SAFEGUARDING
POLICY FOR
St
Mary the Virgin, Steeple Ashton
We acknowledge childrens and adults right to protection
from abuse, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or beliefs.
We consider that the welfare of children is paramount. We will follow
legislation, statutory guidance and recognised good
practice in order to protect vulnerable people in our church. We will seek to
establish a caring environment in which there is an informed vigilance about
the dangers of abuse. We will implement, maintain and regularly review the
procedures outlined in this policy, which are designed to prevent and to be
alert to abuse. We will appoint a Safeguarding Officer and Deputy Safeguarding
Officer, who will have specific responsibilities for safeguarding, although we recognise that safeguarding is a whole church responsibility.
The Safeguarding Officer is the person to whom all concerns or allegations
should be addressed. In the absence of the Safeguarding Officer, the Deputy
Safeguarding Officer should be contacted. Their contact details can be found in
Key Contacts, P7. We will organise activities in such
a way as to promote a safe environment and minimise
the risk of harm to children and adults. We will follow a safer recruitment
process for the selection and appointment of people to work with children or
adults at risk, whether voluntary or paid, lay or ordained. We are committed to
providing support, supervision, resources and training to those who work with
children and adults. We will use rigorous and careful supervision to protect
people from the risks associated with known offenders within the congregation,
including implementing contracts with known offenders and those who have been
assessed as posing a risk. We believe that domestic abuse in all its forms is
unacceptable and inconsistent with a Christian way of living and recognise that it can affect both adults and children. All
concerns and allegations of abuse will be responded to appropriately, including
referring to the statutory authorities if necessary. We will co-operate with
the statutory authorities in any investigation, will follow multi-agency
decisions and will maintain confidentiality of any investigations to those
directly involved. We will refer concerns about staff - volunteers and paid,
lay and ordained - that meet the relevant criteria to the Local Authority
Designated Officer Our Safeguarding Policy Statement is attached as Appendix 1.
WE ARE
COMMITTED TO:
The establishment
of a loving environment, which is safe and caring, and where there is an
informed vigilance about the dangers of abuse.
Following the
relevant legislation, statutory, denominational and specialist guidelines in
relation to safeguarding children and adults at risk.
Ensuring that we
keep up to date with national and local developments relating to safeguarding.
Building constructive links with the relevant Voluntary
and Statutory Authorities.
Taking all reasonable steps to ensure that as a church,
everyone works within the agreed procedures of our safeguarding policies.
Supporting the
Safeguarding Officer and Deputy in their work and in any action they may need
to take in order to protect children and adults at risk.
Following safer recruitment principles in the appointment
and selection of all those who work with children and adults at risk, be they
volunteer or paid staff, lay or ordained.
Supporting,
supervising, resourcing and training all those who undertake work with children
and adults at risk.
Ensuring that the
children and adults we have contact with know that they are valued and feel
empowered to tell us if they are suffering harm.
Reporting any abuse of children or adults at risk that we
discover or suspect.
Supporting all
those in our church who are affected by abuse.
Supporting and
supervising those who pose a risk to children or adults at risk, implementing
contracts of behaviour, whilst bearing in mind the
overarching principle that the welfare of the child is paramount.
If an assessment is made that someone poses an
unmanageable risk to those in need of protection and could not safely attend
our church, we will ensure that they continue to be offered pastoral care and
will signpost them to appropriate agencies for support.
Name: Michael Moore (on behalf of the PCC)
Signed: M G
Date :27th March 2019
AIM
AND PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY
The aim of this policy is to provide procedures for
promoting safeguarding, preventing abuse and protecting children, adults at
risk and staff (see flowchart). This includes clear procedures for taking
appropriate action when safeguarding concerns are raised involving children and
adults within our church, or those who attend our activities and events.
Who
this policy applies to - This policy is approved and endorsed by
the PCC and applies to:
all those who attend our church
our trustees and staff (both paid and voluntary)
organisations who hire our
building with the agreement to operate under the church safeguarding policy
providing workers with job descriptions and person
specifications
completion of self declaration
forms
obtaining
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks wherever legally entitled to do so
If we become aware
of someone within our congregation known to have harmed children or adults in
the past, we will inform the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser and co-operate with
them and the relevant statutory authorities to put in place a plan to minimise the risk of harm to children and adults.
Duty
of care and confidentiality We have a duty of care to all
beneficiaries of the church, whether adults or children. We will maintain
confidentiality at all times, except in circumstances where to do so would
place the individual or another individual at risk of harm.
Preventing
abuse The church will appoint Safeguarding and Deputy
Safeguarding Officer (s) for safeguarding
children and adults. A job description is attached as Appendix 2. Activities will be organised
in accordance with good practice guidelines so as to promote a safe environment
and healthy relationships, whilst minimising
opportunities for harm, misunderstanding or false accusation. Our Code of
Conduct for working with children and young people is at Appendix 3.
What
are we protecting people from? The definitions of abuse
differ between children and adults. A copy of the definitions relating to
children is attached to this policy at Appendix
4. The definitions of abuse in relation to adults are attached as Appendix 5.
How to
recognise abuse - It is important to
be aware of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse. Please see Appendix 6 for those relating to
children and Appendix 7 for those
relating to adults at risk. Some signs could be indicators of a number of
different categories of abuse. It is essential to note that these are only
indicators of possible abuse. There may be other, innocent, reasons for these
signs and/or behaviour. They will, however, be a
guide to assist in assessing whether abuse of one form or another is a possible
explanation for a child or adults behaviour.
What
to do if there is a disclosure or allegation of abuse
If a child, young
person or adult makes a disclosure that they are being abused and / or an
allegation of abuse against someone, it is important that the person being
told:
stays calm and listens carefully
reassures them
that they have done the right thing in telling
does not
investigate or ask leading questions
explains that they
will need to tell someone else if anyone is at risk of harm, in order to help
them
does not promise
to keep secret what they have been told
informs the church Safeguarding Officer as soon as possible, (if the
Safeguarding Officer is implicated in the allegation informs the church Deputy
Safeguarding Officer or the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser) - for contact
details see below.
makes a written record of the allegation, disclosure or
incident and signs and dates this record (using the template in Appendix 8). This should be given to the
church Safeguarding Officer and stored securely in a locked filing cabinet.
Procedure
in the event of a concern of abuse - If there is an immediate
threat of harm, the Police should be contacted without delay. Where it is
judged that there is no immediate threat of harm, the following will occur:
The concern should
be discussed with the church Safeguarding Officer and a decision made as to
whether the concern warrants a referral to the statutory authorities.
A confidential
record will be made of the conversation and the circumstances surrounding it
using the template at Appendix 8.
This record will be kept securely and a copy passed to statutory authorities if
a referral is made.
The person about
whom the allegation is made must not be informed by anyone in the church if it
is judged that to do so could place a child or adult at increased risk. If the
statutory authorities are involved, they should be consulted beforehand.
The Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser should be kept informed
of any serious concerns:
If the
allegation concerns a church staff member or volunteer
For any concerns relating to children, the Local Authority
Designated Officer (LADO) will be contacted. The timing and method of any
action to be taken will be discussed and agreed with the LADO. This will cover
communication with the worker, suspension, investigation and possible strategy
meetings. A decision will be taken by the LADO about when to inform the worker
and the church will follow this advice. For LADO contact details, see Key
Contacts below.
For concerns
relating to adults, Adult Social Care will be contacted. See Key Contacts for
details. In accordance with the law, a referral will be made to the Disclosure
and Barring Service (DBS) / Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme (PVG) if the
church withdraws permission for an individual to engage in work with children /
adults at risk OR would have done so had that individual not resigned, retired,
been made redundant or been transferred to a different position because the
employer believes that the individual has engaged in relevant conduct,
satisfied the harm test, or committed an offence that would lead to automatic
inclusion on a barred list. In such cases, a report will also be made to the
Charity Commission, as they deem such a referral to be a serious incident and
therefore require notification.
Concerns,
Complaints and Compliments
See KEY CONTACTS: SOURCES OF ADVICE AND SUPPORT
below
Review
The PCC will review this policy annually, amending and
updating it as required, and informing the Church Meeting that this has been
done.
Date of the most recent review: 27th March, 2019
Date
of the next review: at a PCC meeting to
be held after March, 2020 and before the next APCM.
Signed: M G Moore (on behalf of the PCC)
KEY
CONTACTS: SOURCES OF ADVICE AND SUPPORT
The church Safeguarding Officer is the person to whom all
concerns or allegations should be addressed:
Name
Susan Edwards
Telephone No
01380
871566
Email
sueedwards62@gmail.com
.
In
the absence of the Safeguarding Officer, the Deputy Safeguarding Officer can be
contacted:
Name
Position
Vacant
Telephone No
Email
.
The
two Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers (DSAs) work together on a job-share basis to
provide safeguarding cover throughout the week. They are Heather Bland (heather.bland@salisbury.anglican.org) and Jeremy (Jem) Carter
(jem.carter@salisbury.anglican.org).
Heather Bland
works 9am-5pm, Monday-Wednesday inclusive. Heather should be the first point of contact for
urgent safeguarding advice from 8am-9pm on Mondays and Tuesdays and from 8am
until 12noon on a Wednesday (via mob 07500 664800), after which she will hand over
to Jem Carter as below.
Jem Carter works
9am-5pm Tuesday-Friday inclusive,
although one day a week (predominantly Tuesday) is spent providing dedicated
Safeguarding support to the Cathedral. Jem is the first point of contact
for urgent safeguarding advice from 12noon on Wednesday through until 5pm on a
Friday. He is also available on an on call basis until 9pm on Wednesday
and Thursday evenings (via mobile 07469 857888).
For
further details see: www.salisbury.anglican.org/parishes/safeguarding
24-hour safeguarding advice is available from thirtyone:eight on 0303 003 11 11.
website
https://thirtyoneeight.org/
Local Authority Safeguarding (Wiltshire Council)
Telephone No
. 0300 456 0111
.
(out of hours 0300 456 0100)..
Police (in urgent cases of immediate risk dial 999)
Police Child Abuse
Investigation Team - call 101
Police Domestic Abuse Investigation Team -
call 101
Appendix
1
Safeguarding
Policy Statement
The following statement has been agreed by the leadership
of St Marys Church, Steeple Ashton. This church is committed to the
safeguarding of children and adults at risk, and to ensuring their well-being.
We believe that all
children and adults at risk should know that they are valued within the church
and safely enjoy and have access to every aspect of the life of our church.
We respect the personal dignity and rights of children
and adults at risk (for example, as set out in the Human Rights Act 1989 and
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) and will ensure that
our policies and procedures reflect this.
We recognise that we all have a responsibility to help prevent
the physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect of children under 18 years of
age.
We recognise that we all have a
responsibility to help prevent the physical, sexual, psychological, emotional,
financial, discriminatory abuse and neglect of adults at risk.
We recognise that domestic
abuse affects both adults and children and believe that domestic abuse in all
its forms is unacceptable and inconsistent with a Christian way of living.
We will report any
abuse of children or adults at risk that we discover or suspect.
Where an allegation suggests that a criminal offence may
have been committed, the police will be contacted as a matter of urgency.
We recognise that Childrens
Services has responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of
abuse where there are concerns about a child, and that Adult Services do so for
adults at risk.
We acknowledge
that Local Authority Designated Officers (LADOs) or the equivalent in Scotland
and Wales have responsibility for dealing with all allegations and concerns
about people working with children, whether paid or voluntary workers, lay or
ordained.
We recognize that safeguarding is a whole church
responsibility
Name: Michael Moore (on behalf of the PCC)
Signed: M G Moore
Date: 27th
March 2019
Appendix
2
The
Role of a Church Safeguarding Officer
Context
We believe that children and adults at risk deserve the
best possible care that the church can provide and that the church should be a
safe place for everyone involved. We recognise and
give thanks for the time and devotion given by anyone carrying out this role.
Purpose of the role:
To coordinate safeguarding policy and procedure in the
church
. To be the first point of contact for safeguarding
issues.
To be an advocate
for good safeguarding practice in the church. Responsibilities To coordinate
safeguarding policy and procedure in the church
To familiarise themselves with church policies and procedures
and Church of England good practice guidelines in safeguarding and to keep
abreast of any changes and developments.
To ensure that
church policies and procedures are reviewed annually, kept up to date, and are
fit for purpose.
To make others in
the church aware of the church safeguarding policies and procedures, as well as
Church of England guidelines.
To ensure safer recruitment practices are operated in the
recruitment of all workers (both volunteers and paid) including, but not
exclusively, ensuring that the relevant workers have up to date Disclosure and
Barring Service (DBS) / Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme (PVG) checks. To be
the first point of contact for safeguarding issues
To be a named
person that children / adults at risk, church members and outside agencies can
talk to regarding any issue to do with safeguarding.
To be aware of the
names and telephone numbers of appropriate contacts within Social Care and the
Police in the event of a referral needing to be made.
To be aware of
when to seek advice, and when it is necessary to inform Social Care, the Police
or the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or the equivalent in Scotland
and Wales of a concern or incident.
To take
appropriate action in relation to any safeguarding concerns which arise within
the church.
To cooperate with
Social Care or the Police in safeguarding investigations relating to people
within the church.
To ensure that appropriate records are kept by the
church, and that information in relation to safeguarding issues is handled
confidentially and stored securely.
To inform the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser at the time
of any referrals made to the statutory authorities, or of any information
received from the statutory authorities.
To report summary
safeguarding information annually to the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser to
enable them to monitor safeguarding in the Diocese. To be an advocate for good
safeguarding practice in the church
To promote
sensitivity within the church towards all those affected by the impact of
abuse.
To promote positive safeguarding procedures and practice
and ensure procedures are adhered to.
To arrange and/or
promote opportunities for training in safeguarding to any relevant members of
the leadership team and congregation, including both paid staff and volunteers.
To update their
own safeguarding training every three years.
To seek appropriate support and advice in carrying out
this role.
To make arrangements for a suitable person to carry out
this role when they are on leave, and to publicise who
this is and the dates of the alternative arrangements.
Appendix
3
Code
of Conduct for working with children or young people
We should all be
aware that behaviour in a worker's personal life
(including online) may impact upon their work with children or young people.
Therefore, all workers should agree not to behave in a manner which would lead
any reasonable person to question their suitability to work with children or
act as a role model within the Church of England. All workers should agree to
the following code of conduct when working with children and young people:
Do treat all
people with dignity and respect
Don't abuse the
power and responsibility of your role. Dont belittle, scapegoat, put down, or
ridicule a child or young person (even in 'fun') and don't use language or behaviour with sexual connotations (e.g. flirting or
innuendo)
Do act inclusively, seeking to make everyone feel welcome
and valued
Don't exclude
other children or workers from conversations and activities unless there is a
good reason
Do treat people with equal care and concern
Don't show favouritism (e.g. in selection for activities, in giving
rewards, etc) or encourage excessive attention from a
particular child (e.g. gifts)
Do encourage everyone to follow any behaviour
agreement or ground rules and apply sanctions consistently
Don't threaten or use sanctions which have not been
agreed, or make empty threats
Do refer to a more
senior worker if a child does not respond to your instructions despite
encouragement and warning of possible consequences
Dont feel you
have to deal with every problem on your own
Do seek to diffuse
aggressive or threatening behaviour without the use
of physical contact
Don't use physical
restraint except as a last resort to prevent injury. This should use minimum
force
Do relate to children in public. If a child wants to talk
one-to-one about an issue, tell another worker and find somewhere quieter, but
still public, to talk
Don't spend time alone with children out of sight of
other people
Do make sure that
any electronic communication is done with parental consent and is transparent,
accountable, recorded and adheres to safeguarding policies
Don't keep communication with children secret, while
still respecting appropriate confidences
Do have a
designated photographer to take, store and share photos of your groups
activities, in line with Church of England good practice guidelines
Dont take photos
or videos without consent, store them in a safe place designated by the church
and only use them in the ways agreed, in line with good practice Church of
England guidelines
Do
use physical contact wisely; it should be:
in public
appropriate to the situation and to the age, gender and
culture of the child
in response to the
needs of the child, not the adult
respectful of the
child's privacy, feelings and dignity
Don't use physical contact which could be misconstrued as
aggressive (e.g. rough games) or sexual
Do respect children's privacy
Don't assume that children should tell you anything you
ask just because you are a worker Do respect the right of children to wash,
change and use the toilet in private
Dont walk in unnecessarily or unannounced
Do listen to
children and tell the church Safeguarding Officer if you have any concerns
about a child's welfare
Don't promise to
keep something secret if it is about a child being harmed or at risk of harm,
but only tell those who need to know
Do respect and
promote the rights of children to make their own decisions and choices
Dont work in ways
that put your needs and interests before those of the children you work with
Do encourage
respect for difference, diversity, beliefs and culture
Dont discriminate or
leave discrimination or bullying unchallenged
I agree to abide by the above code of conduct
while working with children and young people on
behalf of St Marys Church, Steeple Ashton.
Name of worker:
Signed:
Date:
Appendix
4
What
is abuse and neglect of children?
The below definitions are taken from Working Together to
Safeguard Children 2013 and apply to England.
Abuse
and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child.
Somebody 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 a stranger, for example, via the internet. They may be abused by an adult or
adults, or another child or children.
Physical
abuse
Physical abuse 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.
Emotional
abuse
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of
a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the childs
emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child 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 the childs developmental capability, as well as overprotection and
limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child from
participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing
the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including
cyberbullying), 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.
Sexual
abuse
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 or not 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 is not solely perpetrated by adult males.
Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children
Neglect
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a childs basic
physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment
of the childs health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a
result 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 care-givers) ensure access to
appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or
unresponsiveness to, a childs basic emotional needs.
Appendix
5
What
is abuse of adults at risk?
Abuse is a violation of an individuals human and civil
rights by any other person or persons. Abuse may consist of a single act or
repeated acts. It may be physical, verbal or psychological, it may be an act of
neglect or an omission to act, or it may occur when a vulnerable person is
persuaded to enter into a financial or sexual transaction to which he or she
has not consented, or cannot consent. Abuse can occur in any relationship and
may result in significant harm to, or exploitation of, the person subjected to
it.
Physical
abuse
This is the infliction of pain or physical injury, which is
either caused deliberately, or through lack of care.
Psychological
or emotional abuse
These are acts or behaviour, which cause mental distress or anguish or
negates the wishes of the adult at risk. It is also behaviour
that has a harmful effect on the adult at risks emotional health and
development or any other form of mental cruelty.
Sexual
abuse
This is the involvement in sexual activities to which the
person has not consented or does not truly comprehend and so cannot give
informed consent, or where the other party is in a position of trust, power or
authority and uses this to override or overcome lack of consent.
Neglect,
or Act of Omission
This is the repeated deprivation of assistance that the
adult at risk needs for important activities of daily living, including the
failure to intervene in behaviour which is dangerous
to the adult at risk or to others. A vulnerable person may be suffering from
neglect when their general well being or development
is impaired.
Financial
or material abuse
This is the inappropriate use, misappropriation,
embezzlement or theft of money, property or possessions.
Discriminatory
abuse
This is the inappropriate treatment of an adult at risk
because of their age, gender, race, religion, cultural background, sexuality,
disability, etc. Discriminatory abuse exists when values, beliefs or culture
result in a misuse of power that denies opportunity to some groups or
individuals. Discriminatory abuse links to all other forms of abuse.
Institutional
abuse
This is the mistreatment or abuse of an adult at risk by a
regime or individuals within an institution (e.g. hospital or care home) or in
the community. It can be through repeated acts of poor or inadequate care and
neglect or poor professional practice.
Appendix
6
Signs of
possible abuse in children
Physical abuse Physical signs include:
Unexplained injuries
Injuries that are inconsistent with the explanation
Injuries that reflect an article being used e.g. an iron
Bruising, especially the trunk, upper arm, shoulders, neck or finger tip bruising
Burns/scalds, especially from a cigarette
Human bite marks
Fractures, especially spiral
Swelling and lack of normal use of limbs
Serious injury with lack of / inconsistent explanation
Untreated injuries
Psychological/emotional
signs include:
Unusually fearful with adults
Unnaturally compliant to parents
Refusal to discuss injuries/fear of medical help
Withdrawal from physical contact
Aggression towards others
Wears
cover up clothing
Fictitious
illness by proxy
This is a psychiatric illness, whereby a
parent or carer deliberately inflicts harm onto a
child, normally the childs mother. The child has commonly had genuine serious
illness in the first year of life and a dependency on medical attention has
developed in the mother. It is very difficult to diagnose/evidence.
Female Genital Mutilation
A cultural (not religious) procedure whereby
parts of female genitalia are removed - also referred to as female
circumcision. This is normally undertaken on pre pubescent
girls, who are either taken abroad for procedure or practitioners come to the
UK. There can be no anaesthetic and no sterile
equipment used. Complications include serious infection, septicaemia,
numerous gynaecological problems and in some cases,
death.
Emotional abuse
The classic description of emotional abuse is a
Low Warmth, High Criticism style of parenting. Signs include:
Physical, mental and emotional lags
Acceptance of punishments, which appear
excessive
Over
reaction to mistakes
Continual self-depreciation
Sudden
speech disorders
Fear
of new situations
Neurotic behaviour
(such as rocking, hair twisting, thumb sucking)
Self
harm
Extremes of passivity or aggression
Drug/solvent abuse
Running away
Bullying/Aggression
Overly compliant behavior
Overeating or loss of appetite
Clingy
Fearful/withdrawn
Sleep
disorders
Neglect
Physical
signs include:
Tired/listless
Poor personal hygiene
Poor
state of clothing
Emaciation, potbelly, short stature
Poor
skin tone and hair tone
Untreated medical problems
Failure to thrive with no medical reason
Psychological/emotional
signs include
: Constant hunger
Constant tiredness
Frequent lateness/non attendance at school
Destructive tendencies
Low self esteem
Neurotic
behavior
No
social relationships
Running away
Compulsive stealing/scavenging
Multiple accidents/accidental injuries
Sexual
abuse
Physical
signs include:
Damage to genitalia, anus or mouth
Sexually transmitted disease
Unexpected pregnancy, especially in very young girls
Soreness to genitalia area, anus or mouth
Repeated stomach aches
Loss of weight
Gaining weight
Unexplained recurrent urinary tract infections, discharges or abdominal pain
Unexplained gifts/money
Psychological/emotional
signs include:
Sexual knowledge inappropriate for the
childs age
Sexualised behaviour in young
children
Sexually provocative behaviour/promiscuity
Hinting at sexual activity
Sudden changes in personality
Lack
of concentration, restlessness
Socially withdrawn
Overly
compliant behaviour
Poor trust in significant adults
Regressive behaviour,
onset of wetting day or night
Suicide attempts, self mutilation, self disgust
Eating disorders
Appendix
7
Signs
of possible abuse in adults
Physical
A history of
unexplained falls, fractures, bruises, burns, minor injuries
Signs of under or over use of medication and/or medical
problems unattended
Psychological
Alteration in
psychological state e.g. withdrawn, agitated, anxious, tearful
Intimidated or subdued in the presence of the carer
Fearful, flinching
or frightened of making choices or expressing wishes Unexplained paranoia
Sexual
Pregnancy in a woman who is unable to consent to sexual
intercourse
Unexplained change
in behaviour or sexually implicit/explicit behavior
Torn, stained or
bloody underwear and/or unusual difficulty in walking or sitting
Infections or
sexually transmitted diseases
Full or partial disclosure or hints of sexual abuse
Self-harming
Neglect
or Omission
Malnutrition, weight loss and /or persistent hunger
Poor physical
condition, poor hygiene, varicose ulcers, pressure sores
Being left in wet
clothing or bedding and/or clothing in a poor condition
Failure to access
appropriate health, educational services or social care
No callers or visitors
Financial
or Material
Disparity between assets and living conditions
Unexplained withdrawals from accounts or disappearance of
financial documents
Sudden inability to pay bills
Carers or professionals fail to account for expenses
incurred on a persons behalf
Recent changes of deeds or title to property
Discriminatory
Inappropriate remarks, comments or lack of respect
Poor quality or avoidance of care
Institutional
Lack of flexibility or choice over meals, bed times,
visitors, phone calls, etc
Inadequate medical care and misuse of medication
Inappropriate use of restraint
Sensory
deprivation e.g. denial of use of spectacles or hearing aids
Missing documents and/or absence of individual care plans
Public discussion of private matter
Lack of opportunity for social, educational or
recreational activity
Appendix
8
Model Parish
Recording Template
PSO Tel E mail: ---------------------------------------------------------------- Incumbent Tel E mail: Parish:
|
Subject
Alleged
Abuser
DOB |
Name
and Address |
Tel/Mob/Email |
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|
Subject
Alleged
Abuser
DOB |
Name
and Address |
Tel/Mob/Email |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Contact Person (Referrer) |
Position |
Church/Agency |
Tel/Mob/Email |
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|
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|
|
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date(s) referred date opened date(s) closed |
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Children Adults Allegation (church officer)
Physical
Domestic Abuse
Neglect
Financial
Psych/emotional Discriminatory
Sexual abuse Organisational
School/Nursery
Groups attended
|
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Notes |
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Initial Information
as Reported
Signed