The Every Child Matters initiative was launched in 2003 by the government after the harrowing incidents and murders of young children by people who you could argue at the time hadn’t been correctly vetted or barred. The Every Child Matters policy covers children and young adults up to the age of 19, and 24 if the person has disabilities. This subsequently led to changes in the Children Act 1989. There are themes in the Children Act, which are, Be Healthy, Stay Safe, Enjoy & Achieve, Make a Positive Contribution and Achieve economic well-being. We have a duty of care to safeguard any children that come into the service as visitors or to any children we may come into contact with in our day to day lives. We are responsible for reporting any concerns we may have to the local authority so that they can investigate the concern and safeguard the child.
2.1 What are the signs and symptoms of child abuse.
The signs and symptoms of child abuse are similar to adult abuse and can be …show more content…
I would ensure they were removed from any immediate danger and record what they say, in their own words but not discuss the issue with them further so that I do not influence the outcomes of any investigation. I would ensure that 2 staff remained with the child and report the allegation to the safeguarding team. I would complete a referral form which is passed onto the safeguarding officer. I would record the allegation in the childs own words. If the allegation was against a member of staff then I would suspend them pending a full investigation to protect them and the other children, after explaining the procedures to them and ensured they understood the security of information and need for