Child and Adult Safeguarding: Procedures, Practices, and Legal Rights

This report comprehensively explores the critical aspects of safeguarding children and young people, emphasizing the implementation of effective policies, procedures, and practices within the United Kingdom. It delves into the importance of these measures, referencing the Child Protection Act of 1967 and other relevant legislation, to ensure the safety and well-being of children. The report highlights the significance of employee training, hygiene, and health protocols in creating a secure environment. Furthermore, it identifies and analyzes various signs, symptoms, and behaviors indicative of potential abuse or harm, referencing statistical data on child abuse cases. The report outlines the necessary actions to be taken when a child alleges abuse, emphasizing reporting protocols and the involvement of relevant authorities. Finally, it examines the rights of children, young people, and their families, including their entitlements under the Child Protection Act, 1967, the Human Rights Act, 1998, and the Individual Safety Act, 1986, to ensure their protection and well-being. The report concludes by reiterating the paramount importance of safeguarding in the lives of children and young people.

UNDERSTAND
SAFEGUARDING FOR
CHILD AND ADULT
LEVEL - 5

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Procedures, practices and policies required while working with young people and
children's.....................................................................................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
2.1 Signs, symptoms, indicators and behaviours that can cause concerns while safeguarding. .2
2.2 Actions to take when a child or young person alleges abuse or harm..................................2
2.3 The rights that children, young people and their families have............................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
It is important to safeguard children in order to ensure their safety and security. The
below report explores and comprehends various policies, practices in order to work safely with
young people and children's. Later the report develops an understanding of how one should
respond to concerns or evidence when a young person or child has been harmed or abused.
TASK 1
1.1 Procedures, practices and policies required while working with young people and children's
The usage of right, strategies, actions and measures are important while working with
children and young people. These policies ensure that everything is going as per the law and
there are not any troubles associated. The procedures, policies and practices are followed as per
the law and the actions initiated by the government of United Kingdom. The Child Protection
Act, 1967 explains that it is important that proper practices are being followed while working
with the children's and young people (Rhind and Blair, 2018). These practices should include
proper health and safety of both the children's, young people and the individuals working with
them (Child protection in the UK, 2018). Each and everything should be examined in order to
ensure that proper health and care is being taken care of.
The employees react as per the policies of the workplace while working with children's
and young people. Along with it, the management ensures that the employees are doing so. The
protection policies shapes the important actions and exercises while working with children's and
individuals. For example, The Law of Employee safety and security, 1972 while working with the
children's states that proper training is being provided to the employees so that they work
properly with children's and young people. It also makes sure that the employees are following
proper hygiene and health and safety practices in order to ensure proper actions are taking place.
The important policies, procedures, and practices ensures that there are no safety and
security concerns are being faced by the children's and young people while other people and
employees are working with them (Willoughby, 2018).
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TASK 2
2.1 Signs, symptoms, indicators and behaviours that can cause concerns while safeguarding
There are various symptoms and behaviours that can cause concerns while safeguarding
of children and young people. The statistics for the children on the protection register showcases
that there were around 60,573 cases of child abuse that created hindrance in their safeguarding.
(Statistics on Child Abuse, 2017) These issues were mostly surrounded by factors such as lack of
intolerance towards understanding of the environment in which the children's are living in, their
emotional imbalance etc. Behaviours such as flinching when touched or approached, fear of
being approached by parents for explanations, depressions etc. are all signs of physical abuse. It
has been found that emotional abuse is difficult to examine and distinguish as there are not any
physical indicators present (Gould and Lawrie, 2018).
Other important indicators include sexual abuse, violence, and being left with a particular
group of people. These indicators if not understood or taken into consideration properly can
cause damage to the children's mental and physical health. In order to ensure that the child
safeguarding is properly being taken care of. The establishment or workplace should provide the
children's with regular check ups. These check ups ensure that children's are having proper health
and there are no problems associated with them which can cause troubles while safeguarding.
Also, from time to time the behaviour of the children's need to be evaluated and
understood. The caretakers need to make sure that behaviours such as depression, panic,
aggressiveness are taken care by providing them with required support. These measures can
ensure that the place which they are a part of is friendly to them.
2.2 Actions to take when a child or young person alleges abuse or harm
It is important to ensure that proper actions are being taken when a young person or child
is alleging harm or abuse. The series of step need to be followed in order to ensure that proper
actions are being taken care of. These actions can make the authorities aware about the situations
in which these young people or children's are facing issues. Also, the steps needs to be outlined
in the safeguarding policies of the firm or workplace. The first attempt or action that needs to be
considered is to report the abuses or harms to the higher authority (Pinkney, 2018). The authority
which is assigned to the make sure such situations does not take place is going to ensure that
proper actions are taking place to eliminate such situations.
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Other actions that should be taken is to take the person or individual to the police who is
the cause of the harm or abuse. The law of Parent's right and right to family life, 1982, United
Kingdom asserts that parents of the children have the authority to report such incidents to the
police or the government immediately so that these things does not occur again.
Along with it, the authority in which such incidents are being reported to should take
strict actions which will make the workplace safe and secure. Strict policies and procedures
should be designed so that such problems does not take place again. The management should
maintain strong relations with government officials and the police department to ensure that they
are being informed when such activities are taking place.
2.3 The rights that children, young people and their families have
The rights which children's have includes Child Protection Act, 1967 where children's
and their families have allowance to report activities of abuse and harm to the higher authorities.
The right maintains strict procedures where the government ensures safety and security of the
children and young people. The government makes sure that the individuals which are causing
such issues are being sent into the court of law and as per the laws the court they are being
treated well. The human right act, 1998 explains that each and every human being is treated well
between a group of people or individually (Private and Family Life – Liberty, 2018).
Also, there should not be any harm or abuse needs to be present that can make the people
suffer from their freedom provided. This right plays an important role as it is one of the most
important one that ensures that none of the human beings, including children's and young people
are facing issues regarding activities such as violence, harm and abuse (Franklin and Smeaton,
2018).
The Individual Safety Act, 1986 states that each and every individual should be treated
well in the court of law or needs to be heard by the government and government officials. These
rights ensure that the individuals are not facing any sort of problems that can make them suffer
and jeopardises their provided freedom.
CONCLUSION
The above report explores the importance of safeguarding of children's and young people.
It explains what actions needs to be taken in order to ensure proper safeguarding of them and
how related troubles surrounding such issues can be eliminated. Various issues such as their
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behaviours, symptoms have been identified and explored. Also, the report evaluates the rights
which the government children's, young people and individuals have.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Franklin and Smeaton, 2018. Listening to young people with learning disabilities who have
experienced, or are at risk of, child sexual exploitation in the UK. Children &
Society. 32(2). pp.98-109.
Gould and Lawrie, 2018. Assessing the Needs of Children and Young People in Education
Settings. The Child's World: The Essential Guide to Assessing Vulnerable Children, Young
People and their Families. p.352.
Pinkney, 2018. An Interdisciplinary Framework for Understanding Child Welfare. In New
Directions in Children’s Welfare (pp. 23-50). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Rhind and Blair, 2018. 11 Safeguarding, child protection, and abuse. Professional Advances in
Sports Coaching: Research and Practice.
Willoughby, 2018. A review of the risks associated with children and young people’s social
media use and the implications for social work practice. Journal of Social Work Practice.
pp.1-14.
Online
Child protection in the UK. 2018. [Online]. Available through
<https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-protection-system//>
Statistics on Child Abuse. 2017. [Online]. Available through
<https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/statistics-child-abuse//>
Private and Family Life – Liberty. 2018. [Online]. Available through
<https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/human-rights/what-are-human-rights/human-
rights-act/article-8-private-and-family-life/>
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