Safeguarding Children and Young People

You may expect a child to describe abuse clearly or show one recognisable sign. You may also assume that a worried adult should question the child until the facts are established. Children may communicate indirectly, through behaviour or without words. Repeated questioning can cause distress and affect a later investigation.

Child safeguarding applies to everyone under 18 In safeguarding law and practice, a child generally means a person under 18. Safeguarding children includes protecting them from maltreatment, preventing harm to health or development, ensuring safe and effective care, and taking action so that children have the best possible outcomes. The statutory framework in England emphasises coordinated work between health, local authorities, police, education and other services. Different statutory guidance applies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Local procedures must therefore be followed. Children do not always communicate harm directly A child may describe what happened clearly, mention one small part of the experience, ask a hypothetical question, use a story, drawing or play, communicate through behaviour. Show fear around a particular person or place, say that something happened to "a friend", withdraw after beginning to speak, communicate through gestures, signs or assistive technology, or be unable to describe what happened. Babies and very young children cannot provide a verbal account. Their safety depends on observation, developmental knowledge, clinical assessment and information from several sources. Current statutory guidance requires professionals to consider non verbal and pre verbal cues and maintain a child centred approach. Children may delay telling someone A child may remain silent because they fear they will not be believed, have been threatened, feel ashamed or responsible, depend on the person causing harm, love or want to protect that person. Do not recognise the behaviour as abusive, fear family separation or police involvement, lack the language or communication support required, believe that the harm is normal, or have previously received an unsafe response. A delayed, partial or changing account does not automatically mean that the child is being dishonest. Memory, fear, developmental stage and the way questions are asked can affect how a child communicates. The main categories of child abuse and neglect NICE guidance covers physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect in children and young people under 18. Physical abuse involves deliberately causing physical harm. Possible concerns may include injuries without a plausible explanation, injuries inconsistent with the child's developmental ability, repeated injuries, an explanation that changes significantly, delay in seeking necessary treatment, harmful physical punishment, or poisoning, suffocation or inappropriate restraint. An injury alone does not establish how it occurred. Clinical and safeguarding assessment consider its location, pattern, explanation, timing and the child's developmental stage. Sexual abuse involves a child being forced, persuaded, exploited or involved in sexual activity that they cannot understand or consent to. It may involve physical contact or non contact behaviour, including online activity, sexual images, grooming or exposing a child to sexual content. Possible concerns include: A direct or indirect disclosure. Sexualised language or behaviour not expected for developmental stage. Unexplained pain, bleeding, infection or pregnancy. Fear of a particular person. Online contact involving secrecy, pressure or threats. Being offered gifts, money or status in exchange for activity. A marked behavioural or emotional change Emotional abuse may involve persistent humiliation, rejection, intimidation, threats, isolation or exposure to frightening behaviour. It can also involve placing expectations on a child that are seriously inappropriate for their age or development. Possible signs include marked fearfulness, extreme vigilance, low self worth, sudden withdrawal, aggression or distress, developmental regression, strong anxiety about making mistakes, or a relationship dominated by hostility, rejection or control. Neglect is a persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical or psychological needs in a way likely to impair health or development. It may involve inadequate food, clothing, shelter, supervision, healthcare, education, emotional responsiveness, or protection from danger. Poverty alone is not neglect. Families experiencing poverty may need practical support, benefits advice, housing help and early intervention. The safeguarding question is whether the child's needs are being met and whether available help is being accepted or blocked. Harm may occur outside the home Children may experience harm from relatives, family friends, professionals or volunteers, other children, intimate partners, criminal groups, online contacts, employers or exploiters, or people in education, sport, faith or residential settings. Extra familial harm includes criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, trafficking, serious youth violence, online abuse and harmful peer relationships. A child may be harmed by another child while also needing support for their own behaviour and circumstances. Current statutory guidance recognises that children may experience several forms of harm simultaneously. Domestic abuse affects children A child can be harmed by seeing, hearing or experiencing the effects of domestic abuse, even when the abusive behaviour is not directed physically towards them. Possible effects include fear and hypervigilance, sleep disturbance, emotional or behavioural change, difficulty concentrating, taking responsibility for protecting a parent or sibling, injury while intervening, coercion by an abusive adult, or disruption to housing, education or healthcare. Domestic abuse includes controlling or coercive behaviour, threats, economic abuse and emotional abuse as well as physical or sexual violence. Disabled children may face additional barriers Disabled children and young people can be at increased risk of abuse or neglect. NICE specifically identifies this increased vulnerability. Reasons may include: Dependence on adults for intimate or personal care. Communication barriers. Social isolation. More adults being involved in care. Behaviour being incorrectly attributed to disability. Difficulty describing pain or fear. Assumptions that a child is not a reliable witness. Inaccessible reporting systems. A change in behaviour or function should not automatically be attributed to an existing disability. Communication support should be arranged without involving a person who may be implicated in the concern. Family difficulties are risk factors, not proof of abuse Parental illness, substance misuse, domestic abuse, housing insecurity, financial pressure or limited support may increase stress and affect parenting capacity. These circumstances do not mean that a parent is abusive. Assessment should consider the effect on the child, the support available, whether basic and emotional needs are met, whether danger is increasing, whether services can reduce risk, and whether adults are willing and able to engage. Safeguarding should combine support for families with decisive protection when a child may suffer significant harm. Fabricated or induced illness requires specialist assessment Fabricated or induced illness is a complex form of abuse in which a caregiver misrepresents, exaggerates or causes a child's illness. Possible concerns may arise when there are persistent discrepancies between reported symptoms, objective findings and observations across settings. These situations require careful multidisciplinary assessment. One disputed symptom, a medically unexplained presentation or a parent seeking repeated medical advice does not establish fabricated or induced illness. You should not accuse or confront a caregiver based on suspicion. Professionals must follow specialist safeguarding procedures. Responding when a child tells you something You should stay calm, listen carefully, take the child seriously, use language appropriate to their age and communication needs, allow pauses, acknowledge that telling you was important. Check whether they are safe now, explain that you may need to tell people who can help, record their words accurately, and follow the safeguarding procedure promptly. Avoid expressing anger towards the alleged person. The child may care about or depend upon them. Do not promise a particular outcome, such as that the person will be arrested or that the child will never see them again. Do not ask leading or repeated questions NICE recommends non leading conversations and accurate recording of the child's words. Avoid questions such as "Did your father hit you?", "Was it because you were naughty?", "Did this happen in the bedroom?" or "Are you sure that is exactly what happened?" These questions introduce assumptions or pressure the child to confirm an expected account. Where limited clarification is needed for safety, broad prompts are safer. You may need to establish whether the child is in danger now, whether urgent treatment is needed or whether another child is present. You should then stop and allow trained professionals to continue the assessment. Record the child's voice accurately Record the child's exact words where possible, how the conversation began, the questions you asked, relevant behaviour or non verbal communication, who was present. Date, time and location, any injury or clinical finding observed, immediate safety actions, and who received the safeguarding information. Do not convert the child's language into adult terminology. Do not combine your interpretation with the child's account. NICE quality standards state that notes should represent the child's words accurately and be made promptly. Consider whether it is safe to inform parents or carers Parents and carers are usually important partners in a child's care. However, informing them before taking safeguarding advice may be unsafe when they may be involved in the harm, they may intimidate the child. They may remove or conceal the child, evidence may be destroyed, another person may be placed at risk, or police or children's social care advise against contact. Professionals should follow local procedures and record the reasons for their decision. Know the reporting route When there is no immediate danger, concerns are usually passed to the local authority children's social care service where the child lives. Depending on location, this service may be called children's social care, children's services, a multi agency safeguarding hub, a safeguarding front door, or a referral and assessment service. A crime may also need to be reported to police. Professionals should inform their designated safeguarding lead or safeguarding team according to policy. Internal discussion must not create unsafe delay. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026, published on 18 March 2026, sets the statutory multi agency framework in England. A child protection referral is not a final judgement A referral allows trained services to decide whether the child needs early help, whether a social care assessment is required, whether immediate protection is needed. Whether police involvement is appropriate, whether medical assessment is required, whether siblings or other children may be affected, and what support the family needs. The outcome should be based on the child's safety and welfare, not punishment of a family. Local procedures and professional judgement still apply This lesson is not a substitute for local safeguarding partnership procedures, employer policies, designated safeguarding advice, paediatric assessment, social care decision making, police investigation, or professional judgement. Referral thresholds and statutory arrangements differ across the UK. Use the relevant procedure without delaying emergency action.

Child safeguarding is a child centred, multi agency process. A safe approach considers the child's voice and behaviour, their age and developmental stage, the pattern and context of concern, immediate health and safety, and the possibility of harm inside or outside the family with prompt referral rather than amateur investigation.