Safeguarding Policy – Children and Young People

2.1 The procedure deals with the process required when there has been an alleged or suspected disclosure of abuse of a Boxing Futures service user by a member of its staff, another service user, or any other person.

2.2 This procedure applies to all young people up to and aged 18 and in some instances where there is a learning disability, up to the age of 25, as defined in the Children Act 1989 and 2004 and the Children and Families Act 2014.
* In cases when there is a suspicion that an adult service user, over the age of 18, maybe at risk of harm, then please refer to the Safeguarding Adults Procedure.

2.3 The procedure acknowledges that it is not only adults that abuse children, but also that other children may abuse younger or weaker children through bullying, physical and sexual abuse, exploitation, and humiliation.

The procedures ware based on the principles contained within the UK legislation and Government Guidance and have been developed to complement these. They take the following into consideration:
(a) Children Act 1989 & 2004
(b) Children and Families Act 2014
(c) Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
(d) Public Disclosures Act 1998
(e) Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
(f) Children and Young Persons Act 2008
(g) Borders, Citizenship, and Immigration Act 2009
(h) The Care Act 2014
(i) London Contact Information: Appendix 3
(j) London Safeguarding Children Procedures
(k) Peterborough Contact Information: Appendix 4
(l) Bedford Safeguarding Contact Information: Appendix 4
(m) Cambridge Safeguarding Contact Information: Appendix 4

The role of the Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) for protecting children and young people is to:
(a) Offer consultation and advice to staff should a child protection issue arise.
(b) Receive and record information from staff and volunteers who have a child protection concern.
(c) Assess the information promptly and carefully, clarifying and obtaining more information appropriate.
(d) Ensure the statutory child protection agencies have been notified as required.
(e) Ensure a formal referral is made to the statutory child protection agencies without delay should this be required.
(f) Keep the written policies and procedures up to date.
(g) Collate all abuse cases every 3 months and produce a report to:

• analyse how each reported case was dealt with
• ensure this procedure was followed in all cases
• identify any themes emerging in abuse cases
• identify any disincentives to reporting suspected or actual abuse
• identify any potential service improvements which can be made.

The DSO at Boxing Futures is Jamie Weston (Programme Manager)
The Deputy DSO is Andy Burley (Trustee).

All staff and volunteers are responsible for:
(a) Complying with the Child Protection Procedures set out below.
(b) Being alert to the signs of abuse and their need to refer any concerns to the DSO.
(c) Raising any concerns with the designated safeguarding lead as soon as possible or contacting the Police / Children’s Social Services / NSPCC if a child is at immediate risk of harm.
(d) Maintaining an attitude of ‘it could happen here’. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff members and volunteers will always act in the interests of the child.

6.1 This part of the procedure applies where there is suspicion of abuse of any child or young person using a Boxing Futures service. In all cases, the emphasis will be on the welfare of the child or young person as a possible victim of abuse. In all cases, Boxing Futures aims to act reasonably, considering several complex factors such as:
(a) The age of the young person.
(b) The circumstances of the abuse.
(c) How long ago it happened.
(d) Who else might be at risk?
(e) The importance of retaining the trust of the young person and allowing them to retain a sense of power and control without compromising their safety or the responsibilities of the organisation, but which does not recreate in another form the abuse they have already experienced.

6.2 The following circumstances may give rise to Child Protection concerns:
(a) A young person may disclose that he/she is being abused in the service or elsewhere by a member of staff or another young person.
(b) A young person may disclose a history of abuse.
(c) A member of staff may become suspicious that a young person is being abused due to their behaviour, conduct or physical signs.
(d) A member of staff may receive information that makes them suspicious that a young person is being abused in the project or elsewhere.
(e) A member of staff may become concerned about the conduct, behaviour, or actions of another member of staff.
(f) A parent, or other adult, may disclose a history of abuse and there is a likelihood that children and young people could continue to be at risk of abuse.

6.3 Recognising abuse is not easy, and it is not the responsibility of a staff member to decide whether abuse has taken place. Staff members do have a responsibility to be alert for signs of abuse and to act if there is a concern about a child’s welfare or safety (for definitions of abuse and signs of abuse see Appendix 1. Further guidance on how to deal with disclosures by a young person is contained in Appendix 2).

6.4 In cases of emergency, where abuse is suspected, the police will be contacted to report abuse or concern.

6.5 All cases (other than in the case of emergency, at paragraph 6.4) where abuse is suspected will be discussed with the line manager and/ or the Designated Safeguarding Officer to clarify the specific concern and agree the appropriate action.

7.1 Staff members will not attempt to investigate any allegations of abuse themselves.

7.2 Where it is decided that an investigation is necessary, Social Services and/or the Police will be responsible for carrying this out.

7.3 Staff will not attempt to carry out in depth questioning but will respond sensitively and allow the child or young person to speak for as long as they want to.

7.4 Staff will not question alleged perpetrators of abuse themselves. The only exception to this is where the line manager and CEO may become involved in investigations relating to the conduct of staff and this will be done following consultation and agreement with statutory services.

8.1 Staff will record any pertinent information relating to allegations or suspicions of abuse making an accurate note of:
(a) Date and time of incident or disclosure.
(b) People involved (names, addresses, ages, communication difficulties, contact details).
(c) What was said and done by whom.
(d) Details of any significant marks / bruises or behaviour changes.
(e) Any action taken by Boxing Futures e.g., suspension of staff member.
(f) Where relevant, reasons why there was no referral to a statutory agency.
(g) Names of person reporting the concern and to whom they reported the incident.

8.2 Staff will complete the safeguarding action on the Incident and Safeguarding Reporting Form (in the form at Appendix 5); this allows staff and management to track cases.

8.3 This information may be required by statutory authorities in the event of an investigation and must be clear, specific, and strictly factual. It must not reflect a staff member’s opinion.

9.1 All safeguarding concerns related to the protection of children must be discussed with the line manager and/or the Designated Safeguarding Officer.

9.2 In the event of an allegation about the line manager, the staff member will contact the Designated Safeguarding Officer or Deputy.

9.3 If it is agreed that a child protection concern will be reported (i) in the case of an emergency, to the Police, and (ii) in all other cases, to Social Services, this will be done without delay. The DSO will be responsible for ensuring this concern is reported as soon as possible.

IF THE CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON IS IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, CALL 999

Step 1 – If there is a safeguarding concern OR an incident has taken place, staff members must contact their line manager at the earliest opportunity (within 24 hours) to discuss if a request for support will be submitted to Social Services. If this is urgent and your line manager is unavailable, please contact the DSO.

Step 2 – If it is agreed that a consultation/referral is needed then this must be done immediately.

Step 3 – Complete the safeguarding alert form on the Incident & Safeguarding Reporting Form (in the form at Appendix 5). Once an incident report has been completed staff MUST then email all the following:
Director of Services
Deputy DSO
DSO
Put ‘Incident’ in the subject line of the email.

Step 4 – Staff must telephone and make the DSO aware that this process has been completed. Leave a voice mail and text message if they are unavailable.
DSO – If the incident is serious, you must inform the relevant Commissioning Agency within 24 hours. A consultation with Social Services could be necessary if it is unclear whether to refer the serious incident.
Boxing Futures defines a serious incident as:
(a) unexpected or avoidable death or severe harm of one or more service users, staff, or members of the public.
(b) a scenario that prevents, or threatens to prevent, an organisation’s ability to continue to deliver services, including data loss or property damage.
(c) allegations, or incidents, of physical abuse and sexual assault or abuse.
(d) loss of confidence in the service, adverse media coverage or public concern about the organisation.
(e) A never event – any serious incident which meets all the following criteria:
(i) was wholly preventable (where existing guidance is available and should have been in place).
(ii) had the potential to cause serious harm or death (however harm or death is not required to have happened).
(iii) has occurred in the past whereby the risk of recurrence should have been resolved.

10.1 Boxing Futures staff must seek consent to share confidential information.

10.2 It is important to respect the wishes of a child or any person who does not consent to share confidential information, however, if you are not given consent to share information you may still lawfully go ahead if it can be justified to be in the public interest. For example:
(a) asking for consent may increase the risk of significant harm to the child or young person.
(b) a delay in sharing information may increase the risk of harm to the child or young person.

10.3 You can get consent either verbally or in writing, although it is better to get written consent. This helps avoid any future dispute. A person can withdraw consent at any time. If a child does not have the capacity to understand and make their own decisions, ask a person with parental responsibility.

10.4 Whilst the law states that a child is such until they reach 18 years of age it is widely recognised that as a child gets older, they do attain some rights over making decisions. Boxing Futures staff need to consider how to balance children’s rights and wishes with their responsibility to keep children safe from harm.

10.5 Boxing Futures staff will be open and honest, ensuring:
(a) the person being asked for consent understands what information will be shared and why it needs to be shared.
(b) Who will see the information and how it will be used

10.6 The well-being of the child is paramount. The safety and wellbeing of the child will remain the initial priority.

10.7 If a child or adult with parental responsibility refuses to give their consent to share confidential information, this will be discussed with your line manager or DSO so that a professional judgement can be made based on what you think will happen if the information is shared, against what you think will happen if it is not.

11.1 Information sharing is key to supporting children, young people, families, and vulnerable adults so:
(a) the services and support they need can be identified and engaged when they need them.
(b) everyone involved with the child, young person, family, or vulnerable adult is aware of and understands their needs, strengths and wishes.
(c) effective and efficient practice and coordinated service provision is ensured.
(d) they can be protected from further significant harm and abuse.

11.2 Decisions about what information is shared and with whom, will be taken on a case-by-case basis. Whether information is shared with or without the consent of the child or child’s family, the information shared will be:
(a) necessary for the purpose for which it is being shared.
(b) shared only with those who have a need for it.
(c) be accurate and up to date.
(d) be shared in a timely fashion.
(e) be shared accurately.
(f) be shared securely.

11.3 Further to this, seek advice if you are in any doubt, keep a record of your decision, reasons and what you shared with whom and remember that General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 is not a barrier to sharing information, where that information may help to protect a child. They provide a framework to ensure that personal information is shared appropriately.

Staff are expected to always co-operate with child protection investigations.

A child or young person who has experienced abuse may find it helpful to receive additional support such as counselling. Boxing Futures staff will refer to an appropriate agency with full awareness and consent of the child or young person, their parents where appropriate and Social Services, if any ongoing investigations are being made.

14.1 Children and young people are also vulnerable to physical, sexual, and emotional and financial bullying from their peers. Such abuse will be taken seriously and subjected to the same child protection procedures as apply to other circumstances. This abuse may come to the attention of staff:
(a) As a result of a young person disclosing that they have in the past abused another person.
(b) As a result of a young person stating that they are currently abusing another young person.
(c) As a result of an allegation made by a young person.
(d) As a result of staff observing inappropriate behaviour.

14.2 Where it is suspected that a young person may have been involved in an incident of abuse, the member of staff will follow the safeguarding procedure to ensure this is reported appropriately.

14.3 Incidents of bullying will also be investigated under the Bullying and Harassment Policy and reported.

15.1 It is recognised that some applicants may seek work with children and young people to abuse them and that some applicants may have already shown themselves to be unfit to care for children and young people.

15.2 In recruiting staff, Boxing Futures will follow a systematic selection process designed to assess the applicant’s suitability for the post to work with children and vulnerable people. This is covered in more detail in the Recruitment and Selection procedure.

15.3 All staff, relief staff and volunteers working in a project that works directly with children and young people will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and will be subject to re-checks every 3 years.

16.1 The Children Act 1989 makes it clear that all private fostering arrangements must be reported to the local authority, see Regulations 3(1); 3(2); 3(3):
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/274414/Children_Act_1989_private_fostering.pdf

16.2 All staff who are made aware of anyone private fostering or allowing a young person to sofa surf has a duty to report this to the local authority immediately. The staff member will inform and involve the individuals in the process. The staff member must complete an incident alert form and follow the Safeguarding procedure.

17.1 Any allegation or suspicion of abuse by staff or volunteers will be reported to the Director of Operations immediately (if the allegation is regarding the Director of Operations, please report concerns to the CEO).

17.2 Allegations of abuse by a member of staff or volunteer concerning children and young people will be referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) who will arrange a multi-agency strategy meeting to consider the concerns and decide on the most appropriate actions to be taken, including investigation. Boxing Futures would follow the advice of the LADO until the investigations were complete. Where the person is over 18 then the Safeguarding Adults Procedure will be instigated.

17.3 If appropriate, Boxing Futures will pass the staff member’s name onto the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) who will decide about whether the individual will be barred from working with children and/ or vulnerable adults.

18.1 Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and / or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur using technology.

18.2 As children cannot give informed consent, it is considered that any child that is transported for exploitative reasons is a victim of trafficking. Boxing Futures must identify and respond to all children or young people that have been or are at risk of trafficking and/or exploitation.

18.3 All Boxing Futures staff who meet children and young people in their everyday work need to be able to identify children who may have been trafficked and be competent to act to support and protect these children from harm.

19.1 Cyber bullying is any form of bullying, which takes place online or through a mobile phone. It is an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual using electronic forms of contact against a victim who cannot easily defend himself/herself.

19.2 Boxing Futures recognises that most young people will experience cyber bullying at some time, particularly through social media websites as well as gaming forums and online dating sites.

19.3 Problems include (but are not restricted to):
(a) Abusive, defamatory, or humiliating comments
(b) Distribution of intimate pictures
(c) Child exploitation
(d) Use of photos to cause distress, fear, or humiliation
(e) Hijacking or cloning e-mail accounts
(f) Stolen identity
(g) Threats
(h) Blackmail
(i) Rumours and gossip
(j) Sexting

19.4 Where possible and appropriate, Boxing Futures endeavours to educate our service users both in the proper use of telecommunications and about the serious consequences of cyber-bullying, sexting and online-safety and will focus on building the resilience of children and young people within our services to inform in these fast-changing areas.

19.5 Where appropriate, any serious cases of cyber bullying or e-safety concerns such as child abuse or sexual exploitation will be reported to the Police and to relevant authorities such as CEOP Command (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre).
https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

20.1 Boxing Futures recognises that domestic abuse can seriously harm children and young people. Witnessing domestic abuse is child abuse, and teenagers can suffer domestic abuse in their relationships.

20.2 Boxing Futures recognises that some young people will experience domestic abuse at some time and where possible and appropriate will endeavour to educate and inform on the areas of risk and aid.

20.3 Women’s Aid defines domestic abuse as an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in most cases by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer. It is very common. In the vast majority of cases, it is experienced by women and is perpetrated by men.

20.4 Domestic abuse can include, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) Coercive control (a pattern of intimidation, degradation, isolation and control with the use or threat of physical or sexual violence)
(b) Psychological and/or emotional abuse
(c) Physical abuse
(d) Sexual abuse
(e) Financial abuse
(f) Harassment
(g) Stalking
(h) Online or digital abuse

20.5 Boxing Futures will record and report incidences of domestic abuse (under the category of emotional abuse) that involves children and young people the same way as any other safeguarding concern.

21.1 Gang culture is responsible for a large amount of crime, particularly in areas close to the capital. Boxing Futures aim to ensure that staff are aware of the implications of young people’s gang membership, gang exploitation or other gang-related activity, including warning signs such as possession of knives, weapons, stolen items, or illegal drugs; and how to provide early intervention in partnership with other relevant agencies. Staff are to ensure that family members and other support networks around the child or young person are informed of appropriate measures to take if such involvement is suspected.

21.2 For example, use of the NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) that is for parents, carers or any other adult worried about a child or young person at risk from gang-related activity, including those who may be at risk of being targeted by gang members. Any action taken by Boxing Futures will be in line with Policing and Crime Act 2017 and any other relevant government policy.
For further information see:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/418131/Preventing_youth_violence_and_gang_involvement_v3_March2015.pdf
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/863323/HOCountyLinesGuidance_-_Sept2018.pdf
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/870035/Safeguarding_children_at_risk_from_criminal_exploitation_review.pdf

21.3 County Lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of ‘deal line’. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money, and will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons. This term for ‘county lines’ has been set out in the Serious Violence Strategy, published by the Home Office.

21.4 The Serious Violence Strategy also describes the following as the term used to define Child criminal exploitation; where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into any criminal activity (a) in exchange of something the victim needs or wants, and / or (b) for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator and / or (c) through violence or the threat of violence. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child criminal exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur using technology.

22.1 “Radicalisation” refers to the process by which a person supports terrorism or forms of extremism leading to terrorism. During that process it is possible to intervene to prevent vulnerable people being drawn into terrorist-related activity.

22.2 Extremism goes beyond terrorism and includes people who target the vulnerable – including the young – by seeking to sow division between communities based on race, faith, or denomination; justify discrimination towards women and girls; persuade others that minorities are inferior; or argue against the primacy of democracy and the rule of law in our society.

22.3 Extremism is defined in the Counter Extremism Strategy 2015 as the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also regard calls for the death of members of our armed forces as extremist (taken from Working Together 2018).

22.4 Boxing Futures works together with local authorities and local police and in the instance that there is suspicion of radicalisation or extremism in a child or young person it is reported to the appropriate authorities. Frontline staff are encouraged to complete an online government training programme, which enables specific understanding of how to identify individual children who may be at risk of radicalisation and what to do to support them.

(From: Female Genital Mutilation – Prevent & Protect | NSPCC)

23.1 FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) is a criminal offence, including taking a child abroad to have FGM, according to the FGM Act of 2003, amended by the Serious Crime Act 2015, section 73.

23.2 Boxing Futures staff are to report any suspicion of FGM to the police, including reports from girls that state that they have undergone FGM, or any physical signs noted by staff that FGM may have been carried out. Reporting will be carried out within a month of suspicion, and in accordance with government guidelines:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/mandatory-reporting-of-female-genital-mutilation-procedural-information

If staff recognise that a person is a potential victim of modern slavery, which includes slavery, servitude, or forced or compulsory labour, they must consider a referral into the national referral mechanism (NRM). This is in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015. For further guidance, staff service consult: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509326/victims-of-modern-slavery-frontline-staff-guidance-v3.pdf

The term is generally understood to refer to the befriending of people, who are perceived by perpetrators to be vulnerable, for the purposes of taking advantage of, exploiting and/or abusing them. This can be associated, but not exclusively, with people with a learning disability, learning difficulties or mental health conditions. The perpetrator is likely to be perceived as a close friend, a carer or a family member and will use this relationship for exploitation. If it becomes suspected that a service user is a victim of mate crime, the member of staff will follow the safeguarding procedures to ensure this is reported appropriately.

This policy was approved on 1st October 2024.

Review date: September 2025.

The following definitions are based on those from Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government 2018).
Abuse
A form of maltreatment of a child. Someone may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others. Abuse can take place wholly online, or technology may be used to facilitate offline abuse. Children may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.
It is generally accepted that there are four main forms of abuse.

Physical abuse
A form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.
Recognising Physical abuse
Most children will collect cuts and bruises in their daily life. These are likely to be in places where there are bony parts of their body, like elbows, knees, and shins. Some children, however, will have bruising which can almost only have been caused non-accidentally. An important indicator of physical abuse is where bruises or injuries are unexplained, or the explanation does not fit the injury. A delay in seeking medical treatment for a child when it is obviously necessary is also a cause for concern. Bruising may be noticeable on children with different skin tones or from different racial groups and specialist advice may need to be taken.
Patterns of bruising that are suggestive of physical abuse include:
• bruising in children who are not independently mobile
• bruising in babies
• bruises that are seen away from bony prominences
• bruises to the face, back, stomach, arms, buttocks, ears, and hands
• multiple bruises in clusters
• multiple bruises of uniform shape
• bruises that carry the imprint of an implement used, hand marks or fingertips
• although bruising is the commonest injury in physical abuse, fatal non-accidental head injury and non-accidental fractures can occur without bruising. Any child who has unexplained signs of pain or illness should be seen promptly by a doctor.
Other physical signs of abuse may include:
• cigarette burns
• bite marks
• broken bones
• scalds
Changes in behaviour which can also indicate physical abuse:
• fear of parents being approached for an explanation
• aggressive behaviour or severe temper outbursts
• flinching when approached or touched
• reluctance to get changed, for example wearing long sleeves in hot weather
• depression
• withdrawn behaviour
• running away from home

Emotional abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill-treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

Recognising emotional abuse
Emotional abuse can be difficult to measure, and often children who appear well cared for may be emotionally abused by being taunted, put down or belittled. They may receive little or no love, affection or attention from their parents or carers. Emotional abuse can also take the form of children not being allowed to mix/play with other children.
The physical signs of emotional abuse may include:
• a failure to thrive or grow, particularly if the child puts on weight in other circumstances, e.g., in hospital or away from their parents’ care
• sudden speech disorders
• developmental delay, either in terms of physical or emotional progress
Changes in behaviour which can also indicate emotional abuse include:
• neurotic behaviour, e.g., sulking, hair twisting, rocking
• being unable to play
• fear of making mistakes
• self-harm
• fear of parent being approached regarding their behaviour

Sexual abuse
Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether the child is aware of what is happening.
The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing, and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse can take place online, and technology can be used to facilitate offline abuse.
Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
Recognising sexual abuse:
Usually, in cases of sexual abuse it is the child’s behaviour which may cause you to become concerned, although physical signs can also be present. In all cases, children who talk about sexual abuse do so because they want it to stop. It is important, therefore, that they are listened to and taken seriously.
The physical signs of sexual abuse may include:
• pain or itching in the genital/anal areas
• bruising or bleeding near genital/anal areas
• sexually transmitted disease
• vaginal discharge or infection
• stomach pains
• discomfort when walking or sitting down
• pregnancy
Changes in behaviour which can also indicate sexual abuse include:
• sudden or unexplained changes in behaviour, e.g., becoming aggressive or withdrawn
• fear of being left with a specific person or group of people
• having nightmares
• running away from home
• sexual knowledge which is beyond their age or developmental level
• sexual drawings or language
• bedwetting
• eating problems such as overeating or anorexia
• self-harm or mutilation, sometimes leading to suicide attempts
• saying they have secrets they cannot tell anyone about
• substance or drug abuse
• suddenly having unexplained sources of money
• not allowed to have friends (particularly in adolescence)
• acting in a sexually explicit way towards adults

Neglect
The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy because of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
• provide adequate food, clothing, and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment).
• protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger.
• ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caregivers); or
• ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
Recognising neglect: neglect can be a difficult form of abuse to recognise yet have some of the most lasting and damaging effects on children.
The physical signs of neglect may include:
• constant hunger, sometimes stealing food from other children
• constantly dirty or smelly
• loss of weight, or being constantly underweight
• inappropriate dress for the conditions
Changes in behaviour which can also indicate neglect may include:
• complaining of being tired all the time
• not requesting medical assistance and/or failing to attend appointments
• having few friends
• mentioning their being left alone or unsupervised
The above list is not meant to be definitive but as a guide to assist you. It is important to remember that many children and young people will exhibit some of these indicators at some time, and the presence of one or more should not be taken as proof that abuse is occurring. There may well be other reasons for changes in behaviour, such as a death or the birth of a new baby in their family, relationship problems between their parents/carers, etc.

If a young person begins to tell you about abuse it is important that you:
• Stay calm
• Listen carefully and take them seriously
• Ask questions for clarification only if you are unclear what the young person is saying
• Allow the young person to continue at his / her own pace
• Reassure the young person that, in disclosing the abuse, they have done the right thing
• Tell them they are not to blame for the abuse
• Let them know you will do what you can to help
• Report the disclosure to the line manager immediately
• As soon as possible, write down everything that you were told by the child, using their own words to describe the abuse
Do Not:
• Do not dismiss the concerns
• Do not panic
• Do not probe for more information / ask other questions
• Do not ‘promise not to tell anyone ‘Or say ‘you’ll keep it a secret’
• Do not make negative comments about the accused person
• Do not make assumptions or speculate
• Do not disclose details of the allegation to anyone else – even if the allegations involve them in any way.
• Do not make judgments or assumptions based on cultural, racial, religious or class practices.
Find an opportunity to explain that it is likely that this information will need to be shared with others and at the end of the discussion tell them what you plan to do next and with whom this information will be shared.

For Children’s Safeguarding contacts for all London Boroughs please visit: Children’s Safeguarding Contacts London – London Safeguarding Children Board (londonscb.gov.uk)

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