Child Protection Information For Professionals
All children have a right to protection from abuse and harm. Regardless of your role, you play an important part in protecting children and young people in Argyll and Bute.
All staff should:
- be aware of their own organisation's child protection policies and procedures
- be alert to indicators of concern in children and young people you come into contact with
- respond to concerns you have about a child by acting in accordance with procedures
In this section you will find interagency guidance, protocols, and training information as well as other useful information and publications to help you in fulfilling these responsibilities.
National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021
Child Protection Practitioners Guidance
Child Protection Protocols and Procedures
Practitioner Assessment Tools and Resources
Argyll and Bute Interagency guidance protocols & procedures
Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)
Protecting Disabled Children - guidance, resources and research
Guidance and Protocols for Child Protection Professionals
CPC Practitioners Guidance | Summary | Who should use it? |
Argyll and Bute Child Trafficking Guidance
| Guidance for professional to help identify an respond to concerns that a child or young person may be involved in trafficking
This guidance is for all professionals dealing with an incident that comes under Equal Protection from Assault Act 2019. | Everyone coming into contact with children and young people under the age of 18.
All professionals working with children and young people. |
Chairing a Child Protection Core Group
| Guidance for Social Work Practice Leads | Social Work Practice Leads |
Guidance for professionals on the identification and how to respond when concerned that an adult or child may be at risk of or suffered genital mutilation. | Named persons, lead professionals, Health Visitors, Midwives, School Nurses, named persons, genecology, GPs | |
All practitioners working with children, young people, parents and carers | ||
Practitioners guide to children and young people affected by parental mental health | Joint guidance for practitioners working with children, young people and their parents on understanding and responding to the impacts of parental mental health | All members of the children’s workforce as well as all those working in adult services such as mental health services, GP’s, psychiatrists. |
Joint Guidance On The Interface Between Child Protection And Adult Protection - Adult Protection Committee guidance (October 14)
| Guidance outlining when the Child protection and adult protecting procedures will apply and on transition arrangements for young people at risk becoming adults | All members of the children’s and adult’s services workforce |
Practitioners guide to home fire safety
| Guidance for professionals on referrals to Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for home safety assessments. Advice and for smoke detectors | Social Workers, Heath Visitors, housing support workers, midwives, mental health and addictions workers |
| Guidance to help community groups and third sector organisation produce a child protection policy. | For anyone with responsibility for producing a child protection policy for their community group or organisation. | |
Guidance for completing Child’s Plans for children on the child protection register | This guides practitioners through what should be included in each section of the Child’s Plan for children on the CP register | All practitioners with responsibility for writing, contributing to and implementing Child’s Plans for children on the CP register. |
Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019 multi-agency equal protection guidance Feb 21 (argyll-bute.gov.uk))
| The Act provides children with the same rights as adults against assault by a parent or person with charge or care of them. This guidance is for practitioners who encounter instances of equal protection which were previously deemed ‘reasonable chastisement’. These instances of reasonable chastisement will now be classed as an offence of assault and will be reported to Police. | All practitioners working with children, young people, parents and carers |
|
Summary |
Who should use it? |
Interagency child protection procedures | Everyone | |
Interagency procedure for planning and decision making in response to allegations or concerns that a child or young person may be at risk of significant harm. | Social Workers, Health Visitors, School Nurses, nursery staff, Police, Paediatricians, Named Persons. | |
Pathway to identify assess and support pregnant women; including where the unborn child may be at future risk of significant harm. | Midwives, social workers | |
Recognition and Management Of Maltreatment In Infants (Children Under The Age Of 1 Year) | Professional guidance for practitioners working with young children on responding to injuries including bruises to young children. | Midwives, Health Visitors, A&E staff, GPs Paediatricians, foster carers, social workers |
Responding To Concern Where Children Are Engaged In Under Age Sexual Activity | Protocol for how practitioners and agencies should respond when they become aware of underage sexual activity.
| Social Work , Police, school staff, residential care providers, foster carers, CAMHs, youth workers |
Responding to Children and Young People Displaying Sexually Harmful Behavior’s Protocol | Protocol for practitioners and agencies in responding to allegations that a child or young person has displayed sexually harmful behaviours - usually towards another child | Social Work , Police, Education staff, residential care providers, foster carers, CAMHs, youth workers |
Protocol outlining the approach to be taken in response to any allegation or concerns about historic child abuse | All professionals working with adults and children | |
Multi Agency Practice Guidance Child Sexual Exploitation Key Messages for Young People on Healthy Relationships and Consent | Protocol for responding to children and young people who may be at risk from sexual exploitation | Social Work , Police, Education staff, residential care providers, foster carers, CAMHs, youth workers |
Argyll and Bute Young Persons Support and Protection Protocol
| Protocol outlines interagency arrangements for the assessment and management of risk for people young people still at school, and for young people under the age 26 who are receiving support as a previously looked after child, who are at risk of significant harm or of causing significant harm to themselves and others, where Adult or Child protection procedures do not apply | Social Work, School Nurses, Health Visitors, CAMHS, Police, Schools, Ed Psychologists, Named Persons, Community Paediatricians, independent housing association providers |
Children Affected By Domestic Abuse Argyll & Bute Referral Pathway | Pathway to follow when incidents or allegations of domestic abuse involve or could impact on children | Police, Social work, Named Persons from Health & Education |
Types of Health Assessment in Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect with Timeframes | Information and timescales for undertaking medicals for suspected child abuse and neglect | Health, Police, Social Work |
Summary | Who? | |
National Risk Framework To Support The Assessment Of Children and Young People Downloadable Risk Indicators Sheet in Excel Format:
| Toolkit to assist practitioners to understand, assess and plan for children who may be at risk of significant harm | All practitioners working with children and families. |
Tool and materials for practitioners to help identify, understand assess and respond to parental resistance to professional involvement, non – engaging families and non-compliant families where a child may be at risk | Everyone working with children and families where there is parental resistance, non-engagement or non-compliance. | |
Young People At Risk Of Self Harm Or Suicide - Integrated Children's Service Guidance | Practice guidance on understanding, assessing and responding to children who may have or are thinking of deliberately harming or killing themselves | All members of the children’s services workforce including Named Persons, Child Health staff, CAMHS, Education Staff, A&E, care staff, foster carers social workers, youth workers, GPs |
Child Sexual Exploitation Definition and Practitioner Briefing Paper | Scottish government guidance to assist practitioners to understand, identify and respond to children and young people who may be at risk of child sexual exploitation | Everyone who has contact with children and young people under 18 including Named Persons, Lead Professionals, foster carers, residential care providers, social workers. |
Assessment tool for practitioners who are concerned that a child or young person may be at risk of sexual exploitation and framework for responding to these concerns | Named Persons, Lead Professionals, foster carers, residential care providers, social workers and police. | |
Child Neglect in Scotland: Understanding Causes and Supporting Families 2021 | Toolkit to assist practitioners to understand the impact of neglect and to identify, assess and plan for children who may be at risk form neglect including children on the CPR | Named persons, lead professionals, social work, health visitors, and midwives and staff working with children and families where neglect features. |
Protecting Disabled Children Guidance, Resources & Research
Guidance and resources
- Protecting Disabled Children from Abuse and Neglect (National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2014: Additional Notes) [5Mb]
- The Common-Sense Approach to Moving and Handling Disabled Children and YP [2Mb]
- Unprotected, Overprotected Practice Guide [2Mb]
- Underprotected, Overprotected Easy Read [1Mb]
- Developing an Outcomes Model for Disabled Children and Young People in Scotland [691Kb]
Research