WILTSHIRELOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD

SAFEGUARDING DISABLED CHILDREN

Tony GriffinMulti Agency Safeguarding Trainer

Aim

To raise awareness of safeguarding children with disabilities

Research and guidance

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010 (HM Gov)

• Disabled children and abuse (Miller 2002)

• C4EO Safeguarding Briefing No. 3

• Disabled Children, the Children Act and Human Rights (Jenny Morris 1999)

The social context of disability

•What do we mean by the term ‘ disability’ ?

•A group exercise

What is a disability2

• The DDA covers “normal day to day activities” if one of the following is affected:

• • mobility• manual dexterity• physical co-ordination• continence• the ability to lift, carry or otherwise move everyday objects• speech, hearing or eyesight• memory or ability to understand, concentrate or learn• perception of the risk of physical danger

What is a disability 3

• Long term means that the condition has lasted or is likely to last for at least 12 months, or for the rest of an individual’s life. If the effects are sometimes absent or less severe, they are treating as continuing if they are likely to recur. This means that people with fluctuating conditions such as depression, arthritis or asthma can be covered.

Labels

• What’s in a label?A hell of a lotWhen it comes to getting a serviceIt matters what you’ve got.

• Physically disabled, learning disabled, are the acceptable two

• There are things in life,That are hard to do,Getting acceptance and being treated rightAre these really to much to ask of you?

Why would someone want to ‘label’ their child?

• A mother has been jailed for subjecting her son to "enduring" cruelty by pretending he was severely ill, to gain publicity and financial rewards.

• The actions of Lisa Hayden-Johnson, 35, from Devon, led to him being operated on, Exeter Crown Court heard.

• She also presented him in a wheelchair to the Duchess of Cornwall, appeared on television and spent charity donations.

• She was jailed for three years and three months after admitting cruelty and perverting the course of justice.

Devon case

• The court heard that Hayden-Johnson subjected the youngster to a total of 325 medical actions - including being confined to a wheelchair and being fed through a tube in his stomach.

• She claimed her son, who cannot be named, suffered from a long list of illnesses including diabetes, food allergies, cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis.

• Mr Macfarlane also told the court that boy "was convinced that he was chronically and seriously ill" and added that the effect of all this on his long-term psyche was unclear

What do we expect for a disabled child?

• Every child matters aims

• Stay safe

• Healthy

• Enjoy and achieve

• Economic well being

• Positive Contribution

The Context

There are 700,000 (approx.) disabled children under the age of 16 years in Great Britain.• Up to 6,000 children living at home that are dependent on assertive technology.• The number of children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders has increased in the last ten years.• An estimated 1.2 million school-age children have special educational needs(14% of school-aged population).• 250,000 pupils have statements of special educational need (3% of all pupils).

Why more vulnerable?•Limited research into risk factors and protection. 3 main categories: 1. Attitudes & Assumptions2. Inadequacies in Service Provision3. Factors Associated with Impairment

Myths & Facts About Sexual Abuse and Children with Disabilities

Marchant, R. (1991) Myths and facts about sexual abuse and

children with disabilities. Child Abuse Review [old series], 5(2):

22-24.

Why are they more vulnerable?

• Attitudes and assumptions

• Myths

• Not more vulnerable to sexual abuse• Sexual abuse is ok or at least not as harmful as in other

children• Preventing sexual abuse is impossible• They are more likely to make false allegations• If they have been abused it is best to leave well alone

once safe• (Marchant 1991)

The reality

• Disabled children are 3.4 times more likely to be

abused or neglected than non-disabled children

(Sullivan & Knutson, 2000 – America)

• In UK, 51% of LA’s state they record whether an

abused child was disabled but only 14% could

actually give a figure (Cooke, 2000)

Vulnerabity 1Reluctance to challenge carers or other professionals(Devon case?)

•Sense of empathy due to the stress being suffered by carer

•Carers already have enough to contend with

•Over identifying with the child’s parents/carers and being reluctant to accept that abuse or neglect is taking or has taken place, or seeing it as being attributable to the stress and difficulties of caring for a disabled child

Vulnerability 2Dependency•Medical•Intimate care•Children can be schooled into accepting others to have access to their bodies that other children would not accept•Carer may be the one in control

Vulnerability 3Communication barriers•Appropriate language/methods missing vital words•Advocacy. 2 fifths of L/A’s could not provide services for children without verbal communication(Children’s Society 2007)

Vulnerability 4Lack of participation and choice

•In decision making

•Privacy

•Complaints

Vulnerability 5Isolation

Spending greater periods away from home

•Fewer contacts outside the home

•Fear of losing services

•Residential/short break settings that if not properly managed can result in further isolation

Vulnerability 6Lack of understanding and training

•Practitioners in safeguarding teams may have no specialism of children’s disabilities and vice versa(Cooke and Standen 2002)

Vulnerability 7Factors associated with

impairment

•Self mutilation•Accidental rough handling•Sexual behaviour•Recognising signs/moods•The tendency to focus on physical signs as opposed to behaviour changes

Confusion of signs and symptoms

•Bruising on a site that might not be of concern on an ambulant child might be a concern on a non mobile child•Loss of weight-impairment/illness or abuse?•Rashes etc. Diet/poor health or abuse?•Reduction in responses- lack of stimulation or worsening condition/over or under medication?

Vulnerability 8

Double discrimination

Black and minority groupsRefugees and asylum seekersServices Insensitive to culture?Increased isolation

Vulnerability 9

Criminal Justice System

Credible evidence

Assumption that there is no point in interviewing

Vulnerability 10

•Limited personal safety programmes and

relationship education

•The child or young person’s understanding of

what abuse is. Have they been groomed?

Vulnerability 11

More likely to experience bullying

9 out of 10 with learning disability experience bullying

(Mencap 2007)

Assessing who is at risk

• Dangers of biases

• Rule of optimism-find the positive explanation

• Natural love-All parents love their children

• Cultural relativism- elastic norms-perceived cultural differences

• (Dingwall et al 1983)

Signs and indicators of abuse

Recap the different categories of abuse and possible indicators

Think about the possible indicators for a child

With a disability

4 Steps to Offending

1. Wanting To Do It:-

Motivation: The urges, thoughts and feelings

2. Making It Ok:-

Overcoming Internal Inhibitions: Making behaviour acceptable. The excuses, justifications, blaming others.

3. Creating The Opportunity:-

Overcoming External Inhibitions: Making the environment safe to offend. Planning and grooming

4. Overcoming Opposition:-

Victims’ Resistance: Manipulation, threats, secrecy, bribery, grooming.

Making it safer

Children must have the right to :

•Safety•Communication•Express feelings and have them taken into account•(Jenny Morris)

Making it safer 2

• Healthy scepticism and respectful uncertainty

• (Lord Laming 2003)

• Suspend our own disbelief

• Look at the child

• Seek advice and follow procedures

Safeguarding disabled children Practice Guidance

DCFS July 2009