Section 1: Understand Safeguarding and Child Protection

Section 1: Understand Safeguarding and Child Protection

In this section you will learn:

• What is meant by the terms safeguarding and child protection.

• What is meant by appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in relation to children and young people.

• Factors that could influence a child’s behaviour.

• The difference between poor working practices and abuse.

Section introduction

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. When working with children, young people and other vulnerable groups, you have a duty of care to keep each individual safe from harm or to be able to spot indicators of harm or abuse to a child. Each organisation that works with children and young people will have a designated safeguarding officer.

In this section you will consider what is meant by safeguarding and child protection, your responsibilities in terms of prevention of harm to children’s wellbeing and ensuring a healthy and safe provision of care.

Additionally, you will explore appropriate and inappropriate behaviour, taking consideration of how you can manage situations within your sessions to keep everyone safe.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Safeguarding is the wider term used when discussing anything related to a child or young person’s welfare, or factors inhibiting their healthy development. Safeguarding looks at everything from security of buildings, safe recruitment of staff, appropriateness and safety of activities for children relevant to their abilities and behaviour management for children and young people. In practice, safeguarding is the policies and practices that organisations employ to keep children safe, protect them from harm, abuse or neglect and promote their wellbeing.

Child Protection is one part of safeguarding. Child Protection is a term used to describe the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.

Working Together to Safeguard Children (2020) defines safeguarding as:

• Protection of children from maltreatment.

• Preventing impairment of children’s health and 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.

There is a range of legislation (which you will cover in more detail in section 5) which make it clear that the focus is on the best interests of the child. Whatever the situation, for example if you have a good relationship with a parent (even outside the setting you work in) and you see something that raises a concern, it must be reported through your organisation’s safeguarding channels. This is in the best interests of the child. Early intervention is key. This means that you do not wait until something serious happens but intervene early on. This could be offering support or signposting someone to appropriate organisations. For example, if you are working with a child whose parent discloses that they have lost their job, you can signpost them to appropriate organisations such as Jobcentre Plus (JCP) or Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB). Do not wait until the family are in desperate poverty.

All adults who work in a setting with children, young people and other vulnerable groups must be a suitable person. This means that they are safe to work with children and young people, or people at risk and have undergone a full and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The DBS check helps employers to make safe recruitment decisions by highlighting any areas of concern in an individual’s criminal record (if any). The organisation is responsible for managing the employment process. DBS checks are carried out on anyone who is over 18 years of age, including volunteers and students.

You can actively promote the wellbeing of the children within your setting by promoting risk and challenge but in a safe way. When promoting physical activity, you must ensure that the layout is safe and secure. This does not mean taking away all climbing equipment - where is the fun in that! It does mean supporting children to manage the equipment safely. How many children can go on a piece of climbing equipment at one time? Have you shown them how to use it safely? Other considerations in terms of wellbeing in the setting/environment:

• Are the doors secured?

• Do you have a safe and quick exit plan in case of a need to evacuate?

• Can the children and young people access drinking water easily?

• Is there an effective policy for the registration and collection of children?

Appropriate and Inappropriate Behaviour in Relation to Children and Young People

It is very important that organisations that work with children and young people outline behaviour expectations. This includes children and young people’s behaviour towards each other, towards staff and volunteers and the behaviour that they can expect to receive. Poor behaviour can indicate other issues and should be monitored in line with the organisation’s safeguarding procedures. Poor behaviour such as verbal abuse and bullying can also impact on the wellbeing of the child, young person, staff member or volunteer who is on the receiving end of it.

Likewise, adults must demonstrate appropriate behaviour and have an awareness of suitable boundaries when working with children and young people.

All settings will have behaviour management policies and codes of practice in place which will:

• Protect children and young people from abuse.

• Manage any allegations or incidents of inappropriate behaviour.

• Ensure everyone (staff, volunteers, children and young people) feel safe, respected and valued.

Examples of appropriate behaviour

Following the code of conduct: children, young people and staff demonstrate respect to one another and follow the agreed code of conduct. As the responsible adult, you should demonstrate good conduct for the children and young people to mirror.

Staff are aware of and follow safeguarding policies and procedures effectively. This will include knowing who and what to report and how to record appropriately. Safeguarding training should be undertaken and regularly updated.

The above should also include e-safety such as online bullying, social media, online gaming, and financial awareness when spending online (such as apps and games and protecting children from vulnerability to these). Examples of inappropriate behaviour

Patronising children or making them feel silly. This could be in front of their peers or alone. You should strive to instil confidence in the children and young people who you work with.

Allowing any allegations to go unreported or unrecorded. Even small instances of namecalling between children need to be recorded as it may be one example of a wider bullying campaign that is yet to be discovered or is being monitored by the organisation.

Developing inappropriate relationships such as contact with children and young people that is not a part of the work or agreed with the manager or leader. You may have relationships with families outside of work. This needs to be disclosed to your manager within your organisation.

Always listen to children and respond appropriately to what they have to say.

Avoid favouritism. It is natural as a human to make connections with certain children or young people or even other staff. This can be picked up on quite easily by others. It also risks preferential treatment in terms of rules and procedures.

Treat children and young people fairly and without prejudice or discrimination. This is in relation to culture, religion, sexuality or any other preferences and needs that they may have. In this same vein, ensure that language used is not discriminatory. Value and take children’s contributions seriously, actively involving children and young people in planning activities wherever possible.

Challenge unacceptable behaviour and report/record all instances through the appropriate channels using your organisational processes.

Ensure that whenever possible, there is more than one adult present during activities with children and young people or if this isn’t possible, that you are within sight or hearing of other adults. Safeguard yourself from allegations. Never conduct a sexual relationship with a child or young person, or indulge in any form of sexual contact with a child or young person. Any such behaviour between an adult member of staff or volunteer and a child or young person represents a serious breach of trust on the part of the staff member or volunteer. Any sexual activity with a young person under 16 may result in a criminal prosecution and criminal record.

Allowing children and young people to have your personal contact details (mobile number or address). This breaches the professional relationship boundaries.

Never make sarcastic, insensitive, derogatory, or sexually suggestive comments or gestures to, or in front of children and young people.

Acting in a way that can be perceived as threatening or intrusive is unacceptable and makes children and young people feel unsafe.

Do not make inappropriate promises to children and young people, particularly in relation to confidentiality. If a child discloses something of concern, you must report and record following organisational processes.

Never exaggerate or trivialise child abuse issues.

Factors that could influence a child’s behaviour

Behaviour is everything that we do. Much of the time our behaviour is normal and conforms to social norms or certain rules. Our behaviour can be reactive to the environment we are in or other stimuli. For example, as adults, we change our behaviour depending on the people we are with or the location we are in. We act and behave differently at home with our family than how we act at work in front of our manager and colleagues. We can mostly regulate our behaviour depending on the circumstances. There are times when our behaviour can be changed due to factors such as tiredness, hunger, or having received some bad news.

Behaviour

An important thing to remember in terms of behaviour is that it is very rare the child is simply ‘bad’. There is always a reason for their behaviour. If a behaviour is being demonstrated by a child and is out of the ordinary then have a discussion with your Dedicated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for advice as it could mean there is something going on in that child’s life.

Children are also impacted by a range of factors, and this can influence the behaviour that they may exhibit when they are in your session. Difficult behaviours can come from feeling insecure and having a low self-esteem. This may be due to own insecurities and negative past experiences in their sporting activities. When supporting children, helping them to build their confidence through praise and carefully planned and structured activities will support the children to grow and develop in their securities and self-esteem. However, insecurities and low self-esteem can stem from other issues such as neglect, abuse at home, or specific factors such as: • Family relationships/changes to family circumstances such as a divorce or family bereavement. • Abuse: children suffering abuse may either lash out or withdraw. It is important to note however, that children suffering abuse may not demonstrate any obvious behaviour challenges at all and you must always be vigilant for signs of abuse. • Transitions and life events such as moving home or changing school. Even being new to the setting you are working in. • Hunger: this may be a one off, eg, if they did not like the lunch provided by school. Children, young people (and adults) can suffer low blood sugar, tiredness, and dehydration when they have not eaten and are will be hungry and/or thirsty. This can impact their mood and their ability to participate in the activities they are set. If a child is regularly hungry, this can indicate a safeguarding concern and a sign of abuse. This needs to be recorded and reported via the appropriate channels within your organisation. • Lack of sleep: where a child or young person is tired, they may not wish to participate in activities as their body will need to rest. Lack of sleep can also impact negatively on their mood and behaviour. This can be a one off or due to the arrival of a new baby in the family for example. However, if a child is regularly tired then this can indicate a safeguarding concern and a sign of abuse. This needs to be recorded and reported via the appropriate channels within your organisation.

The difference between poor working practices and abuse

Earlier in the section we identified poor practices in relation to how we behave towards and with children and young people. Abuse and poor practice can be closely linked. Poor practice can become abuse if practice is not changed or where it does not improve. It becomes abuse where poor practice is intentional and regular. Abuse occurs when harm is caused to an individual and this is intentional. Abuse can be a single incident, or it can occur over time or via an ongoing situation. It is anything that impacts the child or young person’s wellbeing and welfare. Abusive practice can be instilled in an organisation through lack of training or the organisational culture. As an individual, it is important to be vigilant against such organisational practices and strive for change, reporting via whistleblowing procedures where necessary. Poor practice is when a staff member fails to follow procedures appropriately which could lead to a child or young person’s welfare becoming at risk. Poor practice can be unintentional and can be changed with effective training and development.