Information for Staff

All children and young people have the right to be protected and safe from harm. We all have a responsibility to help keep children safe - whether or not we work directly with children and their families.

Child Protection Training

Training Events

If for any reason you cannot find what you are looking for then please contact the Moray CPC Integration Officer for Child Protection mcpc@moray.gov.uk

• Online Safety Resources
• Child Protection Referral Flowchart
• Child Protection Definition
• National and Local Guidance
• Key Documents
• Why might you be concerned about with a child?
• What is abuse and neglect?
• Harm outside the home?
• Information Sharing
• Online and Mobile Phone Safety
• Advice for Practitioners
• The Unseen Child

Child Sexual Exploitation definition

Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse in which a person(s), of any age takes advantage of a power imbalance to force or entice a child into engaging in sexual activity in return for something received by the child and/or those perpetrating or facilitating the abuse. As with other forms of child sexual abuse, the presence of perceived consent does not undermine the abusive nature of the act.

Child Sexual Exploitation : Definition and Practitioner Briefing Paper

National and Local Guidance

National Guidelines 2014

Key Documents

Risk Assessment and the use of the National Risk Assessment Framework
National Risk Assessment Framework
NRAF - Generic Indicators (Word doc)
NRAF - Practitioner Analysis and Prompts (Word Doc)
NRAF - Specific Indicators (Word doc)
Inter-Agency Referral Discussion procedure (IRD) (PDF)  
Child Protection Guidance 2014 Briefing Document (PDF)
Children’s Hearing Act 2011
Getting Our Priorities Right 2013
Ten Pitfalls 2010

Why might you be concerned about with a child?

• Unexplained bruising, or bruising in an unusual place
• Appearing afraid, quiet or withdrawn (for unknown reason)
• Afraid to go home
• Appearing constantly hungry, tired or untidy
• Being left unattended or unsupervised
• Having too much responsibility for their age
• Acting in a sexually inappropriate way
• Misusing drugs or alcohol
• Make a disclosure

What is abuse and neglect?

• Physical Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Neglect
• Emotional Abuse
• Domestic Abuse
• Parental alcohol misuse
• Parental drug misuse
• Children or Young People experiencing or affected by disability
• Children and young people experiencing or affected by mental health problems
• Children and young people who display harmful or problematic sexual behaviour
• Non engaging families
• Sudden unexpected death in infants and children

Harm outside the home?

• Child Exploitation
• Child Trafficking
• Online and Mobile phone child safety
• Children and young people who place themselves at risk (drugs, alcohol etc.)
• Underage sexual activity
• Forced Marriage
• Concealed pregnancy

Information sharing

As a practitioner, you may be working directly or indirectly within children, young people and their families. You may be working with them all of the time, some of the time, or only very occasionally.

All practitioners working with children and young people must play their part in making sure that children and young people are safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included.  It is important that you understand the key role you have to play in keeping all children and young people safe from harm and/or abuse.

There will be occasions where you will have to share and exchange information with other practitioners working between and across a wide range of other services and/or agencies. This could include services and/or agencies in the public, private third/voluntary sectors - including adult services.

In practice, if you are worried or concerned about a child or young person, you should immediately alert your Line Manager/Supervisor.  A worry or concern can relate to a child or young person's development; health; wellbeing; safety; care; and/or protection.  A worry or concern can relate to a single issue, instance or incident or from a series of such events.  It makes no difference.  The principles are the same.

Remember, nothing whatsoever, in Scottish, UK and/or European Law and/or in the Scottish child protection legislative, policy and/or practice environments prevents you from sharing information where you are worried or concerned about a child or young person.  On the contrary, you are, within certain limitations and constraints, empowered to do so.

Information Sharing Protocols

Online and Mobile Phone Safety

The challenge facing professionals involved in the protection of children is twofold.

Firstly, new technology makes children far more accessible to those who wish to abuse them.  It is more anonymous and it may act as a vehicle for groups of abusers to communicate with one another and provide mutual legitimisation.

Secondly, the new technology introduces new methods to the way in which abusers organise their abuse.  This has implications for practice, policies and procedures, both for investigation and for the subsequent assessment and treatment of the victims.

Areas of Concern in Internet and Mobile Phone Technology

• Children who view adult pornography
• Images of children sold on-line for sexual abuse off-line
• Children abused through prostitution using the internet and mobile phones to contact their abusers
• Adults or young people who engage in 'cyber sex' with children
• Young people who place images of other young people on-line
• Children living in the same household as adults who download or distribute sexually abusive images of children
• Children groomed on-line for sexual abuse off-line
• Children sold on-line for live sexual abuse on-line
• Children made the subject of child abuse images.

The Unseen Child

It was recently established by NHS Grampian there was a gap in guidance for staff in relation to the Unseen Child. This guidance defines the categories an unseen child could fall under and they include, parents refusing access to a child, failing to attend appointments, and family going missing. The guidance then quotes relevant Child Protection legislation and provides clear instructions for specific situations which include new births, transfers from another area, non attendance and refusal of access.

The Unseen Child

Advice for Practitioners

It is important that children understand the risks and can make sensible and informed choices on-line.  In a constantly changing technological landscape it is difficult to keep pace with change and criminal activity, and it is recommended that the CEOP website (http://www.ceop.gov.uk) and the Thinkuknow website (http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk) are stored in the favourites link of both your PC and the PCs of children in your care in order to keep appraised of developing trends and criminal methods of operation.

Do's

• Do try and get up to speed with new technologies through self-learning. 
• Do encourage children to keep personal details to a minimum when on-line and only allow trusted friends access to social network pages.
• Do reassure a child that they are not to blame if they have had unwanted sexual contact whilst on-line
• Do take possession of the device, computer, mobile phone, etc to prevent further activity and preserve evidence.
• Do refer to the designated child protection officer within the school if an internet issue occurs.

Dont’s

• Don't challenge any on-line abuser, you may alert them and compromise a criminal investigation
• Don't try and interrogate computers, mobile phones or other devices; you may contaminate or destroy evidence
• Don't try and initiate an investigation but instead contact the police as soon as possible and explain the circumstances
• Don't ignore the issue, children elsewhere may still be at risk.