A child comes in with existing injury

[Star8376]

Please what should I do? a child comes to me with an existing injury. especially on Mondays. each time I make a record, later ask the parent, but every time she seems not to know how it happens.

The child came in with red, round mark, looks more like a burn mark, almost identical on both wrists, on 3/07/15, I asked mom, but she really didn't say something reasonable, she just said it must be his brother.(they always fight with each other, and are very rough)

Just last week, the child came in with the same injury. I got to know because, he was playing with another child and he fell, so when I was checking to make sure he was alright, I was comforting him, that was when I noticed a round shaped, red, sour mark on the wrist. On further examination, i noticed another, almost identical on the other wrist.

After school drop off, I called mom to find out if she knew what happened to the child's wrists. i explained how both wrists looked, mom said she didn't know and maybe it was his elder brother, as i know they both play rough.

However, during collection, mom and I had a discussion about it, at first mom insisted that they were not sustained from home, she went further to say her other child told her it was another child in my setting.( telling me about the incident I narrated above) it was until I called her child and showed her both wrists, that was when stopped and started saying she really doesn't know how it happened. She asked the child what happened, he was talking, trying to explain, but all I could hear was '' playground''

Today, while i was changing his nappy, the t shirt was soiled with ''poo'' I took the shirt off, I noticed an old looking mark on his arm ( greenish yellow) when i asked him , he said his bother hurt him. during collection, I asked mom, but she didn't say anything

Sorry for the long post, to cut the long story short. I am worried as mom doesn't really give me reasonable answers each time I asked to know the cause of the injuries, secondly this usually occurs on weekend and finally she always want to say it happened whilst the child was in my care, until proven otherwise, then she will now say maybe it the child's elder brother( who is 4 years).


Please advise

[moggy]

You need to follow your safeguarding policy. Get it out, read it, do what it says- it is there for times like this when you are not sure what to do.
If you need advise call your local safeguarding board- you can just ask them for advise, it does not have to be a full referal straight away. But you need to do something. It is not your job to investigate or try to work out who did what. Go with your gut instinct. Hugs x

[tulip0803]

Agree with Moggy. You need to contact your local safeguarding team for advice. xx

Hugs it is a very difficult situation to be in xx

[Kiddleywinks]

Another that agrees with moggy

I think you know what you have to do, as horrible as it is. Sending hugs

[Maza]

Sending big hugs, it's a horrible situation to be put in. Yes, follow your instincts. It could be the older brother playing too roughly with the little one (rather than anything really sinister, if you see what I mean), but maybe the parents need a little nudge to realise that they need to monitor the boys more when they play, as it is not appropriate to brush it off as 'rough play'. x

[JCrakers]

Yes, you need to ring your safeguarding team for advice. Things like this need to be written down, noted.

It could be nothing more than the rough and tumble 'rough play' but it might not be.

Ask for advice and as well as protecting the child you have to protect yourself. If Mum starts saying it's done at your house then it might become a problem so make sure you note everything down, any pre-existing injuries and get her to sign (if she's wiling)