Warwickshire Direct
Child protection advice for parents and carers
- What to do if you have a concern about a child
- What might make me feel concerned about a child?
- Recognising Child Abuse
- Child Sex Offender Disclosure Pilot in Warwickshire
Safeguarding Children (or keeping children safe and healthy) is everybody’s responsibility; a shared responsibility. Safeguarding and Promoting the welfare of children requires effective communication and “Working Together” and for this reason, the Children Act 2004 requires each Local Authority to establish a Safeguarding Children Board.
Warwickshire Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB) is the local key statutory mechanism that ensures that relevant organisations in Warwickshire cooperate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and to ensure they exercise this responsibility effectively.
Worried or Concerned about a Child?
"Yesterday, I saw the man next door shout loudly at his 2 year old daughter, yank her up by holding one of her arms and smack her hard on her bottom. It’s not the first time I have seen this and I can often hear the child crying in the house. This is probably none of my business but I am worried and not sure what to do."
You do not need to know everything about the child and what is happening just to be worried, or feel that everything is not right.
It is important to know:
- Protecting children is everybody’s business
- Adults have a moral responsibility to report abuse
- If in doubt share your concerns about children with someone. You can ask for advise from Warwickshire Children’s Teams – see the number below:
- Reporting concerns rarely leads to a child being removed and often can lead to help being put into the family so improvements can be made that help the whole family
- Act now - long-term abuse is damaging for children
If you're worried about any child and think they may be a victim of neglect, abuse or cruelty, contact Children’s Social Care (formally social services) on 01926 410410
Our offices are open from:
9 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Thursday9 am to 5 pm on FridayIf it outside these times phone01926 886922.
When phoning, say that you have concerns about a child that you would like to discuss with the Local Children’s Team and you will be put though to the Duty Social Worker.
In an emergency contact the Police by ringing 999.
What might make me feel concerned about a Child?
There are many signs that may alert us to having concerns about a child. These concerns are based on many different things and because we often can’t put our finger directly on why we are concerned we may not seek advise or help for that child. However, it is really important to recognise if we are concerned about a child and share that concern with someone. Act Now, Don’t Delay!
Some reasons why we may not report our concerns include:
- A feeling it may be none of our business? - Safeguarding and protecting children, especially the most vulnerable children is everyone’s business
- A feeling that reporting will make the matter worse? - In reality, it is best that action is taken early to stop things getting worse. Long-term abuse is much more likely to cause problems for a child as they get older. Even if you think an incident is just a one off, other professional agencies may already have concerns about the child. So your information could be very important.
Recognising Child Abuse
Child abuse can take four forms, all of which can cause long term damage to a child: physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and child sexual abuse. Bullying and domestic violence are also forms of child abuse.
A child may be experiencing abuse if he or she is:
- Frequently dirty, hungry or inadequately dressed
- Left in unsafe situations or without medical attention
- Constantly "put down", insulted, sworn at or humiliated
- Seems afraid of parents or carers
- Severely bruised or injured
- Displays sexual behaviour which doesn't seem appropriate for their age
- Growing up in a home where there is domestic violence
- Living with parents or carers involved in serious drug or alcohol abuse
- Remember, this list does not cover every child abuse possibility. You may have seen other things in the child's behaviour or circumstances that worry you.
Abuse is always wrong and it is never the young person's fault.
It is Warwickshire’s vision that every child and young person, including those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged, should have the greatest possible opportunity to be the best they can be. That includes being safe from harm.
Resources
E-Safety advice for parents and carers
Child Protection Case Conferences - A Guide for parents in Warwickshire
Child Protection Case Conferences - Your right to complain. A Guide For Parents In Warwickshire
E-Safety Booklet - English (pdf, 994Kb)
E-safety Booklet - Polish (pdf, 1181Kb)
E-safety Booklet - Portuguese (pdf, 1013Kb)
E-safety Booklet - Gujarati (pdf, 1073Kb)
E-safety Booklet - Punjabi (pdf, 1125Kb)
Child Sex Offender Disclosure Pilot in Warwickshire
Keeping Children Safe
There is a service now available to parents, carers or guardians in Warwickshire allowing them to ask the police whether a person who has significant contact with their child or young person has a record for sexual offences against children
If police or checks with partner agencies show that the individual in question does have a record of sexual offences against children, or other offences that might put a child or young person at risk, consideration will be given to sharing this information with the parent, carer or guardian.
Any member of the public can approach the police with concerns about a named individual and all concerns will be investigated. However, where it is considered necessary and appropriate to release information, such disclosure will only be made to the parent, carers or guardian directly - not to the third party who made the initial enquiry.
Information will only be disclosed to a parent, carer or guarding when providing such information will increase protection for a child or young person,
For more information about this service call 01926 415899 or Email: keepingchildrensafe@warwickshire.police.uk
You can also visit the front desk of your local police station
- Press release March 16th 2009 Pilot protects children in Warwickshire
- Police and partners are delighted with the results six months after the launch of a new pilot scheme in Warwickshire aimed at providing increased protection for children from child sexual offenders.
Warwickshire Chief Constable Keith Bristow said "We are only half way through the 12 month pilot but the initial results indicate it is having a positive impact on helping police and partners to safeguard children in Warwickshire.
Mr Bristow said "The pilot sets out a clear process for people to help keep children safe by raising a concern about an individual who has significant access to a child or children."
"Everyone can now play a role in keeping children safe in Warwickshire.”
In Warwickshire we have received a total of 72 enquiries about the pilot. These range from general enquiries about the scheme to specific concerns about the safety of children. Fifty-four of these enquiries have developed into applications and as a result five disclosures have taken place to help keep children safe. These figures have yet to be confirmed by the Home Office, but are really positive and encouraging.
Nationally, 153 enquiries have been made under the pilot, 79 applications, and 10 disclosures have taken place.
Although anyone can raise a concern, where it is considered necessary and appropriate to release information about an individual, such information will only be made to the child’s parent, carer or guardian directly.
This ensures that information is given to the person best placed to use it to protect the child from harm. Anyone given personal information is required to give an undertaking that they will not share it with anyone else without permission
Warwickshire Police has a dedicated public helpline for the scheme - 01926 415899 and email address keepingchildrensafe@warwickshire.police.uk Applicants can call the dedicated telephone line, send an email or attend their local police station front desk where details of their enquiry will be taken.
Warwickshire is the only area where the scheme was piloted across the whole county from the beginning.
From today, Monday 16 March, the three other police forces that are currently participating in the pilot, Cleveland, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire, will extend the scheme so that it covers the whole of their force areas, including the Isle of Wight.
DS Debbie Tedds said “For the first time the public is making the decision as to whether to ask for the information instead of the agencies making the decision to disclose.”
The pilot runs for 12 months and then it will be evaluated by the Home Office. A decision will then be taken on whether the pilot is rolled out nationally.
The pilot scheme builds on existing processes to proactively manage Registered Sexual Offenders under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).
DCI Debbie Tedds said “It is also important to remember that we have already disclosed information to parents, carers and guardians of children who were at risk in Warwickshire. This pilot simply
makes such procedures more visible and more accessible and we welcome the trial.
Warwickshire Police will work closely with the Local Safeguarding Children Board, Children’s Services at Warwickshire County Council, the Probation Service and MAPPA, as well as local and national child protection charities.
This media release was issued on behalf of: Warwickshire Police, Warwickshire Police Authority, Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire Probation Service and Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).
More information is available at www.warwickshire.police.uk/keepingchildrensafe
Further information about recognising the signs of child sexual abuse is available by calling the Stop it Now! Helpline on 0808 1000 900.
