Q: What should a member of staff or volunteer do if they are worried about a child being
abused or at risk of abuse?
The member of staff or volunteer must follow the guidelines contained within their
organisation’s Child Protection Policy. They should inform the organisation’s Child Protection Officer (CPO) who
will then immediately inform the local social services or police. If the CPO is not available, or the concern is about the
behaviour of the CPO towards a child, the member of staff or volunteer should contact the local social services or police
directly. They do not have to give their name, although it is helpful if they do. Social services and/or the police will give
advice about informing the child’s parents about concerns.
If a child or young person
talks about possible abuse, the member of staff or volunteer should:
-
Never ignore any statement
made by a child or young person that they have been abused. Take what the child says seriously
-
Try to react calmly.
Remember that the child is likely to be frightened or anxious
-
Tell the child that
he or she was right to tell and is not to blame
-
Reassure the child
but do not promise confidentiality. Tell the child what they have said will need to be shared with others and exactly what
will be done with information given
-
Avoid asking questions.
If necessary, only ask enough open-ended questions to gain basic information to establish the possibility that abuse may have
occurred
-
Make a full written
record of what was said, heard and/or seen as soon as possible
The member of staff or volunteer
should not:
· Panic
· Allow
their shock or distaste to show
· Probe
for more information than is offered
· Speculate
or make assumptions about what has happened
· Make
negative comments about the alleged abuser
· Approach
the alleged abuser
· Make
promises or agree to keep secrets.
Child protection is everyone’s
responsibility. It is not your responsibility to decide if a child is being abused
but it is your responsibility to pass on any concerns you have, no matter how small they may seem.
Q: If a child discloses abuse and
then stops when informed you can’t keep it a secret, what do you do?
Remember that it takes a lot
of courage for a child to disclose abuse. Children are likely to be frightened or worried about what might happen to them
when people find out. If a child tells you, it is likely that they trust you enough to share this huge secret. You should
reassure the child they have done the right thing by telling you and that they can talk to you anytime. You must however be
honest with the child and tell them /or remind them that you need to share the information. It is then the child’s choice
to continue or not. You have been honest with them and they can then make an informed decision about what to do next.
You should pass whatever information
the child gives to the Child Protection Officer and record what the child tells you, using the child’s words. If you
have concerns about the child’s immediate safety, you should contact the local social services and/or police without
delay.
Q:
What if the child uses a hypothetical statement about a ‘friend’?
We know that most children
are likely to tell a friend about abuse rather than report it to an adult. So if a child tells you about a ‘friend’,
they may actually be worried about a friend and trying to seek help/information on their behalf.
Children might also refer
to a ‘friend’ when they are really talking about themselves (just
in the same way adults do!). They could be testing your reaction to the information. In either case, the child should be reassured
that it is OK to share that kind of information but that adults would need to pass the information to those who want to help
keep the child safe.