Appropriate Responses When Child Maltreatment or Abuse is Suspected
Appropriate Responses When Child Maltreatment or Abuse is Suspected

BY Victoria Rothwell

This is a guide to be aimed and to be used by professionals in which are the appropriate responses for a professional to follow if a child is being maltreated or if abused is suspected to be taking place. It includes the procedures to follow maltreatment is considered, suspected, confirmed or excluded and the roles and responsibilities of the professionals, as well as responding to direct or indirect disclosure. Content

Procedures where maltreatment is considered, suspected, confirmed or excluded: * Whistle blowing * Reporting arrangements * Security of records * Sequence of events leading to registration on child protection register or care proceedings
Roles and responsibilities: * Following policies and procedures * Observing children and their families and their interaction * How to respond if maltreatment is suspected * What action to take following disclosure * Maintaining confidentiality
Responding to direct or indirect disclosure: * Listening skills * Communicating with the child at their own pace and taking them seriously with unconditional acceptance * Reassuring and supporting * Dealing with your own feelings

Procedures where maltreatment is considered, suspected, confirmed or excluded
Procedures where maltreatment is considered, suspected, confirmed or excluded
Whistle Blowing
This happens within an organisation, such as social services, when a co-worker suspects/ sees another co-worker not complying with the proper procedures and rules set in place by the organisation its self to support and protect children and young people. The co-worker seeing this will report them to their manger, boss or HR. An example of this is if a social worker choses to