The formal definition of Child Abuse is:

“Children may be in need of protection where their basic needs are not being met, in a manner appropriate to their stage of development, and they will be at risk from avoidable acts of commission or omission on the part of their parent(s), sibling(s) or other relative(s), or a carer (i.e. the person(s) while not a parent who has actual custody of a child). To define an act or omission as abusive and/or presenting future risk for the purpose of registration a number of elements must be taken into account. These include demonstrable or predictable harm to the child which must have been avoidable because of action or inaction by the parent or other carer.”

Protecting Children – A Shared Responsibility: Guidance on Inter-agency Co-operation, The Scottish Office 1998

Children and youong people have the right to be protected and to be safe from harm from others.

We should all:

• Listen to children and young people
• Take them and their concerns seriously
• Involve them in any processes that relate to them
• Put them in touch with the right people
• Think about their lives as a whole

To this end it is vital that everyone coming into contact - either directly or indirec tly - with children and young people knows what do do when protection concerns arise.

Some Warning Signs of Abuse

You may notice one, or a combination of the following; the child or young person may:

• Have unexplained bruising or bruising in an unexplained place;
• Appear afraid, quiet or withdrawn;
• Be afraid to go home;
• Appear constantly hungry, tired or untidy;
• Be left unattended or unsupervised;
• Have too much responsibility for their age;
• Be acting in a sexually inappropriate way;
• Be misusing drugs or alcohol;
• Tell you something that sounds as though they have been hurt by someone

The behaviour of adults may cause you concern if they:

• Are acting in an aggressive, violent or sexual manner towards a child or young person;
• Are misusing drugs or alcohol while caring for a child;
• Leave their child unattended or with unsuitable adults

What to do if you are concerned about a child or young person

"The welfare of the child is paramount" - so the sharing of information to enable the protection of the child or young person MUST take priority over any other concerns.

No-one wants to see a child come to harm.  If you have concerns you can share them in the following ways:

General Public

• You can phone your local Social Work office.  It is the responsibility of these statutory agencies, in conjunction with Health Services, to determine what further action to take.
• You can phone the free national child protection line on 0800 022 3222.  Further information about this line can be found on www.infoscotland.com/childprotection

To ensure a child gets the best possible help:

• Give as much information as you can about the child or young person and their family/carer
• Describe what it was you saw or heard and what it was that concerned you;
• Let the person you speak to on the phone know if there are other things they need to be aware of, for example, immediate risks for the child or any other child.

Any information about you will be treated with care.  Even if you do not give your name, enquiries can still be made into the child's care and welfare.  Withholding your name may make it more difficult for those looking into these concerns .  Any information you give may need to be shared with other professionals to ensure appropriate action is taken to protect the child.

Professionals

• You have a duty and a responsibility to share any concerns of a child protection nature.  Protecting your relationship with a family or individual is never an option where there are child protection concerns - the welfare of the child is always paramount!
• You need to be aware of youor own organisation's child protection policy.

To ensure that a child gets the best possible help:

• Be aware of the NESCPC guidelines and refer to them for help when required.
• Keep clear record keeping and note details of any concerns as soon as you can after being told/observing concerns.  Remember to record any action you have taken.
• Give as much basic information as possible, including names, dates of birth of the child and any other person(s) known to be in the household where possible.
• Share any knowledge of any other agency involved.
• Research shows that, where possible, being open with parents/carers from the outset results in better protection for the child - but contact with parents can be delayed until you have sought advice from a designated persons for Child Protection (within your agency) or discussion with either Social Work or Police if you are worried about this, or feel that to do so might place the child at greater risk.
• Remember that contacting Social Work or police informally to discuss concerns is always encouraged and may not lead to a formal referral.
• Remember that allegations of abuse or neglect may lead to a criminal investigation, so do not attempt to investigate or do anything that may jeopardise police investigation, such as asking leading questions.

General Points for All

NEVER:

• Trivalise or exaggerate child protection concerns
• Have inappropriate physical contact with children/young people
• Make suggestive or derogatory remarks in front of children/young people