Welcome to the latest edition of The Golden Thread Alliance Safeguarding Bulletin.
I hope that you all had a well-rested Summer break, and that this week so far has been a successful start to the new academic year.
I would like to wish a warm welcome to those who are new to the Golden Thread Alliance family and introduce myself to those who I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting. My name is Debbie Clarke-Basrai and I am the Trust Safeguarding Lead.
This bulletin is sent on the first Wednesday of every term, for you to read at a time that is convenient to you. I aim to keep you up to date with a range of safeguarding topics and information.
If there are any topics that you would particularly like covered in a bulletin, or you would like to reach out to me for any further guidance, please feel free to get in touch.
In this term’s newsletter we will explore what to do if a child makes a disclosure to you and how to spot the signs of abuse.
May I also take this opportunity to remind you that the deadline to complete your safeguarding training is the 15th September.
Thank you for taking the time to read this bulletin and for all the work that you do to keep our children safe. I hope that you find the information useful.
If you have any questions, queries, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Debbie Clarke-Basrai
Trust Safeguarding Lead
01322 296144 / 07956177850
debbie.clarke-basrai@golden-thread.org
www.golden-thread.org
This bulletin contains sensitive content, please be aware of your surroundings when viewing.
Managing Disclosures
How should I deal with a disclosure of abuse from a child?
It can be very difficult for a child to open up about what it happening to them. Whilst the initial reaction that you may have is shock or fear, please appreciate that the child has likely taken the time to consider who to share this with, and that you are someone that they feel they can trust. You may feel panicked, take a few deeps breaths to slow down your thinking and focus on what the child has to say.
- Listen carefully to what they are saying
Be patient and focus on what you are being told. Try not to express your own views and feelings. If you appear shocked or as if you do not believe them, it could make them stop talking and take back what they have said. - Give them the tools to talk
If they are struggling to talk to you, show them that you are there to listen. Reassure them that you are there to help and that you care. The child may wish to write things down or draw pictures of what they are explaining to you, tell them that this is OK. - Ask open questions for clarification
For example, who, what, when, where; or Tell, Explain, Describe (TED). - Check back what you have heard
Repeat back to them what you heard so that there are no miscommunications, this will also reassure the child that they have been heard. - Tell them that it is not their fault
Abuse is never a child’s fault. It is important that they hear and know this. Do not express any opinions about the abuser. - Say you’ll take them seriously
They may have kept the abuse secret because they were scared that they wouldn’t be believed. Make sure they know that they can trust you and that you will listen and support them. Do not tell them that they should have told you sooner. - Explain what you will do next
Explain that you are going to speak to someone who will be able to help. Never promise to keep secrets. - Report what the child has told you as soon as possible
Report to your DSL as soon after you have been told about the abuse so that the details are fresh in your mind and action can be taken quickly. It can be helpful to take notes soon after you have spoken to the child, keep these as accurate as possible. Only use the language that the child has used, do not put your own judgment to it or include personal opinions. - Maintain confidentiality
Do not discuss with others what the child has told you, other than your DSL. - Continue to support the child
The disclosure will not always mean that the issue is resolved for the child. As a member of staff that the child feels that can trust, it is important that you check in with the child, always assuring them that they did the right thing. - Take care of yourself
Receiving a disclosure from a child can be an very emotional experience. Whilst you may feel honoured that the child chose you to share with, it can also be upsetting to hear about their abuse. Take time to process what has happened, and speak with your DSL. - Check on the outcome
When a member of staff raises a concern with the DSL, they must be given feedback on actions that were taken. If you disagree with the action taken (or not taken), please raise this to your DSL. If after discussing this with your DSL you still disagree with their reasoning, it is your responsibility to raise this further or make a referral to social care yourself. Should this happen, please speak to your headteacher in the first instance. As always, my contact details are in this bulletin should you require any further support.
Things to consider
Some children may not feel ready to share, or know how to tell someone that they are being abused, exploited or neglected. Others may not recognise their experiences as harmful. Many children may also feel embarrassed, humiliated or threatened due to their vulnerability, disability, sexual orientation and/or language barriers. None of these things should stop you from having “professional curiosity” and speaking to the DSL if you have concerns about a child.
Spotting the Signs of Abuse
Child abuse happens when someone harms a child. It can be physical, sexual, emotional or involve neglect. Children who experience abuse may struggle to speak out, so it is vital that anyone working with children are able to recognise the signs of abuse.
These signs do not necessarily mean that a child is being abused. There may well be other reasons for changes in a child’s behaviour such as bereavement or relationship problems between parents or carers. If you have any concerns about a child’s wellbeing, you should report them to your DSL as soon as possible.
General signs of abuse
- Being afraid of particular places of making excuse to avoid particular people
- Knowing about or being involved in ‘adult issues’ which are inappropriate for their age or stage of development
- Having angry outbursts or behaving aggressively towards others
- Becoming withdraw or appearing anxious, clingy or depressed
- Self-harming or having thoughts about suicide
- Showing changes in eating habits or developing eating disorders
- Regularly experiencing nightmares or sleep problems
- Running away or regularly going missing from home or care
- Regularly wetting the bed or soiling their clothes
- Not receiving adequate medical attention after injuries
Physical abuse
All children have trips, falls and accidents which may cause cuts, bumps and bruises. These injuries tend to affect bony areas of their body such as elbows, knees and shins and are not usually a cause for concern.
Injuries that are more likely to indicate physical abuse include:
- bruises on babies who are not yet crawling or walking
- bruises on the cheeks, ears, palms, arms and feet
- bruises on the back, buttocks, tummy, hips and backs of legs
- multiple bruises in clusters, usually on the upper arms or outer thighs
- bruising which looks like it has been caused by fingers, a hand or an object, like a belt or shoe
- large oval-shaped bite marks
- any burns which have a clear shape of an object, for example cigarette burns
- burns to the backs of hands, feet, legs, genitals or buttocks
Other signs of physical abuse include multiple injuries (such as bruising, fractures) inflicted at different times. If a child is frequently injured, and if the bruises or injuries are unexplained or the explanation doesn’t match the injury, this should be investigated. It’s also concerning if there is a delay in seeking medical help for a child who has been injured.
Neglect
Neglect can be difficult to identify. Isolated signs may not mean that a child is suffering neglect, but multiple and persistent signs over time could indicate a serious problem.
Some of these signs include:
- appearing hungry – they may not have lunch money or even try to steal food
- appearing dirty or smelly
- clothes are inadequate for the weather conditions
- children are left alone or unsupervised for long periods or at a young age
- children have untreated injuries, health or dental problems
- poor language, communication or social skills for their stage of development
- living in an unsuitable home environment.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities. It doesn’t necessarily involve violence and the child may not be aware that what is happening is abuse. There may be physical signs that a child has suffered sexual abuse.
These include:
- anal or vaginal soreness or itching
- bruising or bleeding near the genital area
- discomfort when walking or sitting down
- an unusual discharge
- sexually transmitted infections (STI)
- pregnancy.
Changes in the child’s mood or behaviour may also cause concern. They may want to avoid spending time with specific people. In particular, the child may show sexual behaviour that is inappropriate for their age.
For example:
- they could use sexual language or know things about sex that you wouldn’t expect them to
- they might become sexually active or pregnant at a young age.
Emotional Abuse
There aren’t usually any obvious physical signs of emotional abuse but you may spot changes in a child’s actions or emotions. Some children are naturally quiet and self-contained whilst others are more open and affectionate. Mood swings and challenging behaviour are also a normal part of growing up for teenagers and children going through puberty. Be alert to behaviours which appear to be out of character for the individual child or are particularly unusual for their stage of development.
Babies and pre-school children who are being emotionally abused may:
- be overly affectionate towards strangers or people they haven’t known for very long
- not appear to have a close relationship with their parent, for example when being taken to or collected from nursery
- lack confidence or become wary or anxious
- be unable to play
- be aggressive or nasty towards other children and animals.
Older children may:
- use language, act in a way or know about things that you wouldn’t expect for their age
- struggle to control strong emotions or have extreme outbursts
- seem isolated from their parents
- lack social skills or have few, if any, friends
- fear making mistakes
- fear their parent being approached regarding their behaviour
- self-harm.
Always report to your DSL if you are concerned about the welfare of a child. Do not think “What if I am wrong?”, instead consider “What if I am right?”
If you feel that the content of this bulletin has impacted you in any way, please reach out to another adult to talk it through, or refer to the employee assistance programme.
