of any disclosures, and should include action taken e.g. ‘referred to DCPT’. Record keeping is vitally important when dealing with safeguarding and records should be clear, precise and distinguish fact and opinion.
Records must always include the name of the child, date of incident/concern, full name of the person making the record and details of action taken and people spoken to.
Although the Designated Child Protection Teacher is the person with responsibility for child protection and safeguarding, if a member of staff has concerns that a matter has not been addressed, they can make a referral themselves.
Remember Child Protection is everyone’s responsibility, and any individual can make a referral to children’s services assessment team. Professionals cannot remain anonymous when making referrals.
