Child Safeguarding

Child Safeguarding is an essential and important duty for everyone who works in health and social care.

Lordswood Medical Group has a child safeguarding policy that help us look after children.

We welcome patients raising safeguarding children issues with the practice and all staff will be aware of how they may access advice, understand their role in protection, and understand the importance of effective Inter-agency communication.

All of our staff have completed level two safeguarding training

For our staff the welfare of the child is paramount.

Safeguarding children is defined as:

  • protecting children from maltreatment
  • preventing impairment of children’s health or development
  • ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
  • taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Risk Factors and Identification

We follow the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership guidance ‘Right Help, Right Time’ which advises what support is available to children whatever their needs are

We identify children needing extra support by adding a code to their records. This helps us make sure we are offering the best help and support we can.

The ‘child is at risk’ code

We define a child at risk as one who may have an additional need identified in one area of their life such as an education or learning need, a physical or mental health need, might be living in accommodation or experiencing issues where their family cannot meet all of their basic physical needs such as warmth, food, light, dental care, conflict free and positive relationships and affection.

The ‘Child is cause for concern’ code

This is where there may be more than one area of need or needs are more complex. These children (and their families) would benefit from additional help and support from more than one organisation such as Early Help, Health Visitors, GP and other community services.

The ‘child in need’ code

A child in need is defined as a child whose vulnerability is such that they are unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development without the provision of services from the local authority (section 17, Children’s Act 1989). This includes disabled children. The Children’s Acts 1984 and 2004 define a child as someone who has not reached their 18th birthday. The fact that a child has reached their 16th birthday and may be living independently, working, or be members of the armed forces does not remove their childhood status under the Acts.

Local authority social services departments working with other local authority departments and health services have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are in need.

A child on a Child Protection Plan

Children judged to be at continuing risk have a child protection plan in place, this list is maintained by children’s social care (CSC).

Child Safeguarding Services, police and health professionals have 24 hour access to this. A child on the register has a “key worker” to whom reference can be made.

Recognising Child Abuse

(for full details please ref to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013)

There are 4 main categories of child abuse:

  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Emotional abuse
  • Neglect/failure to thrive

These are not however exclusive, and a number of abuse types can often coexist.

Physical abuse may include:

Injuries in children under 1 years of age or non-mobile children should be treated with a high degree of care

  • Hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, or other forms of physical harm
  • Where a parent or carer deliberately causes ill-health of a child
  • Single traumatic events or repeated incidents
  • Female Genital Mutilation FGM

Sexual abuse may include:

  • Forcing or enticing a child under 18 to take part in sexual activities where the child is unaware of what is happening
  • May include both physical contact acts and non—contact acts

Emotional abuse may include:

  • Persistent ill-treatment which has an effect on emotional development
  • Conveyance of a message of being un-loved, worthlessness or inadequacy
  • May instill a feeling of danger, being afraid
  • May involve child exploitation or corruption
  • Living in families where domestic violence is taking place

Neglect may include:

  • Failure to meet the child’s physical or psychological needs
  • Failure to provide adequate food or shelter
  • Failure to protect from physical harm
  • Neglect of a child’s emotional needs

Common presentations and situations in which child abuse may be suspected include:

  • Disclosure by a child or young person
  • Physical signs and symptoms giving rise to suspicion of any category of abuse
  • The history is inconsistent or changes
  • A delay in seeking medical help
  • Extreme or worrying behaviour of a child, taking account of the developmental age of the child
  • Accumulation of minor incidents giving rise to a level of concern, including frequent A&E attendances

Some other situations which need careful consideration are:

  • Girls under 16 presenting with pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease, especially those with learning difficulties
  • Very young girls requesting contraception, especially emergency contraception
  • Situations where parental mental health problems may impact on children
  • Parental/ carer alcohol, drug or substance misuse which may impact on children
  • Parents with learning difficulties
  • Violence or domestic abuse in the family
  • Acuminous separation of parents with alleged allegation

Getting help

Birmingham Children’s Trust website has full information on many of these areas and advice about lots of services and support available to families and children

You can also report a concern through their website

If your concern is urgent due to a child being at risk of immediate and significant harm, please contact the Police via 999.

The Children’s Advice and Support Service (CASS) provides a single point of contact for professionals and members of the public who want to raise concerns about children and young people.

Please ring CASS if you believe a child is at risk of immediate significant harm.

Please note that CASS is not an emergency service.

021 303 1888 (Mon-Fri 9-5pm) select Option 2 then Option 2

Emergency out of hours  Phone 0121 675 4806

You can also get ‘Early Help from Family Connect using their self referral form

Forward Thinking Birmingham provides mental health and wellbeing services for all children and young people under the age of 25 years across Birmingham and can also be a useful site for families to find more help

PLEASE TALK TO ANY OF THE LORDSWOOD MEDICAL GROUP STAFF ABOUT ANY CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT A CHILD HOWEVER SMALL- WE CAN HELP

Our Safeguarding Lead is Dr Liz England

Our deputy safeguarding Lead is Dr Arun Bahal

Our Safeguarding Admin Lead is Brogan Geraghty