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Safeguarding Children – South Devon
Abuse and neglect can happen to any child at any age from pre-birth up to the age of 18 years.
Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child. There are many forms of child maltreatment, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation, and emotional abuse.
The Devon Children and Families Partnership (DCFP) have a threshold document to enable decisions around the need for a referral.
The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is the referral point for Devon. The MASH referral form can be found on the DCFP website.
Devon Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub
Making a MASH contact (for professionals)
Tel: 01803 208100
Out of Hours Duty Team Tel: 0345 6000 388
Email: mashsecure@devon.gov.uk
Devon Children and Families Partnership - Early Help
Early Help Information for Professionals
Contact South Devon: Earlyhelpsouthsecure-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
The RCGP/NSPCC Safeguarding Children Toolkit for General Practice
Safeguarding Children and Young People - Rules and Competencies for Healthcare staff
Working Together to Safeguard Children
Child Sexual Exploitation
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a form of child abuse involving children and young people receiving something, such as accommodation, drugs, gifts or affection, as a result of them performing sexual activities, or having others perform sexual activities on them,. It can occur without physical contact, where children are groomed to post sexual images of themselves on the internet.
CSE is a hidden issue taking place out of public view. Practitioners often do not identify it and young people themselves frequently do not recognise themselves as the abused. It can be difficult to get an accurate picture of the risk of sexual exploitation.
The link between children being sexually exploited and children going missing is very strong. Some 140,000 children go missing from home or care in the UK each year and it has been estimated that running away places around a quarter of these at risk of serious harm. Children and young people who run away may be 'pushed away' following abuse or other factors or 'pulled away' wanting to be near friends or because they are being exploited by adults.
Fabricated or Induced Illness
Fabricated Induced Illness sits within the category of Physical Abuse as defined within Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015). It occurs when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child.
The 3 main indicators of Fabricated Induced Illness are:
- Fabrication of past medical history
- Falsification of medical charts, documents or letters
- Induction of illness by a variety of mean
South West Child Protection Procedures provide more detail and guidance.
Female Genital Mutilation FGM
FGM is illegal in Britain. A health professional who is aware that a girl under the age of 18 years has either undergone FGM or is at risk of undergoing FGM must under the Serious Crimes Act 2015 report this to the Police. A referral will also need to be sent to MASH
This also needs to be reported to the Department of Health here
For further advice on legislation the NSPCC Female genital mutilation (FGM) legislation, policy and guidance is useful.
PREVENT
PREVENT is part of the UK's counter terrorism strategy, aimed at reducing the risk of people (including patients and/or staff) becoming involved and know who to discuss our concerns with. The strategy has four key elements:
- Pursue – to stop terrorist attacks
- Prevent – to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism
- Protect – to strengthen our protection against terrorist attack
- Prepare – where a terrorist attack cannot be stopped, to lessen the impact
Refer – If safeguarding concern – MASH
Inform Devon and Cornwall Police on 999 if emergency or on 101
South West Child Protection Procedures
If following a referral to Children's Social Care, the referring professional is not happy with the outcome; the Local Safeguarding Children Board Escalation Policy can be used.
Link for GP safeguarding toolkit
The Intercollegiate document for safeguarding children informs health professionals on levels of training required for all practice staff
Training for GPs for safeguarding children can be found here
Pathway Group
This guideline has been signed off by NHS Devon.
Publication date: July 2017
Updated: August 2024
