Safeguarding - please read

[sarah707]

A colleague has asked me to share this information with you.

Most childminders have a safeguarding procedure that says...
1. Speak to parents - unless there is any concern that the child might be further harmed as a result of the conversation
2. Contact Local Authority Development Officer (they are called different things / if you have one) to ask advice
3. Contact LADO - Local Authority Designated Officer (they are called different things across the country) at the Local Safeguarding Children Board to make a disclosure
4. Contact etc...

The childminder followed her procedure -
1. Mum said it was nothing, just a child with a bruise who changed her story about how it happened as 2 year olds do - daddy did it... a toy did it... you know what 2 year olds are like.
2. Local Authority Designated Officer said if the childminder was happy (which she was - the child was new - there was no reason to be suspicious - it was just a bruise) to log it and ask parent to sign.

The child was taken from her family - she was being abused - the childminder was shut down for investigation.

Ofsted said the childminder should have raised it with her Local Authority Designated Officer immediately she saw the bruise and the child told her ‘daddy did it’ story... and that because she didn’t inform LADO immediately she had allowed the child to go back to an abusive home.

Imagine how that childminder is feeling. She followed her procedure... she wasn’t worried about the child who was well fed, communicative, happy and just settling in. She had no reason to be suspicious of the parents who had both visited her with the child to sign the paperwork.

The childminder has had to promise Ofsted - before she was given her registration certificate back - that she will ring LADO at the first instance she has a concern - any concern - about a child’s safety or wellbeing - regardless of what her (and our) safeguarding procedures say.

This is very worrying and will have ramifications for every childminder which is why she wants me to share it with you.

Action plan

To make sure you are complying with current advice I suggest you contact your safeguarding team and check they are happy with the wording in your safeguarding procedures.

Make sure you record every single 'accident at home' and ask parents to sign.

If you have a local authority model safeguarding procedure, check that it is worded correctly and covers you in case of all eventualities.

Update your safeguarding procedures to say that if a child makes an allegation about an adult - regardless of the age of the child - you will raise it with LADO because you understand that you are not qualified to investigate it yourself.

I am sure you will want to reflect on how this might affect all our responses to 'accidents at home' in future.

Thank you.

[dette]

thanks .poor child and poor childminder .what a bad situation

[hectors house]

Thank you Sarah - hopefully the LADO department will be so fed up with us all asking them to check and proof read our safeguarding policies that they will complain to Ofsted on our behalf. I had better phone them and check if I can send home a child who has bruise/scratch on his face today - he is nearly 2 and fell on a toy at home - his mum has signed an injury at home form - but what if she is lying!

[Simona]

It is also worth remembering that in addition to getting the parents to sign a form for accidents that happen in the home it is important to use a 'body map' when suspicious and marking exactly where the bruises are.

Any LADO would also ask the location of a bruise if contacted for advice or reporting a concern

We don't know where this bruise was but we should be trained to recognise those bruises that can be considered as part of bumping into things and those that are in unusual places.

[Bumble Beez]

Oh my...what a terrible situation.
I will definitely be checking and updating my policy...and LADO will be getting a call also
Thank you for sharing Sarah x

[Little_steps]

That's awful! For both the cm and child.

Thank you to the person sharing.

X

[shortstuff]

thats awful x

Thanks for the heads up Sarah x

[blue bear]

Poor minder, she acted in good faith and has got the back lash for others mistakes.

[samb]

How sad for everyone involved :-(

[littlemiss60561]

Oh that's awful.poor mindie and poor cm.
For them to put blame on the cm for sending a child home to be abused is simply cruel and wrong.if the evidence was obvious or suspicious then it needed investigating , but to phone them for every bruise I'd be on the phone everyday.
To the cm... I hope you know you were not to blame for anything that may have happened to that poor lil mite.
We are just open to all sorts arnt we. Even on our days off our home is open to scruitiny .
Thankyou for sharing your story x

[loocyloo]

oh goodness. how awful for the child and the childminder. I would have accepted parents explanation too.


hugs to the childminder. its not fair to put the blame on her.

thank you sarah for telling us for the childminder
xxx

[teacake2]

We are not allowed to use body maps though in our area Simona
Teacake2

[Little_steps]

I attended a safeguarding lead practitioner course today and raised this subject up.

My trainer was a person whom had been in the police force many years quite high up and in the child protection unit. Now he does training.

His response was, lado are who you should contact if the allegation is made against you the cm, anyone living or working in your home. You call your local safeguarding children board if it is about a child etc.

He also said that you should not be shut down if the story mentioned was not about the cm. he also said ofsted aren't what they believe they are nowadays either.

Just thought I would share.

X