Child Protection Policy
Heart of Hope will endeavour to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are protected from harm. We will do this by:
Working to the guidelines of the Protection of Children Act (POCA).
Working to the guidelines of the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) as set out in the Care Standards Act 2000.
Making sure our staff are carefully selected and ensuring an appropriate CRB check is completed prior to the commencement of employment. This will include enhanced disclosure.
Providing appropriate training for staff in issues of child protection.
Taking all reasonable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of any child or vulnerable adult in contact with Heart of Hope.
Taking all reasonable steps to prevent any staff member, persons working for us or member of the public from putting any child or vulnerable adult in a situation in which there in an unreasonable risk to their health and safety.
Taking all reasonable steps to prevent any staff member, persons working for us or members of the public from physically, emotionally, of sexually abusing any child or vulnerable adult.
Disclose relevant information to necessary persons using the "No Secrets" and "In Safe Hands" initiatives as a guideline.
Report to a designated officer any evidence or reasonable suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult has been physically, emotionally or sexually abused in contact with Heart of Hope.
Have a sound working knowledge of any protection policies and procedures that a country may have which Heart of Hope work in.
Policy for the protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
This policy is intended to cover the children, young people and vulnerable adults that we work with as an organisation.
Our Guiding Principles
We believe that:
All children, young people and vulnerable adults have fundamental rights as individuals that entitle them to dignity and respect and that these rights include an absolute right to protection from harm by others.
The welfare of each child, young person or vulnerable adult that we are in contact with is the paramount consideration of our organisation and will be reflected in all our actions, policies and activities.
To that end:
This policy is mandatory for all staff and volunteers working for Heart of Hope.
It has been approved by the Trustees of Heart of Hope.
It will be reviewed every three years or whenever there is a major change in the organisation or in relevant legislation.
This policy will be publicised, promoted and distributed to staff, volunteers and users so that all are made aware of their rights and responsibilities in this area.
We will work in partnership with others - including parents and carers, other agencies and the wider community - in order to protect the rights and principles enshrined in laws and in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In carrying out this policy we will in all cases ensure that our actions comply with the relevant inter-agency child protection procedures.
All staff involved with Heart of Hope will be required to complete an enhanced disclosure CRB check and will only be permitted to work once thoroughly checked. Staff will not be permitted to work, not have access to children or vulnerable adults in the interim between initial application to the CRB and the outcome.
Types and signs of abuse
The government guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children, 1999, categories abuse as:
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect
In all forms of abuse there are elements of emotional abuse and that it is possible to be subjected to abuse in more than one way at a time. These four categorisations and the definitions below do not minimise other forms of maltreatment.
The NSPCC notes that there are other sources of stress for children and families such as, domestic violence, the mental illness of a parent or carer, or drug or alcohol misuse. All these may have a negative impact on ac child's health and development and may be noticed by the organisation caring for a child. If it is felt that a child's wellbeing is being damaged by any of these areas, the same procedures as for abuse should be followed.
Vulnerable adults may also be subject to other types of abuse as well as to the four types of abuse listed above. They may be manipulated financially or discriminated against because of a disability or other factor that makes them vulnerable. Further information is in the Department of Health and Home Office guidance on protecting vulnerable adults No Secrets.
What is physical abuse?
Physical abuse includes hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning or misuse of medications, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of or deliberately causes ill health to a child whom they are looking after.
What is emotional abuse?
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill-treatment of a person such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on that person's emotional development. It may involve making the individual feel or believe that they worthless or unloved, inadequate.
It may also involve causing the person to feel often frightened or in danger. It may involve exploitation or corruption.
What is sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child or young person is aware of, or consents to, what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative acts or non-penetrative acts. Sexual abuse also includes non-contact activities, such as involving children or young people in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging them to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Sexual abuse of vulnerable adults can be rape and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the person does not consent or cannot consent or is pressured into consenting.
Sexual abuse may be same-sex or opposite sex, may be by other children, young people or adults. People from all walks of life may be sexual abusers.
What is neglect?
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child's, young person's or vulnerable adult's basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the severe impairment of the person's health or development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failure to protect a child, young person or vulnerable adult from physical harm or danger, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.
It may also include neglect of a child's, young person's or vulnerable adult's basic emotional needs.
Indications that a child may be being abused:
There are often bruises and small cuts on children or young people - typically elbows, knees, shins - areas where accidents often occur. However, bruises and cuts on areas such as cheeks or thighs may be cause for concern, as would bruises that are caused by hand marks or fingertips as the possible result of slapping or pinching. Other signs to be concerned about are cigarette burns, bite marks, broken bones, scalds.
A child, young person or vulnerable adult who is being sexually abused may show physical signs such as stomach pains, discomfort in the genital or anal area as well as medical conditions that would probably be hard to spot in comparatively casual contact.
A child, young person or vulnerable adult suffering neglect might show signs of constant hunger, always being unclean, loss of weight or constant underweight, inappropriate dress for the weather.
Signs of emotional abuse might be failure to thrive or grow, sudden speech disorders, or developmental delay either physically or emotionally.
The following changes in behaviour can indicate physical abuse:
It is possible that a child, young person or vulnerable adult who is or has suffered abuse will confide in you. This is something you should be prepared for and must handle carefully. The following action should be taken if there are concerns of abuse of a child, young person or vulnerable adult:
Remain calm and in control but don't delay acting.
Listen carefully to what is said. Allow the person to tell you at their own pace and ask questions only for clarification. Don't ask questions that suggest a particular answer
Use the first opportunity you have to say that you will need to share the information with others. Make it clear that you will only tell the people who need to know and who should be able to help.
Reassure the child, young person or vulnerable adult that "they did the right thing" in telling someone.
Discuss with the child, young person or vulnerable adult what you are going to do next - it may be helpful to agree an aim/(s) between the person making a disclosure and the worker (i.e. for the abuse to end and then discuss strategies for achieving that).
As soon as possible after the disclosure conversation, make a note of what was said, using the child's/young person's/vulnerable adults own words. Note the date, time, any names that were involved or mentioned, who you gave the information to. Make sure you sign and date your record.
In confidence, make your manager or other appropriate colleague aware of the situation.
It is essential that the child/young person/vulnerable adult remains central to this process and they should be kept informed at all stages of actions taken.
Definitions:
In law, a child is defined as a person aged 18 or less (The Children's Act, 1989). Extensions of this age range exist for children who are disabled or in local authority care. There is no legal definition of "young person", but it typically refers to the upper age ranges of the official definition of a child. Young person is our organisations preferred working term for our users not least because it acknowledges that individuals may not think of themselves as "children". The definition of vulnerable adult that we use is a person who is or may be in need of community care services because of mental disability or other disability, age or illness, or who is or may be, unable to take care of themselves or unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation. (please note again this is not a legal definition).