16.4 Safeguarding Children Policy
A. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
We consider the welfare of any child, young person or adult, who engages with Luminary to be of paramount importance and we are committed to ensuring that they are valued, listened to, and respected within the work that we do.
Luminary is not set up or equipped to support children directly, however many of the women we support have their own children and we recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of the family as a whole.
B. Definitions of harm
Types of harm in children can have specifics that make them different to the definitions listed above in our safeguarding adults policy.
'Abuse'
A form 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 others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.
Child abuse is any action by another person – adult or child – that causes significant harm to a child. It can be physical, sexual or emotional, but can just as often be about a lack of love, care and attention. We know that neglect, whatever form it takes, can be just as damaging to a child as physical abuse.
An abused child will often experience more than one type of abuse, as well as other difficulties in their lives. It often happens over a period of time, rather than being a one-off event. And it can increasingly happen online.
'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.
'Emotional abuse'
The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s 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 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.
'Sexual abuse'
Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities (including prostitution), 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. Sexual exploitation is a form of sexual abuse, although may demonstrate in different ways - see 'Awareness of Other Forms of Abuse or Exploitation'.
'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 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); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
This is not an exhaustive list and it must be recognised that it is not the role of staff/ volunteers to make an assessment of whether children or young people have suffered harm. Staff/ volunteers/ Safeguarding Coordinator all have a duty to report any concerns about harm in accordance with the Local Safeguarding Children Board, Guidelines and Procedures.
'Online abuse'
NSPCC offers this definition and summary description: Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the web, whether through social networks, playing online games or using mobile phones. Children and young people may experience cyber bullying, grooming, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or emotional abuse. Children can be at risk of online abuse from people they know, as well as from strangers. Online abuse may be part of abuse that is taking place in the real world (for example bullying or grooming). Or it may be that the abuse only happens online (for example persuading children to take part in sexual activity online). Children can feel like there is no escape from online abuse – abusers can contact them at any time of the day or night, the abuse can come into safe places like their bedrooms, and images and videos can be stored and shared with other people.
- NSPCC website: Online Abuse definition accessed August 2015
C. Awareness of other forms of abuse or exploitation
There are a number of other forms of abuse and exploitation, and it would be appropriate for all staff and volunteers to have an awareness of guidelines relating to other forms of abuse including:
- Domestic Abuse/Intimate Partner Violence
- Human Trafficking
- Forced Marriage
- Honour-based Violence (HBV)
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
- Sexual Exploitation
- Spiritual Abuse
16.4 Safeguarding Children Policy
A. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
We consider the welfare of any child, young person or adult, who engages with Luminary to be of paramount importance and we are committed to ensuring that they are valued, listened to, and respected within the work that we do.
Luminary is not set up or equipped to support children directly, however many of the women we support have their own children and we recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of the family as a whole.
B. Definitions of harm
Types of harm in children can have specifics that make them different to the definitions listed above in our safeguarding adults policy.
'Abuse'
A form 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 others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.
Child abuse is any action by another person – adult or child – that causes significant harm to a child. It can be physical, sexual or emotional, but can just as often be about a lack of love, care and attention. We know that neglect, whatever form it takes, can be just as damaging to a child as physical abuse.
An abused child will often experience more than one type of abuse, as well as other difficulties in their lives. It often happens over a period of time, rather than being a one-off event. And it can increasingly happen online.
'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.
'Emotional abuse'
The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s 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 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.
'Sexual abuse'
Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities (including prostitution), 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. Sexual exploitation is a form of sexual abuse, although may demonstrate in different ways - see 'Awareness of Other Forms of Abuse or Exploitation'.
'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 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); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
This is not an exhaustive list and it must be recognised that it is not the role of staff/ volunteers to make an assessment of whether children or young people have suffered harm. Staff/ volunteers/ Safeguarding Coordinator all have a duty to report any concerns about harm in accordance with the Local Safeguarding Children Board, Guidelines and Procedures.
'Online abuse'
NSPCC offers this definition and summary description: Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the web, whether through social networks, playing online games or using mobile phones. Children and young people may experience cyber bullying, grooming, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or emotional abuse. Children can be at risk of online abuse from people they know, as well as from strangers. Online abuse may be part of abuse that is taking place in the real world (for example bullying or grooming). Or it may be that the abuse only happens online (for example persuading children to take part in sexual activity online). Children can feel like there is no escape from online abuse – abusers can contact them at any time of the day or night, the abuse can come into safe places like their bedrooms, and images and videos can be stored and shared with other people.
- NSPCC website: Online Abuse definition accessed August 2015
C. Awareness of other forms of abuse or exploitation
There are a number of other forms of abuse and exploitation, and it would be appropriate for all staff and volunteers to have an awareness of guidelines relating to other forms of abuse including:
- Domestic Abuse/Intimate Partner Violence
- Human Trafficking
- Forced Marriage
- Honour-based Violence (HBV)
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
- Sexual Exploitation
- Spiritual Abuse
16.4 Safeguarding Children Policy
A. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
We consider the welfare of any child, young person or adult, who engages with Luminary to be of paramount importance and we are committed to ensuring that they are valued, listened to, and respected within the work that we do.
Luminary is not set up or equipped to support children directly, however many of the women we support have their own children and we recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of the family as a whole.
B. Definitions of harm
Types of harm in children can have specifics that make them different to the definitions listed above in our safeguarding adults policy.
'Abuse'
A form 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 others (e.g. via the internet). They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.
Child abuse is any action by another person – adult or child – that causes significant harm to a child. It can be physical, sexual or emotional, but can just as often be about a lack of love, care and attention. We know that neglect, whatever form it takes, can be just as damaging to a child as physical abuse.
An abused child will often experience more than one type of abuse, as well as other difficulties in their lives. It often happens over a period of time, rather than being a one-off event. And it can increasingly happen online.
'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.
'Emotional abuse'
The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s 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 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.
'Sexual abuse'
Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities (including prostitution), 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. Sexual exploitation is a form of sexual abuse, although may demonstrate in different ways - see 'Awareness of Other Forms of Abuse or Exploitation'.
'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 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); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
This is not an exhaustive list and it must be recognised that it is not the role of staff/ volunteers to make an assessment of whether children or young people have suffered harm. Staff/ volunteers/ Safeguarding Coordinator all have a duty to report any concerns about harm in accordance with the Local Safeguarding Children Board, Guidelines and Procedures.
'Online abuse'
NSPCC offers this definition and summary description: Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the web, whether through social networks, playing online games or using mobile phones. Children and young people may experience cyber bullying, grooming, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or emotional abuse. Children can be at risk of online abuse from people they know, as well as from strangers. Online abuse may be part of abuse that is taking place in the real world (for example bullying or grooming). Or it may be that the abuse only happens online (for example persuading children to take part in sexual activity online). Children can feel like there is no escape from online abuse – abusers can contact them at any time of the day or night, the abuse can come into safe places like their bedrooms, and images and videos can be stored and shared with other people.
- NSPCC website: Online Abuse definition accessed August 2015
C. Awareness of other forms of abuse or exploitation
There are a number of other forms of abuse and exploitation, and it would be appropriate for all staff and volunteers to have an awareness of guidelines relating to other forms of abuse including:
- Domestic Abuse/Intimate Partner Violence
- Human Trafficking
- Forced Marriage
- Honour-based Violence (HBV)
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
- Sexual Exploitation
- Spiritual Abuse