Safeguarding Policy

Subconquest Ltd Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Procedures

This policy and procedures apply to anyone working for or on behalf of Subconquest Ltd or using the Ollie approach, including staff, supervisors, coaches and trainers.

The purpose of this policy:

· Protect anyone who comes into contact with Subconquest Ltd from harm or abuse.

· To provide anyone working on behalf of Subconquest Ltd or using the Ollie approach with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.

· This policy applies to anyone working for or on behalf of Subconquest Ltd or using the Ollie approach.

Legal Framework

· This policy has been drawn up based on legislation, policy and guidance that seek to protect children in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. A summary of the key legislation is available from nspcc.org.uk/learning

Subconquest Ltd is committed to the welfare of children and young people. We believe that they have a right to feel safe and be protected from neglect or abuse of any kind: neglect, emotional, sexual or physical.

Subconquest is committed to responding promptly to any concerns about a child or young person, or anyone working with them. Any concerns, no matter how small, must be discussed with a supervisor and recorded, as they may be part of a bigger picture. A session recording template is provided so Coaches can actively monitor and record any concerns. If you have any concerns about a child’s welfare, you must act on them immediately.

We recognise that:

· The welfare of the child or young person is paramount, as enshrined in the Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004 and relevant government guidance: Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 and The Prevent Duty Guidance.

· All children and young people, irrespective of age, race, gender, sexual orientation or identity, disability or religious beliefs, have a right to equal protection from harm and abuse.

· Some children and young people may be more vulnerable than others because of their previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues.

· Working in partnership with the individual, the parent or carer(s), and other agencies is essential in safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.

At Subconquest, we:

· Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion and recognise that everybody has an equal right to be protected from prejudice, harm or abuse.

· Recognise that the welfare of children is paramount.

· Ensure child-centred approaches promote equality.

· Take seriously and respond promptly to any reports of prejudice, bullying, harassment or safeguarding concerns.

· Ensure that everyone feels valued, respected and heard.

· Celebrate and value the uniqueness of every child that we work with.

· Provide services that are accessible, respectful and tailored to the diverse needs of the children who access our services.

· Promote inclusive, respectful environments that are free from discrimination, harassment and bias for everyone who works within or accesses our organisation and services.

· Are dedicated to providing accessible services to all children, regardless of their background, circumstances, age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

· Ensure our services are designed to be accessible and inclusive, promoting the well-being of every child, and work to eliminate barriers that may hinder access to our services.

· Promote our values and set clear standards of expected behaviour as outlined in the Code of Conduct, Ethics, and Professional Practice.

· Are committed to the continuous improvement of our safeguarding, equality, and diversity practices.

Subconquest Ltd will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

· Valuing, respecting, and listening to what the individual says.

· Working within this policy and those of any organisation with which we have a contract.

· Supporting, supervising, monitoring, and evaluating anyone working on behalf of Subconquest Ltd or using the Ollie approach, ensuring they confidently and competently follow our policies and procedures.

· Ensuring anyone working on behalf of Subconquest Ltd or using the Ollie approach is suitably qualified, insured and has undergone the relevant checks, including providing the appropriate criminal record and reference checks, is undertaken.

· Ensuring that anyone working on behalf of Subconquest Ltd or using the Ollie approach has received safeguarding training, at a minimum to Safeguarding Children Level 2 or equivalent child protection training renewed, annually at a minimum and understands their role and responsibilities regarding safeguarding matters.

· When working in an educational setting, all Coaches will have read the relevant safeguarding in education guidance for the country that they are working within.

- England - Keeping Children Safe in Education for: for schools and college staff (Part 1)

- Northern Ireland - Safeguarding and Child Protection in Schools - A Guide for Schools

- Scotland - National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland

- Wales - Keeping learners safe

· When working within a school or other organisation, Ollie Coaches will ensure they are familiar with and follow the school or organisation’s safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures.

· Recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance.

· All Ollie Coaches are offered annual safeguarding updates and organisation-specific safeguarding webinars, which are led by Catherine Irving Consultancy Ltd to embed safeguarding practice.

· All Ollie Coaches will promptly share any concerns with the relevant person locally in their private practice or in the partner organisation, including the child and parents if appropriate.

· All Ollie Coaches discuss any concerns related to safeguarding as an ongoing aspect of their supervision. Information and safeguarding logs are recorded on a secure Subconquest Database, which is shared with and reviewed by the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Catherine Irving Consultancy Ltd.

· Ensuring confidentiality and the limits to it are clearly explained to those involved.

· Work within the terms of the service level agreement with the partner organisation.

· Maintain safe working practice when working with clients online and be aware of safer working guidelines and confidentiality.

· Ollie Coaches have access to DSL and Supervisors during work hours, enabling any safeguarding concerns to be reported from any session, both face-to-face or online. All concerns and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously, responded to appropriately and referred on as necessary.

This policy should be read alongside our organisational policies and procedures, including:

- Code of Conduct, Ethics and Professional Practice

- Ollie Registered Practitioners policy and framework

- Safer recruitment policy and procedures

- Privacy Policy

- Whistleblowing Policy

Definitions

‘Safeguarding’ and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the purposes of these procedures as:

· providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge

· protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online

· preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;

· ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and

· taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

‘Child protection’ refers to the activities undertaken to protect children who have been identified as suffering or being at risk of suffering significant harm.

‘Child’ includes everyone under the age of 18.

‘Abuse’ is a form of maltreatment of a child and may involve inflicting harm or failing to act to prevent harm. Appendix 1 explains the different types of abuse.

‘Neglect’ is a form of abuse and is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Appendix 1 defines neglect in more detail.

‘Child sexual exploitation’ is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.

‘Child criminal exploitation’ is where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into any criminal activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator and/or (c) through violence or the threat of violence. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child criminal exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.

Responding to a concern from a child

It can be very difficult for children to speak out about abuse. They may fear the consequences, worry that they won’t be believed or not understand that what they are experiencing is abuse. Children may not feel ready or know how to tell someone that they are being abused, exploited, or neglected, and/or they may not recognise their experiences as harmful. Children may feel embarrassed, humiliated, or being threatened. This could be due to their vulnerability, disability and/or sexual orientation or language barriers. This should not prevent Coaches from having a professional curiosity and speaking to their supervisor or DSL if they have concerns about a child.

If a child speaks to you about information suggesting that they are at risk of or being abused, this is known as a disclosure. Disclosure is a process by which children start to share their experiences of abuse with others and can take place over a long period of time. They may share a lot of information, say something small to see how you react, or mention something in passing. Some children make disclosures non-verbally through writing, drawing or other forms of communication, such as through their play. All disclosures should be taken seriously.

If a child chooses to talk to you about a concern, it is essential to recognise that they have placed you in a position of trust, and as such, you should be supportive and respectful of the child.

You must never promise a child that you will not tell anyone about a report of abuse, as this may not be in the best interests of the child.

· Listen carefully to what the child is saying. Don’t display shock or indicate that you don’t believe them. Let them talk freely without interrupting.

· Reassure them that they have done the right thing by telling you. Let them know that you are taking what they have told you seriously, and that they can trust you to do the right thing. Be open about the concern and make it clear that you will have to tell others.

· Explain what you are going to do next – that you will be speaking to someone who will be able to help.

· Report what you have been told as soon as possible. Try to use the child’s own words.

Recording

You must:

· Record as soon as possible on the Child Protection Concern form.

· Ensure that all sections are completed, including the full date and time of when the concern was noticed, the location, and any other people present.

· Keep information as factual as possible.

· Use the child’s (or adult’s) own words where applicable, using quotation marks for direct quotes.

· Use the body map to record any marks or injuries and describe these in the main body of the concern.

· Do not take photographs.

· Record any actions that you have taken or plan to take, if applicable.

· Ensure all information is stored and shared in line with GDPR 2018.

· A separate Child Protection Concern form must be completed for each disclosure or concern about a child.

· In ALL cases, full notes should be taken of your decision, actions and reasons for them.

Reporting

Coaches working within a school or other organisation

· Follow the procedures set out in the school or organisation’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.

· Inform the school or organisation’s Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible and on the same day.

· Provide a copy of the Subconquest Child Protection Concern form or complete the records required by the school or organisation, ensuring the information is the same on both forms.

· Child protection concern forms should be shared with your supervisor and Subconquest Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible or at least within 24 hours.

Coaches in private practice

· Discuss with your supervisor before taking further action. If they are unavailable, you should contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead for guidance/support depending on urgency.

· If your assessment of risk suggests that you need to take urgent action and you are not able to contact your supervisor or Designated Safeguarding Lead in time, you should call the Local Authority Children’s Social Care Team/Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) in the area that the child lives.

· In most authorities, you can call for advice on a ‘no names’ basis. If you are advised that there is significant concern, based on the information you have given, you should disclose your client’s details and agree on an action plan with the Duty Worker.

· In any contact with Statutory /Voluntary agencies, ALWAYS get a name and job title, document the date and time, as well as the content of the discussion and any plans/agreements made.

· Child protection concern forms should be shared with your supervisor and Subconquest Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible or at least within 24 hours.

Coaches working with Employee Assistance Programmes

· Discuss all concerns with the Subconquest Designated Safeguarding Lead and complete a Child Protection Concern form to submit to the Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible or at least within 24 hours.

· The Subconquest Designated Safeguarding Lead will decide on further actions to be taken.

· If your assessment of risk suggests that you need to take urgent action and you are not able to contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead in time, you should call the Local Authority Children’s Social Care Team/Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) in the area where the child lives.

· In any contact with Statutory/Voluntary agencies, ALWAYS get a name and job title, document the date and time, as well as the content of the discussion and any plans/agreements made.

· Child protection concern forms should be shared with your supervisor and Subconquest Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible or at least within 24 hours.

Immediate concerns about a child

In an Emergency (i.e. imminent risk of harm to self/client/named other or public, and where to contact for advice would cause unreasonable delay).

· Phone 999 (landline) or 999/112 (mobile) and ask for the Police. Give the name and address of the client and outline clearly the reasons for your concern.

· Follow police guidance and document the conversation.

· You should then contact your supervisor or, if unavailable, the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Referrals to Local Authority Children’s Social Care

Ollie Coaches working within a school or other organisation

· It will usually be the responsibility of the Designated Safeguarding Lead within the school or organisation to decide on subsequent actions, as they are likely to have a complete picture of the circumstances of the child and any services currently involved. However, it is the right of any individual to make direct referrals or raise concerns directly with Local Authority Children’s Social Care.

· If, for any reason, you believe that the nominated persons have not responded appropriately to your concerns then contact your supervisor and the Subconquest Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Ollie Coaches in private practice

· It is your responsibility to make any referrals. The Subconquest Designated Safeguarding Lead can provide advice.

· Contact the Local Authority Children’s Social Care Team / Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) in the area that the child lives. The correct area can be found at:

UK www.gov.uk/report-child-abuse-to-local-council.

Scotland: www.mygov.scot/report-child-abuse

Wales: www.gov.wales/reporting-suspected-abuse-harm-or-neglect-safeguarding

Northern Ireland: www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/local-councils-in-northern-ireland

Coaches working outside of the UK should familiarise themselves with the relevant child protection authorities and procedures.

Confidentiality and consent

The content of an Ollie session remains confidential unless a disclosure is made of child abuse or if a child’s safety or welfare is considered at risk. In such circumstances, the school’s child protection procedures will be used.

If in private practice, unless you are certain that no action needs to be taken, it is good practice to consult your supervisor to discuss your concerns.

In most instances, concerns about the welfare or safety of children will be discussed with the parents/carers, unless it has been decided that this would put the child at further harm. A record of all discussions will be kept, including the views of the parents/carers.

Always aim to involve your client in the process of contacting/consulting other agencies, where it is safe to do so. It is helpful to have the full name, date of birth of the child and school, if contacting other agencies.

Storing of child protection records

Ollie coaches are expected to store records in accordance with GDPR 2018 and the Subconquest Code of Ethics.

The Subconquest Designated Safeguarding Lead maintains a secure Subconquest database of concerns and actions. The database is regularly reviewed to ensure any patterns of concern are noticed, and appropriate actions are taken or advice is given. Records are stored in line with GDPR 2018.

Coaches and Supervisors should update the Subconquest Designated Safeguarding Lead of any actions and updates in relation to reported concerns. Supervisors can provide updates using the Supervisor Child Protection Concern Record.

Information sharing

Information sharing is vital in identifying and tackling all forms of abuse and neglect, and in promoting children’s welfare, including their educational outcomes.

Professionals should not assume a colleague or another professional will take action and share information that might be critical in keeping children safe. They should be mindful that early information sharing is vital for the effective identification, assessment, and allocation of appropriate service provision.

· If in any doubt about sharing information, speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead for advice.

· Fears about sharing information must not be allowed to stand in the way of the need to promote the welfare and protect the safety of children.

· The Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR do not prevent the sharing of information for the purposes of keeping children safe.

Child protection information will be stored and handled in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and HM Government guidance ‘Information Sharing: Advice for Practitioners Providing Safeguarding Services to Children, Young People, Parents and Carers’. This guidance also provides advice to professionals who have to make decisions about sharing information.

Further information is provided in the Subconquest Code of Ethics.

The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead

• Act as a source of support and advice for coaches and supervisors on all matters related to safeguarding

• Ensure all coaches and supervisors have access to and understand the policies and procedures

• Ensure records are kept in line with GDPR

• Be fully conversant with safeguarding policies and procedures

• Guide coaches and supervisors on how and when to make referrals when non-urgent.

Consent

Ollie coaches must obtain written permission to work with a person under 16. Parental consent must be established before working with a child or young person and must be reviewed regularly to ensure consent continues to be given.

Safer recruitment

We are committed to ensuring that all steps are taken to recruit staff, coaches, supervisors and trainers who are safe to work with children and adults. We are committed to the principles of safer recruitment, and as part of that, we adopt recruitment procedures that help deter, identify and reject unsuitable candidates.

Before certification as an Ollie coach, all prospective coaches undergo training that includes an assessment of their suitability for the role. If concerns arise during the training process regarding the person's suitability for the role, training will be ceased, and their assessment will not be completed. Prospective coaches may re-enrol in training in the future if the needs or concerns identified have been addressed.

Please refer to the procedures set out in the Subconquest Safer Recruitment Policy.

Safer working practices

Subconquest Ltd sets and upholds high standards of professionalism and performance, and promotes ethical behaviour, attitudes, and judgements. Your primary responsibility when you work as part of Subconquest is to protect the health and well-being of all those who use your services – this includes clients, parents, appropriate adults, and other professionals.

Please refer to the Subconquest Code of Conduct.

Concerns or allegations about the behaviour or suitability of an employee or coach.

All coaches must be under direct supervision and must agree to our complaint procedure, which is followed if any concerns are raised.

Concerns or allegations about employees and volunteers must be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. A written record will be made, including the time, date and place of the incident/s, persons present and what was said. The decision on whether to address the issue as an allegation of harm or a concern will be made in consultation with the Local Authority Designated Officer, who will be contacted within one working day of the allegation being made.

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO): LADO@cambridgeshire.gov.uk - Office hours 01223 727 967 - Out of hours 01733 234 724

Supervision

Supervision underpins good practice and ensures the safeguarding of children. Child protection and safeguarding concerns should be shared with your supervisor during supervision. Immediate concerns should be shared with your supervisor as they occur.

Induction of new coaches

All coaches must complete training before being signed off as an Ollie Coach. This training includes Subconquest Safeguarding Policies and Procedures through a webinar, and coaches must also have completed Level 2 Safeguarding Children training. One of the training units is on safeguarding both verbally and in written format. Coaches are required to read and agree to the Subconquest Code of Conduct document and to undertake Ethics training.

Training

Anyone working on behalf of Subconquest Ltd or using the Ollie approach is expected to undertake child protection and safeguarding children training to a minimum of Safeguarding Children level 2 or equivalent child protection training and understand their role and responsibilities in line with this policy and relevant statutory guidance. All Ollie Coaches are offered annual safeguarding updates and organisation-specific safeguarding webinars which are led by Catherine Irving Consultancy Ltd to embed safeguarding practice.

Safe online coaching

It is essential that all staff who interact with children, including online, continue to look out for signs that a child may be at risk. Any such concerns should be dealt with as per the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Procedures.

Coaches must be aware of the potential risks associated with this and will be required to assess the risks of their working environment and the potential impact of remote sessions.

· Ollie Coaches should take reasonable steps to ensure that clients are in a safe physical environment and are informed about the safe use of technologies.

· Ollie Coaches will ensure that any online coaching and use of technology platforms are in line with privacy and data protection/GDPR requirements.

· Ollie Coaches will continue to only work online within their skill base and in line with the ethical guidelines.

· Coaches will only proceed with online coaching with informed consent. Prior to sessions beginning, they will make clear the circumstances in which confidentiality can be broken, i.e. if it becomes apparent that there is a risk of harm to the client or others or where there is a legal duty of disclosure.

· Ollie Coaches will be familiar with working with informed consent when safeguarding young people.

Subconquest Designated Safeguarding Lead is:

Caroline Chipper

caroline@subconquest.co.uk

Mobile: 07816661460

Subconquest Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is:

Marina Hilton

m.hilton@ollieandhissuperpowers.com

Mobile: 07887887532

Signed

Designated Safeguarding Lead Caroline Chipper

Date: 3^rd March 2026

Types of abuse

Abuse, neglect and safeguarding issues are rarely stand-alone events that can be covered by one definition or label. In most cases, multiple issues will overlap with one another.

Abuse: a form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm or by failing to act to prevent harm. Harm can include ill treatment that is not physical as well as the impact of witnessing ill treatment of others. This can be particularly relevant, for example, in relation to the impact on children of all forms of domestic abuse. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others. Abuse can take place wholly online, or technology may be used to facilitate offline abuse. Children may be abused by an adult or adults or by another child or children.

Physical abuse: a form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.

Emotional abuse: the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning or preventing the child from participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyberbullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, although it may occur alone.

Sexual abuse: involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing, and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse. Sexual abuse can take place online, and technology can be used to facilitate offline abuse. Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children. The sexual abuse of children by other children is a specific safeguarding issue.

Neglect: the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy, for example, as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

Child criminal exploitation (CCE) and child sexual exploitation (CSE)

We know that different forms of harm often overlap, and that perpetrators may subject children and young people to multiple forms of abuse, such as criminal exploitation (including county lines) and sexual exploitation. In some cases, the exploitation or abuse will be in exchange for something the victim needs or wants (for example, money, gifts or affection), and/or will be to the financial benefit or other advantage, such as increased status, of the perpetrator or facilitator. Children can be exploited by adult males or females, as individuals or groups. They may also be exploited by other children, who themselves may be experiencing exploitation – where this is the case, it is important that the child perpetrator is also recognised as a victim. Whilst the age of the child may be a contributing factor for an imbalance of power, there are a range of other factors that could make a child more vulnerable to exploitation, including, sexual identity, cognitive ability, learning difficulties, communication ability, physical strength, status, and access to economic or other resources.

Some of the following can be indicators of both child criminal and sexual exploitation where children:

• appear with unexplained gifts, money or new possessions

• associate with other children involved in exploitation

• suffer from changes in emotional well-being

• misuse alcohol and other drugs

• go missing for periods of time or regularly come home late, and

• regularly miss school or education or do not take part in education.

Children who have been exploited will need additional support to help keep them in education. Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) can be a one-off occurrence or a series of incidents over time and range from opportunistic to complex organised abuse. It can involve force and/or enticement-based methods of compliance and may, or may not, be accompanied by violence or threats of violence.

Some additional specific indicators that may be present in CSE are children who:

• have older boyfriends or girlfriends; and

• suffer from sexually transmitted infections, display sexual behaviours beyond expected sexual development or become pregnant.

Child-on-Child Abuse

Children can abuse other children, this can happen both inside and outside of school or college and online.

Child-on-child abuse is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:

• bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying)

• abuse in intimate personal relationships between children (sometimes known as ‘teenage relationship abuse’)

• physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or

• otherwise causing physical harm (this may include an online element which

• facilitates, threatens and/or encourages physical abuse)

• sexual violence such as rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault;

• (this may include an online element which facilitates, threatens and/or

• encourages sexual violence)

• sexual harassment such as sexual comments, remarks, jokes and online

• sexual harassment, which may be standalone or part of a broader pattern of

• abuse

• causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as

• forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual

• activity with a third party

• consensual and non-consensual sharing of nude and semi-nude images

• and/or videos (also known as sexting or youth produced sexual imagery)

• upskirting which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s

• clothing without their permission, with the intention of viewing their genitals

• or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation,

• distress, or alarm, and

• initiation/hazing type violence and rituals (this could include activities

• involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a

• person into a group and may also include an online element).

Domestic abuse

Types of domestic abuse include intimate partner violence, abuse by family members, teenage relationship abuse and child to parent abuse. Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of sexual identity, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality or background and domestic abuse can take place inside or outside of the home.

All children can witness and be adversely affected by domestic abuse in the context of their home life where domestic abuse occurs between family members. Experiencing domestic abuse can have a serious, long lasting emotional and psychological impact on children. In some cases, a child may blame themselves for the abuse or may have had to leave the family home as a result.

Young people can also experience domestic abuse within their own intimate relationships. This form of child-on-child abuse is sometimes referred to as ‘teenage relationship abuse’. Depending on the age of the young people, this may not be recognised in law under the statutory definition of ‘domestic abuse’ (if one or both parties are under 16). However, as with any child under 18, where there are concerns about safety or welfare, child safeguarding procedures should be followed and both young victims and young perpetrators should be offered support.

Drugs/substance use/abuse

If you become aware that a child or young person is using substances, follow the safeguarding procedures.

Fabricated/induced Illness

Fabricated or induced illness (FII) is a rare form of child abuse. It occurs when a parent or carer, usually the child’s biological mother, exaggerates or deliberately causes symptoms of illness in the child.

Mental Health

Mental health problems can, in some cases, be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse, neglect or exploitation. Only appropriately trained professionals should attempt to make a diagnosis of a mental health problem.

Online harms

The breadth of issues classified within online safety is considerable and ever evolving, but can be categorised into four areas of risk:

content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate, or harmful content, for example: pornography, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, antisemitism, radicalisation, extremism, misinformation, disinformation (including fake news) and conspiracy theories.

contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users; for example: peer to peer pressure, commercial advertising and adults posing as children or young adults with the intention to groom or exploit them for sexual, criminal, financial or other purposes.

conduct: online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm; for example, making, sending and receiving explicit images (e.g. consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi-nudes and/or pornography, sharing other explicit images and online bullying, and

commerce: risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing and or financial scams.

Preventing Radicalisation

Children may be susceptible to radicalisation into terrorism. Similar to protecting children from other forms of harm and abuse.

Extremism is the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Radicalisation is the process of a person legitimising support for, or use of, terrorist violence.

Terrorism is an action that endangers or causes serious violence to a person/people; causes serious damage to property; or seriously interferes or disrupts an electronic system. The use or threat must be designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public and is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause.

Serious Violence

Indicators, which may signal children are at risk from, or are involved with, serious violent crime may include increased absence from school or college, a change in friendships or relationships with older individuals or groups, a significant decline in educational performance, signs of self harm or a significant change in wellbeing, or signs of assault or unexplained injuries. Unexplained gifts or new possessions could also indicate that children have been approached by, or are involved with, individuals associated with criminal networks or gangs and may be at risk of criminal exploitation.

The likelihood of involvement in serious violence may be increased by factors such as:

being male
having been frequently absent or permanently excluded from school
having experienced child maltreatment and having been involved in offending, such as theft or robbery.

So-called ‘honour’-based abuse (including female genital mutilation and forced marriage)

So-called ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) encompasses incidents or crimes which have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or the community, including female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, and practices such as breast ironing. Abuse committed in the context of preserving ‘honour’ often involves a wider network of family or community pressure and can include multiple perpetrators. It is important to be aware of this dynamic and additional risk factors when deciding what form of safeguarding action to take. All forms of HBA are abuse (regardless of the motivation) and should be handled and escalated as such. Professionals in all agencies, and individuals and groups in relevant communities, need to be alert to the possibility of a child being at risk of HBA, or already having suffered HBA.

If there is a concern regarding a child who might be at risk of HBA or who has suffered from HBA, this must be reported in line with the usual reporting procedures.

FGM comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. It is illegal in the UK and a form of child abuse with long-lasting harmful consequences. Section 5B of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (as inserted by section 74 of the Serious Crime Act 2015) places a statutory duty upon teachers, along with regulated health and social care professionals in England and Wales, to report to the police where they discover (either through disclosure by the victim or visual evidence) that FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl under 18. Those failing to report such cases may face disciplinary sanctions. Information on when and how to make a report can be found at: Mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation procedural information.